I will never understand people saying a place is beautiful then driving a vehicle through it. Look at this lovely little pond surrounded by trees. Now watch me drive my car through it?
My fury at Every Single Car ad on tv these days -- people driving up rivers, in places they shouldn't be, destroying what little is left.
I'm sure you're ... what? careful? respectful? something, but still.
We both own Outbacks, we both live in MT, and we both do not drive our vehicles off road.
You're extremely judgmental without any evidence. None of us drove through the spung (that's the Pine Barrens name for a temporary wetland.) No one is driving off trail. We didn't even go off trail when we had to turn around. But keep fighting your straw man.
Like I said originally, I'm sure you're careful or whatever. But I'm still picking my way through the ruts someone left when they drove off road on one of my key dog walks THREE SUMMERS ago. We've had people leave ruts driving across the YARD at our rental cabin (because they were too lazy to carry a suitcase to the back cabin). The "mudbogging" damage we see on the regular around here (MT) is horrific. The Pine Barrens are a fragile landscape, and even if you all are on some kind of "off road" trail system, it's a lot of damage. So yeah, I think this particular form of "recreation" is deeply problematic, especially from people who know climate change is upon us, and who claim to love the outdoors.
I mean, me being mad about it isn't going to change you, doh. But I was shocked. Sorry to pick an online fight. They're always stupid.
I'm sorry that jerks rut up your lawn. I have a lot of frustration with people who ride dirt bikes and e-bikes on trails where they are not allowed. The trails we use are marked as roads, and some have been in use since the stagecoach days. I find it's a convenient target. You can be shocked all you like, I'm not going to be shamed by ignorance and classism. If I was riding a horse(we ran into horseback riders and changed route to not bother them) no one would care, because horses are for rich people, despite being an invasive species that destroys grass down to the root system across the West, and pollutes the water table with their droppings. They have better PR than people who drive cars and clean up trash when they go on trail rides.
My shock is as much for Subaru, marketing yet another car as "wilderness" when cars are the antithesis of wilderness. I know people love cars, I have a lovely motorhead neighbor who also baffles me by his disconnect between "I love the outdoors" and "I'm going to drive a combustion engine through it." We're beset with people who buy these vehicles, move to "the West" and think everything is "empty land" they can drive through. Which, the auto ads have promised them.
However, I will apologize profusely for the classist horse people. I grew up in that world. They're the worst and I'm so sorry if they've been posting past looking down their noses at you. They're dicks, and a huge part of why I left home at 21 was to escape being sucked into the horse business.
Anyhow, apologies for flying off the handle. The intertubes and all. And good luck with your book launch.
Well, now I have to get the paperback (I don't do ebooks -- too much of my life is in front of a screen) AND get to look forward to that special edition hardback. Looking forward to also donating a copy to the middle school library.
Subarus were the go-to around where I live until people (especially people recently moving here) started buying ginormous lifted trucks. And unlike two other cars I've driven, Subarus have never managed to land themselves on a sharp rock and take out the transmission ... which I would love to blame on the vehicles being low-slung but both times were purely driver error.
I never wanted a monster truck (though I admit I am sometimes jealous of the rally suspension on the Ford Raptor) and the Subaru does everything I want it to do. Sorry about your cracked transmissions! I'll be careful when I drive in Montana... not planning any off-roading, but the dirt roads there are probably gnarlier than those here!
These were incidents in upstate New York (driving a VW Jetta to a trailhead -- never got such a low-slung car again after that); and on the highway between Seattle and Wenatchee, Washington, after a Ramones concert. I have not, yet, cracked a transmission in Montana, though that's probably because I drove a '76 Suburban growing up and by the time I moved back with a normal car I'd learned my lesson!
I will never understand people saying a place is beautiful then driving a vehicle through it. Look at this lovely little pond surrounded by trees. Now watch me drive my car through it?
My fury at Every Single Car ad on tv these days -- people driving up rivers, in places they shouldn't be, destroying what little is left.
