Stupid things non petrolheads say... Vol 2
Discussion
zeDuffMan said:
Don't think so originally, but it has certainly created a kind of snobbery which might explain why we buy so many brand new cars compared to most of the EU, and why lease deals are so popular. Everyone's trying to outdo each other, to the point where people will delay picking up their brand new car so they can be one of the first to get the new plate.
What happens if your plates get damaged or nicked. Do you get the same number reissued or a different one?tedman said:
br d said:
The town I live in isn't that big and I've owned a few nice cars so I do get people commenting, which is usually fine.
My other half was away one weekend so I went to the pub for dinner and was sitting outside on my own when 2 couples - 30ish - sat at the table next to me. After a while one of the blokes came over and said "You own the white Lambo don't you? Lovely car." I said thanks and he asked me few things about it, so far so good. He asked if I'd like to join them at their table so I graciously accepted.
One of the women then said, entirely seriously "We had a big barbecue at my house last weekend and we were all talking about you in the garden, we decided it must be one of 3 things. You either won the Lottery, you got a big inheritance or you're a drug dealer" This was said with a completely straight face.
I said ""Er no, it was a fourth thing actually, I started a business and then worked really hard."
She looked surprised and confused, said "Oh!" And then changed the subject.
This isn't kids, this is a garden full of couples at a barbecue. What on earth is causing people to think like this?
It's just jealousy to be honest.My other half was away one weekend so I went to the pub for dinner and was sitting outside on my own when 2 couples - 30ish - sat at the table next to me. After a while one of the blokes came over and said "You own the white Lambo don't you? Lovely car." I said thanks and he asked me few things about it, so far so good. He asked if I'd like to join them at their table so I graciously accepted.
One of the women then said, entirely seriously "We had a big barbecue at my house last weekend and we were all talking about you in the garden, we decided it must be one of 3 things. You either won the Lottery, you got a big inheritance or you're a drug dealer" This was said with a completely straight face.
I said ""Er no, it was a fourth thing actually, I started a business and then worked really hard."
She looked surprised and confused, said "Oh!" And then changed the subject.
This isn't kids, this is a garden full of couples at a barbecue. What on earth is causing people to think like this?
People like to think it's a lottery win or inheritance because that's something out of their control and down to luck and circumstance.
Getting a nice car through hard work makes other people feel like they haven't worked hard enough to do the same, which is something they can technically control.
But I think your last line is spot on. It's not so much envy I guess, as self soothing a feeling of under-achievement. But I guess they are from the same basic puddle of emotions.
zeDuffMan said:
Don't think so originally, but it has certainly created a kind of snobbery which might explain why we buy so many brand new cars compared to most of the EU, and why lease deals are so popular. Everyone's trying to outdo each other, to the point where people will delay picking up their brand new car so they can be one of the first to get the new plate.
I picked my new car up on 23rd February this year, sod waiting another 7 days to enjoy the car. Couldn't careless whether it was a 65 or 16 plate car. Now on a private plate so some numpty will probably think it is a 1994 model on an M reg anyway.
Coatesy351 said:
I can't believe (or maybe I can) that the UK would have number plates that indicate the age of the vehicle. I take it this was introduced to sell more cars?
it was introduced to bring together the system of allocating numbers to cars in a unified way. Originally, the registration broadly gave the area in which the car was registered, with no age identifier, just a set of letters and numbers.
Then when some areas started selling more cars than others, they quickly ran out of their allocation of numbers and had to start getting new ones. So you could tell the area from some of the letters as a local identifier, and then the numbers were assigned to differntiate. Then they added an extra letter, to keep the supply of numbers available to that area.
Then they realised they were running out of available numbers and letters and so a system was devised that had the Area identifier, then another letter, then some numbers, and finally an age identifying letter. This meant that there was a finite number of numbers in any year, but it was now many degrees higher than previously
The whole system was then reveresed so the letters came first, and when they ran out of space, they started the new system.
