Cars, car owners and their strange relationships.

I personally do not own a car, never did and most chances are never will. Of course, I know lots of people who do.
I think that there are categories of car owners or at least, so it seems to go from what I have observed. 😎

To many people, a car is a means of transportation with a little status value on top of it. There may be varying degrees to the perceived status of the machine ranging from none or about none to clear cut. Those people could be termed car users more than car owners as they are practical instead of emotional about their vehicles. For instance, I know many folks who own cars because they either live away from town and lack mass transit circuits near their place. Would there be a proper bus, subway or train close by, they would not have a car. Others own it for work. In both cases, it is a need of sorts.

To fewer persons, a car is mostly about status, as in showing off. All owners of Ferraris, Lamborghinis and the likes that live in countries where speed limitations actually forbid that they get in fourth gear, much less fifth or sixth, for instance. Unless they race their über-speedsters on circuits during the week-ends, they can hardly argue need, huh? Wink, wink? The very same also applies to pick-ups trucks and SUVs that never see any off-road activity and precious little snow or ice. The reasons for owning one in such circumstances vary from thinking oneself brawny on account of the utilitarian rear cargo bed even though it never contains anything big enough to justify its existence to the 65 kgs mom that brings two or less kids to school for a total passengers’ weight of about 140 kgs in a shiny 3 tons SUV mostly because she feels more secure in it when proper driving abilities and behaviour should do the trick. To all three examples cited right above, simple suggestions could be made to correct the situation but I am old and reasonable enough not to try to cure humans of their emotions-induced imbecility. As the Schiller quote in my citation page says : “Against stupidity, the Gods themselves contend in vain.”

Now, we come to the rest of the gang, the so-called “normal” car owners. These have a car either by force of habit in their civilization or because they want/like to have one. In some cases, there did exist a certain amount of necessity before their first acquisition of a motor vehicle but it somehow got muddled over time by secondary considerations. As I took a walk this morning under the thick heavy slow falling snowflakes, I noticed a “Save Free Tibet” sticker on a pretty Land-Rover. It reminded me of car stickers in general. Typical bumper or rear window stickers on cars often puzzle me. I do understand the funny ones; the really funny ones, I mean. Skiers showing “Save Tartiflette” for example, I do get. Tartiflette is a typical European mountainous regions after-ski delicacy and does not need saving at all but sarcastic expression of it to indicate you like rushing down the slopes on narrow planks does raise a smile. All such tongue in cheek decorations make sense to the joking crowd. The Save/Free Tibet sticker would fit as a political statement although it commonly appears on high-end vehicles which has me wondering if the lesser fortunate car owners care less about politics or if the rich folks mean it as a joke? Hum? At least it does not fall in the “That would be a fine funny thing if only I had not seen it a zillion times” category as the ubiquitous “My other car is a Porsche” one.

I thus have no or little qualms either with regards to any real rare ones brought back from an exotic location, especially if it is clear that the car itself did not go there. A bumper saying “I climbed Everest” is much funnier on a North American car than a “Visit Spain” pasted on a European machine : like huh yeah, you and twenty other million people every year, buddy! Not so special! Same goes for soccer moms. Divers and also parachutists show their pride which is fine even if you have to wonder if 15 to 20% of the population really practices those activities as evidenced by their frequent sightings. In a nutshell, be ingenious and peculiar or maybe just abstain? “My other car is a Rolls-Royce too” as I did see once in London on a vintage Silver Shadow is rare and accordingly pleasant although I expect RR to shun such. 😎

There is however two sets of stickers that do not belong on cars. Any “Baby on board” affixed to a reckless driver’s machine is atrocious. If true, you should be sued for endangering your kid’s life, buster! I can transmit this in a remark my son made as we walked by a business van for an entertainer that said “Clown on board” on the rear door. The son went : -“Geez! It should be mandatory on so many cars, hey?”
And the last is the one that pisses me off the most. No amount of windshield-obscuring artificial flowers and cute animals can ever justify a “Save the Earth” or “Preserve nature” sticker, period!!!
You like the environment? Do like me, ride a bike or shut up, idiot!

TSSSK! GRRRRRR! and all that sort of things!

Be true or go home in your clunker, new Beetle and assorted fumes producing glorified wheelchair; just don’t pretend!

Sorry for the outburst and good day nonetheless, Tay.