There are two kinds of pedestrians - the quick and the dead.

[deralte]

I like this article on car fish, not the least of which because it gives you an idea of exactly what it is like to drive in NJ, and what it does to you as a driver. I always feel so weird driving outside of the northeastern states simply because I'm suddenly driving far too aggressively. Suddenly, the only people on the road keeping up with you are the truckers, macho guys (who can't stand seeinging a tiny car driven by an even tinnier woman passing them), and the other NJ drivers. And people start being nice, and letting you in traffic and giving you the right of way. What's up with that? (I am excepting areas within or around big cities since everyone drives agressively around them.)

It also addresses one of the reasons why I will never put a bumper sticker on my car - I really hate that people think a sentence or a few words on a bumper sticker will not only define the owner of the car, but will also somehow influence the mind of the other drivers. A fish sticker will not automatically convert anyone who sees it to Jesus. The support our troops ribbons have so far suceeded in me wondering why there are so many different colours (with the extra thought of who in their right mind puts a pink! ribbon on their car when they aren't the estatic father of a newborn baby girl?). My father put a bumper sticker on my car while I was away first term, and I was so annoyed when I got home I made him tear it off immediately. It wasn't just that I don't believe in bumper stickers in the first place, or that they really can make any car extremely ugly, but also that he somehow thought it was okay to use my car as a slogan for something (as it happens, I agreed with the sticker, but I still never want one on my car).

This isn't to say bumper stickers don't work on occasion, they just never really have the effect people are hoping. My friends once bought a bumper sticker that said 'Wench' on it and put it on my car as a joke. Since I'm a good sport (and was too lazy to find any peroxide to clean it off) I left it on for a few days. I had intended to leave it on for a week or so to ensure the joke was good and dead, but I had to take it off after a few days. Guys were deliberately pulling even with my car, checking me out and even honking me, just from the stupid bumper sticker. After a couple of days, I couldn't stand it and ripped the thing off (peroxide wasn't needed, just fingernails thankfully). In short, bumper stickers are crap... and I really should stop ranting about this and get back to studying.

Comments

[spacelem.livejournal.com]

My other bumper sticker says something witty and insightful. Probably involves Bruce Campbell being better than God.