Classic from the Mrs! Vol 2

[RammyMP]

Whilst watching Freddie Flintoff's chip van programme the other night:
Freddie: "what's E.T. short for..... He's only got little legs!"
Her in doors: "I thought it was Extra Terestrial"

[Jimmy Recard]

sebhaque said:

Not the mrs, but a friend. We were going to have a nose around an old castle one weekend, the weather was nice so I was washing my car before she turned up. She arrived just as I'd finished hoovering the interior but had the bonnet and boot up (it's an MG TF).

Her: "Is this electric?"
Me: "No, why?"
Her: "There's no engine!"
Me: "Look behind the boot"
Her: "Why is it there?"
Me: "It means you sit further forward so you can park it easier."
Her: "Okay, that's actually quite clever!"

I didn't have the time nor energy to explain mid-engined cars to her (she doesn't drive and has absolutely no idea about cars in general) so I just left it at that. I should also add that she's been in the car a couple of times before, including a trip involving a fuel stop.

I'm not sure I think that's stupid. If you've no interest in cars you never would've considered it and it wouldn't be at all obvious. A printer repair man might think I was stupid for not knowing how a printer is arranged internally, but I think I'm just normal.

[Pothole]

DavieW said:

My MiL quite seriously stated she'd been out in the garden trimming her bush.

MY mum once rushed me off the phone as the 'little man' was at the door to do just that!

[Blown2CV]

Jimmy Recard said:

sebhaque said:

Not the mrs, but a friend. We were going to have a nose around an old castle one weekend, the weather was nice so I was washing my car before she turned up. She arrived just as I'd finished hoovering the interior but had the bonnet and boot up (it's an MG TF).

Her: "Is this electric?"
Me: "No, why?"
Her: "There's no engine!"
Me: "Look behind the boot"
Her: "Why is it there?"
Me: "It means you sit further forward so you can park it easier."
Her: "Okay, that's actually quite clever!"

I didn't have the time nor energy to explain mid-engined cars to her (she doesn't drive and has absolutely no idea about cars in general) so I just left it at that. I should also add that she's been in the car a couple of times before, including a trip involving a fuel stop.

I'm not sure I think that's stupid. If you've no interest in cars you never would've considered it and it wouldn't be at all obvious. A printer repair man might think I was stupid for not knowing how a printer is arranged internally, but I think I'm just normal.

yep

[sebhaque]

I didn't think it was particularly stupid as such, which is why I didn't post it in the "stupid things non-petrolheads say" thread - just thought it worth a mention. The key point was that she'd been present for a refuel. I have no interest in printers either, but if I saw someone replacing an ink cartridge, I probably wouldn't ask them if it was a laserjet printer.

[Trabi601]

Agree - even people who see you put petrol in the front of a mid or rear engined car still don't understand where the engine is. And why should they? Most people don't care where the engine is, which wheels it drives etc. - they just want to jump in a nice car and drive to their destination.

It does cause alarm when I fill the Trabi's tank, though, as it's right above the engine under the bonnet.

[Evangelion]

While I was putting the stripes on my Boxster, the postman came along and said, "nice car," etc. Then he said, while standing at the front, "can I have a look at the engine?" So I unlocked the front boot and he opened it, looked puzzled for a second then said, "Oh silly me, it's in the back, isn't it?"
So I unlocked the rear boot and he looked in there, which puzzled him even more.

Now if only he'd been a female postmen, I could have posted it in this thread.

[Ambleton]

Mrs- "do you want some of that nice cider with your dinner?"
Me- "yes please"
Mrs- "do you want a big pint glass or a small pint glass? bugger, we've only got one small pint glass...
Me- "that's fine, because I wanted a pint anyway"

[D-Angle]

Waiting to board the ferry to Dublin -

Her: "How long is the flight?"

Me: "What?"

Her: "The flight, how long is it?"

Me: "It's a boat, love."

Her: "Yeah, I know. So how long is it?"

Me: "Boats don't fly, love. Well, there are some that do, but not this one. It's a car ferry."

Her: "...

...

...oh."

[Skyrat]

A girl in work a few years ago. She was complaining about her car skidding in snow.

Me: "I'm assuming it's FWD?" (as I was about to offer some advice

Her: "Yeah, when I turn the steering wheel it's the front wheels that move"

Me: .......

[Trabi601]

Skyrat said:

A girl in work a few years ago. She was complaining about her car skidding in snow.

Me: "I'm assuming it's FWD?" (as I was about to offer some advice

Her: "Yeah, when I turn the steering wheel it's the front wheels that move"

Me: .......

I'm amazed. Why would you expect anyone who isn't a car enthusiast to either know or care which wheels are driven?

