# 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:** 3
### Author:  [@Kizarvexius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kizarvexius)
#### Post date: [December 14, 2009, 10:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-lefties-and-the-excessive-bumper-sticker-meme/520964/41 "2009-12-14T22:11:23Z")
One thing that impressed me when I moved to the Austin area four years ago was the tolerance shown by both the lefties and righties towards one anothers’ roving screed billboards. In most of the places I’ve lived, planting a political sticker on your car was an open invitation to getting your paintjob keyed or your tires punctured by some asshole who disagreed with the point of view expressed. It may be an uneasy truce because Austin, despite its reputation as a liberal beacon, is completely surrounded by dyed-in-the-wool, Bible Belt, yesmaam yessir, nomaam nossir, get a haircut, love it or leave it America. But as far as I’ve been able to make out so far, folks here seem to get along pretty well, no matter what kind of stickers they have on their cars.
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### Author:  [@Sir\_Not\_Appearing\_on\_This\_Site](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sir_Not_Appearing_on_This_Site)
#### Post date: [December 15, 2009, 12:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-lefties-and-the-excessive-bumper-sticker-meme/520964/42 "2009-12-15T00:17:11Z")
I am left handed, and I don’t have a single bumper sticker…🙂
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### Author:  [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)
#### Post date: [December 15, 2009, 12:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-lefties-and-the-excessive-bumper-sticker-meme/520964/43 "2009-12-15T00:39:12Z")
_I’ve been Ayn Randed
Nearly branded
A Communist
'Cause I’m left-handed
Hell, that’s the hand to use!
Oh, never mind…_
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### Author:  [@Electric\_Warrior](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Electric_Warrior)
#### Post date: [December 15, 2009, 12:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-lefties-and-the-excessive-bumper-sticker-meme/520964/44 "2009-12-15T00:45:43Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#):
>
> [http://viralpolitics.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/12/jesus\_car.jpg](http://viralpolitics.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/12/jesus_car.jpg)
I’m not Christian myself, but I actually love this. It’s just barely on the bright side of the line between tackiness and art brut.
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### Author:  [@WolfpackJeep](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WolfpackJeep)
#### Post date: [December 16, 2009, 5:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-lefties-and-the-excessive-bumper-sticker-meme/520964/45 "2009-12-16T05:11:39Z")
> [@elfkin477](#):
>
> [this one](http://snapcdn-zoovy-2.simplecdn.net/img/gkworld/W234-H328-Bffffff/R/ripplesticker5.jpg)
I have that one too! 😃
> [@torie](#):
>
> That first one doesn’t look safe. I’m surprised there aren’t laws against that. Depending on how those thingamabobs on the top are attached, an accident with that car could turn into lethal religious shrapnel city.
It’s an “art car”…there’s a whole culture devoted to the blasted things. I despise them mainly because people like to take otherwise classic cars and glue crap all over 'em (that link being an exception, of course).
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### Author:  [@dhkendall](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dhkendall)
#### Post date: [December 16, 2009, 1:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-lefties-and-the-excessive-bumper-sticker-meme/520964/46 "2009-12-16T13:45:43Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#):
>
> Although I pointed out deCARations by religious nuts, I have to agree that around here most of the cars that have an inordinate number of bumper stickers appear to have leftie drivers.
Strangely, while I’d say that Winnipeg as a whole is left (in terms of American politics anyways, depending on where you are in the city there are distinct left and right (in terms of Canadian politics) areas of the city) and I rarely see any stickers. At least no more than 2 or 3 on a vehicle, if they have any, and rarely are there any that are worthy of this thread.
Myself, I only have one bumper sticker, one I got as a teenager: “Uff Da! Norwegian driver”. I told myself I’d put it on my first car. Here it is about 20 years later and I still have yet to get my full license and while our family does have a car, it is shared with other non-Norwegians (well, one, my wife, my kids, by definition, have Norwegian heritage too), where it was meant to be on the first car that is primarily mine - it’s still stored somewhere, still on the backing, waiting to be put on a car.
