I don't think I can be friends with moms who drive huge SUVs

[Anonymous]

300th post!

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:We do a lot of things for the environment, but we also need to carpool. Our Subaru Outback won’t suffice much longer for the reason that we have 2 kids. We can’t car pool except to bring 1 more kid. There are not a ton of 1 kid families and those families don’t always have space in their cars for our two.

If you want to fit 3-5 kids + sports gear, you will need an SUV or minivan.

So in Europe and the rest of the world why are they able to do this without the need for a HUGE suv?

I live in Germany. I’ve also lived in Luxembourg, Belgium, and France in the last decade. Guess what.. they’re all driving SUVs and the market for American branded trucks and vans is HUGE.

No they aren't, most Europeans are baffled by giant vehicles and are very concerned about the state of the world their children will grow up in, and they live those values. They are more secure too.

NP. I have lived in Switzerland for the last 2.5 years and all the new cars I see are SUVs. We drive one too.

+1 many in Germany too.

Range Rover is British. I think people get their ideas about Europe from movies and tv.

[Anonymous]

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Never mind. Your parents were definitely early adopters if they were buying the first-gen Prius in 1997.

Which also means they were INCREDIBLY wealthy. Interesting that OP hasn't brought socioeconomic class into this - I suspect she's just angry others can afford a lifestyle she doesn't believe they're entitled to.

OP here. How do you know these people can afford these lifestyles? I am not jealous. I feel sad for them because they are chasing after material things. I know people making less than us with these types of cars. They are in so much debt, but it's accepted as normal in the US to some degree to have car payments and pay interest.

Just because you know one family in debt doesn't mean everyone that has an SUV is. Lots of us pay cash for them. But your opinion of me doesn't factor into my decisions at all. I don't care what anyone else thinks or assumes about me.

A few years back when I bought my wife a new minivan at a Honda dealership in Arlington, I was speaking with the F&I manager (I am a regulatory attorney dealing with finance laws). I paid cash, and the manager noted that nearly 60% of his sales were cash deals. Pretty much unheard of elsewhere in the country. Granted it was $44K and not $75K+ but there is a lot of money in this area.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:If you cared about the environment, you'd still be living in an apartment in the city where you can walk everywhere. Hypocrite.

THIS.

Ok, not op here but I’m choosing to raise my kid in the city, in an apartment, and rarely drive because I think we all need to do our part to reduce our reliance on fossil fuels.

I also think giant SUVs are a pox on humanity.

So now what’s your excuse?

Do you fly on airplanes?

Aviation is the most climate-intensive form of transport.

It reminds me of when Meghan and Harry got serious sh*t for shading everyone about their lack of environmentalism and then were called out for flying in private jets everywhere.

I know this is going to totally blow you away, but some of us arguing against SUVs/giant houses/very consumption-focused lifestyles not only don't have private planes, but don't fly often. I fly maybe once a year. And some years not at all. I live in an apartment. My family owns one 10 year old car that we drive maybe once a week to go hiking and do a big grocery haul. We live in a neighborhood with public transportation and walkable services, and we support politicians and policies that make our lifestyle more accessible for more people. And we are not rich ourselves -- HHI of 140k, with one parent working part-time to maximize time with kids and also make it possible to do things like make more of our own meals, compost and buy used, do errands by walking or biking, and other choices that can be more time consuming but are, we believe, worth it.

I know peopel are going to responds stuff like "well I guess we can't all be perfect like you" but I'm NOT perfect and don't think I am. I'm just tired of people on this thread acting like actually living these values is impossible or miserable. We have a wonderful life, we and our kids are very happy, we don't want for anything. It's actually possible to choose something other than big house/big car/scheduled to within an inch of your life/kids in everything/huge fancy vacations to far flung locations/etc. If that's what you want to do, nothing I say will stop you. But you can't tell me I'm a hypocrite, or that living more sustainably is impossible, or only available to rich people, or that no one actually does it. Some of us do it. You could too, if you wanted to. You just don't want to.

First off, none of that makes any difference, at all, with respect to climate change, other than supporting politicians and policies. Not one bit.

Second, it's very easy to say, "It's actually possible to choose something other than big house/big car/scheduled to within an inch of your life/kids in everything/huge fancy vacations to far flung locations/etc." when you can't afford to do any of those things. But if you made $600k each year, I doubt you'd still llive in an apartment. I bet you'd take a nice vacation. You might even buy a car, and enroll your kids in an extra activity or two. You'll deny it, of course, but I simply don't believe you.

This. This right here is why I am not friends with these women. They believe that everyone is jealous of them, and anyone who could afford to would live just like them. Wow.

Yup. True colors. They honestly believe that everyone on the planet would live in a giant house in the burbs and put their kids in travel sports and drive multiple giant vehicles if only they could afford it.

