The true myth of the spoiled Southern California valley girl.

"RoadHead -- Armand" (armandks)
07/30/2014 at 22:57 • Filed to: None

I am a Californian. I was born in the North and moved to Southern California when I was 17, where I've lived since. Growing up, I heard stereotypes about the women in SoCal. I heard that they were vapid and worshiped wealth and materialism. A generalization to be sure, but this is what I assumed moving down there.

Of course this is not true. Not entirely. Generalizing is bad, and the rich variety of people I meet continue to amaze me. Regardless, the roots of the rumor occasionally bubble to the surface.

Enter Gina. Gina is a friend. She drives a fairly new Audi A3, also known as the Sorority Special. Gina, is not a car guy, or a car anything. Gina also is not a very good driver. Her Audi is heavily absurd. Every body panel is damaged in some way. The front end is hanging on by means of crude screws drilled directly into the panel.

Gina cares little for the state of her vehicle. She did not pay for it, and she will likely not pay for its replacement. The car is well engineered and still drives well, but it will not perform as well as it does for much longer, I think .

I share this because people who disregard their cars upset me. Abandoned super cars in Dubai upset. Derelict classics in front yards upset me. German steel is ruined by careless hands.

Please treat your machines well.

DISCUSSION (22)

themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles > RoadHead -- Armand
07/30/2014 at 23:03

I went to high school with a girl who had totaled at least four cars (that I know of) before turning 18. This was in Michigan but she was the full-on stereotype of a daddy's girl who paid for nothing and still somehow had a clean record. One of her crashes was into the back of my friend's truck. Her method to avoid punishment? Have sex with the guy she hits. Again..... before she turned 18 . Thankfully none of them were new (she probably totaled her parents' car(s) so they knew better) but still.

RoadHead -- Armand > themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles
07/30/2014 at 23:06

did your friend get some illegal tail then? I'd say that's a fair trade.

themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles > RoadHead -- Armand
07/30/2014 at 23:09

Nah, she was a loud talker in class and she had like 5 different strains of VD alone according to her......talks. I sat behind her in english class. I spent most of every class trying to not laugh my ass off. She was a true skank. He just made her dad pay for a new bumper and tailgate.

GhostZ > RoadHead -- Armand
07/30/2014 at 23:10

I seriously think there should be a law that forbids drivers under 18 from purchasing/driving a vehicle over a certain appraised value, something like $10,000, and you can't drive a $40,000+ car until you're 21. Same for how you should have a higher license tier for cars that go over 90mph. In exchange, insurance costs should be brought down slightly along with this.

There's a very minor safety loss to those drivers, but in reality the amount of destroyed and unsafe cars out that causes far more danger.

I mean, personally I think that it should be illegal for parents to buy a car for a kid and then register it for the kid to drive entirely. I also think that inheritance should be made illegal too, so there's that.

StoneCold > RoadHead -- Armand
07/30/2014 at 23:10

"I share this because people who disregard their cars upset me. Abandoned super cars in Dubai upset. Derelict classics in front yards upset me. German steel is ruined by careless hands.

Please treat your machines well."

This is a statement I echo.

webmonkees > RoadHead -- Armand
07/30/2014 at 23:10

Agreed.. historically this is Patient Zero of "Valley Girl", Moon Unit Zappa.

Jeff-God-of-Biscuits > RoadHead -- Armand
07/30/2014 at 23:15

"and the rich variety of people I meet"

It's SoCal... Imma fix it for you. "and the variety of rich people I meet "

RoadHead -- Armand > GhostZ
07/30/2014 at 23:43

I've never really considered this, but the gap of knowledge between being able to operate a Camry, vs, say, a Viper, its astounding. The fact that anyone can legally drive both does strike me as odd.

GhostZ > RoadHead -- Armand
07/30/2014 at 23:46

I could be wrong, but I think Japan does that with engine displacement for motorcycles.

Anon > GhostZ
07/31/2014 at 00:23

Where's Kat when you need her?

Nick drives Stick (not Stig) > RoadHead -- Armand
07/31/2014 at 00:48

A4 in the picture, if that is her car...