At one point, the letters used to change with the new year on January 1st but noone was buying cars then, so they moved it to August 1st and as you then say, it started to become a good time to buy a new car to have the newest available registration plate on.
You cannot put a newer numberplate on an older car, but you can put an older numberplate on a newer car - you cannot misrepresent the car to be younger than it truly is (but you can make it look older)
In America, of course, they quite regularly update the cars themselves every year because they sell enough of them to warrant making changes to the bodywork or details for a model year, but over here the volumes don't warrant that so the numberplates do that job for the snobbish amongst us who want the newest of the new.
Vocal Minority said:
I usually think 'envy' is a stock, lazy PH answer.
But I think your last line is spot on. It's not so much envy I guess, as self soothing a feeling of under-achievement. But I guess they are from the same basic puddle of emotions.
I completely agree.But I think your last line is spot on. It's not so much envy I guess, as self soothing a feeling of under-achievement. But I guess they are from the same basic puddle of emotions.
P.S. br d - how much did you win?
A guy at work, average employee, nice enough over a pint but pretty egotistical, likes to portray that he's "made it" in life, often posting on social media with many pictures of him standing outside designer shops in London portraying that he shops there, sat in acquaintance's high performance cars portraying that he owns them, raising Champagne (Prosecco or maybe Babycham) in high-end nightclubs like he's a VIP and his party-piece, the TAG watch (genuine, or genuine-fake I'm not sure) that he photographs at every opportunity and #tags in every picture of him regardless. If you were to judge this man by his Instagram profile without knowing him, he is basically a multi-millionaire.
Anyway, that's the background and admittedly does know stuff about cars so this isn't about him really aside from agreeing with some of your comments above about the "pretend" rich. He likes his ratty Japanese cars and the drift scene, and he is known in the workplace for those cars but, no-one is jealous of a purple 20yr old Nissan with orange wheels. He gets himself some new fluff recently and one day, due to some small destruction of his own car, drives in a 1997 Porsche Boxster 2.5; his large shades were on and he wore a suit for the occasion.
A colleague of his was absolutely irate, really, seriously pee'd off that he could afford this and he couldn't. How dare this guy be doing better than him. He voiced his opinion to me as I happened to be hot-desking in front of him, but was dumbstruck when I told him that the car is worth around £4000, approx. 1/4 the worth of his Diesel Golf.
Transpires that the Porsche of Mr Flash belongs to his girlfriend's Mother, not that the close-up of Porsche badges he littered his Instagram with would lead you to believe.
Anyway, that's the background and admittedly does know stuff about cars so this isn't about him really aside from agreeing with some of your comments above about the "pretend" rich. He likes his ratty Japanese cars and the drift scene, and he is known in the workplace for those cars but, no-one is jealous of a purple 20yr old Nissan with orange wheels. He gets himself some new fluff recently and one day, due to some small destruction of his own car, drives in a 1997 Porsche Boxster 2.5; his large shades were on and he wore a suit for the occasion.
A colleague of his was absolutely irate, really, seriously pee'd off that he could afford this and he couldn't. How dare this guy be doing better than him. He voiced his opinion to me as I happened to be hot-desking in front of him, but was dumbstruck when I told him that the car is worth around £4000, approx. 1/4 the worth of his Diesel Golf.
Transpires that the Porsche of Mr Flash belongs to his girlfriend's Mother, not that the close-up of Porsche badges he littered his Instagram with would lead you to believe.
Shakermaker said:
Coatesy351 said:
I can't believe (or maybe I can) that the UK would have number plates that indicate the age of the vehicle. I take it this was introduced to sell more cars?
it was introduced to bring together the system of allocating numbers to cars in a unified way. Originally, the registration broadly gave the area in which the car was registered, with no age identifier, just a set of letters and numbers.
Then when some areas started selling more cars than others, they quickly ran out of their allocation of numbers and had to start getting new ones. So you could tell the area from some of the letters as a local identifier, and then the numbers were assigned to differntiate. Then they added an extra letter, to keep the supply of numbers available to that area.
