nice car in a bad hood

[Pop_Rivit]

Some people with a shallow self image feel the need to project an image with a vehicle. There's a small, dilapidated town about 5 miles from here that's really nothing more than a wide spot in the road with a dozen ramshackle homes and trailers. Two of the worst homes have newer Cadillac's parked in the dirt driveways, and one has a brand new Chevy pickup in the drive.

These folks can't afford to live in decent homes, yet they choose to buy expensive vehicles to project an image of success to people when they're out and about.

I see it as a rather sad comment on the human psyche when people need a car to feel good about themselves.

 

[ridgerunner]

Originally Posted By: Jimmy9190
And the $1200 car with a $6000 stereo and $4000 rims barely even runs, leaks/drips/burns oil, sometimes leaks gas too and it belches blue smoke out the exhaust so bad you can't even be near it whe it is running. A/C doesn't work and neither do the power windows, so it's a real treat to drive in summer, especially for the innocent kids in the back seat, who probably don't have a car seat, and even if they did, the seat belts are either broken or missing altogether. The heat doesn't work because at some point in time the heater core has been bypassed due to a leak and the blower motor either works only on high speed or not at all. If you are lucky one of the 3 brake light/tail lights works and maybe one of the blinkers works on one side only but neither one in the instrument cluster will flash so you have no idea if they work at all.

I used to see these kinds of cars all the time when I was a car stereo installer. We called them "hoopties", nothing on the car worked, engine barely ran, when it did run it usually had a bad exhaust leak and/or ran so rich the exhaust would make you sick to be within 10 feet of the car, usually the car had a lot of electrical and safety problems going on...but there they were, spending $300.00 on a new CD player, amplifier or adding more speakers to a stereo system that could be heard for 6 blocks. And the car was always spotlessly clean, has a $500 steering wheel and sitting on the biggest rims that would fit.

A lot of the time they would pay for the new stereo or whatever in cash. All in $1, $5 and $10 bills. I give you one guess as to the source of the money. Yet a lot of "those cars" all had one thing in common: most of them had an open Bible laid up on the dash. We all knew that usually meant the car belonged to a gang member. Most of their cars had a very "aromatic" interior when they showed up at the shop too.

And this is just about the cars. I won't get into the other aspects of that kind of lifestyle that ordinary working people have to support. I will say the sad thing is the kids grow up in it and that is what they are very likely to become too. They know nothing else and often have no one to teach them any better.


Big problem is that these people are allowed to VOTE! If U are sucking on the governments teet it is a conflict of interest for U to vote, PERIOD! jmo.

 

[demarpaint]

That question has gone through my mind many times. I guess they don't care about scratches, dings, dents, or it getting stolen........

 

[Cutehumor]

Originally Posted By: Cutehumor
I'm the opposite! I live in a nice neighborhood but drive a $500 1996 beater that's never washed and has huge dents from a car accident. but it's paid for.

I forgot to mention. There is a guy on my street with two Porsche Carerra's in his garage. next time I drive by his house, I'll tell him "nice ride's" and sputter off in my piston slappin huge dents in my 96 sunfire.

 

[bigmike]

I lived in a ghetto for a good portion of my early life.

Observations would include:

Everyone had at least 1 super large screen TV, and all the fancy electronics to go with it, including gaming systems, speakers, etc.

Most stereo systems in cars were worth more than what I drove.

Everyone had money for drugs, alcohol, and cigarettes, with some even affording to purchase prostitutes as well.

Food stamps are a currency denomination.

Cable was free. Just give the local guy a 12 pack and he'll hook it up for you. All ghettos have this guy available.

A great majority had multiple pets and children.

Aluminum foil is a window tinting option, but window screens are not available. Drugs and money cannot pass through windows if they have screens.

Having a fence, outdoor antenna, or outdoor storage was a luxury item.

You did not irritate the "weed man." He is the only person on the block that doesn't get any [censored] from anyone.

I could go on for a long time here, but that's enough and OT.

 

[JHZR2]

Unfortunately Its not OT. But say these things from any other angle, not as first person observations, and they are always claimed to be stereotypes and not really indicative of the life that most live and the conditions that they are trying to overcome.

We have a duplex at the end of our street, which supposedly is owned by a "minority" lawyer, and he will not rent to folks unless they are part of the same minority.

Well, we've had more and more instances of people hanging out on the corner, threats to people on the street, kids in others' yards, bicycle and other minor robbery, stuff that was never heard of before. Im sick of it. Done with it.

When we (the homeowners on the street) see anyone out at the end of the street after 10pm (because they will "hang out" in the street), we now call the cops. Zero tolerance, period. What is happening is that they are bringing their ghetto Camden friends over and that is no end to the problems that may occur.

That's all Ill say for now, but there are worse parts. Its really sad, and I dont know whether to be mad or disgusted.

 

[Bamboooo]

 

[JHZR2]

yeah, its all great to play tough, but you cant be home all the time...

 

[dwcopple]

Originally Posted By: Bamboooo

yessir!

 

[Jeepster_nut]

Originally Posted By: Pop_Rivit
Some people with a shallow self image feel the need to project an image with a vehicle. There's a small, dilapidated town about 5 miles from here that's really nothing more than a wide spot in the road with a dozen ramshackle homes and trailers. Two of the worst homes have newer Cadillac's parked in the dirt driveways, and one has a brand new Chevy pickup in the drive.

These folks can't afford to live in decent homes, yet they choose to buy expensive vehicles to project an image of success to people when they're out and about.

I see it as a rather sad comment on the human psyche when people need a car to feel good about themselves.


This also hold true about people with nice big homes they cant afford. Gotta impress the friends and the "joneses".

 

[hattaresguy]

Well it started with redlining in the 50's and 60's when bank's wouldn't lend to black people who made enough money to get out of the ghetto. So since they couldn't express there success with property they bought cars.

Now its just poor idiots, and I find it entertaining to laugh at them.

 

[JHZR2]

The sad thing is that now folks help them to come out of the ghetto, and they bring the ghetto with them.

 

[Bamboooo]

 

[Popinski]

Originally Posted By: tonycarguy
Something I don't understand is why people who live in bad areas buy really nice cars, like $40k to $60k cars, then park them outside on the street. I know people who do this and their cars all end up with an assortment of scratches and dings on the bumpers because other drivers (with their beater cars) don't care and are bad parallel-parkers. In these bad areas where there is insufficient parking, it's like a demolition derby everyday after 6PM as everyone is trying to squeeze their cars into any spot. These nice cars have probably been hit 10+ times each.

Some people's priorities are messed up. Why buy a $50k car when you live in a bad neighborhood and have no garage??



The rich get richer, the poor get poorer.

 

[eljefino]

So let's say you restore a nice car, put 1000 hours into it, and sell it for $5000.

What's the dream, to do the work yourself or to buy a nice "whip"?

The guy who buys the restored car will be more shallow than the guy who put heart and soul into it (unless he's a dealer with a paint/body shop who can superficially perk something up to flip it.)

Who are we to judge the character of the guy with more money than skills? I figure a drug dealer who buys a 30 year old car because it's unique is still more of a car guy than a dentist who leases a new lexus...