# What's up with lefties and the excessive bumper sticker meme?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-lefties-and-the-excessive-bumper-sticker-meme/520964
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion
**Created:** [December 12, 2009, 4:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-lefties-and-the-excessive-bumper-sticker-meme/520964 "2009-12-12T04:34:12Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Hippy\_Hollow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hippy_Hollow)
#### Post date: [December 12, 2009, 4:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-lefties-and-the-excessive-bumper-sticker-meme/520964/1 "2009-12-12T04:34:12Z")
You know what I mean. Case in point:
[http://readmybumpersticker.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/800px-bumper-sticker-car2-edit.JPG](http://readmybumpersticker.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/800px-bumper-sticker-car2-edit.JPG)
Where did this start? (Don’t tell me it’s Austin, ha ha.) And why is it so ubiquitous? When I see such a car I can be assured that it’s a white guy/gal, usually with a ponytail, or wearing an Earth Mother dress. And the car is typically a Subaru or Honda Civic (the older the better).
I find myself on the left side of things more often than not, but I think Republicans have much more aesthetically pleasing bumpers. They typically have their McCain/Palin sticker, the local church, their kid’s high school, and maybe a “Choose Life” sticker - that’s four, tops.
And if anyone on the Dope has more than 50 stickers on your car - why?
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### Author:  [@garygnu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/garygnu)
#### Post date: [December 12, 2009, 4:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-lefties-and-the-excessive-bumper-sticker-meme/520964/2 "2009-12-12T04:46:25Z")
In my experience, far right wackos and far left wackos are equally likely to have an excessive number of bumper stickers on their car.
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### Author:  [@Horatio\_Hellpop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatio_Hellpop)
#### Post date: [December 12, 2009, 4:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-lefties-and-the-excessive-bumper-sticker-meme/520964/3 "2009-12-12T04:49:18Z")
I’ve seen cars with mailbox “press on” letters spelling out extensive bits of scripture. The common theme isn’t Left, it’s Fringe.
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### Author:  [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)
#### Post date: [December 12, 2009, 4:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-lefties-and-the-excessive-bumper-sticker-meme/520964/4 "2009-12-12T04:55:35Z")
I live in a predominently liberal metro area, and to the extent I see this at all (Minnesota is fairly restrained – some might say straightjacketed – about personal expression), I see it with right wing, teabagger, gun nut, anti-abortion type stickers more than the hippie stuff.
It’s not that I never see hippie wagons, and you see a lot of Obama stickers, but it tends to _stop_ at the Obama stickers (or maybe a Franken sticker too). You don’t see the granola/save the whales/troops out of Iraq stickers plastered all over the car that often.
I don’t see _that_ many Jesus wagons either, but I see more of them than the Scooby Doo vans. it seems like the gun kooks and the pro-lifers are the most apt to go nuts with the stickers.
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### Author:  [@elmwood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elmwood)
#### Post date: [December 12, 2009, 5:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-lefties-and-the-excessive-bumper-sticker-meme/520964/5 "2009-12-12T05:00:52Z")
I’m a leftie, and I’ve definitely noticed that bumper stickers reach the saturation point as described by **Hippie Hollow**. On the right, you’ll see an American flag, NRA sticker, Bush and/or McCain sticker, an anti-Obama sticker (frequently “KEEP THE CHANGE” or “NOPE” with the stylized O) some glurge (stick figure family, BRANDI / CHEERLEADING / HUTTO H.S. or whatever sport and high school their little athlete is in, Jesus fish), and maybe a “Pride of Place” sticker left over from 9/11 if the car is old enough.
The left, though … they pwn the right when it comes to bumper sticker saturation. It’s not just Subarus and Hondas, though, but also Toyota econoboxes, and Volvo 200-series station wagons. No glurge, nothing about how Brandon is a quarterback at Stony Point High School, no stick figure family. Just leftie screeds. I’d give them a thumbs up, but … well, my lone “Keep Austin Weird” sticker probably makes me seem like Glen Beck in comparison.
Then again, in Austin I saw a truck completely covered in Pioflin (some Spanish radio station) stickers, and cars with three or four Pioflin stickers were frequent sights.
Back in Upstate NY, you’ll see the rare vehicle covered in graphic abortion photos. Ewwww …
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### Author:  [@gonzomax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gonzomax)
#### Post date: [December 12, 2009, 5:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-lefties-and-the-excessive-bumper-sticker-meme/520964/6 "2009-12-12T05:08:36Z")
It is cheaper than a new paint job.
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### Author:  [@elmwood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elmwood)
#### Post date: [December 12, 2009, 5:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-lefties-and-the-excessive-bumper-sticker-meme/520964/7 "2009-12-12T05:12:44Z")
[What?](http://urbangrounds.com/wp-content/uploads///obama_art_car.jpg)
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### Author:  [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)
#### Post date: [December 12, 2009, 5:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-lefties-and-the-excessive-bumper-sticker-meme/520964/8 "2009-12-12T05:15:33Z")
> [@gonzomax](#):
>
> It is cheaper than a new paint job.
Or they’re holding the car together. 😃
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### Author:  [@toofs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/toofs)
#### Post date: [December 12, 2009, 5:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-lefties-and-the-excessive-bumper-sticker-meme/520964/9 "2009-12-12T05:48:06Z")
This goes for the far right and far left: shitty car, lots of bumper stickers.
