Do you compliment other drivers' cars, or...
Discussion
...is it a bit weird saying something randomly to a complete stranger?
My experience is that it is usually always well-received, no matter who it is.
For example. Several times when I have been in my 911, I have pulled up next to something nice at traffic lights. One occasion I stopped next to a DB9, so I would my window down and looked across - the other driver saw me, and wound his passenger window down. I just said 'ah, she's really lovely - you must be proud!' He opened up the broadest smile ever, and just said how lucky he was to own her, then the light changed and off we both went smiling.
I did it to an Audi R8 driver too, not long after they had come out. He had a white one - an unusual, slightly brave choice. I said 'wow, that looks really sharp in white!' And we had a quick chat about how him and his wife agonised over the colour choice decision in the showroom - all whist waiting for the traffic lights to change!
But I do it to anyone, anywhere, even people with average cars. Petrol stations, shop forecourts - if I like the look of something, I say so. Then pretty much every time, I get 5 minutes of a bonding bromance with a fellow petrolhead, haha! I even did it tonight, a young lad was at the local shop with a new 1.2 Vauxhall Corsa. It was in white, but had black wheels, and he'd painted the brake calipers. I just told him I thought that the black wheels looked really smart against the white. We chatted about cars for a few minutes, and then we both left, smiling.
I think that those odd random connections with someone over a car makes the world a better place to be for a moment, and it's interesting to break the ice in such a way with a complete stranger. I like doing it - does anyone else do this kind of thing, or am I just mental?!
My experience is that it is usually always well-received, no matter who it is.
For example. Several times when I have been in my 911, I have pulled up next to something nice at traffic lights. One occasion I stopped next to a DB9, so I would my window down and looked across - the other driver saw me, and wound his passenger window down. I just said 'ah, she's really lovely - you must be proud!' He opened up the broadest smile ever, and just said how lucky he was to own her, then the light changed and off we both went smiling.
I did it to an Audi R8 driver too, not long after they had come out. He had a white one - an unusual, slightly brave choice. I said 'wow, that looks really sharp in white!' And we had a quick chat about how him and his wife agonised over the colour choice decision in the showroom - all whist waiting for the traffic lights to change!
But I do it to anyone, anywhere, even people with average cars. Petrol stations, shop forecourts - if I like the look of something, I say so. Then pretty much every time, I get 5 minutes of a bonding bromance with a fellow petrolhead, haha! I even did it tonight, a young lad was at the local shop with a new 1.2 Vauxhall Corsa. It was in white, but had black wheels, and he'd painted the brake calipers. I just told him I thought that the black wheels looked really smart against the white. We chatted about cars for a few minutes, and then we both left, smiling.
I think that those odd random connections with someone over a car makes the world a better place to be for a moment, and it's interesting to break the ice in such a way with a complete stranger. I like doing it - does anyone else do this kind of thing, or am I just mental?!
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