Be advised: this thread is not for serious in-depth discussion of weighty topics (we have a link for that), this thread is not for anything Culture War related. This thread is for Fun. You got jokes? Share 'em. You got silly questions? Ask 'em.
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One thing I feel like we discuss rarely here is cars.
I drive a late 90s/early 00s German sedan. When I made less money, I spent a good amount of time wrenching on it. I wanted to have some minimal competence and understanding of the car, and it was a great way to save money.
It still would be a great way to save money - I won't kid myself there - but the stress of preparing for a maintenance job, buying the specialized tools/parts, and working in my extremely cramped garage has lost some magic. I still feel accomplished doing little things but when I'm constantly under pressure to be doing work or parenting, there's less magic in DIY. Bike maintenance provides a similar dopamine hit with far less commitment.
That said, I just picked it up from the mechanic this week after a month-long absence and some significant work being done. I truly do not understand how people put up with newer cars.
This thing is absolutely sublime. It strikes a perfect balance between the precision and feedback from all of its systems while driving and what you'd define as "luxury" and comfort. I splurged on an aftermarket exhaust that fades into the background on the highway and absolutely rips when I'm driving like I stole it late at night on more empty roads.
Not to mention how it looks. Of course, any car you see as a teenager is what you base everything else on, but the slightly angular design language of this period right before everything turned into aero blobs for fuel efficiency and crash standards just really gets me going. I absolutely still look back at it when walking into the office and find myself getting excited when I step back into it after a long day.
Whenever I'm on the road watching hundreds of drones driving dirty shitboxes without using their turn signals or trying to drive efficiently, I fall into such a superiority complex. How could you care so little about something you do so much? For a country supposedly in love with its cars, it would be tough for Americans to give less of a shit about how driving feels and how they perform at it. For all I'm made fun of about the time and money I've invested in an older car, when I spread that out over the time I've used it and the joy I derive from it it seems like an obvious trade.
I've finally gotten my driver's license after nearly a decade of procrastination. Sadly my hopes that self driving cars would be good/cheap enough for that to never be necessary haven't yet manifested.
I never really got the appeal of burning gas for the sake of it, now that I actually need a car for my job, sure, I want one that fills me with a sense of "pride and accomplishment", and most importantly, doesn't scare off the hoes. So probably a second hand half-decent sedan.
I really don't particularly care about the experience of driving, if I want to indulge in fantasies, I'll just fire up Forza and take cars that cost more than I make in a decade out for a spin.
If there was a box where I could sit for t=same time that actually driving would take, and it magically apparated me to my destination when time was up, I'd take it.
I think women may care slightly about supercars, but I think they actually care about something that is kept clean both inside and out. I would also throw out that an older, more uncommon car that's not a shade of greyscale would have some sexual market value. Plus, if she breaks up with you and sees something like it, she'll get a nice ping of remorse. If you drive a black camry there's no opportunity for long-distance, indirect emotional warfare.
I think some people just don't have the driving "gene" and that's OK, but I also suspect there are many people who do have it and don't realize it. If you haven't pushed a machine to its limits before then you won't know if you enjoy it. Even an afternoon at a high-end go-kart track can let you know if you have the bug or not.
Not every drive can be enjoyed for the same reasons. I love the utility of my minivan for long-haul interstate travel, where the compliant suspension, sliding doors, and infotainment system pay far more dividends than my sport sedan.
For young men, this reinforces the value-add of having a low—or better yet zero—body-count girlfriend, much less wife. Far fewer avenues by which she can have a "ping of remorse" in this respect.
The male ick for high female bodycount is easily legitimate, if we accept that the female ick for male shortness, low socioeconomic status, or lack of preselection is legitimate.
The more guys who've banged her, the greater probability your cologne, car, interior decor, domicile, choice of vacation spots, choice of AirBNBs/hotels, educational alma mater, former or past employers, etc. can remind her of some other guy(s) for whom she's happily done fatherless things.
Or even if different, perhaps she may prefer the cologne of OtherGuy1, the car of OtherGuy2, the interior decor of OtherGuy3, the domicile of OtherGuy4, the vacation spot(s) she was at with OtherGuy5, the choice of AirBNBs/hotels of OtherGuy6, etc. to your chump selections/experiences.
Of course, lipstick feminists may just poison the well by saying A Real Man wouldn't feel threatened by his girlfriend/wife's bodycount. If your lifestyle reminds your girlfriend/wife of an ex- or one night stand, or how an ex- or one night stand did it better, you should only reflect upon it as a skill issue, be less toxic and insecure, and strive to be better. Just be her best.
Feelings and preferences are legitimate. Full stop. Anybody trying to shame you into thinking otherwise is not your friend and is likely trying to manipulate you to their own selfish ends.
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