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### Author:  [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)
#### Post date: [December 12, 2009, 6:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-lefties-and-the-excessive-bumper-sticker-meme/520964/10 "2009-12-12T06:56:38Z")
> [@garygnu](#):
>
> In my experience, far right wackos and far left wackos are equally likely to have an excessive number of bumper stickers on their car.
This. Though I’m on the right, I only have three bumper stickers, and only [this one](http://www.cafepress.com/+member_vrwc_sticker_oval,93548526) is political. (the other two are [this one](http://snapcdn-zoovy-2.simplecdn.net/img/gkworld/W234-H328-Bffffff/R/ripplesticker5.jpg) and [this one](http://www.cafepress.com/theevilwriter2.197116425) of my own design) BUT I’ve seen cars with conservative stickers that hide the paint job too.
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### Author:  [@Terraplane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terraplane)
#### Post date: [December 12, 2009, 7:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-lefties-and-the-excessive-bumper-sticker-meme/520964/11 "2009-12-12T07:44:26Z")
In my area, not too far north of Austin, it’s usually some Bible scripture with maybe a cardboard sign in the back window or a plywood sandwich board in the bed of a pickup. It’s rare though, kinda makes me wish I lived in a bigger city, crazy is always entertaining.
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### Author:  [@EvilTOJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EvilTOJ)
#### Post date: [December 12, 2009, 1:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-lefties-and-the-excessive-bumper-sticker-meme/520964/12 "2009-12-12T13:03:25Z")
I thought this was going to be about left-handed people, judging from the OP title.
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### Author:  [@Spice\_Weasel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spice_Weasel)
#### Post date: [December 12, 2009, 2:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-lefties-and-the-excessive-bumper-sticker-meme/520964/13 "2009-12-12T14:22:22Z")
> [@elfkin477](#):
>
> This. Though I’m on the right, I only have three bumper stickers, and only [this one](http://www.cafepress.com/+member_vrwc_sticker_oval,93548526) is political. (the other two are [this one](http://snapcdn-zoovy-2.simplecdn.net/img/gkworld/W234-H328-Bffffff/R/ripplesticker5.jpg) and [this one](http://www.cafepress.com/theevilwriter2.197116425) of my own design) BUT I’ve seen cars with conservative stickers that hide the paint job too.
I kind of like your political one, and I couldn’t be further from the right.
That ninja sticker, though, is golden.
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### Author:  [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)
#### Post date: [December 12, 2009, 2:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-lefties-and-the-excessive-bumper-sticker-meme/520964/14 "2009-12-12T14:25:10Z")
> [@EvilTOJ](#):
>
> I thought this was going to be about left-handed people, judging from the OP title.
Me too. My brother is left-handed and only has one bumper sticker. (“Got Docs?”)
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### Author:  [@Rushgeekgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rushgeekgirl)
#### Post date: [December 12, 2009, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-lefties-and-the-excessive-bumper-sticker-meme/520964/15 "2009-12-12T15:30:58Z")
I’m a lefty and I have one sticker my daughter applied after Obama won. The “Yes we did” one. I hate it. I like Obama, I just hate those stickers.
I have a Happy Bunny tag that says “Hi Loser!”
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### Author:  [@groo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/groo)
#### Post date: [December 12, 2009, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-lefties-and-the-excessive-bumper-sticker-meme/520964/16 "2009-12-12T16:41:55Z")
> [@blondebear](#):
>
> Me too. My brother is left-handed and only has one bumper sticker. (“Got Docs?”)
Me three. I was expecting a discussion of whether righties and lefties had different techniques of applying bumper stickers, and how such a difference could have become a meme.
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### Author:  [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)
#### Post date: [December 12, 2009, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-lefties-and-the-excessive-bumper-sticker-meme/520964/17 "2009-12-12T16:48:47Z")
I agree it’s much more about fringe loonieness than about left vs right.
I think you’ll find more fringe leftists in urban / inner-suburban areas, and more fringe rightists in far suburban, small town, or rural settings.
So where you live and drive will determine which kind of nutters you see.
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### Author:  [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)
#### Post date: [December 12, 2009, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-lefties-and-the-excessive-bumper-sticker-meme/520964/18 "2009-12-12T17:03:27Z")
[http://viralpolitics.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/12/jesus\_car.jpg](http://viralpolitics.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/12/jesus_car.jpg)
[http://failads.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/jesus-car-mod.jpg](http://failads.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/jesus-car-mod.jpg)
[ ](https://farm1.static.flickr.com/47/112237059_7e4581e1c0.jpg)
There was a car I’d see frequently on the 22 in Orange County. It was a new, white, American car; and the driver would wave a bible out the window as he drove.
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### Author:  [@Snert](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snert)
#### Post date: [December 12, 2009, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-lefties-and-the-excessive-bumper-sticker-meme/520964/19 "2009-12-12T17:06:08Z")
I had two (2) bumper stickers on my truck.
1: “Jeeze If You Love Honkus”
2: “I’m Surrounded By Idiots and Out-numbered! When Do I attack?”
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### Author:  [@sparky\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sparky_1)
#### Post date: [December 12, 2009, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-lefties-and-the-excessive-bumper-sticker-meme/520964/20 "2009-12-12T18:49:11Z")
> [@garygnu](#):
>
> In my experience, far right wackos and far left wackos are equally likely to have an excessive number of bumper stickers on their car.
Bingo!
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