Its not just people getting obese

I always drive a small car to squeeze in parking spaces between large cars who are taking up some of my space.

I'd love a big car that requires a step to get in, so that I didn't have all the other big cars' dipped headlights shining directly into my eyes. I currently drive a small car.

Cars in general have bloated due to improved safety. All those side airbags and strengthening beams take up space.

As for 4x4s - I'm guilty too, and it's not to do with being high relative to other traffic, just with being high within the car itself. I have a short back - 13 1/2 inches - and I find it very difficult to see properly out of normal cars. Yes, I could use a cushion or two, but that makes the seats quite uncomfortable. My life was filled with parking bumps and scrapes until I discovered how much easier it was to drive an SUV. If manufacturers made car seats that went up three more inches I'd be perfectly content with normal cars.

I feel safe in the 4x4 and as someone said upthread how would anyone else in our road get to hospital and etc in the bad weather in their super dooper low slung cars. The taxis drivers as macho as can be often blench at the suggestion in bad weather. We also have a sports car and I feel extraordinarily unsafe on the motorway with the aggressive lorry driving. A lorry with an SK label seemed determined to wipe us off the A19 on Wednesday with undertaking at 70mph .
And I have to get out of the sports car where no one can catch sight of my knickers whereas I can swivel relatively gracefully out of the 4x4.

I do have to agree, OldMeg. With one notable exception, everyone I've known who's been seriously overweight has either freely admitted that they just like eating a lot, or else has pretended that they live on salads and eat the rest on the quiet. And has then been highly embarrassed when caught in the act, so to speak, as once happened with two women I used to know - by chance found together in the middle of a major blow out.

Actually I couldn't give a stuff what they chose to eat, or not, but it was almost funny to see their blushes.

I have a BiL who has been really seriously overweight for years, but he never pretends that it's down to anything other than being extremely fond of his food - and a lot of wine. Funnily enough it hasn't prevented him from being colossally successful in his career.

MOnica I totally agree with your posts maybe 10% of large car users have a proven need, and the odd person might have helped out on the very rare days in the UK when there is snow, but the roads are awash with giant cars. Most people now turn up at our place in cars which are so big they barely fit in our normal size drive (or the parking spaces in car parks). Meanwhile we are told the environment needs as much help as it can get, which to my mind means chosing ever smaller cars, or indeed not using the car at all unless its essential. Normally I sit on the bus or my bike bus quietly fuming, or shaking my head at the folly.

People need/want large cars for a wide variety of reasons and not necessarily just because they are overweight. Ours is needed so we can accommodate family, so that I can get in and out more easily and by the way there is lots of luggage space. We all pay our road tax and are entitled to drive whatever we wish.

I have contributed to many threads on here since recently joining and find the majority pleasant and enlightening reading, sometimes sad, sometimes happy. However, there is always one that has to be rude or spoil the 'atmosphere' by taking things too literally or to an extreme, seemingly deliberately misunderstanding the OP. Not too hard to find who the prize goes to today.
That said, and back to the original post: I find it hard to understand people who have the best, most powerful, most expensive, biggest etc. not out of need but just because they can. Even if I had the money I would not waste it, would sooner help others. But I have realised in this life that even though we are called upon to use less energy, save the environment and so on it is only the poorer members of society who do this (there may be exceptions). I do my utmost to save energy by running a small VW Up! It is roomy and fuel efficient and only costs £20 road tax. I fill a kettle with only the water I need, switch of lights, TV etc when not in use, put an extra woolly on rather than up the temperature, I could go on. But my point is that I am pretty sure rich folk do not do these things in order to save a few bob, why would they when an energy bill is insignificant to their bank balance? So, to answer your query, I guess many folk buy bigger, gas guzzling vehicles just because they can, not out of need. They either have the money to do so or don't care about the environment, or both. But please, do not misunderstand this post.....there are many who probably do need the bigger cars for whatever reason.

I won't add to the argument about the big beasties, as my son has one and says it's far safer for his family than most vehicles, but I agree that the car park spaces are not wide enough for them. I also grumble when I try to reverse out of a space in my little car with one of these beasties next to me, as they are so high I have no visibility at all, and have to hope it's clear behind me.

Where we live calls for a 4x4 in the winter. Also, when my husband developed Parkinson’s, he found the big car much easier to get in and out and more comfortable to ride in. It also meant that there was more room to carry rollator and other essential equipment.
He has now died and I am left with my small cabriolet and his X-trail. I need to replace them both for another and must admit that I am tempted to get another big one as I really enjoy driving the one I have. I do not do a lot of mileage now so the fuel costs are not a huge concern,

I find it really interesting that people seem to suggest that the only cars that are high off the ground and have easy access for the disabled are 4x4s. In France I would say that the majority of people opt for cars like the Citroën Picasso or (like us) the Peugeot 3008 or similar, that meet both of those requirements and are great for transporting children, luggage or DIY materials. You see far fewer low-slung cars / 4x4s than in the UK.
We live deep in the countryside, never see a snow plough and all seem to manage in winter, though it is common to carry snow chains. Of course there is always a handy tractor to get people out of a ditch, if necessary.

lollee I am sorry but I disagree with your post about the environment. My 4X4 is deasel, brought at a time when deasel was being promoted as better than petrol.

I have solar panels, a rainwater harvesting system (used for flushing toilets, watering plants and growing veggies) Use household products which are 'eco friendly'. We recycle and reuse wherever possible.

I have not got a 'willy' so obviously my car is not a penus extension, but I am short and enjoy the better view of the roads a 4X4 gives me. My husbands car is 20 years old and is a small Mercedes. We walk whenever and wherever we can.

