How can I stop my dad being an idiot?

[Jauffre]

So my dad recently became reeaaalllyyy enthusiastic about electric cars. I always argue with him about how hydrogen will be much better when they develop the technology to cleanly extract it (I still dislike green cars, too boring, but if I had to go with them hydrogen FTW). So anyway he decided to buy an electric car from some company that converts them, which I was against considering it was a $40k converted Hyundai Getz. And then despite everyone else in my family telling him not to, he bought a second POS electric Getz. They're due to arrive in december and since then he's been ringing people up about more converted cars (prius' with better electric motors etc). I understand having to be more green but he's going to bankrupt us, and he just refuses to listen to me anymore because "I don't know anything and am just trying to piss him off."

TL;DR My dad keeps wasting money on buying several electric cars.

Any way to stop this? Thoughts?

EDIT: I know this is bit of a *****-about-my-dad fest but its really pissing me off and I need somewhere to express my anger.

 

[lacktheknack]

Don't. If he wants cars, he can have his damn cars.

When you move out, just budget infinitely better than he does. Subtle revenge that enhances your life: win/win.

 

[RadiusXd]

no solution in my experience, obsessions are something that can't be dealt with by people considered lower on the hierarchy.
the problem lies in that there isn't someone with veto. at least you feel you can broach the subject.

EDIT: I suppose if you are intent on making some sort of reasoned argument you could TRY explaining that since the electricity is mostly sourced from coal fired power plants that what you have is at best a marginally less harmful car that handles like crap (batteries are heavy) and requires inconvenient amounts of time to recharge.

 

[RJ Dalton]

You can't stop people from being idiots. It's just what they do.

 

[CulixCupric]

explain that walking is better for the "green-world", if that doesn't, tell him the new models coming out next year will be better, repeat annually. perpetual savings. also, the whole green-hype was because a lot of people with power in the world got a lot of oil shares, and new the value would be more if the world went "eco-freak-hippy-hype", as "rumors" have pointed out. I don't know if it's right, but seems logical.

 

[SmegInThePants]

get him drunk and when he's in this state get him to sign over to you power of attorney, put all his money in a spendthrift trust, he can only get money out when its approved by a more level headed person.

 

[Koroviev]

This sounds like my mom and groceries. Unfortunately, there is not a whole lot you can do. If they want to spend their money, then they're going to do so.

 

[Odbarc]

Pollute twice as much.

 

[RadiusXd]

explain that walking is better for the "green-world", if that doesn't, tell him the new models coming out next year will be better, repeat annually. perpetual savings. also, the whole green-hype was because a lot of people with power in the world got a lot of oil shares, and new the value would e world more if the world went "eco-freak-hippy-hype", as "rumors" have pointed out. I don't know if it's right, but seems logical.

could you rephrase and/or elaborate on that? I am having some difficulty understanding 'the whole green-hype' onwards.

 

[Jauffre]

explain that walking is better for the "green-world", if that doesn't, tell him the new models coming out next year will be better, repeat annually. perpetual savings. also, the whole green-hype was because a lot of people with power in the world got a lot of oil shares, and new the value would e world more if the world went "eco-freak-hippy-hype", as "rumors" have pointed out. I don't know if it's right, but seems logical.

The trouble with saying that next year's models will be better is that I wouldn't put him past just buying them. He's also become really up himself about them. I can't watch top gear anymore without him going "Yeah but I'd like to see the fuel bill."

 

[Jauffre]

Just be sure you know the quickest way to the local car compactor, for when the smug reaches critical levels.

hahaha good idea!

Pollute twice as much.

Already working on that, but he's very reluctant to let me buy my own car right now. I show him a 2nd hand Subaru Liberty with 200000 kms or so (about 125000 miles), which isn't too bad, libertys can do a lot more than that, and he just starts up his smug "its combustion so the engine will break within 2 minutes" speech.

