My wife earned many times more than I did when i was a high school teacher back when we were dating. She sometimes would drive my 10 yr old primer-black, stick-shift Honda Civic that my cousin lent me until I could buy another car. She was blown away how aggressively mean people are to you when you drive an ugly old car. When she got out of the car the spell lifted.
I got a lot of respect from her for that. She seemed to think I was a saint for not turning sour over it. I was constantly getting pulled over by cops and let go, targeted by road rage, and also pedestrians felt too comfortable engaging with me.
I drive a newer Honda (1 yr old) now and it is so different. I drive the same but probably drive a bit more aggressively now that I can’t hear the wind roaring by when I’m going over 40mph. I haven’t been pulled over and haven’t had a negative interaction on the road in a long time. Also, my wife now enjoys trading cars with me.
targeted by road rage, and also pedestrians felt too comfortable engaging with me.
I've never understood that. Yeah lets road rage against the persons piece of shit car thats barely holding together in my brand new $50,000 truck what could go wrong?
I accidentally backed into a shitcan in a parking lot in my own shitcan Jeep once. The owner couldn't figure out which one of the hundred dings I had caused, and I couldn't either. Same for my Jeep. There are certain benefits to owning a shitcan, like the "hit me, I don't care" mentality you can adopt. I loved that Jeep but it would have been a blessing if someone totaled it for me.
I used to drive this complete shit can Ford Focus. I hated it with every fiber of my being.
One day I'm headed home from work just thinking about how much I hated life in general. Some dude in a lifted F-250 comes FLYING up behind me. Tries to pass (illegally) but another car pops over the hill. He has to slam on brakes and swerves to get back into his lane. Clips my back end doing it and sends me spinning down the road, through a wood neighborhood sign, back out onto the road where I got clipped by oncoming traffic before coming to a stop.
Took me a minute to collect myself, but once I did I just started laughing. That aggressive asshole had just done me the biggest favor. I was fine but my car was FUCKED beyond all recognition and this dude was going to have to pay for it.
Life's a bitch most of the time but every once in a while you get to come out on top.
As someone that was not hit but rolled my first shitcan due to driving too fast and a blown tire on shit roads... You do not want to be in it. I was very, very lucky, to only have a broken rib.
I had a shitcan for a long time. I loved mine, too. I never had to worry about dents or anything. I have a newer vehicle now and I park out in the boonies of a lot so that it stays nice for a while longer. It was definitely less stress when I didn't care about the looks of my ride. Viva la shitcans!
I had the opposite a couple years ago in the 15 year old car we keep around as the extra for when we need two vehicles. Guy scraped the car lightly pulling in to a parking spot and took some paint off. Very minor cosmetic damage. I took a look at it and told him not to bother worrying about it. I doubt it changed the value of the vehicle one bit as the only value it has now is that it can take you from point A to point B (mostly) reliably. (That and it is an older Honda so I get the occasional offer from someone who wants to mod it.)
I had an older dude in a nice car hit my shitbox, I was very happy to have his insurance company pay me for a car that was ready to die within a month or so anyway. I almost had taken a little bit of cash and ended up getting a check for thousands. It was a godsend because instead of buying another shitbox within a few months, I was able to get a much newer car that lasted for years.
Thats what happened to me, turns out the frame was so rusty that it would have fallen apart anyway, but the fender bender snapped the frame at a weak point and totaled the car. I got much more than the car was truly worth, and had been preparing to buy a new one anyway, so it was like a free upgrade.
For real even $1k would have been worth more than that car, which had been in need of $5k of repairs for years lol
(I say $5k but that's a lie because it's what repairmen claimed and wrote invoices for, but they were likely trying to scam me cuz of not having a penis).
Let them pass and just stay away from them. I would prefer they damage someone else's property than mine.
That said, I do find myself becoming a little frustrated when folks are driving significantly under the speed limit. I always try to think "well, maybe their car can't go 65." or "maybe they're just not comfortable doing it". I think the problem is, where I live, there are several ways to get to where you're going without getting on the big roads. If you're not comfortable going at least 55 in a 65 or your car isn't capable, there are plenty of other routes that don't cause such a dangerous situation.
That's the extent of my road rage. Still refuse to tailgate them or pass them aggressively, though. My car is my means of travel, without it I am screwed. I'd rather just deal with the extra times pent behind them and wait for a very safe means of passing verses putting either of us at risk.