Then they realised they were running out of available numbers and letters and so a system was devised that had the Area identifier, then another letter, then some numbers, and finally an age identifying letter. This meant that there was a finite number of numbers in any year, but it was now many degrees higher than previously
The whole system was then reveresed so the letters came first, and when they ran out of space, they started the new system.
At one point, the letters used to change with the new year on January 1st but noone was buying cars then, so they moved it to August 1st and as you then say, it started to become a good time to buy a new car to have the newest available registration plate on.
You cannot put a newer numberplate on an older car, but you can put an older numberplate on a newer car - you cannot misrepresent the car to be younger than it truly is (but you can make it look older)
In America, of course, they quite regularly update the cars themselves every year because they sell enough of them to warrant making changes to the bodywork or details for a model year, but over here the volumes don't warrant that so the numberplates do that job for the snobbish amongst us who want the newest of the new.
trails said:
br d said:
The town I live in isn't that big and I've owned a few nice cars so I do get people commenting, which is usually fine.
My other half was away one weekend so I went to the pub for dinner and was sitting outside on my own when 2 couples - 30ish - sat at the table next to me. After a while one of the blokes came over and said "You own the white Lambo don't you? Lovely car." I said thanks and he asked me few things about it, so far so good. He asked if I'd like to join them at their table so I graciously accepted.
One of the women then said, entirely seriously "We had a big barbecue at my house last weekend and we were all talking about you in the garden, we decided it must be one of 3 things. You either won the Lottery, you got a big inheritance or you're a drug dealer" This was said with a completely straight face.
I said ""Er no, it was a fourth thing actually, I started a business and then worked really hard."
She looked surprised and confused, said "Oh!" And then changed the subject.
This isn't kids, this is a garden full of couples at a barbecue. What on earth is causing people to think like this?
Maldon by chance?! My other half was away one weekend so I went to the pub for dinner and was sitting outside on my own when 2 couples - 30ish - sat at the table next to me. After a while one of the blokes came over and said "You own the white Lambo don't you? Lovely car." I said thanks and he asked me few things about it, so far so good. He asked if I'd like to join them at their table so I graciously accepted.
One of the women then said, entirely seriously "We had a big barbecue at my house last weekend and we were all talking about you in the garden, we decided it must be one of 3 things. You either won the Lottery, you got a big inheritance or you're a drug dealer" This was said with a completely straight face.
I said ""Er no, it was a fourth thing actually, I started a business and then worked really hard."
She looked surprised and confused, said "Oh!" And then changed the subject.
This isn't kids, this is a garden full of couples at a barbecue. What on earth is causing people to think like this?
1Addicted said:
A guy at work, average employee, nice enough over a pint but pretty egotistical, likes to portray that he's "made it" in life, often posting on social media with many pictures of him standing outside designer shops in London portraying that he shops there, sat in acquaintance's high performance cars portraying that he owns them, raising Champagne (Prosecco or maybe Babycham) in high-end nightclubs like he's a VIP and his party-piece, the TAG watch (genuine, or genuine-fake I'm not sure) that he photographs at every opportunity and #tags in every picture of him regardless. If you were to judge this man by his Instagram profile without knowing him, he is basically a multi-millionaire.
Anyway, that's the background and admittedly does know stuff about cars so this isn't about him really aside from agreeing with some of your comments above about the "pretend" rich. He likes his ratty Japanese cars and the drift scene, and he is known in the workplace for those cars but, no-one is jealous of a purple 20yr old Nissan with orange wheels. He gets himself some new fluff recently and one day, due to some small destruction of his own car, drives in a 1997 Porsche Boxster 2.5; his large shades were on and he wore a suit for the occasion.
A colleague of his was absolutely irate, really, seriously pee'd off that he could afford this and he couldn't. How dare this guy be doing better than him. He voiced his opinion to me as I happened to be hot-desking in front of him, but was dumbstruck when I told him that the car is worth around £4000, approx. 1/4 the worth of his Diesel Golf.
