This has been posted on another
forum so if you have seen it there please skip over it - I will be interested to see what reaction my thoughts get from this
forum.
I have just a fairly robust discussion on a cycling
forum trying to point out that not all 4WDers are a menace and it has made we wonder about a few things.
First let me explain where I am coming from as being new to this caper I may have a fresher slant on it than long term 4Wders (please do not think that this is some sort of put-down, nothing could be further from the truth).
My (our) reason for owning such a vehicle is that it enables us to get to
places that we have not been previously been able to - we love
bush camping away from the masses. 4WDing for the sake of it does not appeal to us - I would rather drive around a bog hole than try to get thru it.
On the cycling
forum it started as the usual rant against our vehicles (I cannot bring myself to calling them trucks yet) - I am sure you know the type of things said. I tried to point out that there are valid reasons for SOME people owning them (towing, touring etc) and this struck a chord with quite a few (others will never budge). The main gripe is with those that never get off the bitumen and I think that this is where our problem lies.
There is no doubt that too many people buy them with no intention of getting off road and they are seen as far less environmentally friendly than a regular car, but to make it financially unattractive for these people to buy them would also hurt those of us that DO use them for their intended purpose.
What to do about this? I have no idea. All I (and any of us) can do is try to be as safe, courteous and considerate as possible while driving in the burbs so that we do not add to the problem. Maybe (and its a big maybe) people will differentiate between true 4WDers and Toorak tractor types.
On another tack, I used to look at trucks (there, I did it) with big lift and huge tyres with a certain amount of trepidation (not sure if that is the word I want, but I cannot think of a better one) - still do in fact. Why is this - because I have assumed (rightly or wrongly) that these are the trucks that go looking for bog holes (again no offence intended - each to their own).
A number of times I have been cycling in the bush and come across roads that are impassable to all but the best fitted out 4bees due to huge mud holes. These are roads that would normally be drivable in a 2WD car but are no longer so and I have to ask myself if this is a good look for the 4WD movement. I look at some of the photos on this site (and others) of trucks stuck in holes or blasting thru them and am not sure whether to laugh or cry - how does this fit in with the tread lightly philosophy?
The chicken and egg argument could apply here - are they holes that people have driven thru or where they puddles that are now holes due to 4WD's? I am not sure that it matters - the fact that their are tyre marks heading into and out of them is all the evidence that people will need.
Again I am not sure what the answer is but we do have an image problem and this cannot be helping it - maybe we need to have areas set aside for this type of activity, away from the public glare?
I will be interested to see what you guys think of all this (if you be bothered wading thru it all!) - as I said earlier I am a newcomer to this game and am not trying to cast aspersions on anyone's activities.
One last thing - does anyone else skip over messages that have funy speling and grama wivout no puntuaton - it may be cute but by God it is hard to read so I usually do not bother - why go to the trouble of typing these out if people will not read it?
IanM (ducking)