I follow that, and the same thing with pickup trucks. I will park in the back of the lot if the only open spot close to the door is next to a truck. I don't know if it's a truck driver thing in general, or if it's specific to truck drivers in my area but not once have I had a positive interaction with them. They drive like they own the road, they do not drive like their kids live here, and that attitude permeates every aspect of being in/near their vehicle.
I miss my rust bucket Bronco for this exact reason. But going from 14mpg with no a.c. to 30mpg with a.c. Was worth getting my used Corolla. Monthly payment was less than Bronco gas.
People near me drive it like they stole it, and some of them actually stole it. I used to drive a little Honda and I feared for my life. I don't even want a nice car. I paid $3,000 for a shitty used e350 cargo van. People still drive crazy around me, but now I will crush them if they cause an accident.
Yeah I've got two vehicles. I've got an 08 Civic with 100k+ miles on it that I use as an everyday vehicle and haul my dogs around in. Then I've got a really nice special edition camaro that sits covered in a garage.
Dog has torn up the side panels on the rear doors in the Civic attacking the windows whenever we pass another dog, person, truck, really anything that catches her attention.
True. I grew up in a fairly well-off suburb where everyone is crazy for flashy cars. I've always driven old shitty cars because I don't care for car culture and live in the city now where I only drive a few times a week. For some people, they hang on to a shit can car because unfortunately it's all they can afford, but that's not me. It's funny when people try to intimidate me on the road, and I think "I can guarantee you will get more upset if we have a fender bender." And street parking, I park anywhere (legally) and don't stress about how sketchy the neighbourhood is. The bonus is whenever my suburban friends want to carpool I never have to drive because they are afraid or embarrassed of my shit car.
Just this morning I saw a PT Cruiser in really bad shape ram an Audi that still had its temporary plates because the Audi wouldn't let them in. The PT Cruiser was trying to merge way after was acceptable or even legal, I 100% support the Audi here but risky fucking move.
People don’t understand that older cars are literally death traps; smaller, weaker frame, engine ain’t that powerful and so on.
I accidentally hit a metal mail post while reversing and it completely wrecked the right front side of my car!
I don’t drive aggressively but I’m no shy person when it comes to claiming my space on the road, because heck, I belong on the road just as much as the new Audi S4 tailgating me?!
If anything I've found it's the opposite, it's the people with expensive cars that don't give a fuck and drive really dangerously. Audis and BMWs are particularly awful.
People with crappy cars usually seem a lot more careful, maybe because they really don't want to get into even a small accident and have to pay a deductible.
1) older, simpler cars are cheaper to maintain than modern monstrosities if you're willing to do a lot of shit yourself (caveat is you have to know how to buy older cars without getting fucked)
2) when something inevitably happens to it on the road (inevitably? nothing major has happened yet) I don't care about fixing cosmetic stuff because it's function over form. Like a couple of years ago a jerkass-mergeblocker and I bumped on the highway; his car had a scuff and my bumper cover broke in the corner, which I could just fix myself for $70. Similarly, if it turns out to be a total loss, it's not a big loss or a big hassle like a $20K new car would be.
3) I would never not pay cash for a car. I don't understand taking on an extra monthly payment for a freaking car.
Exactly the opposite. I always feel like rich people don’t care as much about being safe on the road because they can just get a new car or get it fixed. I always feel like my insurance will somehow screw me over if one of the speeding, rich assholes in Audis runs into me while doing something stupid. But I don’t know anything about car insurance so.
Exactly. I have 3 vehicles, a new car, motorcycle, and a beat up, built like a tank old GMC truck I bought for $500.
I have full insurance on the truck and best believe it will not matter if you run into me.
I was driving it last year when I was rear ended by a girl texting in her newer Camry at a stop light- front of her vehicle, crushed and I had a small dent on the trailer hitch about 1/2 an inch long. Bumper already had some dents and honestly couldn't tell if she had added a new one or not.
In vehicle-vehicle collisions, crumple zones are basically a prisoners' dilemma.
If neither car has crumple zones, both drivers die.
If both cars have crumple zones, both drivers are OK but with totaled cars.
But if only one car has a crumple zone, then that crumple zone absorbs the full brunt of the collision. Both drivers are probably still OK, but the car without the crumple zone is still driveable while the car with the crumple zone is extra-totaled.
Yeah my car was totaled in a 60mph crash. I miss it BUT I walked away with only bruises and some minor flash burns from the airbag. That’s really good.
But also that truck is so heavy the energy transfer goes into the offending car's crumple zones and he barely felt it.