Having just retired after a long, strenuous and stressful working career (own small business). Surely it is our perogative to spend our money in a way that suits our lifestyle and family commitments.

I for one feel that lately gransnet seems to be getting rather hostile and far more judgmental. It will not deter me, I will just try to rise above it in the future.

Apologise in advance if this post offends anyone.

I don't mind people having large cars if they know how to drive them. Unfortunately most don't.
Waiting outside school for GC I am always amazed at how long the yummy mummies take to park their huge cars. They never get anywhere near the kerb & leave them at very odd angles- it is a very narrow road too.
It is actually quite good fun watching these cars been abandoned rather than parked in supermarket car parks too- especially if they are reverse parking. Often the driver is a man but I have to say that unfortunately it is usually a woman.
DH has had large cars in the past & I have driven them quite happily but I am very fond of my medium sized car now- the GC just have to squash in!

Lollee - good post.

Grannygravy, I feel your post was far more hostile and aggressive than my own as I made it quite clear, each to their own. You seem to have rather proved the point I was making in a polite manner in the first paragraph. I fail to find anything rude in my post but those who want to will always find something to moan about. However, if you have inferred something from my post that I was unaware of then I apologise sincerely and wholeheartedly, no offence to anyone was intended. I do stand by what I said about rich people not doing the energy saving things that poorer folk might, so unless you class yourself among the Beckhams, Beyonces and other rich folk then be assured it was not aimed at you.
PS I have to say that this is one of the worst forums I have ever contributed to for hostile and aggressive comments. I came here expecting grannies like myself to be more mellow, less judgemental and able to debate without rudeness. It seems I was wrong. And just for the record, most of you are real sweeties, just as grannies should be.

lollee, I didn't intend to offend you,I am not in the Beckhams league lol!!! Just a hard working Gran who over the years has scraped and saved so that I/we have a relatively comfortable retirement.

Try to do my bit, Husband and I have always been involved with charity, H is more active than I am in this regard at the mo, as I am normally on 'Granny duties'.

Please continue with Gransnet, the forums are always a surprise as you can never second guess what will pop up.

There is such a wealth of help and support on a broad range of topics.

most of you are real sweeties, just as grannies should be.

How patronising.

You should have been here in the early days of gransnet

Omg, now I am wrong for calling people sweeties. I would certainly hope to be seen as a sweetie to my grandchildren and would not find it patronising at all. Can one say anything on here without getting it in the neck?!!!!

GrannyGravy, thank you. I am glad we have realised that neither intended to offend the other. Sometimes the written word can be taken out of context and often the 'tone' you use in your head as you write is very different to the 'tone' in which it is read.
I think I am similar in that I have a comfortable retirement and do not go without, but having been brought up in a very poor working class family it is hard to break habits of frugality.

lollee, agree with you totally, the working class family background, hence the age of our cars. Do feel a pang of guilt when buying myself something I want as opposed to the early days of our marriage, 5 children to provide for our needs were so far down the list they didn't even exist.

lollee
When I first joined Gransnet, I, like you, expected 'niceness'.
After all, we're all adults, old enough to consider the feelings of others, and to be considerate in our posts.
Of course, what I've learned, and you still have to, is that we grow older, we don't change our personalities.
Some (most) people are lovely, some abrasive, some are easily offended, some a bit stroppy, some seem determined to misunderstand, and some are just bitches!
As Merlot says, you should have been here in the early days!

I'm happy. To be called a sweetie. Most of us are sweeties with the occasional acid drop thrown in. I could be a pear drop- right shape but like to think of myself as a Rowntrees black currant fruit pastille. Or a Malteser- chocolate on the outside but crunchy and melting. Getting a bit carried away here.

We drive a standard Mazda 3, a fairly small family car. A few months ago I was on a narrow country road when a (modern style) Mini approached from the opposite direction. It was huge. The wheelbase was ridiculously wide with very wide wheel arches. Perhaps it had been customised. I could see a passing place about 30 yards behind the Mini and indicated to the driver to reverse back to it. The driver, a young man in his twenties, flatly refused, shaking his head and flapping his hands about, getting very cross and gesturing to me that I should reverse. I was on my way to an appointment and didn't want to be late so with great annoyance I reversed almost a 1/4 mile to a passing place on my side of the road. Just before the Mini reached me I stepped out of my car and stopped him and pointed out that he had been much nearer to a passing place so why didn't he reverse. He said 'I can't do reversing and I don't want to scratch my paintwork on these stupid hedges'. I suggested he take some driving lessons otherwise his stupidly wide car was going to suffer more than just a few scratches! I half expected to see him in a ditch on my way home. Why would the wheelbase of a car need to be twice as wide as the roof width?! Ggrrrrr!

lollie Just for the record I for one would be happy to be called a 'sweetie' anytime. Surely that's a compliment whatever age you are.

Stansgran I think I would have to be a marshmallow - definitely the right shape and soft and squidgy in the middle! Oooh don't get me thinking about sweets!!

Cars are getting bigger and so are the other vehicles on the roads .... HUGE lorries, transporters, safety vehicles, etc, etc. I certainly don’t want to go back to the first car my father had, which I was a passenger in, which was very lacking in seat belts, air cushions and decent braking!

What we really need, of course, is a massive investment in public transport, buses, trains and (why not) canals? Then people won’t need to be so dependent on their 4x4s, old Saab’s, microminis or whatever!

Some younger people are shunning car driving and see the value in an improved system of transport for everyone. ?