RallyWrench > RoadHead -- Armand
07/31/2014 at 00:53

A4? I work in a CA college town too, and the number of comprehensively destroyed but relatively new Audis/VWs/BMWs (but mostly Audis) I see in the shop is appalling. They're like this one. It's like the Audi B6 & B7 A4 are the college car du jour. I don't get it. I can't afford these cars, and these boys & girls absolutely murder them. The value of something earned vs given, mumble grumble bitch gripe YOU KIDS GET OFF MY LAWN!!! At least it's job security.

Makoyouidiot > GhostZ
07/31/2014 at 00:54

Uhh, my Fiat 500 goes over 90, and it's only got 101bhp. Maybe for cars that go over 120? But then again most compacts with a 4banger can do 120...Maybe just have better driver education?

GhostZ > Makoyouidiot
07/31/2014 at 01:06

More that the cars should be limited to 90.

Makoyouidiot > GhostZ
07/31/2014 at 01:15

Hmm, under 21, car has to be limited by law? That would save a few lives, but not as many as making phones inoperable if the locator senses the phone's moving over 40mph unless in hands free mode.

duurtlang > GhostZ
07/31/2014 at 04:31

Europe does too. At least my native the Netherlands does.
License A1. Minimum age: 18. Maximum displacement: 125cc. Maximum hp: 15.
License A2. Minimum age: 20. Maximum power: 47 hp
License A. Minimum age: 22 + minimum 2 years of possession of A2. Or minimum age 24 and no prior possession of A2. No restrictions on power.

Note that getting any one of these licenses is relatively hard, especially if you didn't have any motorcycle drivers license before.

Corey CC97, MAZDA DPI IS STILL BAE JOESTACTIV JOESTACTIV JOESTACTIV JOESTACTIV VISIT FLORIDA RACING LIVES FOREVER IN OUR HEARTS > RoadHead -- Armand
07/31/2014 at 04:46

This reminds me of a girl I know.

She has a Corolla and one day she told me that there was something wrong with it. She said that it ran rough and the check engine light was always on. I just assumed it needed an oil change and asked when was the last time she got one. Her response: "You're supposed to change the oil?".

At least she isn't as bad as some other people I know...

Pillow1 > GhostZ
07/31/2014 at 14:03

Glad you aren't in charge of anything then because we'd be living in a dictatorship. "Oh and, no soda's over 12oz!"

George McNally > RoadHead -- Armand
07/31/2014 at 17:45

Interesting thread.....I have a 21 year old son that has the use of a 15 year old Saturn SL2 with 75K miles on it while he attends college. He is *not* a car person......he is aware that cars need maintained, but he has absolutely no interest in how a car handles, how fast it goes, how shiny it is, etc....all he knows how to do is check the fluids and tire pressure and how to add oil if needed.

In one respect, this attitude will save him a lot of money....he intends to keep driving the Saturn until it ceases to run or is too expensive to maintain (he pays for 1/2 the regular maintenance). Since the car is made out of plastic and I make sure all the fluids, belts, tires and hoses are taken care of and I detail it 3 or 4 times a year....it might last him another ten years.

Hell, by the time I was 21...I was on my 4th car.

RoadHead -- Armand > George McNally
07/31/2014 at 18:37

For perspective I'm 20, and I live and breathe cars. Your son will undoubtedly save money compared to me. I have two cars, a 1995 BMW, and a 1968 Cougar, both of which are expensive to maintain in their own way. I really wish I could own something as sensible as a hand me down Saturn. Wait a minute, no I don't :)

Eric in the PNW > GhostZ
07/31/2014 at 20:21

You do realize that a $500 clapped-out heap moving at 40MPH hitting into your sexy $100+k stopped-at-a-light supercar will probably still total your car, right? The fact they're driving a POS doesn't reduce the damage they can do to a nice car, and might even amplify it.

GhostZ > Eric in the PNW
07/31/2014 at 20:31

It has nothing to do with then damaging my car at all. It has to do with them damaging their car. Liability insurance covers my car (and if I have a 100k car, I'm sure as hell getting more than just liability for myself too).

But two $50,000 cars getting totaled hurts the whole economy a lot worse than $50,000 car being totaled by a $500 car. this has nothing to do with personal wants, it has to do with policy that would make the system work better, but would never be adopted because it's unpopular to voters.