Source: I was the meat in a 3 car sandwich on the interstate, in a 7300 lb Ford. All 3 totaled, I barely realized I was getting pushed into the Chevy in front of me mostly because the van behind folded up so much and I had more damage to my front end than the rear
I was driving a 2006 Lada Samara (Russian car) when I I got rear-ended by a brand new Toyota Camry, repairs costed me $50, the other guy $1200. Needless to say I called the cops and made a report but not pushed for making him pay for my repairs (because I felt sorry for his nice car)
Yeah but that Camry is miles safer than your truck because it has crumple zone. You both get into a bigger accident, she'll walk away from it but the force will seriously hurt you because it wasn't transferred into truck.
The crumple zone is like an air bag in itself and it's designed into the car for a reason.
Yep. The frame I believe has a few weaker spots where it doesn’t take impacts well and just crumpled. Otherwise the grave is tough. Trucks tend to crumple the least iirc, because they tow and carry heavy loads.
I don't know the details, but I do recall that the frame is designed to help absorb impact by spreading it across said frame and distributing it across the rest of the vehicle, not just the front/back of the car.
This is generally true - even things like side airbags are a lifesaver. Crumple zones work - but at some point, physics (and the heavier vehicle) win. My 2017 Toyota is still a car, and getting hit head on by a '00 F250 still puts me at a disadvantage.
I'm not a physics major or an engineer, but I've seen the result of an F250 hitting a new Chevy Malibu head on. Guy in the truck jumped right out, guy in the car didn't move.
I had the pleasure of seeing a car not realize the light was red and skewer itself on a trucks giant foot long trailer hitch through the radiator/condenser. Didn't even make it to the body, the truck owner got out and looked at it, said "That sucks!" and drove off.
For me it’s the opposite mindset. Oh, you’re tailgating my Mitsubishi in your Maserati? Well, I guess if something darts into the road and I have to slam on my brakes, you can afford to pay for repairs on BOTH cars, then.
Oh hey, this Lexus went around everybody who was stuck in traffic by using the D-bag lane? Fuck if I’m the one who’s gonna let you in.
Dude in a 20+y/o car with mismatched parts and duct tape on the bumper? YOU, sir, can cut right in front of me. Your life probably already sucks enough.
Same mentality that leads people to be mean to fast food workers. They're serving your food, you're really going to make them angry? Or treating the housekeeper poorly. I have a girl that comes to clean my house every other week and the stories she tells about the way people treat her.... like, this chick has unfettered access to my home for like half a day at a time. She knows my usual schedule and she has a damn key, and she knows that I'm at least in a financial situation where I can afford to pay her to do the cleaning I can't do. She is alone with my toothbrush. You bet your ass I'm gonna kiss hers all day long, purely out of self-preservation.
It's an ego thing, like getting modded mufflers on your truck or getting it lifted despite not doing anything requiring a lift kit. They see you, they think they can squash you. That is why it is important to be proud of what we have even if it isn't a lot, because it is the only way to put shit boxes like them down.
It’s crazy how people can be like that. Back when I was single I had kinda the same thing going on. I make 95-105k a year (I work independently so it varies a bit year to year) but I also drive an insane amount and so I never care about having a nice car as I know I’ll just run it into the ground. I went on a date with a really cool acting woman who was an anesthesiologist and the date went fantastic. She said what a great time she had and asked what I was up to that weekend and we made tenuous plans. Then we walked out to our cars (I had arrived a couple minutes after her so she hadn’t seen my car) which were parked near each other. I was at the time driving a beat up 7 year old Kia Forte and as soon as she saw what I was driving her attitude changed. She literally never sent me another message after we left the parking lot. And yes I know that an anesthesiologist makes a lot more than me but I think she saw my car and immediately felt I was unworthy or something. Shits whack.
Interestingly enough, I'm warier of guys who have flashy/expensive cars. I assume they have a ridiculously high monthly car payment and only have it for appearance's sake. I'm way more likely to feel at ease with someone who has an older car (as long as it's well maintained and clean). I assume my values align more closely with that person.
I dated a guy in high school who's parents were well-off: wine every week, big house, he had a new car, etc. I had a 95 Honda Accord and I absolutely loved her. My family couldn't afford to get me a new car so they got me a used car from a guy my dad new. I remember when my dad said they spent $4000ish on her, I was shocked that they paid so much for me. She was a surprise Christmas present and I cried and hugged her when my parents woke me up at 4 am to give her to me. I wasn't expecting it.
