OT: What do you do for a living? What do you drive? Social pressure?

Submitted by dupont circle on
Although my dad was in management for the Big 3, and we always had new nice cars, I've never been a car guy. Having lived in two major cities thus far after college, it seems like even my peers who said they'd never buy a car, period, let alone anything flashy, are caving. (Where did all these Audis and Land Rovers come from?) Mid to late 20s the el and Metro have officially stopped being acceptable, I guess. Amongst friends and especially at work there is this weird undercurrent to fit in or fit out, with regard to buying a luxury car or SUV. Also projecting a certain image.

CoachBP6

March 10th, 2015 at 9:35 PM ^

Football coach / bartender
Toyota Camry
No pressure I'm content living n the mountains in a hand built cabin with my dog.

Danwillhor

March 10th, 2015 at 9:35 PM ^

but those friends "caving" are just going what they A) think "growing up" demands & B) very likely succumbing to the VERY horrifying messages modern advertising gives off. Also, it's just a fact that women are bombarded by imagery of not being in a real relationship if her guy doesn't dive a Lexus SUV, live in a minimalist modern designer home where the front yard is comprised of small marble pebbles instead of grass & he works at a place where he gets paid to apparently swap random blueprints with fellow $2,000 suit wearing 20 something coworkers lol. That or during the holidays you drive it to your multi-million dollar log cabin winter getaway home with her Father that looks like every guy that's ever been in a boner helper commercial. It's every Lexus as ever made & other companies do it worse! Now we have commercials flat out saying you're not a man if you don't drive this, wear this, etc. Women also have public pressure to live up to or find the ideal we're being sold. So, they could be buying for any, more and/or different vagi....I mean women. Fact. I live by the general motto of too much of anything is bad, happiness over money & if it's not broke don't fix it. I'm not poor but I'm not rich. I do what I want not what I'm told. I don't mind not fitting in or being out of the loop. Dave Brandon likely hates me haha.

MBandMarch

March 10th, 2015 at 9:45 PM ^

Well said Dan.

 

As a woman who largely lurks on mgoblog, I am fascinated at the often tweenage-girl-like social striving of manly men.  Really guys?

If you like strawberry daquiris (a former mgoblog post of male trepidation), DRINK THEM!

If you dont want the hassle (or CAR payment!) of a late model Lexus, Beemer, et al, DONT DRIVE THEM!

If a woman doesnt dig you for you, well DITCH HER!

What do I do for a living? Im a NYC financial planner who drives a Subaru to her very unsophisticated VT farm house.  Definitely not hip.  Definitely lovin my life.  May you find the same. 

MBandMarch

March 11th, 2015 at 1:11 AM ^

One more thing...

We are all familiar with the concept of "shadenfreude"...

Have you heard of its converse, "mudita"?

I hadnt until reading an NYTimes Magazine article on, our boy, Tom Brady, in the midst of everyone stumbling into "deflategate"......

As all the jealous ones were relishing Mr Brady's " downfall" he was describing the concept of seeking joy in another's success - the Hindu concept of "mudita".  The timing of his lesson could not have been more exquisite.  Hot DAMN! Now that is a concept I can really embrace.  Mudita to you all!

Danwillhor

March 10th, 2015 at 10:43 PM ^

I'm glad someone understands. I'm not pandering at all but I think women have had it worse for much longer in the "you're not complete if you don't...." ad world. I think it's a very recent thing that men are outright being told we're losers, unfit to be loved/fulfilled/happy or so much as a man (!) "if we don't....". I also have personal experience with it as much of my extended family are "life achievement award" flashers like dc mentioned. Very small, almost every 5-9 male in my family drives a 6 ton Dodge Lacerator that they have to almost literally climb in & out of. They have tons of comfort features & can haul a small city but none of them actually DO that stuff haha. I'm apparently the lame guy in the "identical guy in front of a sedan & truck pics" commercial. The one that has women & kids all but calling the guy in front of the car (identical guy wearing casual clothes that clearly isn't EVER hauling lumber, gravel, etc) a untrustworthy, ugly sissy. I drive a 2010 sedan that gets crazy miles to the gallon & is neither ugly or a spaceship. I have no children & I don't work at a lumber yard. Modern advertising is laughably evil, IMO. BTW, my name on here has no bearing on my job! It's my initials (first, mid, last) & I didn't even notice what it reads like until after. DanWill*NOT*Hor. Take care & thanks for reading my paragraph-less app post, ignoring missed autocorrects, sharing & replying. Have a great night & Go Blue!

