4X4s, Chelsea tractors, SUVs.

Call them whatever you want, there a number of you that really don’t like these behemoth vehicles.

It’s clear that your opinion of the person that drives this type of vehicle is they think they’ve earned the right to hurry up, tailgate and cut off traffic just so they can slow down and assert their presence on all the lesser motorists, take that oh-so-important call and generally ignore their driving while they dream of the next round of golf or the next opportunity they'll have to buy something beige. 

Or maybe its something a bit stronger?!

With oil prices rising and the cost of fuel in the USA going through the roof, the Hummer and similar (SUVs) are rumoured to be at death’s door.

While GM still isn't confirming that the brand is for sale, all future Hummer models seem to be delayed or cancelled completely, so it's not likely GM wants to continue selling Hummers in the future. 

So is it RIP to the SUV?

Probably not in the very near future, but its clear that their fate seems to be soaked in $4 a gallon (and soon to be $5 a gallon!) petrol.

The tree huggers are pleased, of course, but some old friends of SUVs will miss them and try to remember them for their strengths. Try as they might, they still haven't found a manly alternative to the sport utility vehicle. 

So with that in mind, is there anything that we might miss about SUV’s if they disappear forever? Here are 10 possible things:

10.  Resale

Driving by car dealerships recently would have you believe they’re having an early Halloween-themed sale. Turns out, the cobwebs on the big SUVs aren’t decorative. That wasn’t always the case: when SUVs were in demand, dealers got fat off all the desperate ‘I must have one as my neighbour just got one’ buyers.

Of course, the tables turned at trade-in time, when quality used models commanded the same price and rolled away again just as quickly as the new ones.

9. Safety

If you could resist the urge to swerve out of the way of approaching danger and actually test its roof-crush strength, your SUV’s tank-like feeling took on a new meaning in terms of protection, and is definitely one of the top 10 things to miss about SUVs. The old adage of putting as much metal as feasibly possible between you and the next man was one reason why SUVs found their way onto so many driveways.

Sure, their size made them more of a threat to everyone else on the road, but at least you'd make it to Point B in one piece, so what’s to complain about?

8. Space

Your wife + your kid(s) + your dog(s) + everyone’s gear = lots of room needed. However, with an SUV you could take a trip without limiting luggage to one small bag and one personal item.

Even though the maximum cargo room in some SUVs could be matched or beaten by a number of estate cars and (ughhh) people carriers/minivans, SUVs were just way cooler than the rest. So there. Argument settled.

7. Conflict

SUVs tend to broadcast a ‘screw-you’ attitude; you actually welcomed the thought of neo-hippies talking nasty about your vehicle, and this is one thing we'll miss about SUVs.

They’d whine about SUVs being the reason why trees are dying, the ozone layer is depleted and baby seals are getting thumped...yeah, yeah, whatever. Talk to the hand.

You didn’t care. You were sending a message, and if a few more dead dinosaurs got burned in the process, then tough ****.

6. Altitude

Given the choice of not being able to see around the numpty in front of you or actually getting to see the road ahead, there really was no choice at all.  You wanted to know what was going on, and you wanted to know before you got there.

It was as if you were on some army reconnaissance mission and your commanding view of the road afforded you this information.

This in turn allowed you to act accordingly…when you weren’t on the phone or yelling at your kids, anyway.

5. Attitude

Not to be confused with the conflict or intimidation factors, the attitude aspect suggested a sense of adventure; like you were ready to drive up the Alps or pull a house clean off its foundations at any second. 

Sure, you may never have gone off-road beyond the time you accidentally mounted the kerb when parking, but those are mere details…

Your ride definitely looked the part, which is what mattered most and is one of those things we'll miss about SUVs.

4. Luxury

Somewhere along the way, some car maker hit on the bright idea that SUVs could be the proverbial iron fist in a velvet glove.

Soon, the option lists of many models rivaled those of traditional luxury saloon cars: heated and cooled leather seats, SatNav, power everything, DVD players to entrance the kids; it all became the standard operating procedure.

Basically you had the bells and whistles of your parents’ boring car without taking yet another step closer to becoming your dad. 

3. Capability

Once upon a time, SUVs had their 4x4 gears by an actual gear stick; primitive stuff. It’s since given way to innocuous dashboard buttons that involve no greater effort than switching tracks on your iPod.

And in all honesty, those buttons for the 4x4 system were pushed more often out of curiosity than necessity, because most of you had no flaming idea what they did!

However, when you did actually need it, the extra traction was a godsend and may have made the difference between getting home in nasty weather and being stranded in the middle of nowhere on a freezing night.

Still, that’s when your heated seats would have come in extra useful, assuming you could find the right button for them.

2. Intimidation

Even the meekest bloke you know could fire up the 3.2 litre in his SUV and immediately become a man harder than a coffin lid nail.  All of a sudden, he is out taking cruel pleasure in tormenting hatchbacks on the M25.