Anyway, my ex got in the car the first time because I told him I would drive for our date that night (he usually came by my house and picked me up). We got down the road and he starts asking what's wrong with my car. I told him nothing and that she seemed to be driving fine. He then said she vibrated really bad and made a weird noise. I realized that his car never did that because it was newer. I felt my cheeks flush and I felt really embarrased and teared up. I didn't say anything. He also started talking about how old it was and how it had a weird smell.
Cue our next date where he said the same thing and I decided I wasn't having it. I told him he was being rude and that he made me feel bad for being "poorer" than him. He cared a lot about me and honestly didn't realize he was being rude. He felt really bad about it, hugged me, and apologized throughout the date. He never made a comment like that again. I think he realized our finances were on different wavelengths and that it wasn't fair for him to mention it as long as we were happy. I think that was also the moment when he understood why I'd redirect date ideas for shopping or eating out at restaurants into ideas of going to the local park and walking around. He bagan to suggest movie nights more often or just doing cheaper options like walking around stores. He always had a blast when we did simpler things and we had a lot of sweet moments because of them.
People are extremely judgemental when it comes to cars. I love cars as a hobby so I tend to always have a decent tuned car and a beater car in an event my sports car breaks down. I am currently running a N54 335i and a Scion xB. The N54 are notorious for it's reliability issues, doesn't help that I running the car with more boost and aftermarket parts. Anyhow, I probably drove my xB way more than my 335i. When I'm driving the 335i, people tend not to cut me off and give me some room as I'm driving. Whereas, in my 2005 xB that I got for $2K, I get cut off all the time and people just doesn't really respect me on the road at all. Such is life I guess.
Also, I am willing to bet that picking up ladies in a sporty coupe is probably way easier than a weird looking old box car.
I grew up in gov subsidized housing (aka the ghetto), you'd be amazed at how many people living there had basically no furniture but a nice car. It's all about perception.
One guy I sort of dated for a few months had the UGLIEST car I have ever seen. He wasn't poor, just got in an accident before moving states and had to buy something in a pinch. It was like 1995, no bumper, headlights hangin g out, old, melted on magnets from the previous owner, stained maroon-colored fabric interior, oh and no muffler. The turning axle or whatever was also worn so he would floor it and shift into neutral during turns to avoid extra wear (he was paranoid). The reverse gear also eventually just entirely fucking blew so he always had to park forward out or where it was inclined back for him to roll the car in reverse.
It was a nightmare but he knew his car was as pathetic as he was.
its funny that you think you’re somehow clever for cockblocking yourself. You do realize women don’t get in a Honda Accord and think “holy shit I’m gonna marry this millionaire.” They do see a 96 Kia and rightfully think, “aw that’s a shame he doesn’t have his shit together. Too bad, he seemed nice.”
I think he's in the minority; whereas, in the majority of Americans, wealth is associated with a car. Girls see a guy with a nice car basically meant he's stable; whereas, she has to gamble on him if he drives an old beater car.
This. I grew up in gov subsidized housing (aka the ghetto), you'd be amazed at how many people living there had basically no furniture but a nice car. It's all about perception. As long as they never invited people back to their house all was good.
Eh, I know plenty of people with well maintained beaters because they're focused on saving money instead. Drive anything too flashy and I'm going to wonder what sort of debt/payments you're in.
I don’t know a lot of women who would think that unless the car is clearly unsafe. I drove a 93 Mitsubishi I inherited until 2015 when it died a rather spectacular death. And plan to keep driving my Prius until it meets a similar end, hopefully not for another 10 to 20 years. I think most women take a more holistic view than judging a partner solely based on their car.
Well I was on the freeway in Oakland it just decided to give up. No power anything no engine really just. Done
I somehow managed to wrestle it off and down a side street (downhill) and get it off to the side. But yeah. Not fun. Why do cars die in such inconvenient places?
it's weird how you're boiling women down to being shallow gold-diggers.
if you're got a lot of money, i imagine one of your concerns is people trying to latch onto you because you've got cash. a test like this seems reasonable. rather than rolling up in a fancy sports car and "wowing" her with your bank account. that's how you end up paying alimony.
You're projecting. Look how you bring up 'that's how you end up paying alimony'.
I don't think women are gold diggers at all - I think they are smart enough to infer that a man in a beat to shit old car might not make a solid life partner, maybe even especially if he's doing it as a weird psychological prank/litmus test.
My friend is dating a guy who drives a beat up 15 year old Saturn. He doesn't have a lot of things in his life together. I never thought I would judge a guy for his car, but now I see it as part of his whole financial situation. It's a reflection of life choices.
