Ranchman,
only fair to respond to you one last time before we do as Richard suggested and quit wasting bandwidth on a topic that hasn't changed anyone's mind, isn't going to, and seems to be starting to disturb a few people.
I didn't think I was being defensive ... but since I was defending my point of view .... I guess ... anyway, whether it was oxymoronic (hey, I'm used to being called moronic /w3tcompact/icons/grin.gif ) or not - I was looking for feedback. Although I'm frequently accused of never changing my POV ... I have actually been known to admit I've changed my mind. /w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif It just takes more than rhetoric.
Actually, I took none of your comments personally ... since it says - at the top of the screen - "off topic and just for fun" ... and also because it didn't say "WingNut (or Pete) ... I think you're an idiot". A discussion, to me, is not a "me too" series of postings and I enjoy them all ... even if I seldom analyze what I wrote to see if someone will read it differently.
Completely objective? Me? Oh sure, yep, you bet. After all, it's not like this is the "off topic" forum .... completely objective Wingnut, that's me.
My defence here (oops, getting defensive here) is that ... as another frequent poster notes, I am the sum total of my experiences. I visit Texas fairly frequently but don't live there. I spent most of my 50+ years in northern Alberta where we have completely different hills, more (and possibly deeper) snow, actual mountains, fewer paved roads (more gravel) (per capita ... I know Alberta is about 5% smaller than Texas), etc, etc, etc. I've lived in the country most of my life and managed to do all that without 4wd. Not having 4wd made me stay aware of conditions and drive to suit them without mechanicaql "advantages". I've seem the majority of 4wd vehicles in town or on pavement, not in the field. I've seen all the premium car makers getting into the SUV and 4wd market because the monies there. That's my experience and the reason that I think most people that own them don't need them. You think that therefore I should butt out ... since it doesn't affect me. Well, I beg to differ (is that ok?) but it does. It affects my insurance rates. The people that have big vehicles to compensate for poor driving habits (WARNING --- this comment is NOT intended to hurt any viewers feelings) drive up insurance rates. People buying trucks for image purposes drive up purchase costs. These things do affect me and therefore give my OPINION a voice.
Did I, at any time, say that I believed people were idiots for owning SUV's, 4wd, AWD, Porsches, or any other vehicle? While I do feel that, in general, too many people use vehicles as identification or image .... that's their business. And if it doesn't overawe me, that's my business.
<font color=blue>you still have a lack of respect for the "90%" of folks who buy them for what you see as bogus reasons. </font color=blue>
Actually, to be fair about it, I have a lack of respect for "90%" of the folks on the road, since they consistently demonstrate a lack of ability to properly control their semi-guided missiles. But that's just my personal statistic.
OK, defensive shields down, full power ahead.
On to some of your other points.
Are you saying transfer cases don't need to be repaired? Because you've had vehicles with multi-thousand miles sans transfer case repairs, we can extropolate that all transfer cases are now the strongest component of all vehicles? How would I know since I don't own a vehicle with 4wd? Hmm, I don't know ... just because I have a stepbrother with a ranch, a half dozen relatives with farms, neighbors with 4wd vehicles and can read .... well, I guess you're right. Those of us without 4wd vehicles shouldn't have an opinion. I will concede that point. /w3tcompact/icons/grin.gif
<font color=blue>What I have a problem with (and I think this has been shown to be pretty consistent throughout my historical responses on TBN) is when an individual posts something only to instegate argument and not to start legitimite discussion (regardless of whether they spout a bunch of stuff about how they are "entitled to their opinion" or not.) </font color=blue>
While I enjoy debating, I try to jump in and stick my foot in my mouth only when I have an opinion that has, in my mind, some thought behind it. Obviously, from your comment, I have failed in that regard. You must have misconstrued my "flame away" comment as an invitation to "argue" rather than discuss .... I entered that comment knowing full well that people who owned 4wd vehicles would disagree with me. This would tend to foster more discussion ... but will always inflame some. In response, besides comments about my not having a leg to stand on because I don't drive a 4wd, were comments on uses for 4wd - other than recreational. And I found them all interesting.
ok .... enough beating them dead equines .... I hereby butt my nose back out again /w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif
