This comment is not specifically about your SUV post, but I just wanted to say how much I enjoyed your writing. The picture hanging entry particularly struck home with my experiences at the moment - currently learning Oracle.

It’s a pity there aren’t more entries, I’m keen to read more, but thanks for what you’ve done so far.

Mark

“Elitism” is a funny way to describe it - it’s more anti-elitism. There’s a similar sort of hostility toward SUVs, luxury cars, and McMansions - a knee-jerk reaction against ostentation. The assumption is that people buy these things because they’re trying to show that they’re better, more successful, than others. Implicit in that is the belief that monetary wealth equates to personal worth, which is also objectionable.

Now, that reasoning makes assumptions about a person’s character and motivation, and then damns them for it, which isn’t terribly fair. I don’t know a lot of people with McMansions and luxury SUVs, but they’re not evil, or even particularly selfish. I don’t think I’ve heard any of the SUV owners brag about being able to intimidate other drivers. They’re worried about getting in accidents, particularly with their children. They’re not thinking, “Yeah, the other guy will probably die, but I’m cool with that.”

The fuel economy, ecological impact, all that stuff, that’s the sort of irritation you have for someone who cuts in line, or doesn’t pick up after their dog, or throws trash in the recycling bin. It’s social pressure to curb antisocial behavior. You go out of your way to do the right thing, and it’s annoying to see someone being self-indulgent. And yes, there are people who get really self-riteous about this kinda thing, with the more globally conscious than thou attitude. I think they’re jerks, too. I’m not terribly smug about all that. I metroed to work last winter, and biked all summer, but I’m not particularly interested in copping an attitude about that. I’ve been driving since it got dark and cold.

How far from home is your job? How do you get to work every day? Do you carpool? Do you drive a new car, or keep an old car running? And given your answers, do you think you’re statistically less of a contributor to “automotive gluttony” than an Escalade owner? Do you do anything to change the situation rather than look around at other people and consider them poor suckers?

Then you call other people arrogant and self-absorbed. I dunno, man.

On a tangent, it is interesting that some bits of this (comment about only concerning yourself with the outermost envelope) might perfectly explain how Tor works.