Lot drives SUV owners mad

I believe we should tax poor mileage cars when you make the original purchase. I think this would serve as a deterrent.

I do not agree with finding ways to tax, or limit vehicles already purchased

 

I'd be ok with charging them an extra percentage based on the how much bigger the vehicle was than some baseline size--IF the parking lot has different-sized parking spaces for compact versus larger vehicles.

In a space-cramped location where square footage is at a premium like Boston, that would make some sense. Of course, Boston ain't seen nothing' when compared to Tokyo.

I wouldn't be surprised if parking in Tokyo isn't already size-metered.

But calling it a gas-guzzler surcharge is plain stupid.

 

I'm OK with charging extra based on size, too. I'm really tired of trying to find a space in a parking lot where huge SUVs and pickups are parked in compact-only spaces, thus taking up two spaces instead of just one.

 

There is a gas-gussler tax for new vehicles.
Is there a list of cars that are charged the gas-guzzler tax? - Ask.cars.com

 

Yeah, but it only applies to cars and not "trucks". All SUVs are considered to be "trucks" w/most being "light trucks" and thus it doesn't apply to any of them. More info at Frequently Asked Questions and http://suvs.about.com/od/fueleconomy/a/jf_gasguzzler.htm. Besides that, the penalties and limits aren't strict enough.

In the end, it ends up only affecting cars that sell in tiny numbers vs. the real guzzlers that sell in much larger numbers.

Some are beyond "light truck" in GVWR like the Hummer H2 and Ford Excursion, which were exempt from EPA FE testing and ratings due to their GVWR. Since they weren't cars (remember they're trucks) and their FE was unknown, they couldn't be hit with the gas guzzler tax either.

 

Exactly! And what is even worse is there was a business tax credit for any vehicle over 6000 lbs. The Hummer, and Suburban got to be depreciated entirely in one year. We gave business an incentive to buy gas guzzlers.

 

Makes sense to me. How many times do you find a large SUV parked over 2 or even 4 spaces? Well that's lost income for the car park. If they made the spaces bigger then they'd lose income too. Nah, it's a good idea. You drive a small car then you're OK. If you choose to drive a bigger one then expect to pay more. You pay a luggage surcharge to an airline.

 

The weight justification doesn't quite make sense. Hybrids can be heavier than a conventional vehicle. However, the effect of weight isn't linear so very large vehicles should pay significantly more.

Basically, I think the idea is to use green to get green: people who drive guzzlers will be willing to spend more to park them and would be less likely to use public transportation. But, if they are put off by the surcharge it creates a small-car-friendly parking lot. Either way they win.

 

Well, Hummer is dead, so there's no sense in bringing it up all the time.
As for the taxes, try writing the goverment. They're the ones that make the rules, and the people are the ones that take advantage of it.

 

No, if you read the comments, those in trucks and SUVs will park in other lots. They are not charging more to fit more cars or any other reason than they want small cars.

Clinton 1997 subsidy for businesses to buy big SUVs (and other equipment). Its still there at $25K for over 6000lb SUVs. Not much of an issue these days, but still just one of a million government subsidies that should go away.

The loophole in cafe standards is still there but being closed slowly. Finally in 2025 the cafe standards will no longer encourage manufacturers to produce SUVs. They will be geared to size, but large SUVs will have limits like every other vehicle.

One proposal to help with my states budget shortfall was a guzzler tax that included SUVs. It was rejected, but maybe it will come up again next year. I did as you said and wrote my representatives, not that it will do much good.

 

I write my reps all the time. I'm surprised the black helicopters haven't showed up yet.

 

"It’s like they’re trying to make money off of people who are not environmentally conscious"

EXACTLY!

 

They should put this at the entrance.

 

One of our domestic airlines charges fat passengers double if they take up two seats, but I think the surcharge is only collected if the plane is overbooked.

The same logic would seem to apply to car lots, but it is harder to implement.

 

It looks like it's a private lot, so the owners can do whatever they want. The parking space hog can just move along if they don't like it.

Not for nothing how many times have we seen a person who thinks their car is special and takes up two spaces so no one can park next to them. Cough, cough, BMW, cough, cough!

 

Making room for their overly inflated ego!

 

10 dollars per hour??? HOLY ch3#$#t

 

Boston. Next to a sports complex.

Of course, said sports complex is right next to a major train line, and a subway line... so...

 

Yeah, Boston parking looks pretty darned expensive. I visited there in 2010 (and had no car, just used public transit) and observed that the rates at Boston's largest parking garage at The Shops at Prudential Center were insane, even w/validation.