Guzzlers Always Thirsty, Even on Short Trips

Re “If You Drive It Just a Bit, It’s Not a Gas Guzzler,” Jan. 18:

S. Lloyd Johnson still doesn’t get it. It’s a gas guzzler no matter how short the distance. Unless he has his SUV loaded with people or has a wheelchair or other equipment in his vehicle, it has no business on the road if he calls himself an environmentalist. If he just tools around town buying groceries or going to the golf course all by himself or maybe with one or two others, anything smaller than an SUV would suit the purpose just as well and really be green.

Patting himself on the back because his co-workers would fill up their smaller cars twice a week while he filled his monster every two weeks is the same kind of twisted math: If he had been driving a smaller vehicle, he would have filled it only once a month. Not everyone has the good fortune to be living close to work. If he wants to drive an SUV and still be environmentally correct, I hope he takes to heart that Lexus and Toyota both are coming out with SUVs next year that have better gas mileage and have lower emissions.

Irena Weygold

Irvine