Cars vs. Society

"Mercedes Streeter" (smart) 08/04/2015 at 13:28 • Filed to: None

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Internet car communities often joke about how the Miata is often labelled as a hairdresser’s car...and many less appropriate connotations. Over time, society developed expectations for people. Girls drive cute little things like Beetles and minivans, while guys get trucks and sportscars. People who go outside of these norms are suspect to backlash.

I thought those connotations were fading. I began to see people be more accepting of cars that didn’t fit the “norm” for gender and sexuality. But alas, the Internet is not the same as real life.

I recently realized that one thing about me is that I’ve experienced life as two genders, and thus, I can relate to both men and women. But, it’s different to relate based on knowledge versus actual experience. And unlike Jose Canseco thinks, you cannot get a feel simply by playing pretend for a week.

I own a smart fortwo.

This car is as polarizing as the Pontiac Aztec, either people love it, or people want to see it burn to the ground. On the road, this means that people will either take pictures of your car, or try to run you off the road. It’s straight up love or hate. And it sucks, because while you love the car, you know that any given day of the week, you might find it keyed, tipped over, or not there at all. Now, couple an unpopular car to society’s expectations for gender. What do you get?

As a Guy

Wherever I went, people pointed and laughed at my car and I. I got called some rather unfortunate names (well, turned out they were right I guess lol), and I often had my life decisions questioned. But at the worst, at least twice a week there would be someone trying to run me off the road. Now, I don’t mean someone just trying to cut me off, no I mean someone trying to push me off the road or into a guardrail. At car shows, I always felt unwelcome, getting stern looks from people who brought Camaros, Corvettes, and even lowriders. Last year, I literally got laughed out of a car show.

But there were good times. People would come up to me and ask about the car, make good comments, some even wanted to pay for a test drive! The people that like this car are pretty insane.

As a Girl

It’s a night and day difference. The funny thing is that these people would start their bad behaviour (laughing, trying to run me off the road, etc) and then I would roll down my windows (I have 5% limo tints) and all of a sudden, they’re gesturing for me to “call them” or trying to cat call me while on the road. Once I’ve even had a guy write his phone number on a piece of paper and put it up in his window. Suddenly, owning a smart has made me incredibly attractive. I can’t even fill up without curious eyes looking at me. The best part is that the violence against me has pretty much stopped. All I have to do is lower a window. Even car shows are awesome again.

And the car didn’t change, only I did. So somehow, my car is more tolerable if a girl is behind the wheel. Why is this? Why does it matter if you’re a guy driving a supposedly non-guy car? It’s purrrrfectly acceptable to be a girl to drive a cute car, but not so much for guys.

GM has a commercial where they show people a guy standing in front of a Colorado and the same guy standing in front of a Corolla.

Their message? Trucks make men look more manly. Instead of supporting the idea that the car does not make the person, GM doubles down on the idea that the car does make the person. In that, buying a truck will make you look like a better person.

I think it’s strange that when considering a car, that “how people will treat me” has to be a factor. I didn’t give a damn when I bought my smart, I’ll love it no matter what anyone does. But not everyone will be able to take being run off the road, the chances of vandalism, or the fact that your choice of car changes how you’re viewed by others.

It shouldn’t have to be that driving a certain car gets you called slurs about sexuality or gender, it shouldn’t matter if you’re a guy driving a microcars, or a woman driving an 18-wheeler. We should be able to drive whatever the hell we want without having to consider what might happen.

Mr. Ontop, No Strokes, No Smokes...Goes Fast. > Mercedes Streeter 08/04/2015 at 13:37

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Here. Drive this. Feel the hate and love it! Let them think what they want, who cares. Live your life.

And also a song that I think you’ll appreciate, if you don’t already know it.

nermal > Mercedes Streeter 08/04/2015 at 13:39

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On the other end of the spectrum, dirty old men with a Corvette and bimbos.....

Mercedes Streeter > Mr. Ontop, No Strokes, No Smokes...Goes Fast. 08/04/2015 at 13:40

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Muahahahaha I cannot even think how people would react to that.

Don’t get me wrong, my car is actually *more* enjoyable now that I’m actually in my transition. But I just don’t get how something as simple as a gender change can make your experience with a car better. lol

Twingo Tamer - About to descend into project car hell. > Mercedes Streeter 08/04/2015 at 13:43

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I got many insults for my little blue Fiat. I had no fucks to give though, I loved that little car.

R Saldana [|Oo|======|oO|] - BTC/ETH/LTC Prophet > Mr. Ontop, No Strokes, No Smokes...Goes Fast. 08/04/2015 at 13:46

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i wrongly assumed that the song you posted would be “Don’t go changing” by Billy Joel.

R Saldana [|Oo|======|oO|] - BTC/ETH/LTC Prophet > Mercedes Streeter 08/04/2015 at 13:49

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Mercedes, what is your thought of the “gender-fluid” people? i am confused by these people, I think maybe I am being unknowingly bigoted by saying pick a gender, whichever one you are and stick with it. Meaning, if you want to be a woman be a woman, if you want to be a man be a man; regardless of what you were born as. The gender fluid folks kind of confuse me because I try to be polite and call people sir or ma’am as necessary but will undoubtedly get caught out at some point saying the wrong thing because I don’t know any better.