Do people really live in a little 'Pistonheads bubble' where it's not possible for someone to be completely nonplussed by the workings of their car?

[Skyedriver]

Sadly, if they had a little more interest they might learn a little more about avoiding a skid.
Same people who never check tyre pressures, drive around with bald tyres, lights off, fog lights on, sit in the middle lane etc

[Jimmy Recard]

Trabi601 said:

I'm amazed. Why would you expect anyone who isn't a car enthusiast to either know or care which wheels are driven?

Do people really live in a little 'Pistonheads bubble' where it's not possible for someone to be completely nonplussed by the workings of their car?

Exactly. Normal people just buy the car they like that meets their needs and budget, much like I buy a laptop or mobile phone or refrigerator. I could tell you pretty much nothing about the technical details of those items.

[CanAm]

Skyedriver said:

Sadly, if they had a little more interest they might learn a little more about avoiding a skid.
Same people who never check tyre pressures, drive around with bald tyres, lights off, fog lights on, sit in the middle lane etc

+1

[Oldandslow]

Running joke that my missus knows nothing about film or tv, especially pre 2000. Which is weird because she's 45.

We were talking about Harrison Ford one day and I mentioned Blade Runner. Is that like Blades of Glory she asks. Yes I say, in what I thought was a pretty good sarcastic tone but no more is said after. (Blades of Glory, spoof comedy about Ice Skating)

Couple of days later we're out with friends and the subject of films comes up. Me and my mate Geoff are old time film nerds and so we chat about all kinds of obscure rubbish. GF is laughing at us nerds and Geoff starts quizzing her about movies.

Geoff: XXXXXXXX?
Her: Not seen that.
Geoff: XXXXXXXX?
Her: Not seen that.
Geoff: XXXXXXXX?
Her: Not seen that.
Geoff: Blade Runner?
Her: Yes that's about Harrison Ford ice skating (she blags)
Truly the look on Geoff's face was the most bewildered and troubled thing I've ever seen. Like his whole world went and crumbled around him.

Apparently I'm a bd.

[Cotty]

Jimmy Recard said:

Exactly. Normal people just buy the car they like that meets their needs and budget, much like I buy a laptop or mobile phone or refrigerator. I could tell you pretty much nothing about the technical details of those items.

Thing is with those items, they don't have the same potential to kill you, they are not likely to be driving a phone or refrigerator on a wet motorway at 70mph. It is more a safety thing than just knowing how something works.

[Pothole]

Trabi601 said:

Skyrat said:

A girl in work a few years ago. She was complaining about her car skidding in snow.

Me: "I'm assuming it's FWD?" (as I was about to offer some advice

Her: "Yeah, when I turn the steering wheel it's the front wheels that move"

Me: .......

I'm amazed. Why would you expect anyone who isn't a car enthusiast to either know or care which wheels are driven?

Do people really live in a little 'Pistonheads bubble' where it's not possible for someone to be completely nonplussed by the workings of their car?

I would expect some who has a job and can use the internet to know the difference between at and in when applied to work, though. Sadly, my expectations are rarely met.

[Timmy40]

Cotty said:

Jimmy Recard said:

Exactly. Normal people just buy the car they like that meets their needs and budget, much like I buy a laptop or mobile phone or refrigerator. I could tell you pretty much nothing about the technical details of those items.

Thing is with those items, they don't have the same potential to kill you, they are not likely to be driving a phone or refrigerator on a wet motorway at 70mph. It is more a safety thing than just knowing how something works.

Quite.

I wish they'd bring back those public information films, everyone laughed at them but things like the 3 second rule, how stopping differences vary with road conditions, those things saved ( IMO ) far more lives than bloody GATSOs ever have.

[Zoobeef]

Evangelion said:

While I was putting the stripes on my Boxster, the postman came along and said, "nice car," etc. Then he said, while standing at the front, "can I have a look at the engine?" So I unlocked the front boot and he opened it, looked puzzled for a second then said, "Oh silly me, it's in the back, isn't it?"
So I unlocked the rear boot and he looked in there, which puzzled him even more.

Now if only he'd been a female postmen, I could have posted it in this thread.

Sounds like you were being difficult.

[Blown2CV]

Skyedriver said:

Sadly, if they had a little more interest they might learn a little more about avoiding a skid.
Same people who never check tyre pressures, drive around with bald tyres, lights off, fog lights on, sit in the middle lane etc

you're pissing in the wind. Many people don't think MOT and service are different things, still display a tax disc, don't understand that tyres wear out and need to be told by the police once they are bald.... to be honest, knowing which wheels are driven is not something that (again) many people will see as relevant let alone understand with respect to their own car.