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OPEN LETTER TO THE 'EARTH ON EMPTY' GROUP
Anyone attempting to attatch one of these SUV tickets to my vehicle will be subject to possible citizens arrest and or a civil suit for fraud, tresspassing (depending on where I am parked). Utilizing a web page and other means of advertising your opinions is welcome, I for one am not close minded to the problems that exist today and try my best to maintain a balance in what I do as far as pleasure activities vs. obligations to society. I drive a 1994 Ford Explorer. It is not a behemoth or a gross polluter. My vehicle has passed california emission tests with flying colors, and there are a multitude of other vehicles on the road much larger and far more dangerous in many ways than my truck. Sending volunteers to 'ticket' me with one of your ficticious violations is simply childish and environmentally unsound as I can gaurantee almost every one of them will end up thrown away with no more effect than agitating the owner of the vehicle. Such a gross waste of paper products makes you and your group nothing more than polluters in your own right. I personally recycle all my aluminum, plastics ( I work in a plant that uses 65% recycled materials ) oils and paper products. I work a 40+ hr week and on the weekends I spend time with my family on camping trips, fishing trips, and just exploring the northern California wilderness in my SUV. This vehicle is by nature everything I need for what I do in my life. I have a perfect driving record for the past 16 yrs and have driven just about every size and shape of vehicle made and have been in many close calls in traffic, which is bound to happen when you have thousands of cars and trucks on the move. With careful attention to my surroundings and having considerable driving skill I have managed to never in my life have an accident even with a couple of mechanical failures. One I will mention is a full size GMC pickup on a two lane road with no other traffic, with my family on board I had a right front tire failure. except for a minor amount of fender damage I pulled the truck over, changed the tire and was on my merry way. The most dangerous instance I have had recently was in fact today, I was on my way to work on the freeway in the fast lane ( doing 70 which is the speed limit on that section of the hwy.) when a small two door sedan entered the freeway from an onramp, being the ever observant driver I noticed he did not check traffic as he merged all the way across the slow lane without stopping and heading directly toward the passenger side of my truck. I had to apply the brakes harshly and pull halfway onto the gravel shoulder of the freeway at speed to avoid this dangerous driver. Being an SUV owner was it then my fault I was in his way? What would you suggest I purchase to replace this Explorer which will satisfy your irrational fears and fulfill all of the same duties I require of it safely and conveniently? Oh, I have another question, I own a Ford Ranger Xtra Cab with the same wheelbase as my Explorer, when I attatch my camper shell it is the same basic dimensions as my Explorer.. should I therefore eliminate it also? Does it now become a 'wannabe' SUV? Where do you draw the line? What exactly qualifies as an SUV?
Why is it just recently they have been the target of such spite and fear? What about high performance street cars based on racing designs which are a frequent problem in urban areas? What about motorcycles which are capable of almost 200 miles an hour? What about small 3 and 4 cylinder economy cars that crush like a tin can no matter what hits them? What about big rigs? Those semi and tractor trailer trucks are huge! There are aspects of any and everything on the road which can be pointed out if you look at them from the outside. I don't see what can be accomplished by picking on one class of car/truck, especially a class which is so diverse and large. Instead of this ridiculous crusade to waste paper and time, why not attempt to get these people together for something constructive? In my plant we go to work every day understanding our job is inherently dangerous. We have meetings to discuss rationally how to prevent accidents by installing safety precautions in the form of engineering and education. My point here is that the motor vehicle is a double edged sword, it is a passion and a problem. We have to educate ourselves on how to operate them safely and bring about new designs for pollution control. I have to put a lot of emphasis on education though. If you stop every vehicle on the road, take every person out for one hour. No accidents, no deaths (auto related), no pollution (specifically auto related), no liability, no insurance claims.. vehicles alone do not cause the problem, uneducated, under or untrained, inattentive PEOPLE cause problems. There will be mechanical failures, that is an accepted risk of the automotive world we live in.. if you know how to handle yourself and your vehicle under emergency situations, you greatly reduce the risk of accidents. Unfortunately death will occur on our nations highways and roads. Statistically speaking it will happen no matter how much we work against it. You cannot eliminate danger totally no matter how much you try or wish it.. I wish it could be done. I would love to live in a safe secure world where I could pick and choose my risks and dangers.. but life is not something you can tell "Stop doing that!" I follow all the rules of the road to the best of my abilities, I save my adrenaline for the local race track. I use my 4x4 on designated trails and do my best to take care of those trails for my kids to enjoy with families of their own later. I have worked in sawmills before and have spent much of my time on reforestation efforts. I have stopped my Explorer safely on the side of the road ( hazards on ) to remove debris (boards, tires, bumpers, etc..) in the road for the safety of other drivers, at my own risk.
We fish catch and release what we do keep legally, we eat. My family hunts a variety of wildlife which all goes for food, no waste. This is not an attempt to glorify me, I am trying to point out that I try to give as much as I take from society and the world around me. Working together with my family and friends to make a positive impact in the face of increasing hostilities and population growth. Now I would like to add this, I know there are problems which need addressed in a lot of areas. One of which is on our nations roads. I would be more than willing to work with everyone else to help alleviate these problems and with rational thinking and co-operation it can be done.. there is a way to compromise in almost any situation, right? Unlike some people who do go out and cause accidents or tear up wilderness or those who would abolish all vehicles in a specific class or totally shut down outrageous tracts of land to all but hikers...
In closing ( I know, about time..) I do not by any means endorse unsafe production practices of any corporation nor do I endorse the fanatical practices of certain opinionated groups. I just want a safe and happy world where we can have our fun and live to enjoy it another day. My logic may not be perfect, and I might be a touch optimistic, but hey.. can't we all just get along..??? hehe..
Live Long and Prosper.
Jim
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 I got stuck... |
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SERIOUS EXPLORATIONS |