He’d get to within nano-inches of the guy ahead of him and make would-be lane changers reconsider the errors of their ways. In a world where guys sometimes feel like everything’s slipping from their grasp, the behind-the-wheel feel empowered more than a few to intoxication.

Boys, grow up; if you want a big Tonka Toy we suggest you go to Toys R Us.

1. Prestige

SUVs may now get laughs as ill-considered purchases and/or sad attempts at compensation for personal shortcomings, but they once defined the man of the '90s and the new millennium.

They were powerful, in your face and couldn’t be ignored…thus mirroring the personalities of more than a few of their drivers.

The power vehicle of choice is a cyclical thing, and the prestige that came standard with SUVs a few years ago has been replaced with a sense of failing to evolve.

Are there any other things we should miss about SUVs if they do die out? Or would you be glad to see the back of them?

Let us know your thoughts!

Every work place has them…

…those that dismisses team members' ideas; the individual that takes credit for someone’s efforts, and those other really annoying co-workers who make any form of productivity difficult.

Yes you know that you should just ignore them but lets face it, there are  but then you just get days you want to sellotape them to their chair and throw them in the liftshaft for a couple of days….

Below are 6 examples of those whose irritating behaviour and annoying attitudes prevent us from having effective relationships at work. 

Can you spot any of them? Worse still, can you spot if you are one of them yourself?!

1. The Naysayer

More effective than a Russian surface to air missile, this office dweller delights in shooting down anyone’s ideas.

Even during "blue sky" brainstorming sessions, where all suggestions are to be embraced with an open mind, the Naysayer immediately rejects any proposal that challenges the status quo, makes them look bad, or is simply a better idea than they could have ever dreamt of.

Perhaps you can get your own back by rejecting their ideas for their next promotion?

2. The Spotlight Stealer

They love the limelight so much they should, quite frankly, be on X-Factor.  

There is definitely an "I" in "team" according to this glory seeker, who tries to take full credit for any team efforts and impress those above in the corporate chain.  This overly ambitious corporate climber never heard a good idea he wouldn't “borrow” and then pass off as his own.

Clearly they have never heard of the words “stealing” and “lying”.

3. The Buzzwordsmith

This person has clearly never heard of the Plain English Campaign. 

Whether speaking or writing, the Buzzwordsmith is happy to sacrifice clarity in favour of showing off their extensive vocabulary of  business cliches.

This ineffective communicator loves to "utilize" (never just "use") industry-specific jargon and obscure acronyms that are about as clear as a muddy otter in a brown river. Their favourite buzzwords include "synergistic," "actionable," "monetize," “facilitate” and "paradigm shift."

If you have a Collins Dictionary at hand, you should give it to them; preferably full in the face. 

4. The Inconsiderate Emailer

Pointless email alert!

Addicted to the "reply all" function, this "cc" supporter clogs all our already-overflowing inboxes with completely pointless messages. This person also marks less-than-critical emails as "high priority" and sends enormous attachments the size of Canada, that then crash the unwitting recipients' computers.

You will save yourself about 3 hour’s worth of grief simply by not opening any emails you get from this person.

5. The Interrupter

For some of us, this person is not just a pet peeve; they are more like a kennel of irritation. 

The Interrupter has no regard for anyone’s peace, quiet or concentration. When this person is not entering your work area to request immediate life or death help, the Interrupter is in meetings loudly tapping on their desk/laptop/chair, taking calls on their mobile at high volume or starting way off-topic side conversations about nothing in particular.

Headphones should be standard issue kit for any of us forced to work with this type of person; that or alcohol.

6. The Stick in the Mud

You are here to work!

This person is all business all of the time. Disapproving of any attempt at humour, this constant killjoy doesn't have any fun at work and doesn't think you should either. They are usually to be found with a furrowed brow, tutting heavily at any mention of social life, weekends or holidays.

Memo to this person: lighten up and GET A LIFE!

We have listed the qualities that make the above individuals very irritating, in the hope that you will be able to avoid them at all costs. 

But are there any other types of annoying co-workers that we might have missed?

Why not let us know in the comments?

Related stories 

10 things not to say at work

The 10 most annoying office habits

It’s called “common sense” yet so few people appear to have it; and this guy is clearly one of those people!

A man who was caught breaking into a German supermarket late at night escaped despite being handcuffed to railings…

…only to be arrested after he ran into the nearby police station to get the handcuffs removed!

In a huge understatement, a police spokesman in Frankfurt said:

'It was stupid of him,' before pointing out that ‘They took the cuffs off, but they kept him.'

A security guard had handcuffed the numpty and held three others after spotting their break-in. However, by the time the police arrived, had managed to escape.

Upon arriving at the local police station, the 19-year-old then told the officers had been handcuffed by a friend as a joke, and asked for their help.

At first, the officers at first went along with the ruse, 'also laughing at the man's apparent misfortune,' police said.

