I’m stuck in traffic, behind this maroon minivan driven by a guy. I know a lot of guys at work who drive minivan’s so that “this is his wife’s car” doesn’t cross my mind. And, stuck in traffic, I get a good chance to puruse his personal philosophy based on his bumper stickers.
They were all Christian in nature. The fish, of course. What Would Jesus Do?, a few others extoling the path to salvation that is our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Or rather, some people’s Lord and Savior - not mine. But I don’t have any problem with it, and if it makes you a better human being, so much the better. There was nothing offensively in your face in the “haha, I’m going to heaven and you aren’t” sort of line - so I was feeling pretty neutral about the guy.
We are in one of those traffic jams where the road narrows to a single lane for road repair. Which means the left lane is open - slightly - as most people have merged into the right lane that now slows at a snails pace - which is where we are.
So, I’m thinking about the “soccer dad” in front of me. Nice, churchgoing guy with kids, when a car comes up in the left lane and cuts in front of him. Does he turn the other cheek, nope, he flips him off, scream obscenties out the window and lays on his horn.
Shocked me. Didn’t expect it. I really don’t see Jesus as screaming obscenities when someone cuts them off it traffic. Not that the guy didn’t deserve it (I hate that behavior).
Being Christian and having a lot of pro-Jesus stuff plastered on your car doesn’t automatically make you the living embodiment of Ned Flanders. At least, I don’t think it does. Does it? Help me out here, folks… ;j
As a Christian, I would say that in general it is rare for someone who truly follows its tenets to do such a thing. At the same time, I have admit I have done this myself on rare occasions when the right set of circumstances presents itself.
Christians should always try to hold themselves to a high standard, but the truth is we fail all the time. If we weren’t sinners, we wouldn’t need salvation.
I’ve noticed that the more bumper-stickers/decorations people have on their vehicles, the more rude and aggressive they are behind the wheel.
'Tis very curious.
Sometimes I see those ‘God is my Co-Pilot’ bumper stickers, and think ‘Well, yeah, that’s because anyone else would’ve blacked out from the G-forces you’re pulling.’
I tend to think that having bumper stickers is a bad idea anyway. It gives the drivers you piss off an excuse to hate a whole class of people. Even if the hate is only momentary, it’s not a good idea.
However, there’s no way to prevent it, because even if you have no stickers on your cat, the next time you cut someone off accidentally that person is going to think “Damn Ford* Drivers!”
We just came into possession of a second-hand car, and upon viewing the bumper stickers that came with it I noted to my husband with no small amount of relief, that if they had to put a Presidential candidate bumper sticker on, at least it was the right one. Nonetheless, if it wasn’t transparent/white on a silver car, I’d probably have peeled it off already, I’m not overly fond of espousing political views while on the road. I don’t want to get rear ended by a person who objects to our political leanings.
I’m so hijacking this thread, but I want to share my (custom) bumper stickers.
Smile, it’s the second best thing you can do with your lips.
It only seems kinky the first time.
Penny for your thoughts. Twenty to act them out.
The Moral Majority is neither.
The last one is the only even vaguely-political thing I put on my car. Previously I had a sticker called “Lost your cat? Try looking under my tires”. It’s a joke people. But someone professing to be a Christian wrote me a lengthy death threat and stuck it under my wiper. I’m just glad he didn’t key it or anything.
A friend’s brother (who happens to be a raging homophobe) once bought a used car that had a rainbow bumper sticker. He was clueless to the meaning, and never bothered to take it off. Needless to say, my friend never bothered to inform him of the significance
I put a bumper sticker on my first car that read, “Single and Loving It!”
I eventually traded the car in when I bought a different car. Some time later, I saw my old car going down the road, driven by a Mexican man. His wife was in the passenger seat, and there were 3-4 kids in the back seat. And that bumper sticker was still on the back of the car
I kinda like the classic “ICHTHYS” Jesus Fish – classy and historically aware. Then we got the straight Jesus Fish. Then the Darwin Fish (with legs) and others, like the Darwin fish eating the Jesus fish, or vice-cersa.
It’s overkill, and it’s not fun anymore. My favorite variation is the GHOTI fish, in which those letters fill the insde of the fish outline.
(For those of you who didn’t grow up on word puzzles, “GHOTI” spells “FISH” –
“GH” = “f” as in Fish
“O” = “i” as in Women
“TI” = “SH” as in Ambition)
I’d like to try a new variation, as an HP Lovecraft fan, I want a “DAGON” fish.
No, no, no: he said, “By their bumperstickers shall ye know them.”
My favorite misapprehension about a driver was the unexpected sighting of a prim, elegant grandmotherly woman behind the wheel of a car whose only bumpersticker read, “HONK IF YOU UNDERSTAND PUNCTUATED EQUILIBRIUM”
Yep, one day I had back-to-back experiences with bad drivers who, according to their license plate frames, bought their cars at Galpin Motors. Until recently, I called any bad driver I saw on the road a “Galpin”.
