Saturday, January 9, 2016

Testing a Theory

I have a strong and somewhat irrational dislike of people who drive fancy cars.  I hate when people think that having money makes them special, and I particularly hate it when they prance around displaying their money to others*.  This is a somewhat unfortunate attitude to have as a physician, as many of my colleagues own fancy cars, and I can't help but judge them unfavourably when they park next to my grungy Corolla in a freshly washed BMD with a vanity plate that reads "DOC MD".

I've always maintained that all I need from my car is to get me from point A to point B, preferably without contributing too much to the nightmare of global warming.  When asked if I would be buying a new car when I finished medical training (because buying a new car is so much more important than paying off my six-figure debt), I would reply smuggly "I don't want a fancy car.  I'm going to drive my car into its grave."

Well.

Yesterday, while picking my girlfriend up from work, I started backing up my car while asking her about how her day at work was going.  I was clearly distracted by the conversation, because I drove my car straight into a dumpster.  It wasn't a case of seeing the dumpster and misjudging how far it was from my car, but rather a case of completely not noticing that the dumpster was there.  I was so oblivious to its presence that it took a moment before I realized that the loud crunching sound was somehow being caused by my actions.  Horrified, I got out of the car to discover that my left bumper was completely bent inwards.  In a 90 degree angle kind of way.

Amazingly, the damage was purely cosmetic.  The rear light was scratched a bit, but the plastic didn't break, and it's still fully functional.  And the bumper is plastic, so it won't rust despite the surface being horribly and irreparably damaged.

So, this is my test.  I said I didn't want a fancy car and I only needed it to get me from point A to point B; I guess we'll find out whether I really meant it.

*Not to mention the people with fancy cars who do not actually have money and are fools in addition to being snobs.

6 comments:

  1. I'm not a big fan of fancy cars either, but I do like expensive pants so I try not to judge too much (tho, a vanity license plate surpasses even my threshold). To each their own. You should probably get the car fixed regardless since if the bumper is cracked it won't protect you very much if someone were to rear-end you. If the repair costs > than the car is worth, then that may be the time to consider replacing the car.

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    1. Hmmm...I hadn't thought about the safety aspects of the damage. It's far enough on the side that I think (based on zero actual knowledge) that it's probably still very functional. I might get my cousin who owns a garage to have a look at it for me. Thankfully the car is still new enough that it would be worth investing in the repairs, if needed.

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    2. I totally hear you. I had the same dilemma abour 10 years back after I got rear-ended and the damage appeared cosmetic also. My dad was the one who convinced me to replace it. Such a PIA! If you can get your cousin to take a look for free, that seems reasonable. I hope you don't have to replace it!

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  2. Just replaced my bumper for safety reasons. An invisible tree may have been involved.

    I have a pickup, which is very functional for me, and I've had it for almost 14 years and expect to keep it for quite a while longer. That said, when I borrowed a friend's Lexus, it was like driving on a cloud.

    Sometimes nice things are nice.

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  3. I also can't stand the expensive cars, mostly because I feel like I see a lot of them driving unsafely as if they own the road...but perhaps that's my own insecurity about my tiny Ford showing through...

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  4. Yeah, I don't "get" fancy cars but I like other fancy things, too (like OMDG) so I've been working on not being judgemental. some people get a LOT of joy out of cars, its not just a functional item, just like a dress for me is not just some cloth to cover my body. But the douche-bag vanity plates---ugh.

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