Petrol Powered Pet Peeves

There are a lot of things that annoy me about what people do when they have a car.  I'm not quite sure if this is because I'm an auto enthusiast, an engineer, or just a neurotic putz.  Regardless, here are the top five things that my girlfriend says I complain about most.

First up is the Prius owner.  It's not just any old Prius owner though.  It's the specific Prius owner who puts a cargo carrier on top of the car like the one pictured above.  Now, I don't have any problem with the carrier itself.  I have a huge problem with the fact that these things are very rarely taken off of the car once installed.  Nevermind that the Prius was designed to be as slippery as possible to cut right through the air to achieve its fuel efficient numbers.

The Prius had long ago become a status symbol and by owning one you are telling the world that you are saving it regardless of the fact that a bigger midsize car would suit your size needs more adequately and for a lower sticker price to boot.

Recently I noticed that a lot of people like to ask me if I've raced anybody.  I don't know if this is a local phenomenon or if all car guys get asked this.  Yes, I know my car has decent power ratings and it is classified as a tuner car.  That doesn't mean that "I live my life a quarter mile at a time."  Street racing is a pretty stupid game since the Fast and the Furious franchise made it so mainstream.  Chancing life, limb, finances and the law isn't my cup of tea.  "Street cred" is not worth it!



Speaking of "street cred," I get really frustrated when people decide to rebadge their cars into something that it isn't.  This can include a whole myriad of things like putting "type R" paraphernalia on a Camry or even keeping within one marque and putting M3 badges on a 328i.  This type of behavior only attracts real car guys and doesn't gain you any "street cred."  The real cars guys are the ones that care about things like type R, AMG, M division, etc and they will know that you are a poser.  The worst of the worst can be seen in the video above.

I'm sure you've all seen this hanging in the most ill-suited cars to transport a child.  I think it's a slap in the face to all the drivers around it.  To me it says "drive extra careful because you are around my child who will one day discover a vaccine for death."  It's almost as if that proud parent thinks everyone else drives horribly and needs a reminder about how to operate a vehicle.  This especially irritates me when the owner of this placard can't stay in their own lane and is chain smoking.  It's ok though!  They have a baby on board that is very distracting and stress-inducing.

This last one infuriates me.  It doesn't matter whether the passenger or driver is doing this.  It's equally stupid, dangerous, and terrifying.  Let's count the reasons.

1.) Mirror is blocked

2.) Can't brace yourself for emergency maneuver

3.) Is not protected by crash structure in the event of an accident

4.) Road debris

5.) Where is the airbag deploying?!?!

This does not excuse those people that put their foot on the dashboard either.  That is just as bad.  Think of an airbag to the foot followed by a knee to the skull and you'll get the picture.

These are my current complaints.  What are yours?