I was thinking about this subject this morning, while stuck in traffic and trying frantically to make a meeting on time: I usually fancy myself to be the fair and unbiased type, but as soon as you put me on a highway, I'm as prone to stereotypes and biases as the next guy. Based strictly on the type of car, I automatically assume things about the driver. As a couple of examples:
--> Some cars are "girl cars" -- Volkswagen Jetta, for example. Any guy in a Jetta is a guaranteed metrosexual. Toyota Celicas comes to mind as well.
--> Any car with a religious symbol -- cross, fish, religious-themed bumper sticker -- is likely to be going about 10 MPH slower than everyone else. Which, of course, makes NO sense when you think about it. Why drive like you're afraid of dying when heaven is only a car crash away? If I thought I was on God's "good list," I'd drive like a maniac.
--> Cheap American cars -- the classic example is the Chevy Malibu -- are almost certainly rental cars, and the drivers tend to drive slowly (sightseeing? lost? jet-lagged?) and then do incredibly dangerous lane-change maneuvers once they realize their turn is approaching.
--> As a last example, Toyota Camrys or Honda Accords with boxes of Kleenex on the back shelf are invariably driven by Asians. In fact, the box of Kleenex is often contained in a wicker Kleenex box holder. If anyone can explain this to me, I'd be eternally grateful, since I JUST DON'T GET IT. How can the driver possibly reach to the back shelf if he/she feels a sneeze coming on?
Am I the only one who is a closet sociopath, or do any of you also have "car stereotypes" they'd like to share?
--> Some cars are "girl cars" -- Volkswagen Jetta, for example. Any guy in a Jetta is a guaranteed metrosexual. Toyota Celicas comes to mind as well.
--> Any car with a religious symbol -- cross, fish, religious-themed bumper sticker -- is likely to be going about 10 MPH slower than everyone else. Which, of course, makes NO sense when you think about it. Why drive like you're afraid of dying when heaven is only a car crash away? If I thought I was on God's "good list," I'd drive like a maniac.
--> Cheap American cars -- the classic example is the Chevy Malibu -- are almost certainly rental cars, and the drivers tend to drive slowly (sightseeing? lost? jet-lagged?) and then do incredibly dangerous lane-change maneuvers once they realize their turn is approaching.
--> As a last example, Toyota Camrys or Honda Accords with boxes of Kleenex on the back shelf are invariably driven by Asians. In fact, the box of Kleenex is often contained in a wicker Kleenex box holder. If anyone can explain this to me, I'd be eternally grateful, since I JUST DON'T GET IT. How can the driver possibly reach to the back shelf if he/she feels a sneeze coming on?
Am I the only one who is a closet sociopath, or do any of you also have "car stereotypes" they'd like to share?