Transpires that the Porsche of Mr Flash belongs to his girlfriend's Mother, not that the close-up of Porsche badges he littered his Instagram with would lead you to believe.
What's his username? Anyway, that's the background and admittedly does know stuff about cars so this isn't about him really aside from agreeing with some of your comments above about the "pretend" rich. He likes his ratty Japanese cars and the drift scene, and he is known in the workplace for those cars but, no-one is jealous of a purple 20yr old Nissan with orange wheels. He gets himself some new fluff recently and one day, due to some small destruction of his own car, drives in a 1997 Porsche Boxster 2.5; his large shades were on and he wore a suit for the occasion.
A colleague of his was absolutely irate, really, seriously pee'd off that he could afford this and he couldn't. How dare this guy be doing better than him. He voiced his opinion to me as I happened to be hot-desking in front of him, but was dumbstruck when I told him that the car is worth around £4000, approx. 1/4 the worth of his Diesel Golf.
Transpires that the Porsche of Mr Flash belongs to his girlfriend's Mother, not that the close-up of Porsche badges he littered his Instagram with would lead you to believe.
I moved into my current hovel coming up to three years ago. It is in a middle class part of Torquay and my flat must be the cheapest place round here by a long way. I drove a (shame... ) Renault Scenic on an 'X' reg. I was very poor and it was a decent car (honestly it was fine and totally reliable!) and only cost me £500.
The neighbours all hated that car being parked outside and kicked off about it looking shabby...
So, as funds improved I got a MK3 MX5, nice car, good condition. Again, I got comments about the thing being expensive(£6500!) and where did I get the money etc.
I was getting back on my feet and realising that an MX5 with two dogs was not really practical so I traded it in for a new Honda Insight. That, after initial comments on the 'new' car quickly blended into the scenery and was ... 'accepted'. I was, finally, one of the crowd.
Then, after 18 months of having the Honda, I realised a lifes ambition and bought a Bentley Turbo R as well as keeping the Honda. Oh dear. Oh very dear...
The joy for all the neighbours came when two months into ownership, it blew up! There was almost dancing in the street as the poor old thing smoked and wheezed into the road. Man, did I get some b
hy, smart arsed comments. Everyone HATED that car with a vengeance - people that had been friendly before stopped talking to me completely, others started making comments about how big it was and taking up too much space on the road....
It was so pathetic, it amused me greatly. It went away to be repaired, never to return (the brilliant dealer gave me a FULL refund and paid me for all the jobs I'd had done to it as well) and was replaced with a newer, better and even more expensive version of the same car! When the 'new' one appeared, it took a while before anyone caught on to the fact it was a different car (similar colour same shape) but then, the knives were out in force. I was even reported to the local police for 'dealing' and to the RSPCA for mistreating 'bait' dogs - anyone that knows me, knows that I adore animals and spend even more on keeping them in good order than I do on the bloody cars!
So now, the Bentley spends most of the time in the garage (rented, huge - it has to be to get the bugger in)and the Honda has gone and has been replaced with another MX5.
I know who reported me to the RSPCA and they have moved now as some of my 'dealing' friends were going to pay them a visit... apparently, but the police one is still a mystery.
I bring the Bentley home whenever is is: a, sunny, and b, when the next door but one neighbour starts talking to me again... she soon stops when it appears and she is reminded I still have it!
The neighbours all hated that car being parked outside and kicked off about it looking shabby...
So, as funds improved I got a MK3 MX5, nice car, good condition. Again, I got comments about the thing being expensive(£6500!) and where did I get the money etc.
I was getting back on my feet and realising that an MX5 with two dogs was not really practical so I traded it in for a new Honda Insight. That, after initial comments on the 'new' car quickly blended into the scenery and was ... 'accepted'. I was, finally, one of the crowd.
Then, after 18 months of having the Honda, I realised a lifes ambition and bought a Bentley Turbo R as well as keeping the Honda. Oh dear. Oh very dear...
