Do people hate your car? At least they seem to hate mine.

[Matti]

I have been wondering what people normally think about Porsches and 944s. When I read this board it seems that everyone (not just Porsche owners) loves Porsches. They wave and flash and ask what year is it and generally think that Porsche is cool.

That does not happen to me. Actually I think that most people don’t like my car at all. Are they jealous are what is it? Probably most extreme case happened today when I was testing breaks and some steering related stuff that had been fixed. After about hour’s hard drive I started to be hungry and went to this fast food place. They did not have any food ready so I had to wait. I just sat in my car and listened music.
After a while I started to hear someone shouting. I looked behind and saw four people in Audi windows rolled down shouting to me. I got to hear that because I drive a Porsche I’m a h00ker and my car is peace of **** and I deserve to die etc etc etc. I tried to look as if I didn’t notice them even tough they got out of their car and were walking around my car shouting all short of crap. In reality I felt like $hit. Anyway I stayed cool and after a while they got back into their car and kept yelling from there. Everything was Ok before they started to shout that: “Your father has paid you that car you f***ing…” Then I got really mad because I work 5 hours / day to pay for my car. I got out from my car and walked towards their Audi. I started by asking from the oldest person in car (he was about 30) that why does he think that Porsches are so bad and why does he care what I drive. Well that was a mistake. He got out from the car again and started to kick me! Then I realized that I had better run. There where 4 guys in that car all 2 times as big as I’m and one was already trying to beat me up. So I run back to my car and drove away.
That kind of spoiled my day.

So what kind of feedback you get? Does this ever happen to you?

[Goku]

Well in that situation, first off you call the police and file assault charges on these ass holes. Get their license plate etc if you need to get away. Very smart to leave.

Second...why would you trust the opinions of idiots like that?

[AFJuvat]

No, never happened to me, or anyone else here that I am aware of. The only harassment I have ever gotten is from 911 owners saying I should buy a REAL porsche.

I would have to chalk that up to car envy - you have one and they don't. Audi's are nice, but they just aren't a Porsche

AFJuvat

[scottmandue]

Well I think what you had there with those (I use the term loosly) gentlemen is a case of quadruple cranial rectal impaction (very rare to be seen in quadruples). Did you notice if they had trouble walking on their hind legs? You were wise to avoid contact with these lower life forms, who knows what diseases they may have been carrying!

Anyway the worst thing that has happened to me is to be snubed by a few (not all) 911 owners.

I don't know how things are in Finland but I would think (hope) you were just unfortunate to be in the wrong place at the wrong time and the average person would not react to a Porsche in such a immature asinine manner.

[snappy]

You are going to find people like this wherever you go. Does not matter what you drive who you with or where you are. There is an old saying. All be it a bit on the conterversial side:

Brilliant people talk about Ideas, Clever people talk about Places and dumb people talk about Other People. You know you work hard for your car. Don’t let a total stranger convince you otherwise.

[eligunn]

When a person buys a car, and spends all of the trouble and expense and uncertainty in order to keep that car, that person no matter how enlightened to some extent adopts the idea that his or her car is THE CAR TO HAVE. I've even had a guy who owned a 924 talk **** on my 924S, saying it was the cheap thrown together version of the 928. Hows that for irony.
I mean audi owners should be complimenting you on your finely engineered peice of machinery.

[Crippler]

Well most people seem to love my car. They always ask me questions about it , say what a sweet ride etc. On the other hand I have had people dive up beside me and give me the finger for no reason. Also another popular comment is "that not a real porsche or that not a good one". I have even had one guy come up to me and essentially tell me my car is a cheap, ugly pile of crap and then try to explain how his sunfire GT is a far better sports car.

Anyways I just ignore these idiots and continue on my way. I like my car and that's all that matters to me. But it is very aggravating having people judge your car, when in most cases they know nothing about it.

[85944na]

I get the finger for no reason once in a while, I got a bunch of crap in high school, but people were just joking around, and very jealous. I get lots of comments in parking lots and stuff. Never had anyone say anything bad.

[Nabeel]

A lot of ricers seem to hate my car.....then again, some of them love it.

[Makis]

No I never got any bad attentions to my car. Ok people try to race me sometimes. But this is OK, they just acknowledge by this that a 944 is a porsche and want to see how fast it is. 944 here in England are much more rare then 911 so although you get the odd snobish look from a 911 driver but this is still OK, because they acknowledge this is also a Porsche, otherwise they will not bother to blink.

[adrian jaye]

Hey Matti,

Sorry to hear that,

As Makis can testify I get shed load of looks in my s2 cab.

I'm miffed that I don't get no falshes from oither Porsche owners (44/24/11's etc) even if I flash first.

A load of girls often ask how I can afford to run a "ferrari"
and a coupld of guy's (strangers) have said "nice car mate"

sounds like your situation was some slime out looking for a fight, this happens, Id agree with reporting these ppl straight off.

Ignore this ****, its so un common

laters

and have a good day

we all here still luv ya

Ad

Matti, don't worry about these people. They are just jealous (and propably drunk or on drugs) and looking for fight. I've never seen anything like this happen in major cities here in Finland, but in small towns and villages people are sometimes so narrow minded and jealous. Where I live, people are normally just giving positive comments about my car and want to know more about it.

It's no use to try talk (or fight with kinds of people you encountered. Better just ignore them, leave and forget about it.

Good luck!

Kimmo

[Deeks]

I agree.....

Ignore the low lifes.

Snappy is right .. "brilliant people talk about ideas, clever people about places, and narrow minded single brain celled amoeba, ***** about other people."

