The great American paradox...

[Javaman]

Maybe I just don't get the big picture anymore. Maybe I'm the one missing something. Or perhaps, I do see the big picture but miss the details.

Something happened today that gave me pause and also an insight into the average American rational. And frankly, it scared me. But then again, maybe I'm just making this out to be more than it actually is and I should shrug my shoulders and ignore the abject stupidity and hypocrisy of it all. Somehow, I just can't, hence this rant.

I work with a nice gal in my office. She's a supporter of the environment, voted Democrat, hates moron*, is respectful of other peoples views, a down right reasonable person. I also knew her to be slightly materialistic, all about the pain for beauty bunch, watches the crappy reality shows, eats the occasional fast food or goes to chain restaurants, drove a giant ass car that sucks way to much gas, but okay, that's the way she wishes to live. That's cool.

Then yesterday, she approached me about my advice in buying a new car. Saying that her husband just must have this new one.
Her husband is a professional athlete in Europe. He works there during that particular sports season, then comes home on the off-season. Nice guy, intelligent, funny, outgoing, good-looking, but a guy who likes his toys for primarily no other reason than to show off. He's young. That's okay too, we all have had our toys.

Back to the car in question. Aside from the fact that the car cost the price of half a house, they will put themselves deeper into debt by buying his must have car. They recently bought a house, had a baby and still paying off her current car and his. Nothing out of the normal. Many people are like this. However, the car he must have and will not live without, despite her objections, is a hummer.

With the price of gas going up and not retreating anytime in the near future, they chose to put themselves into debt over this gas guzzling, stereotypical of the mindlessness, terrible repair record, air polluting, oil sucking beast.

I just don't get it. I spoke to her at length in regards to diesel fuel and the option of bio-diesel or getting a hybrid ford escape. It all fell upon deaf ears.

Last night, she told me today, that it cost $50 to fill it. (it was partically filled via the dealer) And she says that it does just the same on gas per tank as did her last SUV. I told her, check the size of the fuel tanks, that she will see that the hummer has a much larger capacity and as a result the miles per gallon are considerably less.

Amazingly, she didn't care, that it is his toy and $50 bucks isn't that bad. Isn't that bad??? I stood, mouth agape in amazement.

Bottom line to all of this, until it costs, these buffoons, $200 bucks to fill up their roving egos, they won't give a damn.

[BurtWorm]

1. kick

:kick:

Deserves to be read. I meant to say something about but got distracted by all those you-know-who threads. Not that I have anything to add. It's a frustrating thing to witness people's selfishness intruding on the health of the planet.

[skygazer]

2. What really stuns me about people like this

Is that they see the issue as one of whether they can afford to put the gas into it - not whether they ought to be wasting the gas in the first place.

I know what you mean - there are people out there who "care about the environment" but it's all in the abstract. They don't care enough to try to live their lives in such a way as to lessen the impact they have on it.