Hummer, the Moral Choice

In a recent survey, Hummer owners said their purchase was a "moral choice." While I'm not exactly sure what that means, I do think the Hummer backlash has gone too far. I would never own a Hummer, and find them largely repugnant. But I do admire their off-road capabilities and can appreciate why people own them.

A Hummer is a status symbol, just like a Toyota Prius. I know, the two vehicles are apples and oranges, but people buy them both to make a statement. You may argue the validity of that statement's content, but must accept that everyone has the right to choose what to drive. Otherwise, Prius owners will continue to egg Hummers and Hummer owners will continue to drive over Priuses.

To paraphrase Voltare, "I defend not what you drive, only your right to drive it."

A Solution for Commuter Hell

When I was in England last spring for a wedding, I couldn't help notice how easy it was to get around without a car. We stayed with family in Chiswick, on the west side of Greater London. By train, it was 30 minutes to Central London or an hour to Brighton on the English coast.

I am a certified car nut. I have motor oil in my veins. But I would gladly commute on a train if I could avoid the gridlocked hell known as the daily commute. The idea of walking to a train station, picking up a cup of coffee on the way, and then working on my laptop or reading while someone else delivers me to work sounds like heaven compared to a sea of brake lights.

This is not me trying to be green or environmental, just practical. I'd love to save my driving for when I could actually enjoy it.

Civic Duty

My car was in the shop this week, thanks to a bad starter, so I had the chance to borrow a 2002 Honda Civic.

Driving a Civic is like dating an aerobics instructor. It's lean, well toned and light on it's feet. But it's also noisy and bounces around a lot.

It's still a nice car, but I'm looking forward to getting my Infiniti back.