Sorry to hear what happened, it must've been quite a shock, though don't let these people get you down. Choosing your car is similar to choosing your girlfriend. Other people's opinions shouldn't count for $hit ....only you know which one is right and which one you trully love.

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder !!!

[Deeks]

of course,

people get jealous of other people's success.

[Matti]

Makis,
Hopefully there will be another 944 in England soon. I just came from test where Lincoln University tested if I’m bright enough to study there. I’ll get results in two weeks and If I pass me + my car will be spending next 4-5 years there.

P.S. While I was at the interview the Lyncoln guy asked what am I interested in. I told that I like cars and that I own a Porsche. He was like "Oh my god your only 20 and already own a PORSCH". And because I’m a complete moron I started to correct this guy by telling him how to pronounce Porsche properly. Now he probably thinks that I’m one meticulous idiot who thinks that owning a Porsche will make him better person and I wont get to England.


Maybe I´m just getting paranoid..

[Zeloy]

Yeah correcting him was probaly a bad idea. He probaly thinks you are some kind of rich snob now even though you aren't...

[944S Boyeee]

One thing we all have to realize is what OTHER people are thinking. I say this because I drive a Suzuki Sidekick in the winter months and I never think about what others are thinking. Nobody looks my way, nobody notices me at all, nobody makes comments or stares or makes assumptions, etc. I notice when I’m driving and I see, say, a Civic - I don’t think twice about the driver. When I see a Viper or something, right away I start to form opinions and try and guess what that driver is all about.

We need to step away from being a Porsche driver once in a while and remember what it was like when WE saw people driving Porsche before we had one. Right away you think “rich” (at least I do) and then you think about how YOU don’t have a Porsche. Not very many people see a Porsche and think “Good for that person”. We automatically think the person is rich (and hate them because we are not) or they did something suspect to get that car (i.e. - sell drugs - perhaps being a prostitute - daddy
gave it to them - etc, etc). In most peoples eyes and heads, the “older, distinguished gentleman” who worked hard for his money and pampered himself is the only acceptable person who should be driving a Porsche. Any younger person is either
spoiled, or selling something illegal......and people generally don’t like these type of people.

I knew of a Asian family who owned the only 911 where I live. Being non-politically correct, I thought, “Hey - they are smart, they made money in some business and deserve a Porsche.” Then there was the 30-year-old guy with the 944 who I thought
was a total d**k. I figured he was into something illegal or his “family” was rich and he was mooching. I even went as far as to ban this guy from my bar out of dislike for him (I never even spoke to this guy in my life).

You have to be constantly on the ball with these cars. EVERYONE (except people who understand the whole “944 thing”) will judge you or think something about you. That is what comes with owning one of these cars. Half the adventure is the “lifestyle”. You never know what someone is going to do. I see people give me the enthusiastic “thumbs up” - while other go out of their way to NOT pay attention to me. They make it obvious that they hate everything about me. I have people who will walk up and talk to
me about the car in a civil manner - while the next person will make comments under their breath or roll their eyes.

Remember - it’s not you - it’s the mystic that the car carries. In my Sidekick I'm just good ol’ Jeff driving around in his SUV. In the Porsche, who knows who I am in the minds of others?

Crazy world we live in....


944S Boyeee

[kenny]

So there are four of these guys and you got OUT of your car! You Finns must have SOME B4LL$! smart you may not have been, as the proper course of action would have been to stay non-confrontational.

You could have redeemed yourself in the interview by telling him you earned your car (you are industrious) and do all the maintenence on it yourself (mechanically inclined).

Don't let 4 stoned Finns bruise you car-ego. Fortunately our lives don't cross with the low-lifes very much. Enjoy your car -- it's a Porsche!

[JGriff]

As I've always said "Perception is often stronger than reality!!"

Unfortunately, the old adage of "judging a book by it's cover" has never faded. Most folks do pass judgement based upon superficialities, and it's really unfair.

I hate it, because I feel like I have to justify myself to others for choosing the cars that I drive.

I first encountered it with my '92 Audi, and still do, despite the fact that the car now has 193k miles on it!! The car is ten years old and has close to 200k miles and I still get looks and an attitude when I drive it!! When I first bought the car, I felt that I had to explain to people that I chose to buy a three-year old off-lease Audi INSTEAD of a brand new Ford Taurus, and that I felt it was a much better deal. I guess the problem was (and still is) that the car looked so nice and new etc. that most folks think that it IS new, or that I bought it new.

Most non-Porsche folks have no idea of how old or what the value is of some of these (older) cars, and given that, they just automatically assume that it must be expensive, and that you must be rich or [insert whatever BS you want...]

If someone makes a comment to me like "it must be nice" (to be able to afford a Porsche, that is), I usually minimize their comment by telling them that it is twelve years old... and that it actually cost less than a new Civic or VW.

Nonetheless, I agree... it absolutely s*cks to have to be on the defensive most of the time.

Jim

[Brian J]

Though I have not had the experience JGriff had I have experienced more attention with my 944. My 944 is my commute to work car two days a week. I notice in traffic more than a few longer that casual glances at the car. This makes me feel good.


However, I have also noticed if I squeeze into an opening in heavy traffic with my other vehicle ('99 GMC Sonoma) the reaction is little, almost acceptable as routine. BUT, if I do the same with the 944 I get indignant looks, fingers, and mouthed expelitives.



JGriff is a brave man. There is no way I would approach a car full of guys cussing at me, not unarmed anyway. What is this guy's beef. Audi was a major contributor to the 924 and 944 design. Only Porsche made it better.

My ultimate fantasy is to buy a '63 Cadilac Fleetwood, insure it to the hilt, then go hunting for butt-hooks like the one you encountered. Let the argue with the laws of physics.