Ponderings
More questions, for those of you who would like to share your opinion:
- At what point does someone go from being the owner of an impressive car to being a complete tool? Is it neon underlighting? Playing shit-awful music at eleventy billion decibels with the windows down in January? Pimping up a '94 Cavalier? Or does any attempt to impress you with a car strike you as idiotic? In that case, does someone impress you with an unimpressive car? "You drive an '88 Mercury Topaz? Damn. That's HARD CORE." I'm curious.
- Is there any fashion trend that drives you absolutely insane? For me, it's those damned fluffy mukluks. Why the hell would you wear a mini-skirt and fuzzy boots? I saw some of the damned things in Cuba of all places. Freakin' fluffluks. Okay, your turn.
- Say you have a favorite band, and you come across someone who's listening to their music but totally doesn't appreciate what they're listening to. "Yeah," they say, "I love these guys... uh... whatever there name is. Their most recent album is fantastic. They really remind me of the Smashing Pumpkins." And they're nothing like the Smashing Pumpkins. Would this bother you? If so, would you tell them off, or just stew about it?
Usual rules - reply to as many or as few as you want, and anonymous posts are fine if it'll help you be honest about things.
posted by Ryan @ 9:38 a.m.
8 comments
8 Comments:
1. I generally dislike fancy cars; I think they're ostentatious. (It's partly why I drive a Sunfire. That, and the cheap payments... which will be done in June. Woo!) Same for SUVs; sorry, dude. As such, I see any attempt to dress them up as pathetic... huge spoilers, shiny rims, underlighting, stupid stereos... but I don't want to go off on a rant here. Just get yourself a car or truck that meets your transportation needs, and spend your time/money on things that matter instead.
2. Since I'm cognizant of fashion but generally disregard trends, not much irks me. The only thing that comes to mind is, when teaching a class of Grade 9's, you can see thong peeking above the pants. It's not like I'm checking them out -- c'mon, they're kids -- but you can't help but notice it. I mean, ew.
3. I'd suggest to them, "Some people say they sound like Band XYZ instead of the Pumpkins, although yeah, in Song ABC the dude does sound a little like Billy Corgan." J's my name, diplomacy's my game.
No worries, I appreciate your honesty. The SUV thing I have a thick skin about, although I do think that the generalization that all SUVs = bad is overreaching a bit, I understand why it is that people feel that way.
I don't feel that guilty about it because it's a smaller SUV, I need a vehicle with some off-road ability to get out to the cottage in winter, it's exceptionally safe, and it was purchased second-hand for a good price. If it was the largest one I could find and I only drove it in the city, then I'd probably want to kick my own ass.
I always thought the hint-of-thong was kind of sexy (not on 14 year olds, mind you) in a trampy kind of way. It's different if it's subtle, versus when it's clear that they essentially wants to wave a little flag that says, "I'm wearing a THONG."
I can't imagine what it's going to be like when our generation has kids. "Jennifer, why are you wearing a dominatrix suit to school?" (rolling eyes) "Dad, all the girls wear dominatrix suits. It's not a big deal."
Shudder.
Re. #1: Anyone who treats his/her car like a cherished yet spoiled family member is a tool. Anyone with neon underlighting, or a neon light around the rear plate for that matter has too much money and screwed-up priorities. I respect anyone who has a practical, safer model (clean is nice), and whose main philosophy around vehicle ownership is that a car is only a means of getting you and your stuff from point A to point B. That being said, I admire air conditioning in a car during the muggy Ottawa summer.
Re. #2: Men who wear low-riding flare jeans. Women who wear jeans so low on the hip the thong waistband is visible. All shoe fashions currently tick me off because I don't like any of them and thus have a really hard time finding something in the stores I would actually wear.
Re. #3: I would smile indulgently but inwardly roll my eyes and sigh. It wouldn't bother me.
