My car, as well as a few other on campus have caused quite a stir. I go to a small liberal arts school in Central Illinois w/ a student population of about 2000. Recently I have been getting notes put on my car saying "Thanks for poluting the earth w/ your exhaust." And "With all the money you spent on a Benz, why not buy a clean car?" This is starting to irk me. There are a few other diesel owners on campus I know and have talked to, but only the Mercedes ones have been tageted. [The others drive VWs that say TDI on the rear as opposed to Diesel.] The funny thing is my car barely smokes and there are some truly ratty cars on campus doing much more damage than mine. Plus, I find it almost humorous that my car is targeted when it was parked inbetween a Land Rover and ML55 [I wish my mommy and daddy could buy me such cars]. I think their fuel consumption should be an issue too, but oh well. We have notified campus security, but little will come of that. I am actually considering parking off campus now at a great cost just to avoid vandalism. Anyone else experience such problems. No one gave me problems when I drove and old Bronco II that leaked oil everywhere and drank gas like an old salt drinks whiskey. I will stop ranting now. I need to get to bed

This kind of stuff makes me sick to my stomach. People need to mind their own business. Sounds like a school for future activist tree huggers.

The visible emissions from a properly running diesel is particulate matter that settles back to the earth, and is nothing more than carbon.

If diesels were so polluting, why are there no sniffer tests required on them like the same year gasoline engines.

These people need to get a life and think with their logic instead of their emotions.

Good luck,

I heard a news story on the way in this morning that a bunch of SUVs were vandalized in Richmond VA over the weekend. I can't find a link to any such story, but it had something to do with environmental terrorism. Something to the effect of a note left at the scene - new SUVs on a dealership lot and some parked SUVs elsewhere were damaged.

As far as your diesel, tell people that diesels emit less "greenhouse" gases than gasolene vehicles. Current emissions laws enforce the emission of "smog" gases. If the laws were changed to also include greenhouse gases in combination with smog gases, then diesels would come out cleaner than gasolene vehicles - even though gasolene vehicles have catalytic convertors. Most visible smoke from diesel engines comes from carbon particles.

Ken300D

I don't have anyone harassing me about pollution,but I get a harassed when I pull up in my 87'300sdl with 224k on it. I think it's a bunch of crap how I pull up in a 7500$ car and everybody thinks I paid 80,000$ for it. But when somebody pulls up in a 50,000$ pickup or suv- its no big deal!! Larry Bible is right, people need to mind thier own buisness.


Also its kind of funny that other people make fun of your smoke that they can see. How did they get to school a bike, walk? I highly doubt it. They wrote that note on a piece of paper!! Had to cut a tree down for that too!! People think that because if you can't see "smoke" coming from thier tailpipe it must be enviromentally clean!! Give me a break!! O.K I feel better now.

__________________
87' 300sdl

You'd think it's a bunch of tree huggers, but no. The enviromentalists on campus are much like the lesbains. Load, annoying, and a minority. They feel they need to be heard and demonstrate. It gets comical at times. Best day of the year? Coming out oof the closet day, always planned on a faculty open house, as if to scare away any prospective students

There were a few enviromentalists at my school (Central Washington University), but none of them caused any problems. In fact I was in classes with many of them and none gave me a hard time about driving a diesel, in fact I think one or two of them drove Mercedes diesels.

LOL. I once explained to a very humorless California Air Quality Control Board official who drives a gasser: I may be killing Los Angeles, but you pal, are killing the world.

If any of us were truly conscientious, we'd all be riding bicycles.

__________________
'91 300D 2.5 Turbo 330K
'00 VW TDI Golf, 190K
'67 BMW R50/2
'73 Norton Commando Interstate

if the bastards keep harrasing you, you could put a sticker on the back of your car:

- Runs on Hemp Oil
- Powered by Peanuts
- Grease Mobile
- Smell My Pipe... mmm, fries.

I AM an environmentalist and that is exactly why I'm looking to buy a diesel! However, you are right, most of them are a bunch of loud mouths who don't know what they are talking about.

Tell them to use the expensive education that mommy and daddy are paying for to do a little research.

Don't even get me started on SUVs.

hey newbie,

have you seen this one before: http://earthonempty.com/

so somebody is going to give their own ego a blast by convincing themselves that they have made me feel bad.

as if that approach will make a drop's bit of difference in the ocean of change we need to affect.

and how did this person get from where they were to where they are? flap their arms?

about the bicycle thing.

A few years ago, living in Savannah, Ga I would go a week or so without having to drive except to haul children around. Had a 11 1/2 mile commute each way to work and arrived at work feelling great. The ride home was normally not as nice as the ride in though . Those were probably, as far as commuting and being able to ride a bicycle around, were so of the best times I've ever had.

I've found the 300TD is the best way to haul them around now.

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Jim

Why dont you convert your car to run on veg-oil. Check out some of these links.

http://biodiesel.infopop.net/2/OpenTopic


http://www.greasecar.com/


http://www.greasel.com/


http://www.biofuels.ca/

Joe Blow, I LOVE it! I'm forwarding that to everyone I know!!!

Hello again please read all the info before you get into this it is not as simple as going to the nearest grease dump at taco bell and filling up. I get my oil from Mom & Pop family restraints straight from the fryer and let it settle for 30 days then filter it. I use the greasel kit it was the best one I thought for the money. Charles of greasel is one of the most helpful people I have ever talked to on this subject. Vegetable oil as fuel is a cleaner, safer and less expensive alternative to petroleum-based fuel. It can be locally produced, even grown in your back yard. You can then tell the diesel haters that you pollute less than there gas gulpers

http://www.greasel.com