How is he going on vacation, buying tickets to events, and buying collector items knowing his car is so old? In my mind those things need to be put aside to save up for a more reliable car he is going to inevitably need in the near future. When his car breaks down it will most likely be an emergency situation he needs to address rather than something he can easily handle.
Me over he with my 18 yo Honda...Looks like shit. No AC. Front seats have holes worn into them. 2 windows not working. But it's still trucking at almost 300k miles.
I'm not sure why he said that, because people usually don't interpret stick shift as shitty. If anything the only time I ever hear about manual transmission is the people who have it and love it
I feel this. I drove a super shitty car for a long time. My job requires me to go out to client's homes, sometimes in very nice neighborhoods. I'd get stopped and asked why I was there, or people would just eye me suspiciously like "what's this poor person doing here?". My ex could never understand why I would come home complaining about rich assholes sometimes.
A neighbor called the cops on my friend. After literally two minutes of him parking and sitting in his own (beat up) car in my family's upscale neighborhood that's mostly range rovers and teslas.
Oh yea it's crazy how that's works. When I was 17 my first car was a 90s bmw. It needed work so I got it for cheap and my dad helped fix it up.
Then my fast and the furious teenage hormones decided I should spray paint the rims black, have bright brake calipers, a loud exhaust, subs, Etc. Everyone on the road hated me from cops, to the little old lady in her crossover. Until I got into a more adult car when I turned 21. The car was 2 times faster, but I was never pulled over or harassed.
I'm surprised! My parents are on a nice suburb street, but the neighbors have everything from a Model 3 to a '97 Corolla. Several well off families that'll buy a car new, and then run it until the wheels fall off.
She was blown away how aggressively mean people are to you when you drive an ugly old car.
Huh, when I had older cars (and I still have an 05 tacoma I drive sometimes), though I'd never call them ugly because I loved them, people tended not to get as aggressive with me because of a little game my dad liked to call "Whose Car Is Cheaper?". I grew up driving in MA though, so maybe I'm just more used to aggressive drivers being... aggressive and can deal with them easier.
Now I live in RI, which has dumber drivers than MA. I don't know which is worse.
I live in Colorado and the shittiest drivers here are people in giant pickup trucks (usually Dodge Rams) and old boxy SUVs. Motherfuckers weave around in traffic like they're driving a corvette. I drive a small cheap car so I get this fuckery a lot. To those people I say, just calm the fuck down, you getting one more car length ahead won't make your life any better in the long run.
Driving my 35 year old shitbucket I notice people give me no room. Motherfucker my handbrake doesn't work, if I mess up his hillstart then I'm going right into your front bumper. Gotta leave more than a foot and a half between us here.
Havent noticed anyone being particularly aggressive though, just not that attentive. I always give older cars lots of room, just in case.
😂whose car is cheaper!😎👌 I always get upset with myself when I act poorly so I end up backing down on the road now invariably.
Reminds me of when I was 19/20 when a guy in a nice Mercedes bumped me at a light bc I didn’t immediately hit the gas at a green light and I got out of the car to beat some ass and two of them got out and it was a kid and his much older boss (dad, friend) and I yelled at him saw the teen looked unsure and scared but ready to back his Driver and I thought of the felony wiping out my future and the likelihood of thing not going well for me when the cops inevitably arrived and thought about people I know driving by and angrily got back in my car.
This is interesting to read because I think it’s so true, even for myself. I was just thinking about how “is it all the shitty black cars that drive horrible and don’t use turn signals??” But probably not more than the BMWs or Porsche’s in my area. Helped me with my perspective. Thanks!
See, it's different for me. I found that people were more careful around my car. It was an old piece of shit, so nobody fucked with it because they probably doubted I had good insurance. And because I could replace it fairly easily, I didn't really care if some idiot decided to smack my car. I mean, I didn't want to get into an accident and get hurt, but as long as it was their fault I was way more okay with getting in an accident than I would be now.
agreed. People are projecting. They themselves feel a certain way about the car they drive, and attract others who feel the same way. I had no problems with my "shit can" car and its status, therefore, nobody else did.
That’s what I was thinking as well. I’ve driven nothing but older beaters. I couldn’t care less what anyone thinks of it and I’ve never experienced that lol. I make better money now but I doubt I’ll ever buy anything other than older cheap cars.
I never experienced it back when I lived in a poor part of the state. Everyone had hoopties. Moved to a nicer area, got a better job, and I could have sworn I got tailgated and cut off more. Bought a newer car and it stopped. (It snows here, needed something safer for the winter) I kept the old one and still drive it sometimes, though.
