# Life skills test **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [May 21, 2008, 12:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/life-skills-test/450039 "2008-05-21T00:27:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![ToeJam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/dfb087/32.png) [@ToeJam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ToeJam)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2008, 6:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/life-skills-test/450039/21 "2008-05-21T06:54:17Z")
B. Who changes their oil every month??? I change my oil based on the miles, not the dates. ---
**Author:** ![chaoticbear](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f07891/32.png) [@chaoticbear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chaoticbear)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2008, 7:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/life-skills-test/450039/22 "2008-05-21T07:13:16Z")
B, although I know how to change my oil, I still pay someone to do it for me, because my car’s really low to the ground and I don’t wanna. And they vacuum out my car for me. I got my oil changed last week, and before that, it had been July of last year. I hadn’t driven 3000 miles in all that time. :o ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2008, 8:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/life-skills-test/450039/23 "2008-05-21T08:05:51Z")
I’m case number 2, except I pay my mechanic once a year for a complete once-over (usually about the time my car is due for its state-mandated yearly checkup) and don’t need a lawnmower. Neither one is a loser based on only those premises. Your brother appears to be having a Stupid Moment though. ---
**Author:** ![pbbth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f9ae1b/32.png) [@pbbth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pbbth)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2008, 1:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/life-skills-test/450039/24 "2008-05-21T13:44:44Z")
How old am I and where do I live? In real life I am 25 and I live in NYC so I have no car or lawn, so I am going to pick B. If I were 19 and I lived out in the boonies in TN or somewhere on an acre of land and I needed a car to get anywhere I would pick A. ---
**Author:** ![black\_rabbit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/f19dbf/32.png) [@black\_rabbit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/black_rabbit)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2008, 2:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/life-skills-test/450039/25 "2008-05-21T14:31:36Z")
[QUOTE=pbbth] How old am I and where do I live? In real life I am 25 and I live in NYC so I have no car or lawn, so I am going to pick B. If I were 19 and I lived out in the boonies in TN or somewhere on an acre of land and I needed a car to get anywhere I would pick A. [/QUOTE] Age: 30 or older. Location: Anywhere in the United States. The specific neighborhood or housing situation is somewhat implicit in the choice. A couple of further points of clarification: “Living with your mother” means never having lived outside your mother’s house, and continuing to live with her for the foreseeable future. This isn’t a temporary situation. Nobody has a physical or mental disability that would preclude their performing any of the items. [QUOTE=Nava] Neither one is a loser based on only those premises. [/quote] Agreed. The question wouldn’t have even occurred to me if BIL hadn’t brought it up. It was intended as an insult, but the terms were so starkly pathetic that I wondered if I was missing something. ---
**Author:** ![even\_sven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/dfb087/32.png) [@even\_sven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/even_sven)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2008, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/life-skills-test/450039/26 "2008-05-21T16:33:26Z")
B. BBBBBBBB. BBBBBBBBBBBBBBBB. Unless there are extremely unusual circumstances (someone is VERY sick, etc.) living with your mother in the long term isn’t something adults in America do. ---
**Author:** ![dalej42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@dalej42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dalej42)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2008, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/life-skills-test/450039/27 "2008-05-21T16:37:10Z")
B. I live in an apartment and don’t have a place to change my oil. I wouldn’t do it myself anyway. I don’t have to worry about lawn care and I never see myself with a large suburban lawn. If I did, I’d hire someone in a second. Weekends are too short to waste time with lawn care. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2008, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/life-skills-test/450039/28 "2008-05-21T16:43:07Z")
You realize, don’t you, that no matter how many people answer B, you’re not going to convince or de-idiotify your brother-in-law? ---
**Author:** ![NurseCarmen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/5daacb/32.png) [@NurseCarmen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NurseCarmen)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2008, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/life-skills-test/450039/29 "2008-05-21T16:48:26Z")
Your brother in law obviously knows his way around a lawn mower. Poor guy doesn’t know what he’s missing. ---