 

[RadiusXd]

Just be sure you know the quickest way to the local car compactor, for when the smug reaches critical levels.

hahaha good idea!

Pollute twice as much.

Already working on that, but he's very reluctant to let me buy my own car right now. I show him a 2nd hand Subaru Liberty with 200000 kms or so (about 125000 miles), which isn't too bad, libertys can do a lot more than that, and he just starts up his smug "its combustion so the engine will break within 2 minutes" speech.

never mind batteries lose capacity with each recharge.

 

[Jauffre]

Well you lack the ability to stop it yourself so perhaps you could ask your mom? She should have more power to deal with the problem.

Or you could point out that it's wasteful for him to get more than one of them. But I'm doubting he'll listen to reason.

I mean it seems like there's 2 options. Outright stop him, or reason with him. You can't do the former, you'd need to ask your mom for help. Reasoning with him seems like it won't work, but it seems like the first thing to try. Though you clearly have tried some of it already.

Mum already gave up, she tried, and sternly told him not to do it, but in the end she didn't put up a fight because she didn;t want to bother with it and knew dad would do it anyway.

never mind batteries lose capacity with each recharge.

Already tried that on him, he gave me a huge slew of excuses about them being used after cars can't use them anymore as well as some BS about how the dangerous parts in batteries won;t hurt the environment.

 

[Jauffre]

Whenever I try to argue that hydrogen's better he just says "oh but its just as bad to the environment to extract hydrogen" which I'm aware of but I know they're making progress in making it clean, and he just denies that the pwoer for electric cars comign from coal burning is bad because "they're just going to burn it anyway." To that I argue that we mayaswell just use petrol because they're going to pump oil anyway and then he starts getting angry at me.

 

[CulixCupric]

explain that walking is better for the "green-world", if that doesn't, tell him the new models coming out next year will be better, repeat annually. perpetual savings. also, the whole green-hype was because a lot of people with power in the world got a lot of oil shares, and new the value would e world more if the world went "eco-freak-hippy-hype", as "rumors" have pointed out. I don't know if it's right, but seems logical.

could you rephrase and/or elaborate on that? I am having some difficulty understanding 'the whole green-hype' onwards.

the only reason people are trying to be green is that they were convinced it would put ease on their conscious, because the industry figured out the could make money on it.

simple: people found a way to make money and lied to people, who no line their pockets.

 

[RadiusXd]

explain that walking is better for the "green-world", if that doesn't, tell him the new models coming out next year will be better, repeat annually. perpetual savings. also, the whole green-hype was because a lot of people with power in the world got a lot of oil shares, and new the value would e world more if the world went "eco-freak-hippy-hype", as "rumors" have pointed out. I don't know if it's right, but seems logical.

could you rephrase and/or elaborate on that? I am having some difficulty understanding 'the whole green-hype' onwards.

the only reason people are trying to be green is that they were convinced it would put ease on their conscious, because the industry figured out the could make money on it.

simple: people found a way to make money and lied to people, who no line their pockets.

so you are saying that people dishonestly sell people "environmentally friendly" products by playing on their guilt?

 

[CulixCupric]

explain that walking is better for the "green-world", if that doesn't, tell him the new models coming out next year will be better, repeat annually. perpetual savings. also, the whole green-hype was because a lot of people with power in the world got a lot of oil shares, and new the value would e world more if the world went "eco-freak-hippy-hype", as "rumors" have pointed out. I don't know if it's right, but seems logical.

could you rephrase and/or elaborate on that? I am having some difficulty understanding 'the whole green-hype' onwards.

the only reason people are trying to be green is that they were convinced it would put ease on their conscious, because the industry figured out the could make money on it.

simple: people found a way to make money and lied to people, who no line their pockets.

so you are saying that people dishonestly sell people "environmentally friendly" products by playing on their guilt?

no, it's that even though they ARE eco-friendly, the industry is STILL MAKING MONEY off of it. They merely play on guilt, as a jumping point to get it in full swing.

I have no soul.