# Stuff that seems common, but outside your life experience **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [March 16, 2012, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stuff-that-seems-common-but-outside-your-life-experience/615968 "2012-03-16T15:15:43Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![pravnik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8edcca/32.png) [@pravnik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pravnik)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2012, 2:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stuff-that-seems-common-but-outside-your-life-experience/615968/61 "2012-03-18T02:50:24Z")
> [@Crafter\_Man](#): > > Everywhere I go, I see people playing with their Smartphones. I have never owned a Smartphone. What is so important on their Smartphone that they have to completely disengage from their environment? Nothing magical, just the same internet you’re on right now. You wait until you get home to see if you got that important work email or if somebody responded to that brilliant message board post you made, and they’re checking right now. ---
**Author:** ![Namkcalb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/c89c15/32.png) [@Namkcalb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Namkcalb)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2012, 3:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stuff-that-seems-common-but-outside-your-life-experience/615968/62 "2012-03-18T03:27:36Z")
[ul] [li]I’ve never regularly eaten bread… it just never suited me.[/li][li]I’ve never really attended a church with a sermon or a priest, I was raised Quaker, then turned Agnostic in my early twenties.[/li][li]I’ve never had sex with a man, though billions of people have.[/li][/ul] ---
**Author:** ![jackdavinci](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackdavinci/32/3259_2.png) [@jackdavinci](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jackdavinci)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2012, 3:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stuff-that-seems-common-but-outside-your-life-experience/615968/63 "2012-03-18T03:27:41Z")
I’m not sure how much people bother getting shots for trips to Europe. I did go to get them for my trip to Honduras. The doctor also gave me malaria pills. I think it’s more common for less industrialized trips. I’ve never been to a travel agent, but there was one on campus when I was in college. Since the rise of the Internet it seems to be easier to do it that way. I could imagine using an agent might be useful for planning activities or tour groups, but the Internet seems better suited if you just need a cheap plane ticket or hotel. ---
**Author:** ![MsJinx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/278dde/32.png) [@MsJinx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsJinx)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2012, 3:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stuff-that-seems-common-but-outside-your-life-experience/615968/64 "2012-03-18T03:49:56Z")
Summer or second homes, country homes, cabin in the mountains or at the lake etc. Also the already mentioned lawyer on retainer, au pair, summer camp thing. Having a maid or cook, especially live-in Having an interior decorator Kids getting a great new car for their 16th birthday Kids getting a trip to Europe after graduation Families going on European vacations, or any big expensive vacation, especially annually Going on a safari ---
**Author:** ![Inner\_Stickler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inner_stickler/32/318_2.png) [@Inner\_Stickler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inner_Stickler)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2012, 3:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stuff-that-seems-common-but-outside-your-life-experience/615968/65 "2012-03-18T03:50:13Z")
Along similar lines but slightly different, last year the Wednesday before Thanksgiving, everyone in my apartment building was running around and partying. I was sitting in my living room watching a rerun of Julia Child on PBS. Someone was being obnoxiously loud and I thought to myself. “If that drunken asshole would shut up, I would be able to hear what Julia is saying about pie crusts.” Immediately on that thought’s heels came “Self, the next time you wonder why you’re not clicking with your peers, remember this moment.” More strictly along the OP’s lines is sports games. I went to 2 of my high school homecoming games and I never went to a single sports game in college. ---
**Author:** ![PandaBear77](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/edb3f5/32.png) [@PandaBear77](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PandaBear77)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2012, 3:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stuff-that-seems-common-but-outside-your-life-experience/615968/66 "2012-03-18T03:58:42Z")
I can’t wrap my head around people who have to have name brand/designer stuff just for the sake of having name brand/designer stuff. I mean … if you like a high-end brand because it’s well made, or lasts forever, or whatever – ok, I can see the appeal. Otherwise … why? Why do you need a designer shirt when you can buy several shirts for a fraction of the price? Prime example – women who go out and buy $500 purses or shoes. It’s my understanding that designer purses do indeed last forever and can even be heirlooms – ok, that’s cool, whatever. Why do you gotta have um, 5, though? You’ve got THAT much cash to burn and _that’s_ what you’re blowing it on? Can’t think of something … I dunno … with a little more depth? Ultimately I know it’s none of my business and hell, I’m a good capitalist – didya earn it? Do whatcha like! But still … ??? This kind of ties in to the other thing I don’t get … the whole keeping up with the Joneses thing. I can tell you what exactly 1 of my friends drives – a Volvo, and the only reason I know is because they _just_ bought it and beforehand they asked me if I knew anything about Volvos. I drive a Pontiac. I don’t give a rat’s ass what my neighbors think about it nor do I care (or even know) what they’re driving. My neighbor down the street has a house that’s bigger than mine – so what? They have a bigger house payment, too. I dunno – I’ve just never felt the need to “keep up” with my friends/family when it comes to material things. I don’t know if it’s because I grew up poor and never COULD