Mr. Ontop, No Strokes, No Smokes...Goes Fast. > R Saldana [|Oo|======|oO|] - BTC/ETH/LTC Prophet 08/04/2015 at 13:49

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No, quite the opposite, in fact.

Mr. Ontop, No Strokes, No Smokes...Goes Fast. > Mercedes Streeter 08/04/2015 at 13:51

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I think it is more of a matter of you getting comfortable in your own skin, so to speak. The car serves as a physical manifestation of that.

#I’mnotapsychologistIjustplayoneontheinternet

R Saldana [|Oo|======|oO|] - BTC/ETH/LTC Prophet > Mr. Ontop, No Strokes, No Smokes...Goes Fast. 08/04/2015 at 13:52

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Good song nonetheless, as I was when robin Williams passed, I will be terribly sad when Billy Joel goes softly into the cold, dark night. His music although probably not appropriate for a young man, was a cornerstone of my cultural upbringing.

Steve is equipped with Electronic Fool Injection > Mercedes Streeter 08/04/2015 at 13:52

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As a dude in the South who experienced a bunch of road rage simply because I drove my wife’s New Beetle Convertible ( See Here) I can kind of relate. Moving from that to a beat-up Accord wagon made people treat me differently.

True story: I had a bro in a brodozer try to run me off the road because I was driving the Bug. He saw me getting gas and was snickering and pointing as I filled the tank and dropped the top. When I pulled back onto the road, he began tailgating, flashing his LED bar, and otherwise trying to intimidate me. Because I’m an adult, I just drove like a normal person and ignored him. We got up to a light where he rolled his window down and began to taunt me, calling me a faggot and other stuff like that. I looked over at him, confused, and asked him why it was so important to harass someone he’d never met. He said I was a faggot again and then I said, “Homophobia ain’t fear of gays, man. It’s the fear of the gay inside you.”

He looked like someone had just kicked his dog, then opened the door and jumped down from the truck as the light turned green. I took off and headed back to work.

Some people just suck.

Mercedes Streeter > Mr. Ontop, No Strokes, No Smokes...Goes Fast. 08/04/2015 at 13:53

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Perhaps! Part of the reasons I liked smarts so much because I felt that they fit my real personality. :)

Daily Drives a Dragon - One Last Lap > Mercedes Streeter 08/04/2015 at 13:53

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I still want a motorcycle swapped smart.

Mr. Ontop, No Strokes, No Smokes...Goes Fast. > R Saldana [|Oo|======|oO|] - BTC/ETH/LTC Prophet 08/04/2015 at 14:00

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Same here. When I first heard that song, in particular, it really connected with me. And it had the added benefit of driving my mom up crazy. Which at that young time of life, I considered a benefit.

Two Drink Minimum > Mercedes Streeter 08/04/2015 at 14:00

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“Were you saying something about my car? I can’t hear you over the sound of this exhaust.”

Mr. Ontop, No Strokes, No Smokes...Goes Fast. > Steve is equipped with Electronic Fool Injection 08/04/2015 at 14:04

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Steve, I’m from the south too, though I don’t live there anymore. I used to drive convertables a lot when I was there and had similar things happen. I started carrying a pretty nasty looking axe with me for those more aggressive bro-douches. An axe and a manic grin goes a long way into getting those lunatics to back off.

I should probably take the high road more often....oh well, what’s done is done.

Mr. Ontop, No Strokes, No Smokes...Goes Fast. > Daily Drives a Dragon - One Last Lap 08/04/2015 at 14:06

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look up the Diablo smart sometime. Your efforts will be rewarded.

B/Xmrrmvr > Mercedes Streeter 08/04/2015 at 14:13

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Most of the women in my life either want a Wrangler, G-Wagon, Range Rover (white of course), or a FJ Cruiser.

Jayhawk Jake > Mercedes Streeter 08/04/2015 at 14:24

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Gender doesn't matter to me, those stupid fake vortex generators on your spoiler do though.

Mercedes Streeter > R Saldana [|Oo|======|oO|] - BTC/ETH/LTC Prophet 08/04/2015 at 14:27

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It’s totally understandable to be confused! I’ve been called out for “gender policing” before. Some people are trying to change the definition of trans, so someone can call themselves trans for pretty much any reason.

Many (if not most) genderfluid people often go on to actually transition to be a male or a female. Being genderfluid allowed them to experiment with their identity without any obligation to adhere to any gender.

As for those who don’t transition? It depends on why they call themselves that. If they call themselves genderfluid just so they can paint their nails, wear girl/guy clothes, etc, then they’re confusing gender roles with gender. You can be a cis male and paint your nails, you can be a cis female and cut off your hair. Trans isn’t about gender roles, it’s about having the body to match the brain.

Some others create their own genders, create their own pronouns, then argue that they are real because they don’t even fit within the non-binary spectrum.

This is effectively like some of the people out there who say they want to transition because they think it’s trendy or cool. Neither of those are good reasons to go through the lifelong process of being trans. Nobody is gay just because they think being gay is cool.

