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[edmunds.com...]
"...This trend was spotted by a Southern California arson task force in the summer of 2005 when gas prices spiked. At one point, firefighters responding to a report of a vehicle fire arrived at the Los Angeles River Bed to find two SUVs burning at the same time.
Investigators found the arson-for-hire ring involved a new-car dealership in Cerritos, California. Debt-weary SUV owners contacted the finance manager, hoping to trade in their gas-guzzler for something cheaper. They were then put in touch with an arsonist who told them to leave the keys in the ignition and $300 cash in the glovebox. An arsonist would then take the car to a remote location and set it afire. After the car was torched, the owners would then contact their insurance company and report their vehicle stolen, expecting their debt to be cancelled. Instead, they were investigated for insurance fraud."
I'll be driving my '96 F150 (187,000 miles) til the wheels fall off. I did buy new, but held out for $12,000.00, fairly well equipped. (If the dealer is willling to sell, the price is still too high.:))
We pay $4.00 a gallon for diesel and about $4.20 for gas in the islands. I am soooooo glad I have a cheap and nasty little Honda Acura and work at home! I usually spend about $60.00 a month on gas. Used to be about $40.00 before the increases.
I guess the best thing to do is put the car up on blocks, buy it a nice cover and forget about it for the next 20 years. Maybe someday, gas prices will go down or they'll be lucky enough to find a "classic car" collector in 20 years and get their money out of the thing. What a shame.
I imagine hybrid cars must be in high demand in the US right now huh?
Maybe someday, gas prices will go down
ok let's see
according to Google 1 Gallon = 3.78 Litres
according to XE £1 = $1.842
so we have:
US gas price: $4.20 per gallon
UK gas Price: £0.98 per litre that's $6.82 per gallon
Well I guess it would be time to burn down my SUV if I had one.
[/joke mode]
$208 per seven days, and yes I do, do as much driving at weekends as I do during the week.
The vast majority o fthat cost is in tax to teh gov.
Doesnt surprise me, I once had neighbours who bought one only to find out that they couldnt afford to run it... DOH!
Normally I have a small engine 10 year plus old car to drive and change it once a year, dont see the point in paying mega money for a car only to lose it in depreciation.
If I need something decent I borrow one or rent it.
However, the would-be arsonist didn't know there was a "dash cam" installed in the car to videotape his actions. When the arsonist removed the money and started to drive away, investigators hit a kill switch and triggered the door locks, trapping him inside
I would have liked to have seen that!
CourtTV needs some ideas for a new show I think. Or the Discovery Health Channel...if he set the fire first, and then the door locked ;)
</tired of paying high insurance rates for other people's stupidity rant>
That is what the problem is here.
"Torching their rides" to get out of the hole they dug themselves seems extreme to me! But, it will make some potential SUV purchasers think twice, which has to be good :)
Family size has continued to shrink for 30+ years, yet the vehicles they need, have grown.....makes no sense IMHO!
Yesterday, on the way home, I asked Mrs. lawman what percentage of the clothes she took did she actually wear. She admitted to 50%, but insisted she still needed everything.
I see two options. Replace Mrs. lawman or keep the SUV. ;)
BTW, in between vacations, we regularly make use of the cargo capacity with the third row seat folded down, or passenger capacity using the third row seat. Good chance we'll replace it with another SUV.
BTW, replacing the SUV meant replacing Mrs. lawman.
I have a simple rule when traveling.....I won't wait for checked bags! If it won't fit into the car (carry on plane luggage) you can't take it. So.....Mrs. Percentages has a choice.....stay at home or travel with only the things she really needs!
Mrs. Percentages constantly nags me over the Porsche roof rack system.....to hell with that, over my dead body!
<snip>
[edited by: lawman at 9:32 am (utc) on June 13, 2006]
I have a simple rule when traveling.....I won't wait for checked bags! If it won't fit into the car (carry on plane luggage) you can't take it. So.....Mrs. Percentages has a choice.....stay at home or travel with only the things she really needs!
I don't see how you can fit everything into one carry on now a days. I guess some of the airlines around here only allow carry ons the size of book bags and anything larger has to be checked. I've also heard of some intances where a ladies purse is considered her carry on. Anyone else heard of this?
I don't see how you can fit everything into one carry on now a days.
I think that may be a subjective judgement. Possibly gender related. For me, every time I put something in the luggage I can imagine carrying extra to the car, driving extra to the airport, lugging extra across the airport, checking the extra in, waiting for the extra, having more clutter at my destination, packing and re-packing extra, all the lugging and carrying etc. to the aiport home, checking-in on the way home, waiting again for the luggage, dragging extra on the other end, and finally having even more to unpack, clean and store.
Going for 7 days? 1 pair of trousers, 1 pair of shorts, one swimming costume, one pair of sandals, seven changes of underwear, 3 shirts 4 T-shirts and a good book.
Trousers and one shirt can be worn, along with the shoes. Book can be held in the hand when entering plane (does not need to be in the hand-luggage). Sunglasses on face. Any additional warmer clothing can be worn, and make full use of pockets.
Everything in a 7kg hand-luggage allowance? No problem.
Don't forget - if you have only 7kg - you don't have to check in to your hotel before you start visiting the location - just take your luggage with you.
Maybe the government should buy the Jeep from me as it is their fault I can't afford to run it anymore. Greedy greedy greedy greedy damn I wish we could do political stuff here.
Anyone wanna buy a Jeep?
Ska
the government should buy the Jeep from me as it is their fault I can't afford to run it anymore
Man! The Jeep is a 95 model 4litre with all leather interior, cruise control, cd, electric everything. 90k miles on it. It's basically a fully loaded mint truck.
It's been up for sale for 3 months at £2k and yet still no one wants it. I tried part ex'ing it with a trader but he offered me £800 for the truck with a book price of £3k because he reckoned it would be difficult to sell on.
Thanks Tony!
Anyone know any arsonists? ;oP
Heh heh
Ska
Smores anyone?
I.e Home made Napalm dropped from a microlite while wearing white high heels and a denim mini skirt.
Cornish wrecker stylee!
I'll scupper it, rob it of it's good bits, burn the thing and keelhaul Tony with the nearest Newlyn fishing trawler.
Ska
