Automotive Enthusiast Stereotypes.

[faksta]

Since one of my mates knew I'm into cars, he started sometimes asking me 'Huh..what car is this?? Wooooahh!! And this?? Muhaha!!' Or 'How do you think, do you know the car I saw yesterday? You know? You know what it was? Buuuuuick!!! You knew it? Tell me, you knew it?'

[NSXType-R]

Well, because I'm Asian and I like cars, people automatically think that I like RICED cars.

I really hate that. Frankly, I'm quite the opposite. I enjoy cars mostly stock.

Naturally, people put me with Fast and the Furious and the drifting craze as well.

I've watched Initial D. It's an alright anime, but that doesn't mean I love it.

[Saphie]

All my friends know that I love cars and seem to appreciate that it's just an interest like any other. I don't really mention it to people off-hand exactly because of the potential for random stereotypes being attributed to me. If they ask or show an interest I don't hold back though!

[Rotary.freak]

Well, because I'm Asian and I like cars, people automatically think that I like RICED cars.

I really hate that. Frankly, I'm quite the opposite. I enjoy cars mostly stock.

Naturally, people put me with Fast and the Furious and the drifting craze as well.

I've watched Initial D. It's an alright anime, but that doesn't mean I love it.

Lol I love Initial D, and Wangan Midnight. Corniest stuff ever but when it gets rolling i'm really into it.

Seriously speaking though, nobody ever says anything about my thing for cars. They know I'm into it but they don't stereotype me at all.

The worst is when a class mate finds out about your passion for cars and starts talking about Civics and you immediately know he's in over his head but he keeps talking and saying stupider and stupider things, and then when you drop it on him that the Civic and the Skyline GT-R aren't the best cars in the world he's completely offended and disagrees with you instantly.

[nota]

No kidding! Its bad enough to say your an engineer but to say your into cars launches you into a world of clarifications. I have given up bringing it up and only really discuss my love of cars with those that ask. I dont know whether the problem is that not enough people are really into cars or that is just frowned upon by those not into it.

So the answer is yes to stereotypes being applied. Fortunately my best friends understand its just the same as them being into music or any other hobby.

Well put fellow traveller, and good for your egalitarian friends


I too hate how my automotive hobby interest is usually automatically reducted in category-stereotype to the lowest bitter dimension and looked down upon in perception as belonging to something rather vulgar and/or downmarket, not to mention macho-immature.

Well two can play that game because usually this typecast judgement emanates from your average snooty knob who blissfully considers their own personal hobby interests - be they supposedly 'legitimate' can't stand the excitement pursuits like sewing or gardening or those 'out there' collectors of ephemera and bric-a-brac junk hunted from garage sales, etc - to somehow be a more intelligent, prestigious and socially valid pastime than mine

[LeonOfTheDead]

Since one of my mates knew I'm into cars, he started sometimes asking me 'Huh..what car is this?? Wooooahh!! And this?? Muhaha!!' Or 'How do you think, do you know the car I saw yesterday? You know? You know what it was? Buuuuuick!!! You knew it? Tell me, you knew it?'

LOL no, that was my mother...everytime she sees something a little diferent from the common cars, she than comes back home saying. "i saw a car...it was...mmm...low, very low....and red, yes it was red!" then i start trying to understand what car did she see, but then i realized theat i could even say "oh hell yeas, a Chrysler Town and Country" and it would be the same...

[NicFromLA]

NASCAR. People assume I'm into NASCAR and I think NASCAR is incredibly boring.

I also hate that because people think I'm into classic cars and high performance cars that I don't know anything about safety.

[whiteballz]

Because of the car I drive, how loud the exhaust is, and how ratty it looks if I dont clean it people assume I drive a drift pig - And thus treat me like the scurge of the earth.

Cant blame them really.

[pimento]

I'm not sure what people assume about my Volvo.. yes, it's a Volvo, but it's bright red, has a little spoiler (factory) on the back and big (factory) rims. I was having an enforced discussion with a policewoman just after I got it, and she assumed that I'd modified it. Anyway, here's a rant that you may find useful.

[LeonOfTheDead]

I'm not sure what people assume about my Volvo.. yes, it's a Volvo, but it's bright red, has a little spoiler (factory) on the back and big (factory) rims. I was having an enforced discussion with a policewoman just after I got it, and she assumed that I'd modified it. Anyway, here's a rant that you may find useful.

i adore Jeremy Clarkson, and your link explains very well our point here

[70cuda88]

People always expect me to drive perfect cuz im a "car guy" so when i had my first(and only) fender bender, i never heard the end of it

also the NASCAR thing, i hate NASCAR...

Oh and because i drive a German car(BMW) im supposed to know things about Germany!(not that everyone shouldnt) but they single me out. or that my car is fast because theyve never heard of it. or maybe it was 100,000 dollars!!!!!! Yeah come to think of it there are a lot of stereotypes

[LeonOfTheDead]

i am studying in modena, maranello, the house of the prancing horse, but i am not from modena, i moved here...sometimes i think i cannot find man, or even a woman sometimes, who believes to not know everything about ferrari ----> everything about cars. they guess that if you know pretty well stories and technical stuff about ferrari (NO YOU DON'T) you will know everything about the rest of the world. it's the fourth year here, and i think their attitude to cars changed mine. they are not all this kind, but they are too many for my pacience. so then you meet someone different from these people, but you remember of them, and you are no longer able to say simply "i like cars" because you, or at least me sometimes, hate who "like" cars.

[kingofthering]

-When I grow up, instead of being a doctor, I will be a car mechanic, despite attending a pretentious college-prep school.

-I can identify any car on planet Earth.

-I automatically know which car is "good" for you without even driving it.

-I have a "favorite" car.

-I know things like the size of the fuel tank on your mother's Toyota Previa.

This brings me to a funny story where some guy tries to get me to help him to buy a car. He automatically starts looking for cars with "Lamborghini doors" and we come upon a standard ricer. He says it's "hella cool" and I look in disdain. Several months later, he changes his mind several times to the point where I give up and don't give a damn. For the record, he's not a stereotypical Asian guy, but some idiotic Soviet-bloc-nations guy who annoyed every teacher in the school.

[IBrake4Rainbows]

People assume because I drive a Volvo I'm an easy beat

[The_Canuck]

Yeah most people think I'd be into Nascar or Japanese cars...not alot of Euro following here...

Also girls assume i'm like any other guy in respects to liking cars. Apparently all guys like cars and have the same knowledge....? Ha.