I'm sure you're ... what? careful? respectful? something, but still.
We both own Outbacks, we both live in MT, and we both do not drive our vehicles off road.
I do not understand people who feel compelled to tell me what I'm supposed to enjoy.
I do not understand writing about the beauty of the world while you're destroying it.
But glad you're having "fun."
You're extremely judgmental without any evidence. None of us drove through the spung (that's the Pine Barrens name for a temporary wetland.) No one is driving off trail. We didn't even go off trail when we had to turn around. But keep fighting your straw man.
Like I said originally, I'm sure you're careful or whatever. But I'm still picking my way through the ruts someone left when they drove off road on one of my key dog walks THREE SUMMERS ago. We've had people leave ruts driving across the YARD at our rental cabin (because they were too lazy to carry a suitcase to the back cabin). The "mudbogging" damage we see on the regular around here (MT) is horrific. The Pine Barrens are a fragile landscape, and even if you all are on some kind of "off road" trail system, it's a lot of damage. So yeah, I think this particular form of "recreation" is deeply problematic, especially from people who know climate change is upon us, and who claim to love the outdoors.
I mean, me being mad about it isn't going to change you, doh. But I was shocked. Sorry to pick an online fight. They're always stupid.
I'm sorry that jerks rut up your lawn. I have a lot of frustration with people who ride dirt bikes and e-bikes on trails where they are not allowed. The trails we use are marked as roads, and some have been in use since the stagecoach days. I find it's a convenient target. You can be shocked all you like, I'm not going to be shamed by ignorance and classism. If I was riding a horse(we ran into horseback riders and changed route to not bother them) no one would care, because horses are for rich people, despite being an invasive species that destroys grass down to the root system across the West, and pollutes the water table with their droppings. They have better PR than people who drive cars and clean up trash when they go on trail rides.
My shock is as much for Subaru, marketing yet another car as "wilderness" when cars are the antithesis of wilderness. I know people love cars, I have a lovely motorhead neighbor who also baffles me by his disconnect between "I love the outdoors" and "I'm going to drive a combustion engine through it." We're beset with people who buy these vehicles, move to "the West" and think everything is "empty land" they can drive through. Which, the auto ads have promised them.
However, I will apologize profusely for the classist horse people. I grew up in that world. They're the worst and I'm so sorry if they've been posting past looking down their noses at you. They're dicks, and a huge part of why I left home at 21 was to escape being sucked into the horse business.
Anyhow, apologies for flying off the handle. The intertubes and all. And good luck with your book launch.
I’ve got to go on one of these adventures with you! My dental work is up to date and can take it (i think)!
Pick a weekend and we'll go! And get greasy food at the Lower Bank tavern.
Well, now I have to get the paperback (I don't do ebooks -- too much of my life is in front of a screen) AND get to look forward to that special edition hardback. Looking forward to also donating a copy to the middle school library.
Subarus were the go-to around where I live until people (especially people recently moving here) started buying ginormous lifted trucks. And unlike two other cars I've driven, Subarus have never managed to land themselves on a sharp rock and take out the transmission ... which I would love to blame on the vehicles being low-slung but both times were purely driver error.
I never wanted a monster truck (though I admit I am sometimes jealous of the rally suspension on the Ford Raptor) and the Subaru does everything I want it to do. Sorry about your cracked transmissions! I'll be careful when I drive in Montana... not planning any off-roading, but the dirt roads there are probably gnarlier than those here!
These were incidents in upstate New York (driving a VW Jetta to a trailhead -- never got such a low-slung car again after that); and on the highway between Seattle and Wenatchee, Washington, after a Ramones concert. I have not, yet, cracked a transmission in Montana, though that's probably because I drove a '76 Suburban growing up and by the time I moved back with a normal car I'd learned my lesson!
I might take a cracked transmission to have gone to a Ramones show.
It rocked pretty hard. 🤘
“the best upgrades are the driver and then the tires.” Ain’t that the truth! Great post
Thanks, James!