Danwillhor

March 10th, 2015 at 11:06 PM ^

As I mentioned in my reply to dc, you nailed it as well. Very well said & I also wish you & all else a content life. Thank you for the same sentiment & Subaru farm house living can be pretty hip if it's what YOU are happy with, haha. Take care & lurk less if you can/want to. I think we need more women input in most discussions here, UM athletics or OT.

Danwillhor

March 10th, 2015 at 10:53 PM ^

basically this. Nailed it in 3 words, sir. Genuine kudos & it can be hard but always do you. If it feels like you're trying or thinking about these things you're likely not doing what YOU want. I won't tell you how to live your life (but I hope it's a happy, fulfilling one regardless) yet I think the kind, intelligent woman above also nailed it. If you're not hurting others do what you want at all times. Drive the car you want until you truly need a new one. Take a pay cut to work a job you don't loathe. Never try to fit in but hope your natural self attracts others while also never purposefully avoiding "the crowd". Etc. It rarely goes wrong. As another human being & UM fan, I just wish you & all else a content life.

Rabbit21

March 10th, 2015 at 9:36 PM ^

Professional services, Chevy Colorado, None whatsoever as I like trucks and before that I drove a beatdown VW Jetta, so I really don't care.  I will say the choice of mini-van as directed by my wife did seem to conform to that as I noticed all her friends drive the same brand.

JHendo

March 10th, 2015 at 9:49 PM ^

1. Senior software tech

2. 2014 Chevy Cruze for me, 2010 Chevy Equinox for the wife.

3. Even though I come off as a stereotypical Michigander with 2 GM vehicles, I honestly don't feel any pressure to buy/drive anything in particular. While I have my own personal quirks (I won't keep a car that's more than 7 years from it's manufacture date or nearing 100k miles), I think cars are too of a bad of an investment to care about anything more than how comfortable you are driving it.

The Cruze is good on gas and gets me to work with enough room in the back for a carseat if necessary, and didn't cost too much even with the technology package I wanted. The SUV is also suprisingly good on gas and has the size my shirt wife wife likes without being too big (and makes it easy to get our toddler in and out).

maizenbluenc

March 10th, 2015 at 9:44 PM ^

Lifted Unlimited Rubicon

When I go into work I am quite fine driving to work muddy, park where I want with no fear, can create a space if needed

SAP consultant neighbor with the Aston can kiss my ass, I've pulled his FJ out of the mud twice. I get way more "like your Jeep" comments than I got "like your BMW" when I had a 535i.

RLARCADIACA

March 10th, 2015 at 9:44 PM ^

Electrical Engineer (Power) 20 years Commercial Nuclear Now 15 years Wind
2009 Honda Civic Hybrid with 299,525 miles
Hell no, never cared about social status just the Love of my Wife and Children

xtramelanin

March 10th, 2015 at 9:49 PM ^

we have 4 vehicles on the farm, all but one is diesel and all but one is a stolen and/or salvage vehicle that we fixed up.  collective mileage of the 4 is somewhere north of 600K.  we make our own diesel fuel though, i built a bio-diesel reactor in the barn years ago.  the farm equip runs on on it too.

see answer to vehicles above, answer is obviously 'no'.  we're more like the beverly hillbillies. 

In reply to by xtramelanin

HateSparty

March 10th, 2015 at 10:27 PM ^

I seriously would love to meet you. If you are legit, such an interesting person. This is the internet so you might also be some college football player's girlfriend.




Sent from MGoBlog HD for iPhone & iPad

xtramelanin

March 11th, 2015 at 5:45 AM ^

am/are real.  i guess i could've mentioned one of the vehicles in particular that people like - its a 15 passenger stolen van that i bought at auction and converted to 4X4 for beloved mgowife.  we have been blessed with a much larger than average number of children and there are too many of us to fit in a large SUV.   i couldn't have momma sliding off the road with the kids, thus the van conversion i had done through a really slick outfit.  all the teenage boys stare at it, but i always think of the aforementioned beverly hillbillies. 

and i have another job that helps pay the bills, but farming is a big part of what we do.  indeed, last night i had the 5 sons with me in the hen house mucking it out since the temps finally got above freezing.  that was a whole lot of chicken scat, ankle deep in most places.  

oh, and the old ford pick-up is going to be a problem one day.  all the kids have called dibs on it and i can't play solomon and cut it into 7 pieces, assuming it keeps on going....

