on't be a Lemming . . . Lemmings Drown," reads the Public Service Announcement at the Ultimate Poseur's SUV page. Billed as "the only SUV satire page on the Web," it is the brainchild of Jay Karolyi with help from graphic designer Eric Hullquist.

Karolyi, a graduate student studying to be a teacher, rails against what he characterizes as the ridiculousness of the sport-utility-vehicle trend — inefficient gas mileage, "porky, top-heavy" styling and high prices. He refers to the trend's followers as lemmings, and their trendy vehicles as lemming-mobiles. "I think most SUV drivers see them as an escape from their office-park jobs and suburban tract homes," Karolyi explains. "They can imagine they are being adventurous when they commute or drive to the mall. Other people view SUVs as a symbol of power and status."

Outrage Against the Machines
Karolyi's primary complaint is that SUVs, most of which are built for off-road use, are rarely used for such. "A minority [of SUV drivers], 10 percent or less, actually use SUVs for outdoor sports and off-roading," Karolyi says. "Where I live in Tennessee, about one-half to three-fourths of all vehicles on the road are trucks and SUVs. Virtually none of them have more than one person in them and are carrying no cargo. I just laugh at how ridiculous it is to drive a rough-riding gas-hog for no reason other than style," he continues.

But Karolyi isn't laughing when the repercussions of the SUV trend affect the availability of the cars he loves. "I happen to have a taste for refined sedans and sports cars and am upset that manufacturers are canceling my favorite models to produce additional SUVs, which use primitive designs with inferior ride and handling," he laments.

Vehicle for Change
Finding no one speaking out against what he calls the "SUV Scourge," Karolyi launched the Poseur SUV Web site in September 1997. "I tried to create a unique site that makes a point but doesn't take itself too seriously," he says. "I believe this is a great way to communicate ideas." Thousands of visitors agree — the Poseur SUV page receives an approximate 300 hits a day, on average, and Karolyi receives about 100 e-mails each month, mostly in support of his ideas. Although he also gets e-mail from SUV owners, it's not as belligerent as one might suppose. "A lot of poseur SUV owners write praising the page; they enjoy laughing at themselves and at the SUV trend," Karolyi observes.

Interested in more than just poking fun at the SUV trend, Karolyi would like to see the rules of the road reformed to limit the abuses of SUVs. "Most drivers are ill-equipped to drive such a large beast properly," Karolyi remarks. "Drivers of extra-large vehicles such as the Excursion, Expedition, and Suburban, as well as other large vehicles such as motor homes, should be required to get some kind of 'Large Vehicle Endorsement' on their drivers license. This should involve taking a course on large vehicle operation and safety, and passing a driving test. I think this requirement would serve the dual purpose of deterring buyers who don't really need large vehicles, as well as properly training those who do."

Despite the overwhelming popularity of SUVs now, Karolyi is confident that SUVs are a trend with an end in sight: "People will eventually realize that a top-heavy, rough-riding, gas-hogging truck doesn't make the best commuting vehicle and grocery-getter. They'll trade them in for cars."

Reported by Kara Reuter, cars.com

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MORE DETAIL

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