Oh, definitely, but I realize that it's something less than 100% accurate.
Oh, definitely, but I realize that it's something less than 100% accurate.
In reply to Duke:
Hey, my mom drives a G-wagen. Oh, wait, she is kinda pretentious.
Duke wrote: Yes, I do. Around here, anybody driving a G-wagen is a pretentious new-money douchenozzle who's deperately trying to pretend he's *really* rich instead of just *kinda* rich. The *really* rich old-money guys are all driving beautiful late-'70s E-classes that probably have 300,000 religiously-maintained miles on them, and the like. The same thing goes for Range Rovers, except an order of magnitude down the money scale on both counts.
This post cracks me up because, before getting into cheap twin turbo v12 Mercedes, my DD was a 340k mile 300sd (which is still my backup to the v12s). I occasionally look at g wagens, everything from the old diesels to the newer AMGs. I also have a bright red Ferrari and a light tan 36hp 62 Beetle. I can pretty much guarantee that if someone judges me based on what I drive one day, just check back in because the next day it may be completely different, so you'll get to judge all over again.
I'll only judge you by your car if you use it to make a statement, so most people don't get judged - a blandmobile doesn't really say anything.
A Mercedes C-Class says "I'm not that wealthy but I desperately want to look rich!"
A Range Rover Evoque says "I have money and no class, but I'm really trying to make it look like I do, sooo I think this is what class looks like???"
An F-Pace or XF says "Gentlemen, I have money and class 
"
A bro-truck says "Bruh, deep down I'm insecure about my masculinity, bruh!"
An H2/H3 says "ATTENTION EVERYONE: I AM INSECURE ABOUT THE SIZE OF MY GENITALIA. THAT IS ALL, THANK YOU FOR LISTENING. THIS MESSAGE WILL REPEAT."
I judge that I'm gonna like Miata drivers more than Corvette drivers. And interestingly Camaro drivers more than Mustang drivers. There are exceptions of course but those are the prejudicial thoughts that bubble up.
Years of cycling has trained me to expect that anybody with a passenger is probably not paying attention to the world around them, anybody with people sitting three-across (rear or front) is definitely not paying attention to the world around them, and anybody in a minivan/SUV is probably also a zombie with a pulse.
I've only been hit by cars three times going by this theory, so there must be something to it.
This is, admittedly, not really "judging people" as a kind of values-system assessment, but rather gauging whether or not they are a threat to your continued existence.
One of the reasons I asked my (now ex-) wife to marry me was because she drove a base-model Camry with a stick shift and no A/C. Seemed pretty GRM to me.
I was wrong!
wlkelley3 wrote:STM317 wrote:For me it's more of how they care for it. Trash in the footwells shows how they treat others things, IMO. A well taken care of beater shows something else. I've had to drive ugly beaters because that's all I could afford but I took care of them and they were reliable. As most here probably.Nick (Bo) Comstock wrote: I'm more judging of the condition of the car they drive than the actual type of car.This. The specific vehicle someone drives gives me less insight than the condition of said vehicle.
That's exactly what I meant by my post. Didn't go into enough detail I guess.
I know anyone driving an old British vehicle is likely a home mechanic, or soon will be, and I'll probably get along great with them. Other than that I've been surprised too many times to judge the person by what they drive. The richest guy I know drives an old Honda CRV and a 90s Buick of some type.
In reply to Cotton:
There are, of course, exceptions to every rule.
Knurled wrote: Years of cycling has trained me to expect that anybody with a passenger is probably not paying attention to the world around them, anybody with people sitting three-across (rear or front) is definitely not paying attention to the world around them, and anybody in a minivan/SUV is probably also a zombie with a pulse. I've only been hit by cars three times going by this theory, so there must be something to it. This is, admittedly, not really "judging people" as a kind of values-system assessment, but rather gauging whether or not they are a threat to your continued existence.
On a cycling note, a pickup truck is most likely to act extremely erratically around a cyclist in my experience. Intimidating them, intentionally close passing, rolling coal, throwing stuff out the window, etc. 
Yes, yes I do. Around here, it goes like this, no offense to anyone on here, of course
:
Toyota Camry/Corolla/RAV4: Default "car" for default "human". They bought it because of perceived "dependability" and that they "heard they were good cars". Many times, these lemmings forget that they are driving and not sitting on the couch, standing in the kitchen, etc. and nearly kill everyone on the road. They have an amazing knack for ending up on their roof and/or doing amazing barrel rolls into storefronts and coming out unscathed.
