yemenmocha

So I get into my 997 and I'm putting the softop down and re-installing my V1 on the windshield. Some kid in one of those box-shaped Scions swings by the back of my car, rolls down his window and yells "Douche!" and speeds away quickly. I wasn't in a terribly sketchy area (brewery/brewpub just a mile down from the local Ferrari dealer) but it wasn't a exactly a nice area either. And no, I didn't do anything to prompt this.

If I had stayed inside for one more beer and arrived at my car 15 minutes later, do you think it was likely that it would have been keyed up?

Any other 997 owners have experiences like this?

The "Douche!" wasn't yelled in a joking way with laughter - it sounded rather mean spirited. /sigh

Caughtacab911

I was driving in my town the other day on my way to the local coffee shop on a beautiful weekday morning. The top was down and I was rolling in second past a telephone crew at a nominal speed. One of the crew was talking to the cop on detail. Just as I passed the two of them, one (the phone guy I presume) said loudly enough for me to hear "Hey Vegas." It was clearly meant to be an insult.

I think the fact that it's an open-top vehicle where we're so exposed causes people to aim comments in our direction more than would happen with a closed coupe. Of course, 98% of those types of comments that I hear are compliments, so I take the bad with the good.

Gene
_________________________________________________
05 911 C2S cabriolet
01 MB E320 4Matic wagon
08 Audi A3 3.2, S-Line = wife's

MJPereira

I have certainly noticed a lot more animosity while I drive my P-car than in my Saab. I don't know if it's jealousy or pure hatred? No clue. Definitely the only negative of owning the car.

ADias

I think that we will see more of that going forward. Sign of the times. Watch your back.

nyca

You are living in a country where any measure of success, is being demonized from the highest levels of government. What do you expect.

jyslou

Yep, I have had more sneers and negative comments flung at me in the last two months of Porsche ownership than all the years driving any of my Audis or even the Bimmer. I'm sure it's partly due to the bad times we're in. But it's also a univeral law of nature in good times or bad I think.

Comedian Chris Rock said it best in one of his shows: Fat ugly chics can say **** about any body. They have the right to complain. On the other hand, if a skinny chic made fun of a fat chic, that is considered mean and awful.

Yes, that's right... the Scion is the automotive equivalent of the fat chick. He more than likely went around the corner to a Prius and called them a douche too.

And I always try to remember this other universal truism: Far better people have said far worst things about me.

So relax, have a laugh and let it go. We get to drive (and have angst over) Porsches! That is an experience less that 1% of the world will ever know.

Edgy01

Years ago owning a Porsche was a rare thing. But things change. I've been driving Porsches since well before the porcupine joke was ever started. Unfortunately, the conduct of a few disturb the ownership for the rest of us. We should all strive to keep the image of the Porsche where it belongs,--as a great sporting car, and nothing else.

This sort of hatred is common in the UK for Porsche owners. There are reports of vandalism to Porsches all the time. Ditto for socialist Europe. THAT will be the end of Porsche,--when it's POLITICALLY INCORRECT to drive a Porsche. You understand that's why Porsche has green colors in their line up today, and why they are seriously engineering hybrid and diesel technology for their vehicles.

ADias

+ 1. Owning a Porsche in Germany already is non-PC. What is the world coming to?

tooloud10

Huh, I live in a very blue collar area and while I own a lowly 996, I haven't had any rude comments for a year or two. Maybe it's just a coincidence and the people that want to believe there's a political connection are seeing what they want to see?

Oh, and IBTM.

triode

Politics has absolutely nothing to do with this phenomenon, which is simple jealousy and feelings of inadequacy, as old as the hills. One must simply feel sorry for those so afflicted. Or you can calmly reply,
"Sir, whoever first said that jealousy is an ugly emotion must have had you in mind."

ds2k1

Yesterday, a guy at the local 76 station approached me and said, "Dude, I really love your car. Nice ride." I smiled, said "Thanks. I love it." He went back to his car (a Celica), got in the driver's seat, looked back at his daughter in the back seat and said, "Honey, that's a Porsche. That's a really nice car."

The world's not all bad.

brendo

of the 6 or seven people who walked by when the police were writing up the vandalism report, all said nice things about my car and that it was lousy that it had just been keyed....this was from 2 weeks ago (this is an enzo on my part - i think i mentioned it in another thread just a few days ago)

At Law

The present economic times certainly have had an impact
on people's perspectives on flaunting money. However, the general population's
opinions of Eureopean vehicles in the U.S. have always stirred feelings
of hatred amongst those who do not drive them.

Even ten years ago, when everyone was making a lot of money in
the stock market and well-paying jobs were prevalent, people
would always make comments about your European car.

I drove 3 series BMW's all through undergrad and law school
and there was not a day that went by when someone did not
make a comment about driving a high priced import. A few
of my friends drove equally priced Lexus's and Infiiniti's and no one said
a word about their cars.

When I am going to the courthouse, I still make a point of parking
my car far away from potential juror's line of site, as an attempt
to not stir up a hatred towards me before I give them a chance
to actually hate me.

hlee1169

I guess some of the less fortunate people associate Porsche owners with the bankers that brought down the economy and was venting their frustrations.

I actually had an encounter too when I was stopped at the red light, a red Civic pulled up aside me and a young kid in the driver seat asked me what I do for a living. I replied, engineer. He said he's studying to become an engineer too, and I wish him good luck. I think we could use more engineers.

mooty

there seems to be some confusion here. bankers didn't bring down the econ. it's the greedy investors who demanded double digit returns from their bankers that brought down the econ. i tell my investors if they want more than 5% annual return, take their money else where. i wont manage it for them. zero leverage zero risk very very low return.

high leverage, big return, CDO, CMBS, MBS, and other ABS and derivatives are created to satisfy NOT the bankers but the greedy investors.

back to topic. those young kids who yelled "douche" and some such will never amount to much and rest assured they will never drive a porsche. so dont bother with them. when i was making $4/hour, i looked at the nice cars and worked harder so i can perhaps one day have one. calling the hard working ppl who drives porsches/ferrari's aint gonna help advance the perp's fortune.