The add-on fins that you can place on the back of cars look ridiculous. They all look identical, and they're rarely (if ever) painted. It's debatable whether it would be worse to simply staple a dead animal to the top of your trunk. Heated seats in the winter are king. They're definitely a luxury, but well worth it.
The current trends in male fashion are mildly annoying. Remember the pre-wrinkled shirt? Who's too lazy to wrinkle their own damned shirt? Honestly.
When Erin and I were in Cuba, there was a guy that we nicknamed "Trendy" who was a walking advertisement for up-to-the-minute fashion. This is the kind of guy who not only frosts the tips of his hair, but also spends 30 minutes to make it look like he just rolled out of bed. It was amusing and depressing at the same time.
http://www.airplanecards.com/albums/album03/8_G_005.jpg
Only three more payments and this baby is mine.
YES!
I can't stop laughing whenever I think of someone taking that thing to school to pick up the kids. It gives new meaning to the term "fire truck."
I think it's only appropriate to pimp up Chevy El Caminos or other silly cars. Otherwise you're just a loser! One year my buddy Robin and I pimped up his brother's car before he returned home from Australia. It was a brown 1983 Honda Accord with rubber bumpers. We gave it racing pedals, a neonified stick shifter, blue sex lights inside the car (which blinded the driver) and Team Honda racing seat belt pads. It was a sweet ride! For added hilarity, we put a bag of rice on the back seat. I wanted to paint a big Decepticon insignia on the hood, but never got around to it.
Now, as far as I'm concerned, SUVs are a joke (sorry dude). C'mon Ryan... Admit it. You know that Mercules is not really any better at getting you to the cottage in the winter than any other car. It would be different if you were driving a Hummer or an LSVW to the cottage, but most SUVs now are big top-heavy gas-guzzling cars (even the Cadilac or BMW versions). Now, that doesn't mean that you didn't get a great deal on Mercules or that it's not fun to drive (cause it's luxurious as all hell), but I think you're justifying it's purchase with ridiculous falsehoods (or at least VERY minor advantages).
It's funny that you mention the fluffluks... lots of Koreans have them here. They don't really irk me though. What does bug me are stupid hats. I saw an older Korean man wearing a green forest cap today with feather in it. I just like saying... "Well hello there Robin Hood... the fourteenth century called and asked for their hat back!"
As a big lover of music, your last point is something I can relate to. Although, my true pet peeve regarding music is slightly different. I am constantly introducing my fav bands to people who then listen to just the single or singles and go "yeah they're really good" and then move on. I often find that bands' best works are not usually their singles but their other stuff. The singles are almost always just quick pop-jingles to make them money quick.
I defend Mercules and it's safety and accessibility to the death. Research the safety record on this vehicle, and you'll find it's top-notch. Full traction control, wheels that break independantly as you skid, and full-time all-wheel-drive are but some of benefits.
Unlike most SUVs, it's designed not to drive up on another vehicle's hood in the event of a collision. So it's safe for all. And when you have a sister who nearly burned alive in a car wreck on the very road I drive to work each day, you tend to take vehicle safety (and the safety of those riding with you) seriously.
There may be vehicles that would do just as well (ie. a good Jetta or a Volvo) in the snow, but wouldn't have the same ground clearance. Besides, front wheel drive wouldn't cut it - it needs to be all-wheel drive.
Sure, I could've bought a used Jeep or Rav-4, with similar (and less luxurious results) but why would I not take a good deal on a vehicle when I knew the previous owner? 42,000 km on a 1999, and I know it was taken care of.
As for gas, it's better on fuel than the Caprice Classic was. It's not nearly as heavy (or inefficient) as a full-size Escalade or Suburban. And it's certainly better on emissions than any other used vehicle that I've ever driven.
And, at the end of the day, I'm willing to pay my fair share for environmental measures to clean air, research hybrid and fuel-cell technology, and explore other energy resources. I never thought the Iraq war was a good idea, regardless of what I might end up saving at the pump.
And the next time you see a Korean wearing a Robin Hood hat, I totally want a picture.
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