I was walking to my car after work Monday, the hottest day of the year. I came upon a woman in an SUV, parked, with the motor running and the air conditioning on. As I walked past I slowly shook my head at her wastefulness. She rolled down the electric window and began screaming at me, “You got no right to shake your head. No right!”
I thought about this as I drove home, with the windows in my car rolled down. Maybe she’s right. Maybe I don’t have the right to judge her. But I’m certain our troops who are dying in Iraq do.
Brad Lucht
Kansas City
whispering - I admit that I sometimes drive with the windows down and the a.c. on - but I guess I'm not a fervent enough McCain supporter to run my tires off the rims. Not really sure what your last paragraph meant, seeing as how McCain has bought into the whole global climate change fad lock, stock and (oil) barrel.
Kate - you really took my dirty cloth bag comment to heart didn't you?
Posted by: JUNGLEJACK | August 09, 2008 at 08:20 PM
It called "green guilt", the inverse is called "green smug", and they're both powerful tools to make people do what someone else wants them too.
See how it works with Brad. He is full of "green smug" because he drives with his windows down. He probably also buys carbon credits to offset his evil use of that car. The "I'm better than you" attitude that Brad has been given by doing these things has made him happy to do them, no matter their real effect on the problem he's trying to solve.
The marketing and sale of the Lexus LS600HhL is a perfect example. The mileage achieved with this car averages 2MPG better than the non-hybrid version, and the $38,000 premium for the hybrid package means it take over 100 years to break even. Purchase of this car is obviously not for the environmental or economic benefits. It is because of the "smug" factor that is associated with the "h" on the nameplate.
On the other side, Brad tried to use "green guilt" to make that women feel bad about her decision to enjoy AC, hoping that his public scorn would shame her into making the decisions that HE thinks are right.
Bottom line. We should each weigh our personal convictions and determine what we feel is the responsible course of action. What we shouldn't do is allow others to make us feel bad about our standard of living, especially when those who try and do so stand to profit off of those feelings.
Posted by: Marctnts | August 09, 2008 at 03:35 PM
Most of us will get better fuel economy by driving with the windows up and using the A-C. Running on the highway with your windows down increases aerodynamic drag and your fuel economy will suffer more that way than driving with the windows up and A-C on.
Brad should leave the A-C off and the windows up for the maximum mpg improvement. This time of year, you can sweat a few pounds off as an added bonus to your frugality. Slowing down will also help. A properly maintained vehicle (Obama's "tuned up" recommendation) will also do a lot of good at little cost and of course, making sure your tires are properly inflated is a good idea.
Unless you're a McCainiac. In which case, drive with the A-C on AND the windows down. Drive really fast. Don't bother to maintain the vehicle at all and whatever air was added to your tires at the factory is good enough. Don't worry about checking their inflation pressures until you see sparks fly as your rims finally get down to the pavement. And Iraq has nothing to do with oil, it's all about the Second Coming of you-know-who.
It's almost like the McCainiacs are proud of being dumb.
Posted by: whispering_to_kc | August 09, 2008 at 03:33 PM
Brad didn’t say whether he stopped to check the pressure in the woman’s tires. She might have been carrying groceries in evil plastic bags, too, but Brad just walked by rather than taking a moment to point out to her that proper inflation and cloth bags can save the planet. Nice going, Brad - I’ll bet you're one of those people who don’t wash their cloth bags.
Posted by: Kate | August 09, 2008 at 12:52 PM
Brad should be spying on Pelosi and her private jets, Suburbans and 10,000 sq ft house.
Posted by: NoMoreMrNiceGuy | August 09, 2008 at 11:02 AM
My SUV probably gets better gas mileage than his hooptie.
What a moron, generalizing that ALL SUVs are gas guzzlers. I wonder many products Brad buys and consumes that are petro based but does not even realize it.
Our military makes the sacrifice so we have the CHOICE of what vehicles we can drive. What a socialist commie you are Brad.
Posted by: NoMoreMrNiceGuy | August 09, 2008 at 10:25 AM
Brad - for all you know, that woman just received word that her son died in Iraq, and was trying to take a peaceful break to clear her thoughts in the middle of a stifling hot day.
BTW - Don't strain your arm patting your own back because you drive home with your windows down. Why don't you walk, ride a bike or take a bus? Must Americans needlessly die just so you can enjoy your own personal mode of transport?
You selfish, self - righteous S.O.B.
Posted by: JUNGLEJACK | August 09, 2008 at 09:35 AM
Talk about your quantum leaps!
Listen Brad instead of shaking your head at this B I itch, why didn't you jerk her sorry butt out of that "Eveeel" SUV, and slap the snot out of her?
Posted by: Rogue | August 09, 2008 at 09:17 AM