SUVs

["Christopher J. Ritchie" <cjr1@gte.net>]

Dave Puterbaugh posted:

>The amazing thing is that people rarely cut in front of my 200
>quattro, but every time I drive the Suburban, people cut in front of it
with
>less than a car length between us!   

Sorry, Dave.  It is not amazing.  Get used to it.  A Suburban is a truck. 
Drivers of automobiles do not like to drive behind trucks because they
cannot see around them.  It is dangerous on a highway to drive and not see
the line of cars (and their brake lights) ahead of you.  If that line were
to stop or slow down suddenly, I want advance notice.  Of course, this is
not a problem if you travel in the right lane.  

I will almost always pass trucks, vans, and SUVs so that I do not have to
travel behind them.  Perhaps with the congestion on the roads and ever
changing traffic dynamics, I probably have cut in front of an SUV too
close.  I try not to do that.  

While I am sure that you are a courteous driver in your SUV, you will also
suffer from the deserved prejudice other drivers have against SUVs.  The
vast majority of owners do not buy SUVs for their intended purpose.  They
buy them because they want to drive the biggest vehicle they practically
can and because of the high up driving position.  This does not encourage
courtesy.  Face it.  Right or wrong, other drivers hate SUVs.  They do not
have a good reputation.  The only solution I can see is to travel in the
right lane.  

Please do not take offense.  I am not impugning your SUV ownership or your
driving behavior.  I do not endorse cutting anyone off in traffic.  I just
think that all drivers should be aware of all traffic conditions.  With the
proliferation of SUVs on the roads, cutting them off is now something that
is going to happen.