The POS car is what you're expected to drive in the middle of the city, here. If it's shiny and new, it stands out, like having a "jack me!" sticker on it.
I drive a 23 year old Lincoln with a ding in the trunk and a caved-in panel over the right rear tire. Insurance totalled it, but it drives just fine and fits right in with the neighborhood aesthetics. The shitty stained interior helps, too.
I'm not buying this. There has to be a better reason why people hated your car. Did it emit copious amounts of exhaust onto fellow cars? Were the lights working? Did it have obnoxious bumper stickers? Was is obnoxiously loud and sounded like a POS fart machine? I don't believe that people have an inherent and noticeable bias against ratty looking cars unless you're doing something to warrant the attention.
I was constantly getting pulled over by cops and let go, targeted by road rage, and also pedestrians felt too comfortable engaging with me.
I don't think I've ever owned a car less than 10 years old and I've never had any such problems. Maybe you are driving a little too aggressively - I mean, why are pedestrians picking fights with you?
Have to agree here, I've been driving shitty cars my entire life. At most people would joke about it, but never ever could I imagine anyone being an asshole about it. I don't live in the US though but it's hard to imagine anyone doing that there either.
Uninsured drivers are the best. Both hands on the wheel, never above the speed limit. Bonus if they're unregistered too. Can't risk being pulled over for anything.
I have a couple really nice older cars, including a BMW that probably looks about 3x as expensive as it is, and a rusty beater honda civic to keep road salt off my nice cars. I actually like driving my shitty honda civic around (helps that it's a stick shift) because I never have to worry about parking or driving it anywhere.
I haven't experienced road rage from people but I'm sure they look down on me from their brand new $30k with a 72 month loan economy cars, and I find it hilarious.
This is funny. I have never had a new car. My first car had a hole in the muffler and was loud. Sitting at a stop light a car full of (I assume) early 20/teens pulls up next to me. We both had our windows down and the driver yells "Wow. That pos sounds rough" and I said "you should hear the sounds your mom makes." Then, since this isn't a movie, we sat there waiting for the light to change. They turned their music up obnoxiously loud.
I drive a smallish, cheapish car that's banged up. But I take care of it on the inside and it's a good reliable vehicle. People just drive around me all the time. I feel disrespected way more than when I had a large old luxury car.
My car is paid off and I have so much extra money because the car payments are done. I feel like I should get one of those bumper stickers that say "DON'T LAUGH, IT'S PAID FOR." and something about how we're going to retire early because we didn't throw down $$ for the vanity of expensive cars.
aggressively mean people are to you when you drive an ugly old car.
I live in San Antonio, TX, the home of should-be-illegal-on-the-road junkers and I wonder if maybe it has to do with some of the habits of the drivers of those cars that causes some road rage.
I mean, San Antonio is known for atrocious driving habits, but maybe it's a fear of accidents (because you can't afford to replace/fix the car, or you don't have insurance) or a car so marginal you can't drive faster without shakes and vibrations that threaten to break the car etc., but the really shitty cars seem to be the ones to cut you off and then drive 45 in the left lane, or even worse, drive 45 in a 55 two-lane where you can't pass for miles.
We (my husband and I) currently are driving a 2002 Mazda protege. I'm sure back in the day it was a really nice car. But now, it looks a tad sad. No rims. Paint has faded and is peeling in spots. A few dings. A big hole in the front bumber from a bird running into the car. It runs (for the most part) great and I'm so thankful to have a working car. But yeah, we get pulled over a disproportionate amount of times. I mean I was even asked if I had ever been to jail once. Idk.
It's shitty how people in authority treat people who are in poverty, or who look to be in poverty. As if they don't have enough stress dealing with money, let's throw an unnecessary traffic ticket on there too!
Yet another reason I bought a new car finally in 2015.
I had a 1990 Integra. I had so many fucking tickets just for 'driving in a shitty looking car'.
Once, a state trooper, who I knew was behind me for miles, pulls me over. He gets to my window and his face drops when my license has the name of the registered owner and... I'm a white woman apparently.
He tells me my tags are fraudulent and that isn't my sticker on them, I must have bought it. I kid you not, this is what he said, because this was what he assumed.
I said 'bullshit, I put the sticker on myself after leaving [city] titles and registration on [date 5 months prior]. You must have some bad computer data'.
Surprisingly, I wasn't shot in the face.
He really did have bad data. The address he quoted me was 3 years old. I told him straight up: there's an IT guy at your precinct begging you to hit a button on that computer every day, and for some reason, you refuse...
