I like to think of myself as a car enthusiast, and so a lot of my friends and family members often come to me with any car-related questions that they have. I don’t profess to be a font of all knowledge, of course, but I like to help people out where I can if I know the answers to any questions or problems.
Obviously I don’t expect everyone else to be petrolheads as I am, and I can accept that some people simply have no interest in cars apart from knowing how to drive them.
But one thing that grinds my gears is when people talk about cars or anything automotive, whilst giving others the impression they know what they are talking about when they don’t!
Here are some of the classic things that some people spout!
“XYZ cars are more reliable than ABC cars”
The above statement is probably one of the most-annoying things that people can say! Strangely enough, these comments are often made by clueless people with an interest in cars than those without.
There is always that one guy that will mock you for buying a certain make or model of car because it’s a “shed on wheels”, yet they personally have no experience of ever buying or driving that make or model of car!
You even get stereotypical comments such as “Fiat stands for ‘fix it again tomorrow’”; these comments are annoying – and pointless.
“My car is better than yours in the snow”
Whilst it is true that some cars can handle snowy weather conditions more than others, the main problem isn’t so much with the snow, but it’s the person behind the wheel that does a bad job of keeping control of their car.
Of course, if the weather conditions are bad, a smart driver wouldn’t be out on the road in the first place…
“You paid HOW MUCH for your car?”
A friend of mine was being virtually humiliated by a mutual acquaintance because they felt my friend should have paid significantly less money for this car.
The thing is he paid the market value for the car. He even asked the guys on the Big Motoring World Facebook page about it, and they confirmed the price paid was fair for the age and condition it was in.
It turns out that this acquaintance doesn’t have a clue about anything car related, and often tells people all sorts of ridiculous stories about how he helped to design certain cars or even take part in Formula One races.
His stories might have some weight to them had we not all known beforehand that he is just an accountant that drives an old Vauxhall Astra estate!
“Has it got a turbo, mate?”
I’m not sure why some people ask questions like that. Is it because they think I am impressed with their supposedly superior knowledge of engine components, or did they think that my otherwise standard-looking Citroen C1 had some monstrous turbocharged engine that spits flames out of the small (and standard) exhaust pipe?