 

MGlobules

March 10th, 2015 at 9:52 PM ^

And I was only too happy not to need a car. (Even though my uncle was a designer at Ford and I have always loved cars.) When my wife got her first tenure-track job, we bought a then brand new 98 Civic--manual transmission, McPherson struts and wishbone suspension. At the time I read an article in Car and Driver that asked if it might rival the Model T in its solidity and journeyman perfection. The next year they dumbed them down, and shortly they became quite ugly, but we paid $500 for some kind of extra coating, got it loaded (for a Civic) and with mud guards. . . and drove it up and down the West Coast for a summer before heading inland to her job

and it now has 315,000 miles on it. It has never broken down once except in my driveway (fuel pump), still has all of its paint beautifully intact, still gets 28 and 34, and still drives really well. In fact, when I go to test drive other cars (because it has to die some day, I figure), they often drive like crap in comparison to my 98 Civic. (Nobody believes this story except my Honda mechanics.) It's been paid for since 1999. 

There was a period when my in-laws used to rib us, ask when we were going to get a decent car. They don't rib us anymore. A lot of our friends have been through four or five cars in the meantime; with the money we have saved we have left the country almost every summer for the last ten years. My life would be fairly different if we hadn't bought this car, and my daughter's college will be paid for, a decent retirement financed, and the house paid when my wife retires. . . so, despite the Great Recession really really sucking, we have had some decent luck.

My next car--when I give Greenie to my daughter seven years from now to take to college--might be something like a Mazda CX-9. (I love the way the recent Mazdas look and drive.) Something I can pull a little boat behind, and take on a cross-country journey with my wife. But I have been fantasizing for a long time about trying to drive Greenie to Tierra del Fuego. And I just may do it yet.

Wendyk5

March 10th, 2015 at 10:35 PM ^

At my professional peak, I was an advertising copywriter/associate creative director and I drove an Alfa Romeo Spider. I'm now a stay at home mom with a small furniture business who drives a Jetta wagon TDI. My son, who is somewhat obsessed with cars, suggested I look into the $800,000 Singer. Oh, ok (Jennifer Lawrence nod)

 

Forgot to answer the pressure question. No pressure. We have reverse pressure where I live. If you drive a flashy car, you're looked down on. 

Moe

March 10th, 2015 at 10:02 PM ^

I'll give it a stab. 1. I'm in digital marketing. 2. Share a 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee with my girlfriend (I prefer public transport here in Chicago). Bought the jeep because we both owned Jeeps beforehand and need something with 4X4 when we head north.

DrueDown

March 10th, 2015 at 10:31 PM ^

1. Digital Marketing Strategy

2a. Commuter (my favorite thing in the World)

2b. Grocery / Kid Hauler

3. I LOVE German cars and I LOVE to drive - It has nothing to do with the Jones'

mgoblue11gvsu

March 10th, 2015 at 10:13 PM ^

1. Teacher
2. 2010 Toyota Yaris and my wife replaced her 1998 Ford Escort Wagon in Nov. when someone hit her and we now have a 2015 Nissan Versa.
3. I'm to cheap to care what others think. There are other vehicles I'd rather drive but I have grad school to pay for as well as IVF treatments. (Shameless plug: http://www.gofundme.com/gvs5wo)

M Go Cue

March 10th, 2015 at 10:14 PM ^

1:  I buy drugs

2: Nissan Rogue

3: "The indian knew how to live without wants, to suffer without comlpaint, and to die singing."       -Alexis de Tocqueville 

turtleboy

March 10th, 2015 at 10:17 PM ^

A. Programmer
2. Beater pickup
D. Nah. I like nice cars, and can afford them, but I like being debt free even more. Besides, my shitbox and I have had some good times together. It's been through many cross country adventures with me, and even more ex-girlfriend adventures . I might fix it up someday, yeah, probably not, but I'll keep telling myself I might.

WolvinLA2

March 10th, 2015 at 10:16 PM ^

Medical device rep

2014 Dodge Journey

It's a company car, so I have a built in reason to avoid any pressure. But I love in a very family-centric part of LA where lots of people don't get crazy.

CookieMonster

March 10th, 2015 at 10:16 PM ^

Golf pro, small biz owner



99 Jeep Grand Cherokee with just over 200k. Haven't had a car payment in over 10 years but it's on it last leg and the wife wants to get pregnant. Will be forced to buy a newer one for safety purposes. God damn car payments......Damnit I'm cheap. Lol to #3