The joy for all the neighbours came when two months into ownership, it blew up! There was almost dancing in the street as the poor old thing smoked and wheezed into the road. Man, did I get some b
hy, smart arsed comments. Everyone HATED that car with a vengeance - people that had been friendly before stopped talking to me completely, others started making comments about how big it was and taking up too much space on the road....It was so pathetic, it amused me greatly. It went away to be repaired, never to return (the brilliant dealer gave me a FULL refund and paid me for all the jobs I'd had done to it as well) and was replaced with a newer, better and even more expensive version of the same car! When the 'new' one appeared, it took a while before anyone caught on to the fact it was a different car (similar colour same shape) but then, the knives were out in force. I was even reported to the local police for 'dealing' and to the RSPCA for mistreating 'bait' dogs - anyone that knows me, knows that I adore animals and spend even more on keeping them in good order than I do on the bloody cars!
So now, the Bentley spends most of the time in the garage (rented, huge - it has to be to get the bugger in)and the Honda has gone and has been replaced with another MX5.
I know who reported me to the RSPCA and they have moved now as some of my 'dealing' friends were going to pay them a visit... apparently, but the police one is still a mystery.
I bring the Bentley home whenever is is: a, sunny, and b, when the next door but one neighbour starts talking to me again... she soon stops when it appears and she is reminded I still have it!
Xtriple129 said:
<Snip>
I bring the Bentley home whenever is is: a, sunny, and b, when the next door but one neighbour starts talking to me again... she soon stops when it appears and she is reminded I still have it!
That is mental, great story though.I bring the Bentley home whenever is is: a, sunny, and b, when the next door but one neighbour starts talking to me again... she soon stops when it appears and she is reminded I still have it!
Reported to the Police and RSPCA ? FFS, the narrow minded busy-body attitude of some people is beyond belief.
StuTheGrouch said:
Daston said:
Talking of things like that, one of my wife's friends asked her why she let me have a sports car (my wife actually bought it for me as a gift). Apparently her friend would be worried that her other half would use it to "pick up women".
Why do some women think crap like this as they themselves have no interest in cars so why would they assume that their husbands/boyfriends would suddenly be presented with women throwing their knickers at them?
This is a concept I fail to grasp. I wouldn't ask permission to get a car and I think my wife would think I'd hit my head if I even asked.Why do some women think crap like this as they themselves have no interest in cars so why would they assume that their husbands/boyfriends would suddenly be presented with women throwing their knickers at them?
Bungleaio said:
StuTheGrouch said:
Daston said:
Talking of things like that, one of my wife's friends asked her why she let me have a sports car (my wife actually bought it for me as a gift). Apparently her friend would be worried that her other half would use it to "pick up women".
Why do some women think crap like this as they themselves have no interest in cars so why would they assume that their husbands/boyfriends would suddenly be presented with women throwing their knickers at them?
This is a concept I fail to grasp. I wouldn't ask permission to get a car and I think my wife would think I'd hit my head if I even asked.Why do some women think crap like this as they themselves have no interest in cars so why would they assume that their husbands/boyfriends would suddenly be presented with women throwing their knickers at them?
Why on earth WOULDN'T you ask the person you share your life with and who has an enormous vested interest in the financial well being of the household?
I guess perhaps if you are early in the relationship and don't have kids, you might not have conjoined finances yet.
Or you are living in the 70s where "her indoors" gets a household allowance to keep her in marigolds and the rest of the money is "yours".
I mean what if the missus came home and said, "my engagement ring was getting a little tatty and kept falling apart so I have blown £10k on getting a newer one... but don't worry, it's only £300 a month, we can easily afford the payments..."?
Xtriple129 said:
I moved into my current hovel coming up to three years ago. It is in a middle class part of Torquay and my flat must be the cheapest place round here by a long way. I drove a (shame... ) Renault Scenic on an 'X' reg. I was very poor and it was a decent car (honestly it was fine and totally reliable!) and only cost me £500.