Now, if you’re genderfluid because you legitimately feel you’re both/neither a male or female or that you fall outside the standard “male/female” binary, that’s exactly what being non-binary means. :)

Also, I would not worry about pronouns. If they do not identify as he, she, or they, then you cannot possibly be expected to know their pronouns without being informed of it first.

Mr. Ontop, No Strokes, No Smokes...Goes Fast. > Mercedes Streeter 08/04/2015 at 14:41

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There you go! A breakthrough. I’ll have my secretary bill you later.

Mercedes Streeter > Jayhawk Jake 08/04/2015 at 14:41

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Ouch..

Jayhawk Jake > Mercedes Streeter 08/04/2015 at 14:44

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I've always hated fake aero mods that don't at least look like they COULD do what they are intended to do. Vortex generators on top of the spoiler on the back of a flat backed car are dumb. They look dumb to me (an aerospace engineer) because they do more harm than good where they are

Mercedes Streeter > Jayhawk Jake 08/04/2015 at 14:53

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Most smart owners use Vortex Generators to help with crosswinds. Tall profile mixed with low weight makes for a weird time crossing bridges and passing semis. The general consensus within the smart community is that they do nothing at all for fuel economy, but do help just a little when it comes to crosswinds.

*Shrug* I dunno. I hate when cars get the “Fast and the Furious” bodykit makeover without having anything done for performance, but who the heck cares what people do with their own money? More power to them. I won’t even hate on someone who puts on Autozone fake vents or so much chrome that you can’t even tell what model the car is.

Berang > Mercedes Streeter 08/04/2015 at 16:53

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I read this book a long time ago, and its mostly freudian nonsense, but it did make a few interesting points about how people see cars as extensions of personalities.

Although in the author’s opinion (spoiler alert) - the beetle as it turns out is not a sex symbol, it’s a unisex car that holds no feminine or masculine pretenses, and beetle owners tended to be a diverse group of people. Interestingly he did also make some odd observations about compact cars and sexuality in general though.

I’ve personally never quite been able to wrap my head around the “girl car” and “guy car” thing. I can’t get how a car could be intrinsically linked to a gender. I can see how somebody might try to force that connection by aligning qualities they consider masculine or feminine with certain qualities of cars, but I guess I’m too reasonable to sympathize with that sort of “connection”.

Is a guy car one that is powerful like a man is “supposed” to be? Or is it say a car that needs a strong driver, one without power steering, or power brakes, etc. - since real men are strong? Is a guy car supposed to be big because men generally are larger than women? These are all pretty fanciful connections to cultural perceptions of masculinity. I’ve never really bought it, although it is sometimes fun to take the piss out of those who think that having a loud, lifted, brutally ugly truck somehow makes them more manly.

R Saldana [|Oo|======|oO|] - BTC/ETH/LTC Prophet > Mercedes Streeter 08/04/2015 at 17:23

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Thank you for helping a simpleton understand. In any conversation that i have breached this topic I only draw ire from people on both sides, those diametrically opposed to transgender lifestyle and those who claim to be pro-LGBTQ

Mercedes Streeter > R Saldana [|Oo|======|oO|] - BTC/ETH/LTC Prophet 08/04/2015 at 18:06

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You’re welcome!!! To be honest, even the trans community is divided on the topic of what is trans and what isn’t.

Some people think that any reason is a good reason to be trans, while the rest of us (myself included) think that any reason is not a good reason...in particular, reasons that involve following a trend, malicious intent, trying to get attention, career, etc. Or really, any reason that pretty much insults or mocks trans people.

Miss Tesla once told me something that I will remember forever: “No real trans person *wants* to be trans. Being trans is a necessity, not a want.” And then another time “I’ll ask you this: If the world had no concept of gender roles, men and women dressed and acted exactly the same, the only difference being the male body vs the female body, would you still be trans?” And if the the answer is no, then you probably aren’t trans.

Daily Drives a Dragon - One Last Lap > Mr. Ontop, No Strokes, No Smokes...Goes Fast. 08/04/2015 at 18:09

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I know people have swapped things into Fiat 500s but never a smart. Ill look when I'm not on my phone.

Mr. Ontop, No Strokes, No Smokes...Goes Fast. > Daily Drives a Dragon - One Last Lap 08/04/2015 at 18:20

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That’s new to me. Never heard of a 500 swap, but plenty of Smart swaps. Are you in Europe?

Daily Drives a Dragon - One Last Lap > Mr. Ontop, No Strokes, No Smokes...Goes Fast. 08/04/2015 at 19:24

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No not in Europe. I’m talking about things like this:

I did know about motorcycle swaps in Smarts but not anything more.

Mr. Ontop, No Strokes, No Smokes...Goes Fast. > Daily Drives a Dragon - One Last Lap 08/04/2015 at 19:30

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Ohhhhh that V12 Lambo-500. Yes, i am aware of that one. It is beastly.

Daily Drives a Dragon - One Last Lap > Mr. Ontop, No Strokes, No Smokes...Goes Fast. 08/04/2015 at 19:49

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It hardly looks like a fiat but... It's amazing.