not to completely ignore the two pages of responses that came before mine, but I can relate about the coment made in the original post.

I don't have my mini yet but just a mere thought of me getting one, expressed openly on my other enthusiast forum (yea I sometimes think outloud) brought about a bunch of critisism from my fellow Crown Vic owners... most can't comprehend how one can go from one of the largest cars on a market to one of the smalles, even more people don't believe I'd even fit into one, lol

--Russ

 

While you might feel the military is sticking its nose where it doesn't belong leads me to believe you don't understand your role in the military. The military owns you. 24/7. You may beleieve you are responsible for you. The military doesn't see it that way. They are ultimately responsible for you. You are not an individual anymore, you are a member of the armed services. You do not have the constitution protecting you, you have the UCMJ.
Fiscal irresponsibility is rampant E4 and below. Look at all the travel card problems. Get into too much debt and you are a security risk. You become more vulnerable. DO you believe people ask you because there is a paucity of lower rank people buying car over their heador that it has happened many times before you?
Blow those payements and watch as your supervisor get reamed as well as you if He/she hasn't counseled you.

For those that haven't served, you do not understand. Unless you are a civilian and specialize in military regs and laws you cannot even begin to understand.
If you can handle the payments and fiscal responsibility more power to you. Can't handle people in your business? Well maybe its time to think about separating from the military cause thats is not about to change.

Paul

 

My rant is the comment "You fit in one?"

I am 5'10" and 260Lbs (I have broad chest and shoulders) and that just makes me mad!

Also, if one more person asks to sit in it!!!!

 

Mine main problem driving my MINI on an Air Force Base is being stopped by the gate guards for 10 minutes or so while I'm on my way to work at 4am. Sure, they're just curious about the car, but come on guys, ask to see it when I'm on my way home!

Oh, and make sure you swerve around the barricades, even if you don't need to as you're going through the main gate. After a week or so of my antics, they ended up moving the barricades closer together here and it caused a bit of a problem for those folks driving the extended bed trucks.

 

Hey I innocently mentioned Bush I am sorry I brought politics in, it wasnt on purpose. End of story.

My point if you own a big truck or SUV and you are 6'2" 300lbs or maybe drive a softball team around or need it for business--more power to you. But my temperature rises when I see a single person sitting in one in traffic (no doubt on their cell phone). America is about individual rights, but there need to be limits. This new trend of monster vehicles makes the road more unsafe for others, pollutes disproportionately, wears out the roads disprorportionately, blocks the view of other drivers, takes up too much space in parking lots, and brings shame on a great nation.

All for what? Comfort? I have another word: "selfish". Now let's add insult to injury--three of the people that own huge SUVs are the guys at work making fun of me for buying a MINI.

And FYI I am not talking about a Honda Passport or small SUV, I am ranting about the MONSTER trucks--Excursion, Suburban, Escalade, Sequoia, Navigator etc.

Did you know:

Switching from an average new car to a 13 mpg SUV for a year would waste more energy than leaving a refrigerator door open for six years, a bathroom light burning for 30 years, or a color TV turned on for 28 years.

SUVs spew out 43 percent more global-warming pollutants - 28 pounds of carbon dioxide per gallon of gas consumed - and 47 percent more air pollution than the average car, using 1 million barrels of oil a day.

Meanwhile, I have an appt to order my MINI on Thursday...woot.