> [@elmwood](#):
>
> Note the handicap plates. I didn’t know Kentucky issued them for mental retardation as well.
Nah, they’d have to issue them to the whole state then. 🙂
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### Author:  [@GoodOmens](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GoodOmens)
#### Post date: [December 16, 2009, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-lefties-and-the-excessive-bumper-sticker-meme/520964/47 "2009-12-16T14:56:29Z")
> [@torie](#):
>
> That first one doesn’t look safe. I’m surprised there aren’t laws against that. Depending on how those thingamabobs on the top are attached, an accident with that car could turn into lethal religious shrapnel city.
The problem is that the policeman or judge who rules the vehicle is unsafe will then get slapped with a lawsuit about restriction of religious liberty.
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### Author:  [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)
#### Post date: [December 16, 2009, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-lefties-and-the-excessive-bumper-sticker-meme/520964/48 "2009-12-16T18:50:36Z")
As far has the right is concerned, I think the disparity is because of the lack of message diversity. I mean, how many ways are there to say, “Fuck You All”, or “Everything Is Fine As It Is”?
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### Author:  [@Translucent\_Daydream](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Translucent_Daydream)
#### Post date: [December 16, 2009, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-lefties-and-the-excessive-bumper-sticker-meme/520964/49 "2009-12-16T22:44:07Z")
> [@Hippy\_Hollow](#):
>
> 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?
This car freakishly looks like one I sold in 2006. It didn’t have the stickers on it, but it looks JUST LIKE the one I sold. Woah. The fender had the same pooch on it and everything.
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### Author:  [@Translucent\_Daydream](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Translucent_Daydream)
#### Post date: [December 16, 2009, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-lefties-and-the-excessive-bumper-sticker-meme/520964/50 "2009-12-16T22:47:58Z")
> [@It\_s\_Not\_Rocket\_Surgery](#):
>
> I live near this guy, and have seen the truck about 5 times. I even parked behind him once (sadly, no one was in the truck at the time.)
>
> I haven’t seen the truck in about 2 years, though. Maybe he had a change of heart. :rolleyes:
This dude is a douchebag asshole.
(not **Rocket** , the truck guy)
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### Author:  [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)
#### Post date: [December 17, 2009, 12:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-lefties-and-the-excessive-bumper-sticker-meme/520964/51 "2009-12-17T00:07:39Z")
[Sometimes you just run out of space for the stupid.](http://eehard.files.wordpress.com/2008/10/idiot.jpg)
> [@Simplicio](#):
>
> Well, I guess there’s a couple Aleutian Islands that’d be speaking Japanese now if we’d lost WWII.
Er… don’t they speak Russian or the Aleut language?
> [@Translucent\_Daydream](#):
>
> This dude is a douchebag asshole.
>
> (not **Rocket** , the truck guy)
Though possibly **Rocket** too. 😉
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### Author:  [@crypto7](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crypto7)
#### Post date: [January 5, 2011, 3:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-lefties-and-the-excessive-bumper-sticker-meme/520964/52 "2011-01-05T03:13:46Z")
Hippy Hollow, you are extraordinarily observant.
> [@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.
Mmm, I have to strongly disagree with that. Can’t find many pics of conservative nutroll rides on the interwebs. I mean, “conservative” is just that – marked by moderation or caution… traditional. Gradual or small changes are preferred, so they don’t go all ape-shit on the vehicles.
If you think about disorganization or a lack of order w/r/t the appearance of a vehicle, the leftist-mobile immediately springs to mind. I always take the time to walk that extra distance in the parking lot to see the INSIDE (or the driver(s)) of the “cuckoo for Obama” vehicles. And they are ALWAYS more likely to have trashed the inside with 3-yr old taco bell wrappers, etc.