**Author:** ![Antinor01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecae2f/32.png) [@Antinor01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Antinor01)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2008, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/life-skills-test/450039/30 "2008-05-21T16:49:28Z")
B. I live in a condo (no yard) and almost never drive. Even if I did drive…who changes their oil every month? [QUOTE=j666] So, while I would prefer to BE B., I’d prefer to date A. [/QUOTE] You realize that by dating the A person, you never get to have sex with them. ---
**Author:** ![Carnacki](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b5e925/32.png) [@Carnacki](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Carnacki)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2008, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/life-skills-test/450039/31 "2008-05-21T16:53:42Z")
[QUOTE=Rick] I’ll take two from column A and two from column B please. [/QUOTE] Agreed. Lawnmowing and oil changing is for squares…and free room and board?? Sign me up! Oh, and chicks dig virgins, so no problem there either. ---
**Author:** ![Maeglin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/8baadc/32.png) [@Maeglin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maeglin)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2008, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/life-skills-test/450039/32 "2008-05-21T16:59:04Z")
[QUOTE=RickJay] B. I can pay someone to change my oil. I can pay someone to mow my lawn. You couldn’t pay me enough to remain a virgin and/or live with my parents. [/QUOTE] You can also pay someone to have sex with you with the money you save on rent, landscaping, and getting your oil changed. ---
**Author:** ![lazybratsche](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ba8739/32.png) [@lazybratsche](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lazybratsche)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2008, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/life-skills-test/450039/33 "2008-05-21T17:04:32Z")
Definitely B. For me, the dealbreaker with A is living with my mom. Mechanical skills and regular sex are great, but I’d turn them all down to have some independence. ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2008, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/life-skills-test/450039/34 "2008-05-21T17:18:16Z")
I might have to go with A. I like my mom and would enjoy living with her, I am celibate anyway, and I would be adding two skills. I’m already B. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2008, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/life-skills-test/450039/35 "2008-05-21T17:20:06Z")
B. Since my mother is dead, it would be kinda gruesome to have her living with me. ---
**Author:** ![NinjaChick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/71c47a/32.png) [@NinjaChick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NinjaChick)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2008, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/life-skills-test/450039/36 "2008-05-21T17:21:24Z")
B. Especially because I have no desire to own either a car or a lawn. ---
**Author:** ![Swallowed\_My\_Cellphone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9d8465/32.png) [@Swallowed\_My\_Cellphone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Swallowed_My_Cellphone)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2008, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/life-skills-test/450039/37 "2008-05-21T18:21:47Z")
B. I’d rather not be a man-child who lives at home. That kind of independence is an indicator of adulthood. But taking my car to Jiffy Lube every month would be a bit excessive. I hope someone would tell me so if I was too inept to figure that out on my own. ---
**Author:** ![An\_Arky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/87869e/32.png) [@An\_Arky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Arky)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2008, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/life-skills-test/450039/38 "2008-05-21T18:29:27Z")
The last item in B (assuming continuation of that activity) outweighs every other item on either list (and just about anything you can add) by about 9000%. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Weird\_One](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7bcc69/32.png) [@The\_Weird\_One](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Weird_One)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2008, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/life-skills-test/450039/39 "2008-05-21T18:32:11Z")
B. I already don’t know how to change my oil, and I don’t have a lawn, so I’m not losing anything there. Regarding option A, I’d _like_ to learn how to change my oil, and I could live without sex, but not with my mother. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2008, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/life-skills-test/450039/40 "2008-05-21T18:40:41Z")
[QUOTE=Swallowed My Cellphone] B. I’d rather not be a man-child who lives at home. That kind of independence is an indicator of adulthood. [/QUOTE] To be fair, the OP never mentioned an age. I could definitely respect a 14-year-old who fit into category A. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/life-skills-test/450039.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/life-skills-test/450039.md?page=3)