I wasn’t going to rant about SUV’s in my blog because it has been done so much everywhere else that it seems cliche at this point.  We all know by now the issues with SUV’s, like fuel economy, rolling over, obstructing everyone else’s view, and the hazard they pose to small cars… but something I didn’t really think about has made itself painfully present in my life recently. 

A couple of months ago I was in the Trader Joe’s parking lot waiting for someone to pull out of a space when this woman in a small SUV backed into the rear quarter panel of my car.  The driver could have plainly seen me in the right side mirror had she looked, but she probably just looked out of the rear window, and since my car isn’t as high as the rear window, she didn’t see me.  Now, I didn’t think about it too deeply at the time and just chalked it up as driver error.

I got that damage fixed and then a month ago the exact same thing happened, but in the parking lot of Amelie’s summer camp.  This time a bigger SUV, and again the driver could have easily seen me if she had looked out of her right side mirror.  Damage was on the same quarter panel.  I never liked SUV’s, but as long as they didn’t adversely effect my life, my attitude was live and let live, or to each their own.  At this point, more than ever I think they are a hazard to people and the planet and should be outlawed, or at a minimum, require a special license which can only be attained after specialized training.

I say all this despite the fact that my stepfather drives a Denali Suburban.  At least I know he has a lot of experience in trucks, but I know it hurts at the pump!