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The Unimog and Other Misfits
North Miami Beach, FL February 26, 2001 Aaron
H. Schectman
THINKING ALLOWED
Essays on issues, ideas and reflections on the times. Published now and
then, Opinions pro or con are welcome.
THE UNIMOG AND OTHER MISFITS
When you think of the monstrosities such as hummers and "conventional"
SUV's crowding our old streets you must think in terms of the European
cities based on medieval models. In many of these there are "village" sized
streets in great cities. You cannot navigate these twisting narrow paths
unless you are on a bicycle. Now we are beginning to see the wide-wide
hummers that are more like the giant trucks that cannot get in some
driveways. We are now promised these will be dwarfed by the new Daimler
"Unimog", vehicles that seem to be fortified carriages transporting gold
from mine to train.
The Unimog AND the hummer are misfits. They do not belong on the streets
of our cities, towns and villages. They, like the off-road motorcycles that
churn up the countryside, should be banned. They also are notorious
producers of pollutants and our air is filled with enough contaminants
already. The SUV's by definition fall into the same category.
When you think of misfits on the roads we should also include some other
striking examples of the art of situating weapons of destruction. As I ride
down the roads I find that they are filled with drunks, children, over-aged
pensioners, unexamined wrecks, racing motorcycles and myself. What I am
saying, particularly here in Florida, is that our roads are not safe and
this is witnessed by the hour by hour notification on the radio and
television of the places to avoid because there is a bad accident there.
Everyone is familiar with the rubbernecking syndrome that backs up highway
arteries worse than plaques do to human blood vessels.
I don't think I am a particularly bad driver, but I am just one more who
clogs those arteries. No one is safe when you add the humongous hummers and
unimogs to the trucks and the rambling wrecks piloted by over and under aged
drunks and other unreliable types.
How about supplying us with reliable, low cost, ubiquitous solar powered
public transportation in place of all of the above? What do you think?
Carol's Evaluation:10 out of 10.
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