AUGUST 3 2019 LISTENER 5
boat”. Really? How did people
do that before SUVs?
Bradsher also points out that
the height of these vehicles
effectively reduces the safety
of conventional cars that are
carefully engineered to be
protected in head-on collisions
with other conventional cars.
SUV drivers put the rest
of us at avoidable risk. (The
manufacturers also describe the
typical SUV buyer as “unusu-
ally self-focused”.)The sooner
this vacuous and destructive
fashion passes, the better. Selec-
tive taxation would help.
R Porteous
(Auckland)Grant Lilly seems to be confus-
ing SUVs with offroad-capable
vehicles. My SUV has the same
“presence on the road” as a
medium-sized sedan and very
competitive fuel consumption
of 7.3 litres per 100km (on a
recent return trip from Wel-
lington to Taupō).
My chief reason for buyingit as opposed to a hatchback,
say, is that getting in and out
is way easier for someone older
and slightly disabled like me
and the higher seating posi-
tion gives me a better view of
the road.
Alistair Johnson
(Paraparaumu)The July 20 Editorial asked
what will become of older
petrol and diesel vehicles if
electric cars pour into the
country. Why not convert
them to electric drive?
There are many examples on
the internet of successful con-
versions. Why hasn’t a Kiwi
motor-trade entrepreneur set
up a conversion business?
It might require Govern-
ment assistance to get off
the ground but could create
business opportunities and
employment along with a
cleaner atmosphere earlier
than predicted.
Graeme Samson
(Whangārei)GE
TT
Y
IM
AG
ESTO ENTER Send your captions for the photo above to [email protected],
with “Caption Competition No 343” in the subject line. Alternatively, entries
can be posted to “Caption Competition No 343”, NZ Listener, Private Bag 92512,
Wellesley St, Auckland 1141, or submitted through listener.co.nz/win.
Entries must be received by noon, Tuesday, August 6.
THE PRIZE The King of Thieves DVD tells the true story of the most
daring diamond heist in British history, starring Michael Caine, Jim
Broadbent, Michael Gambon and Ray Winstone.Caption Competition {[email protected]}
Meghan, Duchess of Sussex: “Add
another couple of zeroes to the cost
of this blazer!” – Hans Zindel, Palmerston
NorthMeghan: “What dress code?”
– Mike Lynch, Upper HuttMeghan: “Ooo, I can hardly bring
myself to touch Archie’s nappies.”
– Ron Sherman, NelsonMeghan: “This is my tolerance for
selfies – zero, zilch, zip!” – Hans ZindelMeghan: “So I picked out this tiara,
but the Queen said, ‘That belongs to
One. Only We can wear that.’ Turnedout that didn’t mean yes. And they call
ME difficult!” – Claudia Freeman, GisborneMeghan: “And here’s our last shred
of privacy.” – Brian Holden, TekapoMeghan: “Quiet please! I’m
a Duchess.” – Jody Coast, TimaruWINNING CAPTION
Rhonda Ramsay, ThamesAUSSIE INTRANSIGENCE
“Silencing the voiceless”
(Bulletin, July 27) seems a con-
tradiction in terms, but in this
case there is no obfuscation.
What is it about Australian
politicians who will not give a
voice to Aboriginal people in
the federal Parliament?
All former Australian prime
ministers are complicit in the
negligent treatment of indig-
enous Australians. Moreover,
for incumbent Scott Morrison
to posit that an Aboriginal
“voice” would divide rather
than unite Australians is arrant
nonsense.
Brian Collins
(Lower Hutt)Caption
competition
THIS WEEK’S PICTURE
FINALISTS
END OF LIFE AS WE KNOW IT
In his critique of the End of
Life Choice Bill (Letters, July
27), David Richmond has
conflated two completely
separate issues, community
rights and unrequested
euthanasia.
How could “community
rights” overrule a private
matter of my decision when
I already had a terminal
illness and was confronted
by unbearable suffering?
What rights is Richmond
referring to? I can’t see any
connection.
Unrequested euthanasia
is specifically excluded from
the bill. It’s not even possibleSuddenly none
of my hats fit
me any more.