Have you noticed how many four-wheel drives and SUV’s there are on the road this days?
I ride a bicycle for commuting whenever possible. It’s a great way to get a dose of exercise, fun and fresh air, while being a relatively cheap mode of transport. On a bicycle though, you can really feel the difference between being passed by a smaller mid-size car, and being overtaken by four-wheel drives and suburban utility vehicles; these things push a mass of air as they rush past, plus, they are oversized and so generally also have to drive closer to the gutter. You can’t see further down the road because inevitably there is an oversized vehicle not far along, blocking your sight. Roads are more congested, people unable to maneuver properly because of reduced visibility- it goes on and on. These things are expensive with registration, petrol, tires, servicing all more costly. And yet, there are an increasing number of these things on the road.
What is the reason for this, what does it say about us, and is it a trend we can expect to increase? Most of all, why does this belong to a blog dedicated to visual arts? Perhaps for the same reason the I wrote the Fantastic Four article. To shine a light on just how different everybody’s ideology, views and belief systems are. Either that, or a lot of people just want to sit up high and feel safe, regardless of the cost. What’s next, people driving shiny black buses, trucks, tanks?
