Back when I was young, I had a job building, and installing, custom stereos for cars. The place I worked at also did a lot of modifications, one of the most popular things we did was lift trucks, add huge wheels, move exhaust to end above the backs of the cabs, etc. People who had trucks like that, just like the people with the stereos you could hear 5 miles away, absolutely did concern themselves with the way they were perceived, having that tricked out truck. They also rarely used them for work, or took them off road. They liked to cruise them down the night life areas, and show off. They would talk about how excited they were to do this. This was the same with people who tricked their cars out like something from TFATF movies. They never raced, they just showed off.
A lot of that is for the same reason people dress nice or have nice accessories like watches and handbags: Conspicuous consumption makes it look like you have money to at least some people.
And anywhere there are vehicles there’s going to be a vehicle culture, from low riders to pickups to rice tractors
correct, and fast fashion, precious metals, and gems, etc for this are bad. it is a lot harder to deal with the fast fashion thing, because it took over the industry needed for clothing. but yeah, I feel the same about doing things like buying jewelry without concern for where it came from, as jewelry is something that can be easily boycotted. The big difference is, someone wearing a ring with a big old blood diamond on it will never inject its way into my life, and what I am doing, like getting stuck in traffic with some big coal-rolling d-bag, or someone whose muffler is replaced, or their stereo is as loud as a stadium concert, and so on.
I mean, you can make cars cool without making them obnoxious, inefficient, intrusive, poorly fit for local infrastructure, etc.
Unless you think things that cause greater issues for other people are the only ways in which cars can be cool. Then I don’t know what to tell you, at that point it is a personal problem.
Most of what are generally considered coolest cars are loud, inefficient, and hard to maneuver around a city. Think Lambos, Ferraris, Bentleys, low riders, hot rods, in addition to lifted trucks and fart-can Hondas.
They put a great big resonator in the exhaust of a four cylinder car, generally a Honda Civic. They think it makes them sound cool but it really doesn’t.
Sometimes they’ll even remove the catalytic convertor for extra fart sound.
peoople who had trucks like that, just like the people with the stereos you could hear 5 miles away, absolutely did concern themselves with the way they were perceived, having that tricked out truck.
Yep! This past weekend, my girlfriend and I were waiting to be seated at Texas Roadhouse, and we saw something interesting.
Some young guy pulled in with his tricked-out, shiny truck, meeting friends who were all decked out in cowboy hats, boots, and big belt buckles—total urban cowboy vibes.
They were laughing and showing off around his truck, talking about the truck, being impressed. But then something odd happened: they took off their cowboy hats, swapped their boots for tennis shoes, untucked their shirts, and walked over to the Kohl’s next door!!
I was like, what the fuck did I just see? They switched personas from country to urban real quick—they def cared a lot about how they were perceived.
![[meme] reason for bike commuting](https://sopuli.xyz/pictrs/image/ea0cd0b4-1ef1-49cf-b917-320da29efb55.webp){kind=link}
Back when I was young, I had a job building, and installing, custom stereos for cars. The place I worked at also did a lot of modifications, one of the most popular things we did was lift trucks, add huge wheels, move exhaust to end above the backs of the cabs, etc. People who had trucks like that, just like the people with the stereos you could hear 5 miles away, absolutely did concern themselves with the way they were perceived, having that tricked out truck. They also rarely used them for work, or took them off road. They liked to cruise them down the night life areas, and show off. They would talk about how excited they were to do this. This was the same with people who tricked their cars out like something from TFATF movies. They never raced, they just showed off.
A lot of that is for the same reason people dress nice or have nice accessories like watches and handbags: Conspicuous consumption makes it look like you have money to at least some people.
And anywhere there are vehicles there’s going to be a vehicle culture, from low riders to pickups to rice tractors
correct, and fast fashion, precious metals, and gems, etc for this are bad. it is a lot harder to deal with the fast fashion thing, because it took over the industry needed for clothing. but yeah, I feel the same about doing things like buying jewelry without concern for where it came from, as jewelry is something that can be easily boycotted. The big difference is, someone wearing a ring with a big old blood diamond on it will never inject its way into my life, and what I am doing, like getting stuck in traffic with some big coal-rolling d-bag, or someone whose muffler is replaced, or their stereo is as loud as a stadium concert, and so on.
I think the best solution to this is to just make cars not cool anymore, and EVs are doing a great job at that.
I mean, you can make cars cool without making them obnoxious, inefficient, intrusive, poorly fit for local infrastructure, etc.
Unless you think things that cause greater issues for other people are the only ways in which cars can be cool. Then I don’t know what to tell you, at that point it is a personal problem.
Most of what are generally considered coolest cars are loud, inefficient, and hard to maneuver around a city. Think Lambos, Ferraris, Bentleys, low riders, hot rods, in addition to lifted trucks and fart-can Hondas.
What’s a fart can Honda?
They put a great big resonator in the exhaust of a four cylinder car, generally a Honda Civic. They think it makes them sound cool but it really doesn’t.
Sometimes they’ll even remove the catalytic convertor for extra fart sound.
I fucking hate those cars! Ugh!
Yep! This past weekend, my girlfriend and I were waiting to be seated at Texas Roadhouse, and we saw something interesting.
Some young guy pulled in with his tricked-out, shiny truck, meeting friends who were all decked out in cowboy hats, boots, and big belt buckles—total urban cowboy vibes.
They were laughing and showing off around his truck, talking about the truck, being impressed. But then something odd happened: they took off their cowboy hats, swapped their boots for tennis shoes, untucked their shirts, and walked over to the Kohl’s next door!!
I was like, what the fuck did I just see? They switched personas from country to urban real quick—they def cared a lot about how they were perceived.