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Grex > Cars > #131: What Does Your Car Say About You? | |
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slynne
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What Does Your Car Say About You?
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Jan 22 16:01 UTC 2004 |
This morning on the way to work I saw a person driving a Hummer and I
thought to myself "Geez, what an ASSHOLE"! Now, this person wasnt doing
anything to make me think that other than driving a big ugly car. They
certainly werent driving poorly. In fact, later on I noticed them stop
to let someone out of a gas station driveway so the actual evidence is
that they werent some jerk. Still, there is something that just
screams "I am a selfish pretentious jerk" about a Hummer.
This got me thinking about how image and what we project to the world
is related to the kind of car we drive. It seems so silly and yet I am
obviously guilty of it as my thoughts this morning about the Hummer
driver indicate. I know that I have other thoughts abotu drivers of
other cars. For instance, whenever I see someone driving an Aztec, I
think to myself "Now there is a person who doesnt mind driving an ugly
car" ;)
I am not the only one though. There was a certain ad run by the right
wing Club for Growth that strongly implied that people who drive Volvos
are politically liberal. People often associate pickup trucks with the
south. SUVs have a kind of rugged American image while mini-vans just
scream "soccer mom".
I drive an old beat up VW Jetta. I guess I always think of VW drivers
as being kind of like me. Which, when you think about it, is kind of
stupid. I mean, folks buy cars for all kinds of reasons besides image.
It is after all a way to get from point A to point B.
So? What images do you usually associate with different makes and
models of cars?
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| 46 responses total. |
gull
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response 1 of 46:
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Jan 22 16:26 UTC 2004 |
I thought that Club for Growth ad was pretty funny. I'm tempted to get
a bumper sticker that says "Volvo-Driving Liberal Freak", except I'm not
sure anyone would get it. ;)
When I see a Geo Metro or Ford Aspire, I tend to think, "there's a poor
bastard who can't afford a real car."
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keesan
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response 2 of 46:
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Jan 24 21:01 UTC 2004 |
I never heard of any of these. This year we have had to drive since I am sick
so Jim has insured his 1987 Dodge Colt. What image does that project?
He used to drive a green bike with a purple fork. I have a white Raleigh with
a bit of purple and turquoise trim as well as a very rusty Gitane.
Does the age of the car say more than the name of it?
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rcurl
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response 3 of 46:
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Jan 24 22:59 UTC 2004 |
What my car says about me is "this is the car I bought" (or rented,
or leased, or borrowed). No more and no less.
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slynne
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response 4 of 46:
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Jan 25 16:18 UTC 2004 |
resp:2 - Gosh, I guess a 1987 Dodge Colt would say to me "this person
doesnt really care about what kind of car they drive so long as it
runs" ;)
resp:3 - That isnt what it says to me, rcurl. Nya Nya :)
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rcurl
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response 5 of 46:
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Jan 25 19:14 UTC 2004 |
Re #4 re #2: it may "say" that to you, but that might not be true. There
are many reasons why a person may be driving a 1987 <whatever>, and they
may in fact *care very much about what kind of car they drive* - and have
chosen that car because they do care. But, of course, you are just playing
the game. 8^}
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gull
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response 6 of 46:
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Jan 25 22:58 UTC 2004 |
Of course, a lot of people do buy a car because they like the image it
projects.
In one extreme example I just read about, a guy who owned a '91 Volvo
240 along with a couple other cars chose to park the 240 at a nearby Wal
Mart, because he didn't like the way it looked in his driveway.
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keesan
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response 7 of 46:
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Jan 26 00:05 UTC 2004 |
The 1987 Dodge was not bought by Jim, it was given to him by a friend, as was
the 1986 car (Toyota?) that is waiting to replace it when the exhaust system
can no longer be patched. Jim fixed plumbing and chimneys for both donors.
But he is somewhat selective about what he lets people give him.
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mdw
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response 8 of 46:
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Jan 26 01:12 UTC 2004 |
First I heard of walmart parking lots cancelling out the "carma" of
Volvos. But I suppose it makes sense.
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slynne
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response 9 of 46:
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Jan 26 17:50 UTC 2004 |
There are certainly people for whom image influences their car choices.
I know that rcurl isnt such a person and yet, I think you can still
tell a lot about a person based on what kind of car they choose to
drive. It isnt always right of course but I bet it is a lot of the
time.