However using their collective police knowledge, they soon suspected he was the missing man from the break-in and questioned him for details once they had freed him from his handcuffs. He then confessed his role and was happily reunited with his three accomplices in the cells.

It’s clear that this chap won’t be asking the police for any further help for quite a long time!

Here in the UK, we have a reputation for being intelligently humorous, polite, reserved and proud of our stiff upper-lip

You would think these traits would apply to the office; however this couldn't be farther from the truth.

This is because a recent survey shows that almost 60% of us admit to displaying bad manners towards our colleagues and committing verbal faux pas on a very regular basis.

So, if you want to stay on the right side of your co-workers, and avoid sounding and looking like a right chump, here are 10 things not to say at work.More...

According to the TUC, nearly five million of us in Britain regularly do unpaid overtime, giving our employers an average of £4,955 of free work a year.

Clearly then we are spending too much time at work, which is sort of annoying...

However, it's not half as annoying as some of the office habits which we have allowed ourselves to either fall into or tolerate. We guarantee that some of these will sound familiar to those of us who endure the daily grind of 9-5.

Here are the 10 leading annoying office habits:

1. Office drummers

Why don't these tap-tap-tappers just go the whole hog and bring in a 16-piece drum kit and get it out of their systems?

Is there a more annoying office habit than the person who has to tap out a rhythm while waiting for their brain to engage into first gear or their phone to ring?

There are unconfirmed made-up rumours that the CIA is now using the "office-drummer technique" in terrorist interrogations after finding it more effective at extracting information than attaching car batteries to body parts.

2. Foghorn phone voice

In the same way that your television volume appears to jump up 9 levels as soon as the adverts appear, there is a special type of office worker who raises their tone several decibels as soon as they pick up the phone. It's as if they believe the incoming call emanates from the Moon...

You can help by explaining their voice is NOT carried through very long cardboard tubes but through conversion to electrical currents down a copper wire which, almost instantaneously, are then amplified at the other end through a speaker. It's called technology.

If they don't understand this, just speak louder.

3. Pod pong

"But this is the latest fragrance from the streets of Paris. All the celebrities are wearing it," they may plead.

Wearing it? Yes. But marinating themselves in it overnight? Probably not.

4. Key smashers

All offices have at least one naïf who believes that to make the little symbols on their keyboard appear on the screen, they need to exert the force of a nuclear bomb through the ends of their fingers.

Either this, or after a freak gardening accident, they now have lump hammers for fingers.

5. Paid for nothing

Finally...a good reason to smoke.

You get paid for standing out in the sunshine chatting to your wheezy and addicted mates while the fresh-lunged members of the workforce are indoors putting their nicotine-free fingers to work.

You could of course ask the smokers to start pulling their weight, except their lungs would probably collapse. You could also give them some mouthwash as a gift, to help mask their breath-of-a-thousand-cigarettes.

6. Snot funny

What is it with people who, riddled with pleurisy, dengue fever or some sort of badger TB still think it's a good idea to come in to work?

Despite what you might believe, the world magically won't stop if that report doesn't get finished and the boss more likely regards you as a mug than a martyr.

Your work mates, (naturally) will shower you with love and thanks for ruining their plans for the weekend and keeping their kids out of school with the germs you give them.

7. Lucifer's lunch

Begone devil food!

Egg and mayonnaise sandwiches, tuna fishcakes, blue cheese with crackers, breakfast burritos with extra onion and chips with salt and vinegar. These are all food items which require urgent Government or United Nations mandates to ban them from the workplace.

Alternatively, you should ask your boss for funds to hire a permanent on-site SWAT team armed with fumigation guns. Or just ask your colleague to bring something that doesn't stink (or in the case of the chips, require you to leave and buy some yourself).

8. Ringtone hell

In the office there is always one complete toaster who does this.

If your office mate intermittently decided to play bits of his favourite music collection from a speaker on his desk, you'd probably ask them to leave their taste for death-metal, emo or American R&B at home.

So why the hell is it ok to have Usher's latest offering, or a 50 Cent classic (is he called that because that's how much most people would pay for one of his awful records?) playing six times a day...or 22 if it's Friday?

9. Space invaders

You distinctly remember hearing the boss bring your new work colleague over to his or her work area and say, "This is your desk".

The boss did NOT follow that up with the words, "but feel free to use your colleague's desk for overspill if there's not enough room for your inane celebrity gossip magazines and pictures of your 17 children".

A good solution is to mark the edge of your desk with police tape saying "Do not cross". That way they might get the message...

10. Eau de underarm

People. Deodorants were invented in the '50s; that's a year, not the age you have to be before you start using them.

There are fewer things more noxious than the damp-shirted male who, after working up a sweat running for the morning bus, is left to "mature" over his keyboard for eight hours.

Please make an effort to smell less like a sewer rat.

So, how many of these do you recognise? Are there any more annoying office habits you know of ?

Why not share them in the comments?