They say that the Southern California car culture is isolating. It’s hard to argue with that, when everyone’s shut up in their own little boxes. But today, on my way to work (delayed a bit on account of dentist), I was listening to KCRW’s Morning Becomes Eclectic and stopped at a traffic signal. They were playing a live version of Elvis Costello’s “Allison.” I looked in my rear view mirror, and realized that the driver behind me was singing along to the same song. Even though it only went one way—she had no way of knowing I was listening to the same music—it was still a moment of connection through shared experience.
Tag: cars
Shut the Truck Up?
This license plate brought to you by the department of “how did they get that approved?”
I mean, it’s not even in pig latin!
No, it’s not a manipulated photo. I really saw this car on the freeway a few days ago.
For the Terminally DIY-Impaired
We both did a double-take approaching this pick-up truck a few days ago:
Once you think about it (though it helps to see the logo on the side of the truck), it’s clearly a AAA service that delivers and installs replacement car batteries.
The lack of punctuation makes it easy to read as a service that delivers and installs… AAA batteries.
Tempting Fate
License plate on an Eclipse:
I♥VODKA
In California, you can get symbols on a personalized Kids License Plate (fees are donated to child safety programs)—which makes this particular choice even stranger.
Working around the censors
I saw a truck this morning with a license plate that read:
After I tried to puzzle it out for a bit, I suddenly realized…
It’s pig latin.
I had a good laugh after that!
111111
While driving home from work today, I glanced down at the odometer and saw it read 111,110. So I drove around the parking lot a bit, then stopped to snap a photo at 111,111:
OK, this isn’t exactly fascinating photojournalism, but really, how often are you going to see all odometer digits the same? Your car probably has a few miles on it when you drive it off the lot, so you never see 000000. And what are the chances that you’ll still be driving the same car after 222,222 miles?
(In case you’re wondering about the trip odometer, it didn’t roll over at exactly the same time. I zeroed it because I figured it would make a better picture – all 1’s on one row and all 0’s on the next.)
The Turn Signal Is Your Friend
Given that most of us think we are above-average drivers, you’d think people wouldn’t expect other drivers to be telepathic.
Turn signals prevent other drivers from hitting you! (Or at least reduce the chances of it.)
I am amazed time and time again as I see people driving shiny new Mercedes, Lexuses (Lexi?), and BMWs dodging in and out of traffic without signalling, trusting those below-average other drivers to have above-average reflexes and precognitive abilities.