The neighbours all hated that car being parked outside and kicked off about it looking shabby...
So, as funds improved I got a MK3 MX5, nice car, good condition. Again, I got comments about the thing being expensive(£6500!) and where did I get the money etc.
I was getting back on my feet and realising that an MX5 with two dogs was not really practical so I traded it in for a new Honda Insight. That, after initial comments on the 'new' car quickly blended into the scenery and was ... 'accepted'. I was, finally, one of the crowd.
Then, after 18 months of having the Honda, I realised a lifes ambition and bought a Bentley Turbo R as well as keeping the Honda. Oh dear. Oh very dear...
The joy for all the neighbours came when two months into ownership, it blew up! There was almost dancing in the street as the poor old thing smoked and wheezed into the road. Man, did I get some bhy, smart arsed comments. Everyone HATED that car with a vengeance - people that had been friendly before stopped talking to me completely, others started making comments about how big it was and taking up too much space on the road....
It was so pathetic, it amused me greatly. It went away to be repaired, never to return (the brilliant dealer gave me a FULL refund and paid me for all the jobs I'd had done to it as well) and was replaced with a newer, better and even more expensive version of the same car! When the 'new' one appeared, it took a while before anyone caught on to the fact it was a different car (similar colour same shape) but then, the knives were out in force. I was even reported to the local police for 'dealing' and to the RSPCA for mistreating 'bait' dogs - anyone that knows me, knows that I adore animals and spend even more on keeping them in good order than I do on the bloody cars!
So now, the Bentley spends most of the time in the garage (rented, huge - it has to be to get the bugger in)and the Honda has gone and has been replaced with another MX5.
I know who reported me to the RSPCA and they have moved now as some of my 'dealing' friends were going to pay them a visit... apparently, but the police one is still a mystery.
I bring the Bentley home whenever is is: a, sunny, and b, when the next door but one neighbour starts talking to me again... she soon stops when it appears and she is reminded I still have it!
Any chance you can borrow a few exotics, and completely screw the brains of your neighbours? I know a guy who has/had a Russian T24 tank !!The neighbours all hated that car being parked outside and kicked off about it looking shabby...
So, as funds improved I got a MK3 MX5, nice car, good condition. Again, I got comments about the thing being expensive(£6500!) and where did I get the money etc.
I was getting back on my feet and realising that an MX5 with two dogs was not really practical so I traded it in for a new Honda Insight. That, after initial comments on the 'new' car quickly blended into the scenery and was ... 'accepted'. I was, finally, one of the crowd.
Then, after 18 months of having the Honda, I realised a lifes ambition and bought a Bentley Turbo R as well as keeping the Honda. Oh dear. Oh very dear...
The joy for all the neighbours came when two months into ownership, it blew up! There was almost dancing in the street as the poor old thing smoked and wheezed into the road. Man, did I get some b
hy, smart arsed comments. Everyone HATED that car with a vengeance - people that had been friendly before stopped talking to me completely, others started making comments about how big it was and taking up too much space on the road....It was so pathetic, it amused me greatly. It went away to be repaired, never to return (the brilliant dealer gave me a FULL refund and paid me for all the jobs I'd had done to it as well) and was replaced with a newer, better and even more expensive version of the same car! When the 'new' one appeared, it took a while before anyone caught on to the fact it was a different car (similar colour same shape) but then, the knives were out in force. I was even reported to the local police for 'dealing' and to the RSPCA for mistreating 'bait' dogs - anyone that knows me, knows that I adore animals and spend even more on keeping them in good order than I do on the bloody cars!
So now, the Bentley spends most of the time in the garage (rented, huge - it has to be to get the bugger in)and the Honda has gone and has been replaced with another MX5.
I know who reported me to the RSPCA and they have moved now as some of my 'dealing' friends were going to pay them a visit... apparently, but the police one is still a mystery.
I bring the Bentley home whenever is is: a, sunny, and b, when the next door but one neighbour starts talking to me again... she soon stops when it appears and she is reminded I still have it!
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