have competed anyway and so it never occurred to me that I should try, or if I just don’t place as much value on having “stuff.” Another thing that blows my mind … the whole sugar daddy thing. There’s a (beautiful) girl I work with that gets a phone call every month from some guy wanting to know which one of her bills she wants him to pay that month. Another guy sends her awesome shit from overseas, some other guy will buy her gifts, etc. The kicker is she’s not banging any of them! Seriously! At first I thought “well hell, she’s gorgeous, no wonder guys are throwing stuff at her.” We had a discussion about this at work one day and another girl I work with (attractive but nowhere NEAR as pretty as girl #1) interjected that in her college days she never paid a dime for her trips on Spring Break, nor did she ever put out for it, either. (It’d be easy to call BS but I know these 2 women pretty well – I really don’t think they’re giving up the goods.) So apparently there are guys out there who like to give women cash and/or pay their bills and shit despite not really getting anything out of the deal. I’ve never had a guy offer nor would I know how to react if one did. From what my coworkers told me, though, I have apparently missed out on a major part of being a female. ---
**Author:** ![Zebra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/c0e974/32.png) [@Zebra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zebra)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2012, 4:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stuff-that-seems-common-but-outside-your-life-experience/615968/67 "2012-03-18T04:33:49Z")
sex ---
**Author:** ![An\_Gadai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@An\_Gadai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Gadai)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2012, 4:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stuff-that-seems-common-but-outside-your-life-experience/615968/68 "2012-03-18T04:37:09Z")
> [@Antigen](#): > > Oh, and that thing where a stranger at the bar buys you a drink. Or even a guy you just meet at a bar. I’ve never ever had someone (other than friends and guys I was officially dating) buy me a drink at a bar. I’ve had drinks bought for me and have bought drinks for strangers numerous times. ---
**Author:** ![Rick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/9f8e36/32.png) [@Rick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2012, 5:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stuff-that-seems-common-but-outside-your-life-experience/615968/69 "2012-03-18T05:09:44Z")
> [@Hampshire](#): > > I worked as a retail manager in a big box store for many years and you know how the saying goes “If I had a dime for every time…”. > Every city or town I worked in the customer had a “friend” who worked at the local newspaper or tv station and boy was I going to be sorry. > My pat answer when told I would be hearing soon from channel 6 was “Cool.” Back in the eighties, in Southern Cal the uber consumer advocate was David Horowitz. The battle cry of many a wronged consumer was “I’m going to call David Horowitz..” I worked as a technician at the dealership where David had his car serviced. More than once this exact conversation took place between my service manager an an irate customer. **IC** I’m calling David Horowitz on you **SM**"David is a customer of ours" ::: Flips though rolodex::: “Would you like me to call him for you?” **IC** mumble ---
**Author:** ![An\_Gadai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@An\_Gadai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Gadai)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2012, 5:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stuff-that-seems-common-but-outside-your-life-experience/615968/70 "2012-03-18T05:16:42Z")
> [@Rick](#): > > Back in the eighties, in Southern Cal the uber consumer advocate was David Horowitz. The battle cry of many a wronged consumer was “I’m going to call David Horowitz..” > I worked as a technician at the dealership where David had his car serviced. More than once this exact conversation took place between my service manager an an irate customer. > **IC** I’m calling David Horowitz on you > **SM**"David is a customer of ours" > ::: Flips though rolodex::: > “Would you like me to call him for you?” > **IC** mumble Hereabouts it’s Joe Duffy. “I’m getting onto Joe Duffy about this.” Fascinating that that’s a widespread phenomenon. ---
**Author:** ![MsJinx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/278dde/32.png) [@MsJinx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsJinx)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2012, 5:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stuff-that-seems-common-but-outside-your-life-experience/615968/71 "2012-03-18T05:21:36Z")
I was always puzzled hearing about high school swim teams. Whose high school had a swimming pool? Or even a pool in their town? It wasn’t until I was much older that I realized how weird my midwest home town and surrounding towns (and grandparent’s towns) were. When I read about alien things in books, I assumed these things were either from a different time or exclusive to some big cities far away, or just plain fantasy. Treehouses and clubhouses - and dads who were in their workshops making things, or having hobbies like stamp collecting. ---
**Author:** ![jackdavinci](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackdavinci/32/3259_2.png) [@jackdavinci](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jackdavinci)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2012, 5:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stuff-that-seems-common-but-outside-your-life-experience/615968/72 "2012-03-18T05:30:06Z")
Taking the bus to school. Except for one half year we lived in another state when my stepdad was in sabbatical, I’ve always lived within walking distance of school. I’ll reup on the lawyer / doctor consulting / home owning. I think there will be a lot of similar scenarios for us poor folks. ---
