Neighbor will wave if passing by on the street IF he's driving his regular truck.

If he's driving his Corvette, however, he won't wave. He's better than the rest of us when he's in the Corvette apparently.

Let's see now: Our house is nicer, new windows/paint, and our yard is bigger. AND both our vehicles are nicer than his regular truck.

So I guess I'll quit waving at him?

People...sheesh.

Maybe his truck is an automatic and his Corvette is a stick shift.

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Spock Jenkins of the Vulcan Jenkins'.

One piece of insight from my sister on Corvettes and the people who own them...Only losers drive Corvettes.......unless it is a 1967 Stingray with a 427 V-8... red with black leather interior....and someone else is paying the insurance.....yeah that about sums it up.

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..just because you're a genius doesn't make you a smart guy..

Nope. 1990's model.

A boyfriend in the 1980s had a '60s-model Corvette. Rode like a skateboard-level lumber truck. I hated it, was glad it broke down on the 1st date [thereafter we went about in a pickup truck, lol!]

Uh, Nadme, either invite him over for the 4th, or ignore him.

Who the (deleted) gives a (deleted) about who has what whatevers?

People are people, people.

Are you really existing in the Indian claste system which existed thousdands of years ago?

Because if you are, I've got news for you.

It's dead.

Get with the program.

I learned that firsthand helping the homeless of Washington DC 28 years ago on street grates was the best thing that I could do, at the time, to begin change.

Better yet, let the "little folk" run with me for a month and their attitudes will be summarially changed.

Not by whoppers. Simply by common sense, someone believing in them, and a seonse of personal drive that most could recover. Some made it. Some didn't. The most difficult decisions in my life involved who made it and who did not at their expense but without jeapordizing someone who might not make it. I did this totally outside of official channels simply because there were no official channels to address these concerns that were available.

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If I set the budget, we'd have Ares and more. Unfortunately, I don't set the budget, and Ares is just too expensive and too far out for us to accomplish our goals within the budget we were given.

If we halt the ISS, all versions of Ares, and transport Orion and Altair aboard DIRECTv3's Jupiter family of Shuttle-Derived Launch Vehicles, we just might make it back to the Moon by 2020.

I always try to believe people are basicly good.

So maybe you are simply the victim of a standard logical fallacy. Just because it happened / happens at the same time, does not mean it must be correlated.
Or there is a correlation ( the shift stick was mentioned above by Spock Jenkins) but not the one you think it is.

If you start ignoring him this only gives you a bad feeling and makes things worse.

Wave at him when he passes by the next time in his Corvette. If he doesn't wave back ask him next time you meet why. Usually I do that in a way so the other guy "does not loose his face", like "Oh I was waving at you when you passed by last time in the Corvette, but I think you haven'T seen me".

Playing it "Tit for Tat" doesn't lead you anywhere. You just will end up as a lonely, grumpy old woman/man.

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Andre

"They did not know it was impossible, so they did it!"
Mark Twain

Hey all: Of course I intend to continue waving at him regardless.

I was posting satirically. Surprised some folks took it so seriously.

Huh? Wow, you really misunderstood. Tell that to my neighbor. I'm not the one who needs that message.

Actually I didn't even notice until my husband pointed it out. ::shrugs::

Back to our regularly scheduled programming...

I would talk to him when he's washing the 'Vette and say, "Nice car, is that a stick?" If it is - you've got your answer. Think about it. One foot on the gas, one on the clutch, on hand on the wheel, the other on the stick. Back out of the driveway - you're in reverse. When you need to pull forward, you engage the clutch and shift into first while using the steering wheel with the other hand. To continue accelerating, you need to shift into second, etc. You have no free hand to waive. Nothing sinister necessary. No need for your neighbor to be the stuck up snob when he's in the 'Vette and a great guy when he's in the truck (which makes no sense at all, really).

If you're familiar enough with stick's - you should actually be able to listen to the engine and watch the car respond as he pulls away and you'd know if it was a stick or not.

My suggestion wasn't just a joke, I was quite serious.

Heck, even if it isn't a stick - a Corvette doesn't steer as loosy-goosy as a truck. Minor inputs into the steering wheel have a more immediate impact in response from the vehicle. Not only that, but the consequences of making a driving error in a 'Vette are far more expensive than in a truck. Could be he's just not as comfortable taking a hand off the wheel until he reaches a more comfortable cruising speed.

I think the different driving styles is a much more reasonable answer. You would look quite silly approaching your neighbor and asking, "Why don't you ever waive when you're in the 'Vette?" He likely isn't even aware of it and will begin to wonder about the strange neighbor he has.

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Spock Jenkins of the Vulcan Jenkins'.

My neighbor is the opposite--whenever he drives the Porsche, he blows the horn when passing me to make sure I see him in the Porsche!

