| I am often prone to making terrible mistakes; often | | | | a lot of time struggling through mud and water spend |
| putting myself or others lives at risk. This has been a | | | | the majority of its working life stood still in traffic |
| recurring theme throughout my life and I'm sure it will | | | | jams?" |
| persist until the day I die...probably in some horrific | | | | The answers to my curiosity, like a regular |
| incident of my own creation. One of the myriad of | | | | sleeping-pattern, were not forthcoming. |
| choices that has come back to bite me rather | | | | Further investigation revealed the majority culprits |
| fervently on the bottom, was my insistence on moving | | | | behind this unquestionable folly were mainly Range |
| into a flat on a school road. I moved in on the Sunday | | | | Rovers, Land Cruisers, Explorers and other large |
| afternoon and regretted my decision at roughly 8 AM | | | | pollution machines with equally aspirational titles. By far |
| on the Monday. I was rudely awoken by streams of | | | | the strangest title amongst the proverbial pigeons was |
| traffic roaring and whirring outside my (sadly | | | | the Volkswagen Touareg. |
| single-glazed) window. I noticed that virtually every | | | | The Touareg has the distinct advantage over its |
| vehicle of the seemingly never-ending metallic | | | | competition of not looking too macho or imposing. Its |
| pilgrimage bizarrely seemed to be a 4X4, in which sat | | | | rounded, sporty-looking body was the closest I had |
| one driver and one child. I marvelled at the sheer | | | | seen a 4X4 come to being described as 'eye-candy'. |
| ridiculousness of the vision before me; hundreds of | | | | Nevertheless, sit a parent with a disgruntled expression |
| vehicles designed to hold many passengers, actually | | | | on their face along with a snotty-brat-child and any |
| transporting a bare minimum. "The world has gone | | | | illusion of style is lost. |
| insane", I mused to myself...there was no one round to | | | | I, like the majority of British people, have apathy running |
| hear me so my utterance went unnoticed. | | | | through our D.N.A. We are all very much aware of |
| It would appear that the country has gone slightly | | | | climate change and genuinely want to slow down the |
| over-enthusiastic for the 4X4. It seems to have | | | | effects that industrialisation has had on our planet, but |
| evolved into some kind of badge of honour, displaying | | | | with so much apathy in our bodies it is often hard to |
| privilege and wealth, despite the gas-guzzling engines | | | | motivate ourselves to act in a positive manner. You |
| draining money a lot faster than most of us would be | | | | can't help but feel that those who drive 4X4s on a |
| able to accrue it. In conversation with others I | | | | school run for just one child, might be taking one liberty |
| speculated on the appeal of these vehicles. | | | | slightly too many with our fragile environment. |
| "Why does a vehicle that is designed to spend a lot of | | | | My conclusion is thus; if you live in a town and want to |
| time on dirt tracks represent classy living?" | | | | buy a 4X4 for the daily school run, then please at least |
| "Why does a vehicle that is designed to spend a lot of | | | | fill it to the brim with brats before setting off. It's more |
| time on farms spend its entire working life in towns | | | | environmentally conscious that way and I might be able |
| and cities?" | | | | to get some sleep in the mornings. |
| "Why does a vehicle that has been designed to spend | | | | |