Do you judge people by their bumper stickers?

Just curious - I heard a coworker going off on soem 49 yr old guy who had a Grateful Dead sticker on his car (I think he hit her in the parking lot) but she was going off on his sticker.

Just curious - regardless of whether you got into a fender bender or whatever - do you judge people by their bumper stickers?

Re: Do you judge people by their bumper stickers?

Nah, that's stupid. What if someone bought/borrowed the car? Now if it was a skinhead type kid coming out of a car with inappropriate markings (ie swastiskas, upside down crosses, etc.) it would make me think 2x about being associated with them.

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YES! And most time when I see the person driving the car Im right. I was behind a man in a pickup truck with some VERY racist bumper stickers, confederate flags. "Speak English or die"
I thought he probably wears a hood on Saturday nights. Well when I passed him and looked. I was right, he was a mean looking scary old dude with a wild long beard and just plain old mean looking. He could have lead the Klan for all I knew.


PS, its my opinion he COULD have been the nicest person in the world too.
Not to offend anyone of course.

Re: Do you judge people by their bumper stickers?

Yes, I do - that's why they're there. But not to the point where I'm going to get mad at the person, because it's not worth my emotional effort

Re: Do you judge people by their bumper stickers?

Yes. If it's the kind of bumper sticker everyone has on their car I think they are conformists. If it's something like "My terrier is smarter than your Honor Student" I just want to slap them (figuratively). Most of time bumper stickers amuse me. It gives me something to look at while I'm sitting at a light.

Re: Do you judge people by their bumper stickers?

They amuse me! I think people put them ontheir cars so others will know about them.

I for one think they are ridiculous and would never put one on my car.

Re: Do you judge people by their bumper stickers?

sometimes... most of the time i just read them and laugh... unless they are just realllllly racist then i get and

Re: Do you judge people by their bumper stickers?

Posted by MeeshMosh

sometimes... most of the time i just read them and laugh... unless they are just realllllly racist then i get and

Message edited 1/12/2009 12:38:30 PM.

Re: Do you judge people by their bumper stickers?

Re: Do you judge people by their bumper stickers?

Re: Do you judge people by their bumper stickers?

Well, I would assume people put bumper stickers on their car b/c it says something about them... so yes, I probably make assumptions about people based on bumper stickers. I wouldn't ever argue with them about it if we got into a fender bender and I wouldn't ever assume the person driving is necessarily the one who put the bumper stickers on (people borrow cars, etc...) But bumper stickers make a statement... so I assume if you put them on your car, you intend to make that statement. It's kind of hard not to make any judgments at all after seeing them.

However, the only thing I'd assume about someone with a Grateful Dead sticker on her car is that she likes Grateful Dead... I don't see a reason to get upset about it...

Then again, I don't see a reason to yell at anyone about their bumper stickers after a fender bender... That really makes no sense to me.

Re: Do you judge people by their bumper stickers?

i have never really payed attention.. but i can see why some people might judge!

Re: Do you judge people by their bumper stickers?

I think most people who put bumper stickers on their cars want the world to know whatever it is that the sticker states so yeah, I do judge them a little.

Granted it could be an old sticker or it could be a borrowed car, but for the most part it's not so I'll make a leap and think, "hey that guy supports Obama" or "those people love German shepherds" or "that guy thinks I'm driving like an a-hole because I can read the sticker" or "wow, I wonder which one of their kids is on the honor roll-probably that younger one 'cause the older one looks like a punk".

I might also infer other things about them based on what the sticker says. I am not judging everything about the person but I do think it must accurately reflect a side of the driver.

Message edited 1/12/2009 2:41:04 PM.

Re: Do you judge people by their bumper stickers?

Posted by kristinel

Posted by MeeshMosh

sometimes... most of the time i just read them and laugh... unless they are just realllllly racist then i get and

I've never seen racist bumper stickers. Mostly I see super liberal stickers or super religious stickers.

Re: Do you judge people by their bumper stickers?

Hmmmm... this makes me wonder what people think of me - my car has one of those jesus fishies on it, but it has legs on the bottom, and says Darwin in the belly

Re: Do you judge people by their bumper stickers?

only ones I *judge* (if you even call it that) are the uber religious ones... or anti abortion ones.

I wouldn't say I judge them, but I know immediately I don't agree with them and wince a bit...

but to each, his own...

Re: Do you judge people by their bumper stickers?

Sure...it's what they are there for. It allows other people an insight into the person driving the car. If you're driving a VW plastered with Phish, DMB and Dead stickers, I might assume you were a hippie

But it goes both ways. And I definitely don't agree with people who have racist or super-religious stickers on there.

Re: Do you judge people by their bumper stickers?

Posted by MeeshMosh

Posted by quasi3

They amuse me! I think people put them ontheir cars so others will know about them.

haha yesss - i LOVE when i can see ppl start to squint and lean in all close to read my bumper sticker at a red light!!

sometimes i can read their lips and see they are reading it outloud and then they look at the other person in the car and give a remark about it... then they look at it lol its quite amusing

Re: Do you judge people by their bumper stickers?

What do the racist ones say?

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Re: Do you judge people by their bumper stickers?

if you are putting a sticker on your car it must mean "this is me" and this is how I think. I laugh at some, shake my head at most but I really question people when their car is covered with them. To me it screams this person needs to announce to the world who they are because you must know what they think because their thoughts are important.

Oh and sorry to say I don't care for "my child is on honor roll at blah blah" - sorry no one cares.

Re: Do you judge people by their bumper stickers?

I guess I do - certain bumper stickers shed a little light on certain viewpoints, however, I would never confront a person with a bumper sticker if it was a view different from mine. all about free speech. I am not a big fan of bumper stickers to begin with.

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Re: Do you judge people by their bumper stickers?

Totally.

I do, however, love the honor roll ones. I think that the parent must be really proud and I'm sure the kid loves it too.

I laugh at the ones that say 'so and so beats up your honor student'. While laughing, I judge the crap out of that person too!