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Todd (Bowie, MD, US, North America, Earth, Sol System, Vega region, Local Bubble, Orion arm, Milky Way Galaxy, Local Group, Virgo A Cluster, Virgo supercluster, the universe in which spock is clean shaven)

Quidquid latine dictum sit, altum sonatur.

personal page: http://blog.astrosketches.info

Waving - - I wave to most anybody I think is looking. Even if I think I might be getting negative attention; I still wave. What's the harm, and it is very disarming to most.

True story. When we first moved out here from the city there was a guy who drove by and actually hollered out the window of his pick-up truck. Nothing profane, but definitely a we-don't-need-no-city-folk type insult. It happened twice, and both times I smiled and waved from the seat of my lawn tractor, pretending the shout I heard was a "hello neighbor."

That was at least 10 years ago, and it hasn't happened since.

On the side - - the skateboard-like feel of the Corvette might be the consequence of an intentionally tight suspension. Some afficianados of handling go so far as to replace the rubber suspension bushings with brass. It's a good amount of work, they wear out pretty fast requiring regular replacement, and on anything but the smoothest surface most people would not like the feel - - but the resultant handling and feel on smooth pavement is incredible. I did it to a 1972 455 Firebird. You could feel every pebble on the pavement, but the car dove into and stayed rock solid level in corners like nothing you could get off of any production line in the world.

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Don of Borg - Cool, Calm, Collective.

"Within the next generation I believe that the world's leaders will discover that infant conditioning and narco-hypnosis are more efficient, as instruments of government, than clubs and prisons, and that the lust for power can be just as completely satisfied by suggesting people into loving their servitude as by flogging them and kicking them into obedience." -- Aldous Huxley

I was born/raised in Iowa (live far away now, for years) and that's very common. And nice.

Really? Good grief.

Glad to know it.

The point of my original post was: Anyone silly enough can "find a reason" to "feel superior."

Who needs it?

So far all I've seen is that you feel superior because you've got a nicer house and waive more often. Haven't seen anything that would indicate that your neighbor feels superior for driving a car that requires more attention from the driver than a truck.

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Spock Jenkins of the Vulcan Jenkins'.

I did not read a superiority complex in Nadme's OP at all.

And when someone waves while driving the clunker but not when driving the 'Vette--- C'mon. That would get anyones attention.
Spock Jenkins, I think you managed to let your imagination take over your critical thinking on this particular post.

We all see examples of silly snobbery all the time.

Janitors like to jingle their keys. Why? Because they have a key to EVERYTHING.

People in sports cars are prone to acting a bit uppity. So are people in Limo's.

Anyone working on a production or stage when in view of others tends to hold their head up more and walk straighter- and walk around and talk to people like they are Important.

Not only have we all witnessed people doing these things, I'm fairly certain most of us have partaken in it as well.

And speaking out of 8 years Us Armed Forces Service- I can tell lots of stories about how a Promotion in rank has had a PROFOUND effect on a persons behavior within 24 hours of pinning on the new stripes.

No, no, no!

I was simply pointing out (satirically) that if he thinks he's superior for having a Corvette, doesn't it occur to him we (or anyone else) could cop a superior attitude over something else? You know...that's it's ridiculous so why bother?

Good grief...I'm amazed at the misunderstanding here.

Thank you, Neverfly! I'm also surprised/disappointed at his reply.

Well, I've tried clearing the air. ::shrugs::

Me neither.

Those were precisely my thoughts when I read the original post -- even
before I saw your first reply, I think. This is remarkable because I know
and care about as much about cars as a turtle does.

-- Jeff, in Minneapolis

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"I find astronomy very interesting, but I wouldn't if I thought we
were just going to sit here and look." -- "Van Rijn"

"The other planets? Well, they just happen to be there, but the
point of rockets is to explore them!" -- Kai Yeves

I am using critical thinking. I considered logically why a person who waives in one vehicle might not be able to waive in another. I did so in a way that did not assume the worst in that person. As far as the way I read the OP, a couple of comments stood out:

And:

Both of those statements indicate to me that the OP feels superior to the neighbor. So much so that the OP must find fault in the one luxury that the poor guy chooses to indulge.

Of course there is always the standard way out of calling a neighbor a snob who is not here to defend their side:

As far as when a neighbor waives or doesn't waive getting anyones attention. I really couldn't tell you when my neighbors do our don't waive. Sometimes they do, sometimes they don't. Likewise for me. I have no idea if there is any pattern to this at all. If they don't, I figure they're busy with something else or didn't see me. I really can't think of any distinction in behavior based on the vehicle being used. Other than the motorcycle. The guy on the motorcycle accross the street doesn't typically waive for obvious reasons.

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Spock Jenkins of the Vulcan Jenkins'.