One thing that would probably freak them out is to learn that some of us actually turned down jobs where we could make the same amount of money they make, in part because we were not interested in the lifestyle that often accompanies these careers and incomes. Like... no interest. I wouldn't live like this for a billion dollars.

[Anonymous]

Soccer mom I’mm here with two kids playing club. I cruise in my Toyota rav4 prime. Please don’t clump us all together.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:LOL! We have one child and have a "large" 3 row SUV. Because I'm her Girl Scout troop leader and she's in a big car pool for school (LD school). It is also our only vehicle as we live walking distance to metro (Vienna). Don't assume you know everything about these people OP!

Blah, blah, blah. You lost me at one kid.

She lost me at buying a big car to be a GIRL SCOUT LEADER. I’m my daughter’s troop cookie manager, and no way am I plunking down thousands on a car I don’t need for that privilege!

[Anonymous]

You are the interloper in their territory Prius, not the other way around.

You also chose to move.

So, you're the one at fault her. Back off.

[Anonymous]

I’m better than you, OP; I didn’t have a car until I was 32, and its’ a Nissan Leaf. Also there are solar panels on my house. So there ya go, you’re not the best…around!

[Anonymous]

I hate SUVs because I drive a little car and I can never see around them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’m better than you, OP; I didn’t have a car until I was 32, and its’ a Nissan Leaf. Also there are solar panels on my house. So there ya go, you’re not the best…around!

I got my first car at 48 because my mom got too old to drive and she gave me hers. So there!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We recently moved to the suburbs, and they are everywhere. Some of the kids are in travel lacrosse and soccer and they are in FIRST grade. They all have the same exact huge white SUV. It was hilarious the other day because a few of them ran into each other at the grocery store and were talking obnoxiously about their vacations while standing in line at Aldi. Anyway, once I got to the parking lot, they were all talking and loading their groceries. They all have the exact type of car a HUGE white SUV. My first car in high school was a Prius. Dh wants an SUV but I am adamant about having a sedan. We have two kids, and it's fine. Do these people not care about global warming? We had an earthquake a week ago, killing thousands of people. Driving these huge cars is such a waste and global warming contributes to more earthquakes. I went from living in an apartment to this. It's such a big change.

This is a sad attempt at trolling.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We recently moved to the suburbs, and they are everywhere. Some of the kids are in travel lacrosse and soccer and they are in FIRST grade. They all have the same exact huge white SUV. It was hilarious the other day because a few of them ran into each other at the grocery store and were talking obnoxiously about their vacations while standing in line at Aldi. Anyway, once I got to the parking lot, they were all talking and loading their groceries. They all have the exact type of car a HUGE white SUV. My first car in high school was a Prius. Dh wants an SUV but I am adamant about having a sedan. We have two kids, and it's fine. Do these people not care about global warming? We had an earthquake a week ago, killing thousands of people. Driving these huge cars is such a waste and global warming contributes to more earthquakes. I went from living in an apartment to this. It's such a big change.

This is a sad attempt at trolling.

I thought the same thing. But 21 pages later and it’s safe to say the trolling won.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We recently moved to the suburbs, and they are everywhere. Some of the kids are in travel lacrosse and soccer and they are in FIRST grade. They all have the same exact huge white SUV. It was hilarious the other day because a few of them ran into each other at the grocery store and were talking obnoxiously about their vacations while standing in line at Aldi. Anyway, once I got to the parking lot, they were all talking and loading their groceries. They all have the exact type of car a HUGE white SUV. My first car in high school was a Prius. Dh wants an SUV but I am adamant about having a sedan. We have two kids, and it's fine. Do these people not care about global warming? We had an earthquake a week ago, killing thousands of people. Driving these huge cars is such a waste and global warming contributes to more earthquakes. I went from living in an apartment to this. It's such a big change.

Do you eat meat? I hope you’re doing your part.

https://eatdrinkbetter.com/articles/biggest-contributor-climate-change-meat-eating-cars/

[Anonymous]

Thou art a self-righteous eco warrior.

Let’s hear more about your credentials.

My DH drives a huge SUV for his round trip 8 mile commute. I drive a trusty gas-sipping Subaru for circuit type job with a local territory. Works for us. I get mileage reimbursement.

I also am an outdoor enthusiast, nature lover and an active plogger/pliker. For fun and exercise, I pick up other people’s trash. I joined an ecologically focused affinity and outreach group through my company.

If on the odd chance you saw me roll up to the Aldi (never shopped there) in DH SUV, I guess you’d make some erroneous assumption and decide we can’t be friends.

Your loss. I could teach you a few things and I’m a very kind, sweet person. If I had to take a stand against anyone who drives an enormous SUV, I would have no one in my life.

Pick your battles, lady. Life is short.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’m better than you, OP; I didn’t have a car until I was 32, and its’ a Nissan Leaf. Also there are solar panels on my house. So there ya go, you’re not the best…around!

Is that a Joe Esposito reference? If it is, we could be friends despite the fact that I own a midsize SUV.