re: #180 Shiplord Kirel

What is with this craze for giant 4X4 pickups among hinterland suburbanites who have no possible use for them? If not for the garish paint and chrome, a visiting alien might mistake a typical Lubbock parking lot for the assembly area of a mechanized infantry division. Never mind, I know the cause. President Obama should appoint a blue ribbon national healthcare commission to look into this epidemic decline in penis size.

I moved halfway across town recently, and more than once during the process I found myself wishing I had a truck. My ‘People’s Wagon’ can only haul so much at a time. It’s also not very dog-friendly (incidentally, I feel I must point out that I hold in very low regard people who allow their dog to ride in the bed of a pickup.) But it’s paid for, and the gas mileage is about as good as I can hope to get without negating the savings by taking on a new car payment.

During the 2008 election, one particular branch of my family tree somewhat surprisingly caught Palin Fever and thereafter went Full Metal Wingnut. I’m not asserting a causal relationship, but at exactly the same time, a few of them bought new SUVs even though they are exclusively urban commuters who only rarely take on more than 1 or 2 passengers. Each one of them independently claimed that part of the reason they bought these giant glorified station wagons is because they perceived them to be somehow “safer” than sedans. My personal preference would be that they simply pay attention to the road and the other vehicles around them, but apparently that’s wussified anti-Murrican talk, or something.