Kerre Woodham: Blondes and 4WDs - the nightmare of the road

I suppose you flash four-wheel drivers don't care, but man you're unpopular! A story came out last week about the North Sydney council charging 4WD owners double the parking tariff to try to exclude them from the inner city and the talkback lines went ballistic. It didn't matter that this was an ecological measure rather than blind anti-4WD prejudice and, as such, eight cylinder cars were also being charged double. Nope. The story gave the New Zealand public the opportunity to vent their respective spleens about the arrogant blondes driving these behemoths, known as bitch boxes, around New Zealand's exclusive inner-city suburbs.

Just about everyone had a story about being banged into by one of these bints in a supermarket car park. Just about everyone hates the fact that driving behind one of these things is like driving during an eclipse - they block out the view for everyone around them.

Most mentioned the inability of many of the drivers of these vehicles to manoeuvre them. What really bugged the anti-fours was the "I'm all right Jack, pull the ladder up" attitude of the pro-fours, which disregarded passengers of other vehicles and pedestrians.

Like everything, there is a compromise. There are some 4WDs which aren't quite as destructive to the rest of the community, while affording excellent protection for the driver, but you have to do your homework.

And in the meantime, if you tarts riding high in your 4WDs could spare a thought for us little people down below, we'd be ever so grateful.