Anyhow, it is just interesting. The whole marketing of cars thing.
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rcurl
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response 10 of 46:
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Jan 26 18:21 UTC 2004 |
(In fact, the image of the car to me does influence my car choice, but not
its image to others.)
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slynne
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response 11 of 46:
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Jan 26 19:15 UTC 2004 |
Fair enough.
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jmsaul
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response 12 of 46:
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Jan 27 00:57 UTC 2004 |
SUVs scream "soccer mom" to me. So do minivans.
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bhoward
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response 13 of 46:
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Jan 27 05:44 UTC 2004 |
To me, SUV's scream "free lodging", particularly when you consider the
often high cost of staying in hotels and ryokan in certain areas of Japan.
It's true I don't need my Toyota "Surf" (called 4-runner in the US) to
go off-roading, but it has proven quite handy for hauling our bikes and
doubling as a mobile hotel when we road trip.
Heh. We even put a (cheap) form of tatami in the back. Very comfortable.
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keesan
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response 14 of 46:
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Jan 27 13:48 UTC 2004 |
We carry our camping gear on our bikes when we road trip. It leads to some
unexpected invitations for free campsites in yards, often including breakfast.
Anyone ever offer SUVs free parking overnight so they can sleep there?
On our last two bike trips totalling 3 weeks, we had planned out most of it
to stay with friends, but also stayed with a carpenter when we got stuck in
a heavy storm and waited it out at a lumberyard, stayed with the owner of a
museum in Dundee when it got dark and we asked about a park, stayed with a
total stranger who yelled at us from his porch to ask if he had a place to
camp, with a neighbor of his; next trip we camped in two orchards and with
the mother of someone training two young steers to pull something down the
middle of the road. The SUV would most likely have scared them away.
You can also put bikes on trains, probably a lot cheaper than you can put cars
on trains.
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jmsaul
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response 15 of 46:
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Jan 27 14:02 UTC 2004 |
Re #13: I have to admit that I'd never thought of them that way.
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slynne
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response 16 of 46:
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Jan 27 15:55 UTC 2004 |
The "cheap lodging" thing is one reason why my next car will probably
be a station wagon. I figure I can put the seat down and put a futon in
the back and then save myself a bunch of money on hotel rooms if I
drive to California or something.
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gull
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response 17 of 46:
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Jan 27 16:33 UTC 2004 |
Station wagons and vans are both even better than SUVs for that. Most
SUVs I've seen were surprisingly small inside.
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scott
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response 18 of 46:
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Jan 27 16:44 UTC 2004 |
I used to have a little Nissan pickup with a cap, and I'd camp in the back
of it on occasion. It even had screens on the cap windows.
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rcurl
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response 19 of 46:
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Jan 27 19:37 UTC 2004 |
I car-camped in my station wagons for many years. I built a platform in
the back with panels that lifted up to access storage underneath. I used
just a foam pad and sleeping bag. Also had curtains on the windows.....
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slynne
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response 20 of 46:
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Jan 27 19:58 UTC 2004 |
I like the idea of a panel that would allow storage underneath. Hmmm.
Well, when I eventually get a station wagon, I will have to look into
that.
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rcurl
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response 21 of 46:
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Jan 27 20:33 UTC 2004 |
In case it helps - I welded up a 1/2" angle-iron framework that fitted
the full back and used 1/2" plywood panels that could be lifted out.
You just don't want to sit up suddenly from sleep.
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slynne
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response 22 of 46:
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Jan 27 20:52 UTC 2004 |
Hmmm. Well I wont be welding up any framework ;)
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gull
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response 23 of 46:
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Jan 28 01:36 UTC 2004 |
You could probably make something similar out of wood, if the extra
weight isn't a problem.
My wagon already has a lockable storage compartment under the load
floor, but I doubt anyone makes them like that anymore.
If you won't have any passengers, you can gain more storage space by
taking out the passenger seat and leaving it at home. This is an old VW
dune buggy trick. On most cars with bucket seats, taking one out only
requires removing a few bolts. (On VWs it was even easier -- they just
slid off the tracks.)
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keesan
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response 24 of 46:
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Jan 28 02:17 UTC 2004 |
We slept in a Jeep once. How do you ventilate and keep out mosquitoes.
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