About three months ago, there was a story in the Guardian about a bunch of climate activists letting the air out of the tires of every SUV parked in a posh area of London, with an interview with them where they claimed that no one needed something the size of a SUV.
Now I thought that it was a particularly stupid idea in the first place, being more likely to irritate people than attract them to pro-climate policies, but it also seemed to have the potential to cause issues for disabled people. So I tweeted about it, noting that if you're mobility impaired then the height of a SUV can make getting in and out more practical, and if you're a wheelchair user then the extra space of the SUV bodyform is really useful, so there's a pretty good chance you're hitting disabled people, not the wealthy. (I actually was thinking more of the mid-range SUVs than your typical Range Rover, there, but the point applies from mini-SUVs on up).
And got a response from a cycling activist saying "How can we tell the difference?"
*Headdesk*
So I answered you can't, which is only the truth (but I would probably have said that even if it wasn't, like I said, it's a stupid idea we don't want to encourage).
Then nothing for two or three months, only for a new message today from (looking at his Twitter profile) another cycling evangelist.
"With respect David, no one needs a supersize SUV. We have a VW Touran which we choose, having kids, due to its very large boot capacity. It’s a 2 litre, 7 seater. So please explain why anyone needs a 5l ranger rover?"
(I was particularly amused at the cycling activist claiming he's a better person because he only drives a 2l seven seater VW Touran. I'm sorry, you're preaching everyone should do everything by bike while riding around in a 2L Touran? Can we have some consistency please?)
Hmm, not a mention of my points about access and mobility needs, and the reductio ad absurdum strawman of the 5L Range Rover. Somehow I don't think you really meant any respect whatsoever, and I'm really not sure you actually read my points, or gave them any value if you did. Well, if you're going to be like that I'll tailor my response to fit:
"If you meant respect, you probably wouldn't throw out the reductio aa absurdum strawman of a 5l Range Rover. Let's go for something more reasonable: say a 1.5L Yaris Cross, which is a compact SUV, also available as a hybrid. 1/2I'm also wondering whether you actually read my points, because as the driver of a classic Yaris, it's rather too small for me to comfortably use as a single wheelchair user. With my chair in the boot, it's reduced to a 2 seater, awkward for giving a couple of friends a lift. 2/3
I can only get into it comfortably because I can just squeeze falling straight back into the driver's seat (and tall I'm not) which doesn't work in, say, my sister's Fiesta. Getting out is awkward. 3/4
But your typical compact SUV with its larger bodywork might well solve all my issues - larger bootspace, no need to drop seats, higher mounted body makes it easier to get into and out of. 4/5"
(Actually, looking again the Yaris Cross might well be no better than my Yaris wrt space, though the extra height would help, probably need to go up to the mid-size SUVs to fit the chair)
"But that's just me , one person family, small manual chair. Now add a partner and a couple of kids, and up that to a powerchair and the hoist that goes with it. Or in some cases powerchair and manual chair, or powerchair and scooter, because mobility needs can vary. 5/6
So by the time we're up to typical family size we've left the compact SUVs behind and you're going to be looking at that Touran and thinking "wish we had a bit more space". 6/7
And let's be clear, no Touran is a seven seater if you're carrying a wheelchair. Checking dimensions, you might even need to collapse the second row just for my small chair and certainly will for some powerchairs and scooters. 7/8
The size of a Range Rover suddenly doesn't look so excessive, particularly if you have two or three hulking teens and the family dog to shuttle around. Whether you need the 5L engine is another matter, but I'm arguing size, not power. 8/9
And all that's assuming you can transfer from your chair, if you need to drive from it, then all bets are off WRT the bodysize you need.
TLDR: Wheelchairs take more space than people think, the SUV form-factor works well for people with mobility impairments. 9/9"
And as a later addendum:
"(Having checked, the RVAR Reference Wheelchair Size is 1200mm x 700mm, so even a manual chair can potentially reduce your Touran to a 2 seater)"
*Sigh* The moral of this story is that saying "With respect", when you clearly don't mean it, is a good way to annoy me.