Nissan Altima/Maxima/Rogue: Subprime loan leader car for d-bags. They all want to be driving something more expensive, but are driving these "for now", and drive like the lowlifes they are. Can be found weaving in and out of traffic at high rates of speed and road raging on a highway near you.
The Prius/other hybrids: Around here, one of two people are driving these: People that hypermile in the left lane, or people that go 100mph in all lanes, because they can drive really fast "because it gets better MPG's".
Lifted trucks with terrible wheels: These replaced imports as the Flatbrim Vehicle-Du-Jour around here. Add +10 to all d-bag stats if it's a diesel with a giant sticker noting what kind of diesel engine it has, +20 more if it has bed stacks too.
Newish econoboxes freshly beat into oblivion: As soon as I see one of these on the road, I steer clear. For example: when the newest Mitsubishi Mirage came out, I saw one about a month later after their release with a bumper held on by packing tape, no side mirrors, and one lonely hubcap. It was almost new, and already hit everything but the lottery. I gave the driver the right of way, and watched her blow through a stop sign. 
A couple of us at work a few years ago built a database with lots of data on drivers who annoyed us.
The only trend (barely) that we found was that green cars had a higher probability to be annoying than others.
Duke wrote: In reply to Cotton: There are, of course, exceptions to *every* rule.
Yeah, I get it. I think most people are at least somewhat judgemental when it comes to cars outside of the norm. What I find interesting is the actual judgement based on the individual making it. Obviously you hear the negative stuff the most, but quite a bit is positive as well, so it's interesting to hear who thinks what and why. Hell, even my wife made a crack about my old 300sd. 
Eh, I think I view it as a positive filter. I was at the park with my son a couple of weeks ago, and parked next to a light blue late 80s Volvo 240 sedan (single lenses up front) that had a manual transmission, natural leather interior, was slightly lowered/raked on what looked like real BBS wheels, had a sport exhaust and a "rearing moose" sticker... I said to myself "I'd bet I would enjoy hanging out with that dude."
Not really. I just drive too much and see too many cars during a given day, from aging beaters from the 80's and 90's to high-dollar exotics. Seeing an old LBC does get my attention, but that's about it.
Oddly enough, as much time as I've spent on a road bike in the SE PA/NJ area over the past 35 years, I've had no worse or more frequent antagonistic encounters with bro-dozers than any other type of vehicle.
There is not a word below that I would disagree with.
Tony Sestito wrote: Yes, yes I do. Around here, it goes like this, no offense to anyone on here, of course
While I try to let people's actions determine how I feel about them, I have to admit......
If I see a Hummer H2, or a neon-colored Lamborghini convertible, I immediately think "Douchebag" May not always be the truth.....but I can't help it from entering my head.
I'm a flawed man....
I do. Other posters have already described the way I think.
It's natural. We do it for clothes, too. You think of someone with their pants hanging halfway down their ass a bit differently than someone in a nice suit, and both of them differently than someone wearing a t-shirt and jeans. Even if all of them are wearing clean new versions of those clothes. There's a reason we don't generally go to job interviews dressed like slobs.
You don't get a second chance to make a first impression and you don't see personality across the parking lot except in the choice you can see them make about their clothes or car. And yes, it's often wrong, but it's still human nature to make those judgements instantly.
Cadillac and Lincoln owners...They could have a less complex, better looking Chevrolet or Ford. Lexus and Infiniti owners always look stupid to me, at least in the lower line models that have a direct competitor with a Toyota or Nissan badge.
I'm showing a bias, though, because I really hate cars with expensive automatic swanky things screwed to them for no particular reason.
ManhattanM (fka NY535iManual) wrote: Eh, I think I view it as a positive filter. I was at the park with my son a couple of weeks ago, and parked next to a light blue late 80s Volvo 240 sedan (single lenses up front) that had a manual transmission, natural leather interior, was slightly lowered/raked on what looked like real BBS wheels, had a sport exhaust and a "rearing moose" sticker... I said to myself "I'd bet I would enjoy hanging out with that dude."
I have it on authority that people who have a prancing moose on a Volvo are the shiniest of happy people.
I guess I must have multiple personalites, sine I trade off driving a nicely kept GTI and a sorta crappy looking S10 depending on the weather and that day's intended mission, with occasional jaunts in an Exocet to really confuse matters !
KyAllroad wrote: I judge that I'm gonna like Miata drivers more than Corvette drivers. And interestingly Camaro drivers more than Mustang drivers. There are exceptions of course but those are the prejudicial thoughts that bubble up.
As a Mustang driver, I have no qualms with this viewpoint. Most "Mustangers" are immature douche nozzles who drive like the throttle is an on/off switch. It's the reason I stopped going to local car shows.
No.
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