**Author:** ![grude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47774/32.png) [@grude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/grude)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2012, 5:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stuff-that-seems-common-but-outside-your-life-experience/615968/73 "2012-03-18T05:54:53Z")
> [@jackdavinci](#): > > I’m not sure how much people bother getting shots for trips to Europe. I did go to get them for my trip to Honduras. The doctor also gave me malaria pills. I think it’s more common for less industrialized trips. > > . There was a poster in GQ a while back wondering if they should take water purification tablets to Europe on a trip I think, stuff like that blows my mind. You know I couldn’t even tell you if malaria exists here in Trinidad without consulting google(I suspect it does but have never heard anyone talk about it), I know Yellow Fever does because I’ve heard people talk about it but most locals aren’t even vaccinated and I’m not either. However I live in the city, out in the country and swamps things might be very different and I think that is why I personally don’t care about getting vaccinated. It is like a European going on a trip to New York City being warned about Lyme disease :smack: While the disease might be present in the general area you’re not going to encounter it in NYC. I’ve know lots of younger people in my age group who have traveled to all sorts of places, they all view the vaccination charts as a waste of time and money. I’m not an anti-vaccination nut and neither are they I suspect, just seems like burning moolaa for nothing. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2012, 5:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stuff-that-seems-common-but-outside-your-life-experience/615968/74 "2012-03-18T05:56:27Z")
> [@jackdavinci](#): > > Taking the bus to school. Except for one half year we lived in another state when my stepdad was in sabbatical, I’ve always lived within walking distance of school. > > I’ll reup on the lawyer / doctor consulting / home owning. I think there will be a lot of similar scenarios for us poor folks. I walked to school until High School (10th grade). Buses were available in Jr. High, but I didn’t see the point. In High School I biked or walked when I had the time. There was a bus culture that wasn;t familiar to me, and I didn’t like it. ---
**Author:** ![Reply](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/reply/32/15952_2.png) [@Reply](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reply)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2012, 6:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stuff-that-seems-common-but-outside-your-life-experience/615968/75 "2012-03-18T06:27:27Z")
Sex. Enjoying parties. Religion / faith in authority. Friendships that last more than a couple of years. Enjoying fruits. Talking to strangers on public transportation. ---
**Author:** ![FordTaurusSHO94](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/f07891/32.png) [@FordTaurusSHO94](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FordTaurusSHO94)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2012, 7:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stuff-that-seems-common-but-outside-your-life-experience/615968/76 "2012-03-18T07:50:28Z")
You don’t need tits. I’m a guy and I’ve had random women buy me drinks. As far as I know, I’ve never bought a woman a drink, period, unless dinner was involved. ---
**Author:** ![Gleena](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b3f665/32.png) [@Gleena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gleena)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2012, 11:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stuff-that-seems-common-but-outside-your-life-experience/615968/77 "2012-03-18T11:20:45Z")
> [@Dung\_Beetle](#): > > When I was a kid, I was convinced that boarding schools and summer camps were either obsolete or fictional things which were just used in books because they made for an interesting setting. > > Still don’t really know of any…are y’all just pulling my leg? No, my highschool age kid goes to boarding school, as do many of his friends. I know of a few in the US but we aren’t living there now. Scariest but best decision i ever made. Me, I dont get people who prefer chain restaurants, do they can have the same boring menu in every town and state. Thats odd to me. ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2012, 11:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stuff-that-seems-common-but-outside-your-life-experience/615968/78 "2012-03-18T11:47:49Z")
M mother still tells the story of meeting my ex-wife for the first time at my parent’s house. My ex asked “Is this your summer house?”. I don’t quite remember it that way but my ex’es family did have three houses for their own use and many more for business. Every Friday night the routine was to load up the car with as much stuff as they could possibly fit and change houses for the weekend and then repeat on Sunday night. It was like moving twice a week every week. It certainly had its perks but I never did get used to it. If I learned one thing from that, it is make sure you like your ONE house well enough to stay there most of the time. ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2012, 11:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stuff-that-seems-common-but-outside-your-life-experience/615968/79 "2012-03-18T11:55:41Z")
> [@Shagnasty](#): > > Every Friday night the routine was to load up the car with as much stuff as they could possibly fit and change houses for the weekend and then repeat on Sunday night. It was like moving twice a week every week. If I was wealthy enough to own several houses, I would just buy duplicate stuff for each house. ---
**Author:** ![Blackzilla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Blackzilla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blackzilla)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2012, 1:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stuff-that-seems-common-but-outside-your-life-experience/615968/80 "2012-03-18T13:31:54Z")
Almost every signifier of middle-american life - buying a house, owning two cars, going on family vacations - nobody in my entire peer group can afford that, even though we’re all post-college middle class" people making around 50K. It just seems like a baby boomer thing…how did anyone ever afford that stuff? Honest-to-God, you watch something like “Family Ties” or a John Hughes movie and that lifestyle looks completely “retro” and about as unattainable as owning a plantation and slaves. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stuff-that-seems-common-but-outside-your-life-experience/615968.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stuff-that-seems-common-but-outside-your-life-experience/615968.md?page=5)