Stupidest idea ever

[dmaze]

The Zipcar du jour was Eva, a Ford Escape living in the Alewife garage. This is a vehicle whose rear-view mirror doesn't allow you so much to see the cars behind you as to see over the cars behind you, a vehicle with the general aerodynamic properties of a Borg Cube. It was, I'll grant, a fairly comfortable ride, particularly through the questionable pavement of Harvard Square. But the negative-zero-emissions-vehicle aspect of it seems contrary to the Zipcar environmental bit. Given that these are expensive vehicles, that are expensive to operate, they're kind of dangerous (both in the "roll over" and the "greater risk of putting your bumper through someone else's windshield" senses), why are SUVs so popular?

Comments

[ilai]

I think some people do not see SUVs as having a "greater risk of putting your bumper through someone else's windshield", but rather "a lower risk of someone else putting their bumper anywhere near you." At least that's how my parents see it--they might not think of it as being dangerous to others, but rather as being safer for you.

They also have the idea that since you're higher up, you can see more cars around you (not necessarily behind you).

[dmaze]

I did not find the overall visibility generally better: having to look for something "to my side and down" is more effort and less obvious than something just "to my side". The cute little sports car that cut me off on Mem. Drive near Harvard Square, for example, would have been totally invisible if it was behind me or right next to me as opposed to somewhat ahead and on my left.

Otherwise...mmm, tragedy of the commons.