There’s a lot to be angry about in the car world: gas prices, obsolete parts, careless owners and stuck bolts. We try not to focus on them too much, but each of us still has those little things that make us say, “Hmm.” They just get on our nerves. This week, I decided to focus on the details. In the spirit of humor, we share some of the nasties that are unique to cars: the many features, behaviors, and perspectives that get under our skin more than we should. No, when you think about it, double hoodies actually suck, so it’s no wonder we’re annoyed too.
Pet Peeve #1: Switch Blank
I know this is a minor thing, but for me it’s a blank switch. These are small rectangular inserts, usually black plastic, that cover where there are switches for controls, such as turning off automatic start/stop. fog lamp. Traction Control – It was supposed to be included, but this vehicle doesn’t have that feature.
Blank switches bother me for two reasons. One is to mess up the symmetry of the dashboard or console in order to save a little money that the manufacturer covers by design rather than plugs. The second thing is to promote the fact that it’s okay to have problems. No matter how much I spent on the car, there were some features I couldn’t buy. Is your car loaded with luggage? No, it’s not. That’s because the unsightly switch is blank. And it’s not just a cheap car. I tested a $223,000 car with a blank switch a few weeks ago. OK, end of rant. — Stephen Cole Smith
Frustration #2: Stereotyping people based on their cars.
They say that X car is for Y type of person. Based on stereotypes rooted in my car history, I’m a hairdresser, a redneck, someone who doesn’t know how to use a turn signal, a retiree, an NPR listener, and who knows what else. not here. (Bonus points to anyone who can accurately guess which car I owned based on the above.) What someone thinks about another person based on their car is more likely to be observed by the observer than by the observed one. It often says a lot about you. — Eddie Eckhart
Pet peeve #3: Quit car show due to burnout.
It’s not exactly a controversial opinion, but it causes burnout when you leave a car show. That’s not cool. you are not cool No one over the age of 15 thinks you’re hot. You’re making the rest of us look bad. It’s making the audience nervous. This is causing trouble to the police and local residents.
This kind of burnout is dangerous, but not the sexy, glamorous kind of danger, but the pointless, sad kind. Oh, and the people lining the road recording your unpleasant exit? They’re there to get you a clip where you crash and look like an idiot. — Andrew Newton
Pet Rage #4: Unpredictable Drivers
I get frustrated with car owners who don’t want their cars touched. It’s just a car, but you keep calling it “your baby,” so honestly, you – fortunately – were going to wash and wax it for the third time this week anyway. So please calm down.
But in pound-for-pound, people who don’t understand priorities win the top prize. Four-way stops are all too often an exercise in frustration, and heaven forbid the power goes out and traffic lights start flashing.
Drivers who stop in the middle of blocks to let pedestrians cross, assuming that others will also stop. Don’t be polite, be predictable.
Ah, there’s a special place in hell for drivers who stop on freeway on-ramps. — Stephen Lombard
Pet Peeve #5: A job where you can park in multiple locations.
As I drove to the supermarket to run some quick errands, I considered several answers to this question, but the correct answer hit me right in the face as I pulled into the parking lot.
Without a doubt, the thing that annoys me the most is people who intentionally park their cars to take up multiple parking spaces. Often the perpetrator here is a regular pickup, SUV, or passenger car. There is nothing inherently valuable about them. You can’t be bothered to care about anyone but yourself.
They probably won’t even return your shopping cart. — Nate Petroelier
Pet Peeve #6: Maniac Marge
Some on-ramps around metro Detroit are criminally short, crooked, or both, and construction is happening here and there, but merging shouldn’t be this confusing. Whether merging from left to right to avoid construction or merging from right to left following the on-ramp, Michigan seems to have completely misunderstood merging. There are aggressive law-abiding people who move quickly, even if the sign says “lanes end in 1 mile,” but there are also regular people who wait until the lanes actually merge. — when you actually see a glowing arrow sign, or when you count down from a “1 mile” sign on your GPS or odometer and plan on inching away at a comfortable speed with 0.2 miles left.
These contradictory behaviors create the strangest dynamics. People slam on their brakes as soon as they know a merge is coming, and get behind each other in the most polite but most dangerous confusion, whether it’s a mile or a half mile away. Others relentlessly pass the orderly cars, naturally honking their horns at anyone who “cuts in” the line. Elsewhere, that disconnect is just a regular merge. — Grace Horton
