Juxtaposed with all the riches LeBron James is making for everyone else, 
it seems arrogant to criticize the young man for his acquisition of a new 
Hummer H2, fully equipped with DVD and leather seating. Well, actually, 
his mother bought it for him, as a gift for his 18th birthday…so the story 
goes. And to be perfectly honest with you, it bothers me little to hear of 
this young man receiving an expensive gift from his mother. He's on his 
way to making millions, so the cost of the gift will be covered in less than 
a year when he signs a multi-million dollar contract with an NBA team. I'm 
exhausted from the media criticizing this kid for this move when they reap 
the benefits of his existence. 

Really, it's a tangential topic that sparks my interest and reaction. I could 
talk about the corruption of high schools sports by the media and 
advertising [and even everyday folks…the kid cannot even sign 
autographs for goodness sakes, since it will inevitably turn up on ebay 
for an asking price of $200]. But I'll spare you the boredom. We live in 
a profit-driven society. Talking about the effects of money in this money-
hungry capitalist society seems futile at this juncture. Instead of criticizing 
this kid for receiving an expensive gift from his mother, I'm focusing my 
attention on the gift itself and people who drive these monster SUV's. 
      
On a daily basis, I see people in their new Hummer H2, driving up and 
down my block. Granted, I live down the street from a Cadillac dealership, 
so it should not be a surprise to see this monstrosity of a vehicle rolling 
down my street. This fact bothers me for many reasons and I thought I'd 
share them here since I wouldn't want to deprive anyone from hearing my 
thoughts on life. But don't worry, I don't like to discriminate, I'm an equal 
opportunity critic when it comes to SUV's, so I won't limit the scope of my 
fury to the poor-defenseless Hummer H2; I think all of the huge SUV's 
are a problem. 

In her article written for the Washington Monthly, columnist Stephanie 
Mencimer poses a very scientific question with regards to SUV owners 
when she asks, "Have you ever wondered why sport utility vehicle drivers 
seem like such assholes?" I'm not sure what's the best part: the fact that 
she poses that question or the fact that it has an answer. Well, the answer 
lies in New York Times reporter Keith Bradsher's new book, "High and 
Mighty". Having covered the auto industry for six years, Bradsher is highly 
critical of sport utility vehicles and automakers who continue to produce 
these moving road hazards. 

      
The American Attitude 
      
So why are sport utility drivers such assholes? Well, the bad news is that 
they were assholes way before they bought their SUVs, the SUV is just a 
reflection of this fact. [If you got one and we're friends...its nothing 
personal]. Bradsher reports that, based on auto industry market research, 
SUV buyers tend to be "insecure and vain. They are frequently nervous 
about their marriages and uncomfortable about parenthood. They often 
lack confidence in their driving skills. Above all, they are apt to be self-
centered and self-absorbed, with little interest in their neighbors and 
communities. They are more restless, more sybaritic, and less social than 
most Americans are. They tend to like fine restaurants a lot more than 
off-road driving, seldom go to church and have limited interest in doing 
volunteer work to help others." 

If that last paragraph put you on the defensive side, then you might need 
to look out towards your driveway. But that's what it comes down to: 
attitude. About 2 years ago, before this SUV craze came to this feverish 
pitch, I was watching a show introducing the same concepts we are 
debating now. I forget the name of the show, which is of little importance, 
but it was styled similar to Crosstalk Live on CNN. So-called "experts" were 
invited to give their insights and opinions and the audience was allowed to 
respond. The topic of tougher fuel requirements and the development of 
zero-emissions technology were introduced to the panel and it was at this 
point that things became heated. One of the experts, an auto industry 
representative, went on a tirade about how regulations were "un-American" 
(I hate that term) and that it was our right as Americans to buy whatever 
types of vehicles we want without any regulations. 

This is exactly what I mean about attitude. Maybe that man is right, that 
any attitude that strays from his version of cultural norm is "un-American". 
If that is the case, maybe we should reshape what we consider "American". 
In that context, being an American means being selfish, self-centered and 
inconsiderate [READ: Allen Iverson's mother, "Dimes, Supermarkets and 
Automobiles "]. And to be honest with you, I as an American do not want 
that description to encompass me as well. As Mark Moford, SF Gate 
columnist noted, "it might be time to rethink our all-American, bigger-is-
better, screw-the-environment, high-fivin', the-world-is-our-prison-bitch 
mentality". 

      
Safety 
      
Then of course, there is the commonly held belief that SUVs are safe. 
Safety concerns rank as the predominant reason people use to justify 
the purchase of SUVs. [Note: I did use the word justify for a reason, 
because in reality safety = image as the #1 concern] Ironically, this 
perception fed to us by auto industry marketing, which would have us 
believe that these vehicles are safer, is one of the most dreadful lies. 
The reality is that SUV are unsafe, for both the owner and others on 
the road and the auto industry is well aware of this fact. 

I'll just give a few poignant examples to illustrate how unsafe these 
vehicles truly are. You can find these facts in either Mencimer's article 
or Bradsher's book. Mencimer notes that the "occupant death rate in 
SUV is 6 percent higher than it is for cars - 8 percent higher in the 
largest SUVs. And if you haven't already heard, SUVs are rollover-prone. 
In 2000, 62 percent of SUV deaths occurred in rollover accidents. 
Vehicles of that size just do not handle well; you run over a cockroach, 
next thing you know you're an SUV Six Flag ride. An SUV just cannot 
respond well to certain precarious conditions, such as uneven pavement. 
And that, in conjunction with an insecure driver behind the wheel spells 
disaster. To really drive the nail in that coffin (no pun intended), SUV 
roofs are not reinforced to protect the occupants against rollover. 





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