[legion]

Every year in the summer I drive from here (Central Illinois) up to the Upper Penninsula of Michigan. About a 9 hour drive straight north. In the middle of the drive, I inevitably encounter Chicago drivers heading to their summer homes in Wisconsin. Every year, I see about a dozen boats that have fallen off or flipped while on their trailers. One year, we hit a patch of driving rain so bad that I couldn't tell where the road was. I litterally had to stop where I was and put on the hazards because I had no idea where the shoulder was and didn't want to find out by driving into the ditch. I Rain-X my windows compulsively, and we couldn't see the end of the hood... Guess what came flying past me?

That being said, the vast majority of people driving SUVs understand their vehicles' limitations, especially when towing trailers.

Not to co-opt the rant, but my big pet peeve has always been BMW drivers. Driving in Chicago, I think I have been tailgated, cut-off, and nearly hit by more BMWs than any other make of car. Driving from Bloomington to Chicago one summer day, I clearly recall going 95 and passing a line of semis. A glance in my rear view mirror and there is a red car a good stretch back. A second glance and I have a 3-series almost in my back seat. Not only could I not see his headlights, but I could clearly see the profanities he was mouthing at me. I figured anyone who drives such a performance vehicle must appreciate the acceration, handling and braking. Since he had demonstrated the first two, it was in my opinion time to experience the third. I hit my brake pedal, hard. I watched the guy fishtail and swerve in my rear view mirror and finally regain control. I moved over to the right lane after I was past the semis. He didn't tailgate me again and sheepishly stayed behind me (far back) the rest of the trip. Probably not something I will ever do again.