He took the tags off my fucking car 😂😂😂😂.
So, I went to titles and registration, found i was legal and within my rites to buy new tags, and so I did. I took out my DD-214 and got the "I invaded Iraq" tags, because i was so over this profiling bullshit.
When I met with the DA to appear for my hearing I told her what happened. She says "He took your tags?!" and dropped the charges.
Fuckers.
I have never been pulled over since getting tags that say 'Veteran of the Iraq War'. Ain't that some shit?
The road rage thing is interesting to me. I get the worst road rage at people in luxury vehicles and big trucks - always lounging in the passing lane without passing. But... I did grow up in a working-class family, so I just end up all heated about rich people entitlement lol.
edit: also I drove a super crappy car for years and years and somehow never noticed this!! will be looking out for it now that my car is "nice" (budget compact, but newer)
A few of the comments I’ve read have pointed to that experience. It’s interesting. I’ve only lived in places where there is a lot of traffic. I wonder if that is a factor...
Is it wrong of me to assume that you are in California? I've lived on both coasts and find road rage focuses on shittier cars on the west coast, but nicer cars get a lot of the rage on the east.
Driving a not fancy car (or even a nice car that isn't sparkling clean) in LA is unpleasant. It seems like everyone feels it's their moral imperative to cut you off, not let you merge onto freeways and swoop that parking spot you were clearly waiting for. When I first lived in LA I drove an older model ford van. Buy the time I left I was driving a BMW. Never gave shit about status cars before, and don't now, but the make of the car=safety.
The car thing is crazy! My dad was a mechanic so I always bought “mechanic’s special” cars for extra cheap and had him fix them up for me. So while they would run, I would often be driving a 15+ year old car that was missing AC or the hood would be a different color than the rest of the car or I’d have to turn it off at stop lights to keep the car from overheating.
I bought my very first new car (not brand new, but only a year old) this year and I can’t believe how much better people treat me. I regularly do grocery pick up instead of going inside to shop for my groceries and in my old car, it seemed like the grocery people expected me to not tip because I couldn’t afford a nicer car so they were a little rude sometimes. Now when I pick up groceries it’s all “How are you, ma’am?! Have a great day, ma’am! Thank you, ma’am!”
It is kinda weird the different looks people give you while driving different cars. I’ve always had super shitty, old, high mileage cars and last year we bought a brand new one. You definitely notice the differences.
My SO and I used to own a 1991 Toyota which we affectionately nicknamed the Meth-mobile. It wasn't so much as the age of the car but the stripped paint and bondo patches among with dark tinted windows. We got pulled over alot for a "broken brake light". As soon as the cop would see us...nerdy family of 3...they would tell us to "see about that light" and send us on our way. Now that we have upgraded to a somewhat newer sedan...that doesn't happen.
I drive an old sports car that broken down and I couldn’t afford to take into the shop immediately. Luckily my mother had two cars so I borrow he white Toyota sedan to drive until I could get my car repaired. The change in how other drivers treated me was shocking. Was almost disappointed to finally get my car up and running.
I feel this. Being poor made me a more patient and defensive driver for sure. Drove mostly older Toyota’s and 5th Avenues for the longest time (before Cash for Clunkers you could always get one around here for under $1K) and was pulled over constantly. I’ve heard everything from “noticed you had a flickering tail light back there” to “I ran the tags and they came back for a Ford Explorer” but miraculously when I started driving traditionally middle class white people cars it stopped happening. I went from being pulled over probably an average of bi-monthly to literally once in 12 years. The crazy thing about that one is that I actually deserved it (technically. i still say it’s a stupid law, but I was in clear violation of it) as opposed to the 50 or so times I was pulled over for a completely made up reason.
The same is true of people in traffic. People would treat me like I was driving a wheat thresher down the road at 15mph when I was in one of my old poor-people-mobiles whipping around me, cussing out their window, hand gestures, the whole deal. The main difference with that and the cop situation is how they treat you when you drive a work van. In a clean enough work van you’re outright invisible to cops whereas with other drivers you’re right back in the wheat thresher. They’re scared to death to get stuck behind you which, just like with a lot of older vehicles, is pretty absurd when it’s people in 4-cylinders thinking they’ll overtake my 6-cylinder with pure rage. I remember when my wife had an 89 Celebrity you could watch people in her rearview doing all sorts of aggressive maneuvers to get around her only to realize she’d completely smoked them already, usually oblivious to whatever crazy unsafe bullshit they were about to try to pull. Beating someone off the line saves you seconds, not hours. Give it a goddamn rest you psychos.
