I dislike driving; it makes me alternately very angry and very frightened. Both emotions, coincidentally, often stem from the same source – SUVs.

When did vehicles get so big, I wonder? When did it become acceptable, even fashionable, to drive a three-ton behemoth? The answers to these questions remain unknown, but one thing I do know for certain – I have a Suburban-sized problem with SUVs. I’m not referring to the tinier SUVs that are of a reasonable size, but the massive Expeditions, the Yukons and the Hummers.

There is no reason to drive such an overwhelming vehicle. They are wasteful. They are dangerous. And most importantly, in our aesthetics-obsessed society, they are ugly. Maybe I’m in the minority, but to me, newer SUVs look like those guys at the gym who are far too muscular for their frame.

But I can’t allow myself to write on this subject without mentioning oversized trucks as well, because they’re equally culpable. I understand that thanks to our society, the concept of masculinity has been badly skewed, making it difficult for the majority of men to express their testosterone-fueled urges. For some, the best way to assert their masculinity is to drive a big truck; “king of the road” and all that bit.

Unfortunately, this method usually proves ineffective, which leaves a lot of frustrated men in big trucks.

Yes, I know that in some cases large trucks are needed for hauling things, transporting things and doing other things with things.

I realized it’s the embrace of excess that I have a problem with. It’s that the majority of us, instead of asking, “Why do I need this?,” would rather ask, “Why shouldn’t I have this?” It’s the fact that on average, SUVs spew 30 to 75 percent more emissions than cars. It’s that if anyone driving an average-size vehicle were to have an accident with a larger SUV, they would most likely die.

Above all, I believe that SUVs should be phased out of our society because they guzzle gas. How does anyone who drives an SUV have any money to spare? With gas prices soaring exorbitantly high, I wonder how those who get less than 20 miles to a gallon can afford to eat.

And it’s only going to get worse.

Do yourself and others a favor and stop supporting the SUV market and the oil industry, both of which are in the top 10 of the man’s money-making scheme.

Bigger is not better. Take that money you (or your parents) were going to spend on an elephantine vehicle and invest it in a smaller car. It’s healthier, safer and cheaper. Plus, we all know that real men drive hybrids.