# Why are large aftermarket wheel rims so popular in low income areas?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-large-aftermarket-wheel-rims-so-popular-in-low-income-areas/614737>\
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion\
**Created:** [March 4, 2012, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-large-aftermarket-wheel-rims-so-popular-in-low-income-areas/614737 "2012-03-04T18:07:56Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 4

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**Author:** ![pullin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c57346/32.png) [@pullin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pullin)\
**Post date:** [March 9, 2012, 11:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-large-aftermarket-wheel-rims-so-popular-in-low-income-areas/614737/61 "2012-03-09T11:45:57Z")

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> [@elmwood](#):
>
> Again, from what I’ve seen, it’s:  
> …
> 
> - If they have too many verifiable assets, it could disqualify them from various safety net benefits; Medicaid, Section 8, food stamps, WIC, etc. The cost of saving can be much higher than the cost of spending when you consider the possible loss of benefits.  
> …

OP here. I understand status-based acquisition (hell, I’m guilty of it too), but part of my question was why these wheels ended up being the object of choice.

The statement above, along with the point about their car actually being less transitory than their dwelling, was a complete surprise to me. I’d never considered the transitory nature of that area, and I had no idea that conditions could conspire to make additional savings a poor choice.

Ignorance has definitely been fought here. Wow.

Thanks to all for their posts. This has been fascinating.

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**Author:** ![grude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47774/32.png) [@grude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/grude)\
**Post date:** [March 9, 2012, 11:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-large-aftermarket-wheel-rims-so-popular-in-low-income-areas/614737/62 "2012-03-09T11:56:38Z")

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> [@pullin](#):
>
> and I had no idea that conditions could conspire to make additional savings a poor choice.

Not only for the reasons already offered but also the fact that when you are poor having savings or assets that can be too easily converted into cash can make you the target of family/friend mooching, nothing is worse than hearing sob stories of varying seriousness all day long(it gets old fast).

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