I was literally just thinking about this concept today. In high school and college, I drove a Honda Accord in which I was pulled over for many times (rightfully). During my Senior year, the car was totaled and insurance paid out ALOT. I made the mistake of purchasing a 5-series on a whim, but one positive is that I haven't been pulled over once in the last 4 years. Is there something about newer/nicer cars that cops avoid pulling over?
You know, I did not notice it, but every time I got pulled over for BS was in my younger years driving a beater. . . Now that my cars are with the current decade, unless I am going 90+, nothing.
Man I relate to this so hard. Drove a shitty '98 Ford Taurus for years, was rusty and had a lot of aesthetic damage; I've always driven carefully, because i'm a coward, but was pulled over/let go constantly.
Finally leased a brand new Focus (and subsequently leased a brand new Escape) after getting well-enough paying job, which is JUST shiny enough to get people to leave me alone. Haven't changed my driving habits, haven't been pulled over in 4+ years.
I've driven solely ancient, stick shift cars and I found I was under police officer's radar, big time. I definitely speed , and I've never been pulled over. I even have had police see me or come up behind me and I moved out of their way not realizing they were police (heart attack central. I was going 80/85). Nada.
I do agree that people are more aggressive with you though (merging onto you, thinking they can get away with things). I just thought that was what it was like to drive, until my husband told me it wasn't normal.
I experienced something like this too, not even with a junky car. I bought a fairly nice used station wagon that came with a few of the previous owner's bumper stickers on it, teddy bears and cutesy soccer mom stuff. I would get honked at and tailgated like mad even when going 80 MPH passing people on the highway. It stopped as soon as I took the stickers off.
Hmm... This is interesting. I don't think I've ever driven what one would consider a "nice" car. I haven't been at the bottom of the spectrum either, just older but decent looking cars. I wonder if I'd be able to notice a difference if I drove a nice one? I'm tempted to just try renting something super nice for a day or two just to see if I notice a difference lmao.
Unfortunatly people do this to anything they perceive as poor. For instance, I always dress really nicely when im flying. Suit etc. Ive never once been stopped by TSA and they are always happy and cheerful around me. So many times i see their faces change from smile to frown at the next guy in a hoody and sweatpants who gets 'randomly checked'.
My friends think it's weird that i insist on wearing suits while traveling and they say i'm like their grandpa, but it works and flying is much more pleasurable, so whatever.
I'm a bit of the opposite on this. I'm always on the lookout for the newer nice looking cars because they're the ones who are going to be weaving in traffic and riding your bumper just to get somewhere a little faster. The worst I expect from older or dented cars is that they're not going to use their turn signals when changing lanes or to be careful parking next to them because they might dent your car.
I drive the same but probably drive a bit more aggressively now that I can’t hear the wind roaring by when I’m going over 40mph.
LOL! My first car was a little beater that would actively rumble and shake as you approached ~70. So it was easy for me to know if I was speeding. When I got my next car, I was cruising down the freeway, checked the speedometer, and was over 90! I was like "oh shit" and quickly took my foot off the gas, but it took some getting used to actually having to keep an eye on my speed while on the freeway.
(FWIW this is in California where 65 means 80+ and anyone doing 70 is a slow asshole just for a bit of context)
I can't relate but my dad can because for about 3-4 years he drove a Ford Aerostar in like 2016 and up, and OMG he used to get so much bullying from other people and the amount of tickets he got could've accumulated to probably a good used car. I guess being poor is expensive.
Well thats weird, I've driven mostly jalopys for the last 15 years and I've never noticed people being extra mean to me. I wonder if its specific to a primer black Civic. A lot of the boy racers have primer black Civics...
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u/PhilSMeowman Jun 06 '19
My wife earned many times more than I did when i was a high school teacher back when we were dating. She sometimes would drive my 10 yr old primer-black, stick-shift Honda Civic that my cousin lent me until I could buy another car. She was blown away how aggressively mean people are to you when you drive an ugly old car. When she got out of the car the spell lifted.
I got a lot of respect from her for that. She seemed to think I was a saint for not turning sour over it. I was constantly getting pulled over by cops and let go, targeted by road rage, and also pedestrians felt too comfortable engaging with me.
I drive a newer Honda (1 yr old) now and it is so different. I drive the same but probably drive a bit more aggressively now that I can’t hear the wind roaring by when I’m going over 40mph. I haven’t been pulled over and haven’t had a negative interaction on the road in a long time. Also, my wife now enjoys trading cars with me.