Another critically considered logical reason why an individual might not waive in a Corvette that does not require snobbish behavior on their part. Visibility. The windows are usually tinted dark. The roof line on a Corvette is about even with the bottom of my ribs. When I sit in a Corvette, my head is jammed up in the roof. I wouldn't see anyone waiving unless they ducked real low in front of the hood while I was ducking to see them below the top of the windshield.

In a truck, I'd be sitting nice and high with good visibility. I'd likely catch a person waiving out of the corner of my eye and have no problem waiving back.

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Spock Jenkins of the Vulcan Jenkins'.

I have a Dodge Ram.

Now, Although I have never owned a Vette- I have driven several of them.

I cannot say I ever felt more uncomfortable taking a hand off the wheel of the Vette for a moment. In fact, EVERY Vette (Three) I ever drove required a minute amount of LESS attention than my truck does.

I find the Snobbish possibility more likely than the possibility that he is fearful of removing his hand from the wheel. Most sports car drivers drive with only one hand on the wheel anyway. They other has the elbow propped in the window.

Having driven my parents disco 'Vette - I can't say as I was as comfortable as you. Through both of our astute observations (and some recollection of your past posting history) - there's only one thing we can do.

Nadme, how tall is your neighbor.

Neverfly is about 5' 7" and drives a 'Vette comfortably.

I'm a bit over 6' 4" and can't see very well when driving them and my knees are all jammed around the steering wheel.

If he's over six foot - cut him some slack and go with the can't see or sit comfortably. If he's under six foot - he must be a snob.

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Spock Jenkins of the Vulcan Jenkins'.

A moment of Paranoia as I read this....

Um, I'm driving, not out to make a social call. Your neighbor was probably paying attention to the road, as he should be. I wouldn't worry about it.

Snobbery is rampant out here. Everyone's trying to keep up with the Jones. They have to have the right car, the biggest house and it has to be in the right neigborhood like Irvine, Rancho Santa Margarita or Villa Park...

I really laugh at all these people with tiny houses squeezed together thinking they're better than me. Heh, at least I have a back yard.

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All moderations in purple.

You ain't nobody 'til you've been banned.

You have said this, no? Or am I misremembering?

I got memory like one of those big gray animals with the long nose and the big ears.

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Spock Jenkins of the Vulcan Jenkins'.

You must have. I hope I never slip up and reveal a horrible secret around you...

I agree with Spock on most of what he's said, but especially this. My waving patterns tend to be rather eratic, mostly because I see no point in it. Likewise I don't usually yell "hi" to my neighbors when I see them out either, unless I plan to stop over an talk to them. It just seems an inefficient use of time and energy, kinda like spending $5 on a card when I could have just bought a nicer present. Then the one time I break the pattern because I don't see one of my neighbors, they'll probably read too much into it and think I dislike them. It's possible this neighbor, like me, doesn't realize that waving every single time he sees someone out is an absolute responsibility.



I will also second the comments about the Corvette requiring more attention to the road. I actually learned to drive on a Corvette, and owned F-Bodies every since until last year. When I drive my Grand Prix around now I can easily take my hand off the wheel for a second without a concern (though I usually don't), but all my sports cars were much more responsive, both to me and the road. This meant they were a lot safer if I was paying attention to the road like I'm supposed to, but it also means that they would be a lot more risky if I wasn't.

There's always other possibilities, the following of which I draw from my own experience for:
1) The 'Vette could be a stick, as someone mentioned above.
2) When I get in my GXP I just drive away, and turn on the radio somewhere down the road. But in my Firehawk I had a killer sound system, so I was usually using my free hand to change CDs and/or jack up the volume on my way out of the driveway. 'Vettes do come with a high power Bose system standard, and old pickups generally don't. Similarly, my Grand Prix has heated seats and a complicated dual climate control, so my free hands are often tied up more in it in the winter than they might be in another car.
3) Some people with 'Vettes (like my parents) use them as 'pleasure' vehicles, so they only drive them on occassion. When switching from a daily driver to an unfamiliar vehicle, especially one as different as a 'Vette, the driver can feel uncomfortable for the first minute or two until they get used to everything again. This effect is stronger in older drivers, or less competent drivers. Maybe your neighbor is getting 'back in the groove' of driving a 'Vette.
4) All cars have different internal geometries. I found it much easier to wave out the window of my F-Bodies than my GXP (I always hit my elbow), so I tend not to wave as much now. Maybe his 'Vette is similarly more difficult to wave out of.

I'm sure there's plenty more I didn't think of. Just some thoughts.

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Nicholas Bostaph
http://NicholasBostaph.com
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The usual technique in South Carolina is to have one hand at noon on the steering wheel of the pickup truck. When someone approaches from the other direction, the accepted gesture is to briefly raise the index finger of that hand.

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