On vehicular stereotypes

"Textured Soy Protein" (texturedsoyprotein)
07/11/2014 at 14:31 • Filed to: None

Last night I went to Target in my 135is pictured above. As I walked from the store back out to my car, I saw a couple-years-older black 135i parked nearby. It had tinted windows, chrome window trim blacked out (mine came that way stock), matte black painted or plasti-dipped stock rims, spray tinted taillights.

Then I saw its lights blink as it was being unlocked, and I heard from behind me "whoa that's an -is, I have to go talk to that guy about his car." This was of course the owner of the 135i in question, with his gf/wife/mistress. She took their cart back to their car while he very enthusiastically asked me questions about my car.

Now I'm a car guy, I like talking with other car people, and he was genuinely interested in my car so of course I'll oblige. I even revved it out for him so he could hear the M Performance exhaust. The only thing is, I lost count of how many times during the conversation this dude said "THAT'S SICK!"

The stock 135is-specific wheels? Sick. The exhaust? Sick. The !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! in the headlights? Sick.

So I can now confirm that in Madison, WI one driver of a slightly bro'd-out 135i likes to call things "sick," as a compliment, a lot .

That is all.

DISCUSSION (14)

PS9 > Textured Soy Protein
07/11/2014 at 14:33

Sikk photo, bro.

RacecaR > Textured Soy Protein
07/11/2014 at 14:40

He may also have been half ass listening and that was his "brain is shut off, make a comment" word. Like mine is usually "Yeah" or "Oh, yeah". Generally, I do this when talking to others about cars and they go on about their car while I just look at it. Sometimes people get a little too detailed for me. When they start talking about rear end gearing, and compressions and valves and crazy details, I kind of zone out.
Maybe that is what he was doing.

Or he just really likes saying "sick".

akant > Textured Soy Protein
07/11/2014 at 14:45

Madison, WI? I think I've seen you around then...

Textured Soy Protein > RacecaR
07/11/2014 at 14:47

I get what you're saying, but in this case it was more he would ask me about something, I would answer, and he would say THAT'S SICK. For example:

"Are those wheels stock?"

"Yeah, the only thing not stock is the LED bulbs I have in the halo rings."

"You mind turning those on so I can see? I hate the yellow bulbs in mine."

(I turn on parking lights, he looks at front of car.)

"THAT'S SICK!"

Bob Loblaw Made Me Make a Phoney Phone Call to Edward Rooney > Textured Soy Protein
07/11/2014 at 14:48

I've found the 135 crowd to be a weird one. My analysis of the stratification of ownership is as follows:

1. Cute women whose husband/father bought them the model with the big engine simply because they could even though the 128 would suffice.

2. Dude-bros as reported above, who generally seem to have graduated from WRXs

3. Those of us who just wanted a reasonably sized, RWD, 6-speed, 300+ HP car that was a hoot.

Textured Soy Protein > Bob Loblaw Made Me Make a Phoney Phone Call to Edward Rooney
07/11/2014 at 14:50

I'm 3a: I really wanted a car with a DCT and this was the best ratio of performance to lease deal.

Brian Silvestro > Textured Soy Protein
07/11/2014 at 14:52

To be fair, your car is pretty sick.

Bob Loblaw Made Me Make a Phoney Phone Call to Edward Rooney > Textured Soy Protein
07/11/2014 at 14:57

It's a good transmission, no harm in that!

Textured Soy Protein > akant
07/11/2014 at 14:59

Could be. Not many 135s around here and I've yet to see another -is.

2222222222212 > Textured Soy Protein
07/11/2014 at 15:23

His car didn't happen to have an "Illest" sticker, did it? that is the vernacular of a certain type, and you found a card holder.

Textured Soy Protein > 2222222222212
07/11/2014 at 15:28

Not that I could see, and I agree with you on illest stickers.

2222222222212 > Textured Soy Protein
07/11/2014 at 16:07

The thing about me though - I'm a social chameleon. If that dude came up to me and I wasn't in a particularly bad mood, I could match his dialect and we would hit it off while letting the 'sick dude bro' fly with emphasis. If I flagged you down to talk garage with, I would quickly determine your demeanor and we would use a more normal, gentlemanly tone. Because you would respond more attentively, and we would both get more from the conversation. And you wouldn't think I was a douche even if I was.

2222222222212 > Brian Silvestro
07/11/2014 at 16:09

- didn't mean to publish here. Ignore.

Textured Soy Protein > 2222222222212
07/11/2014 at 17:38

I am far from gentlemanly. I just don't say "sick ride bro." I was happy to talk to him, just laughed to myself afterwards at his "sick ride bro"-ness.