Taken to its extreme, “disorganization” is a complete lack of organization, or order. Which is exactly what “disorder” is – the absence of an ordered mind. Conservatives are more likely to impose order on their little universes, while liberals are more likely to let their balls hang out, preferably getting tons of attention therefrom.
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### Author:  [@Mangosteen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangosteen)
#### Post date: [January 5, 2011, 3:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-lefties-and-the-excessive-bumper-sticker-meme/520964/53 "2011-01-05T03:54:18Z")
> [@kidneyfailure](#):
>
> “If you can read this, thank a teacher…and since it is in English, thank a soldier.”
>
> Huh???
>
> I don’t recall any other foreign country threatening to invade us and force us to speak their language (even in _Red Dawn_ the propaganda was in English). The last country that invaded the US also spoke English, didn’t they?
Japan Hawaii 1941?
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### Author:  [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)
#### Post date: [January 5, 2011, 4:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-lefties-and-the-excessive-bumper-sticker-meme/520964/54 "2011-01-05T04:02:09Z")
My former roommate had an ancient hatchback that was completely covered (except for the windows and a few other strategic areas like the license plates) by black-and-fluorescent-orange stickers that all read FRAGILE. I think they may have held the car together.
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### Author:  [@Spoons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoons)
#### Post date: [January 5, 2011, 6:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-lefties-and-the-excessive-bumper-sticker-meme/520964/55 "2011-01-05T06:13:51Z")
> [@Mangosteen](#):
>
> Japan Hawaii 1941?
No, Britain/Canada, War of 1812.
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### Author:  [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)
#### Post date: [January 5, 2011, 6:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-lefties-and-the-excessive-bumper-sticker-meme/520964/56 "2011-01-05T06:36:21Z")
> [@Spoons](#):
>
> No, Britain/Canada, War of 1812.
I believe that the Japanese took over the last four islands in the Aleutian chain (part of Alaska) during the Second World War.
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### Author:  [@Knorf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Knorf)
#### Post date: [January 5, 2011, 9:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-lefties-and-the-excessive-bumper-sticker-meme/520964/57 "2011-01-05T09:12:38Z")
> [@Magiver](#):
>
> I’ve never seen a far right montage but I’ve seen many far left versions as described by the op. Not sure why.
Confirmation bias.
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### Author:  [@Beware\_of\_Doug](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beware_of_Doug)
#### Post date: [January 5, 2011, 10:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-lefties-and-the-excessive-bumper-sticker-meme/520964/58 "2011-01-05T10:12:52Z")
> [@crypto7](#):
>
> …“conservative” is just that – marked by moderation or caution…
Here’s a quarter. Call Congress.
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### Author:  [@Balthisar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balthisar)
#### Post date: [January 5, 2011, 1:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-lefties-and-the-excessive-bumper-sticker-meme/520964/59 "2011-01-05T13:10:53Z")
> [@EvilTOJ](#):
>
> I thought this was going to be about left-handed people, judging from the OP title.
Same here, and as a left-hander, that’s what brought me here. The thread’s interesting all the same.
I’m both left and right depending on the subject matter, and I have no bumper stickers at all. I have a white Apple sticker on the Expedition, but I think I’ll remove it when I get home, because Apple’s apparently popular now. I used to have the multi-colored Apple sticker on the Continental, but I removed it after my third occurrence of being hit on by a guy.
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### Author:  [@TruCelt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TruCelt)
#### Post date: [January 5, 2011, 1:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-lefties-and-the-excessive-bumper-sticker-meme/520964/60 "2011-01-05T13:28:16Z")
The really crazy completely covered vehicles in my area are usually old vans or pick-ups, and they are either pro-gun or anti-abortion.
There used to be a Jesus-Bug in Fairfax, with a huge bell on the top, but I haven’t seen it in a decade or so.
Now, if say fifteen or so only on the back of the car counts, then we have to throw in the wiccans, who seem to be addicted to the latest snarky dragon sticker. . .
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