Make Model, Make Model
April 11, 2011 12:18 PM Subscribe
Photos of Auto Buds. "Auto Buds are two cars of the same make, model, color, or as identical as possible, that are parked right next to each other or in close proximity."
If only it was "fuckyeahautobuds".
posted by dirtdirt at 12:22 PM on April 11, 2011 [3 favorites]
posted by dirtdirt at 12:22 PM on April 11, 2011 [3 favorites]
Huh, the first entry on the page is wrong... it's an accord and a civic, not two civics.
posted by symbollocks at 12:22 PM on April 11, 2011 [2 favorites]
posted by symbollocks at 12:22 PM on April 11, 2011 [2 favorites]
worst.meme.ever.
posted by spicynuts at 12:24 PM on April 11, 2011 [6 favorites]
posted by spicynuts at 12:24 PM on April 11, 2011 [6 favorites]
I drive a black car. At my gym, there are two other people who drive the same car: one black, one white. I saw them parked next to each other once, and skipped over a lot of better spots to make a parking-lot-Oreo. I am kind of a dork.
posted by uncleozzy at 12:27 PM on April 11, 2011 [33 favorites]
posted by uncleozzy at 12:27 PM on April 11, 2011 [33 favorites]
My girlfriend drives a Volvo station wagon that is evidently auto buds with half the cars in Berkeley.
posted by brundlefly at 12:27 PM on April 11, 2011 [2 favorites]
posted by brundlefly at 12:27 PM on April 11, 2011 [2 favorites]
My license plate # is TF3606. The other evening I parked behind TF3630. Does it have a name if I park near a close license plate? Or is it just another sign of the apocalypse?
posted by theora55 at 12:27 PM on April 11, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by theora55 at 12:27 PM on April 11, 2011 [1 favorite]
This might be interesting if it did what it says on the tin.
posted by swift at 12:28 PM on April 11, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by swift at 12:28 PM on April 11, 2011 [1 favorite]
I've been known to park next to cars that look much like my grey 2001 Chevy Metro 4-door on purpose.
The problem is that there are enough small grey four-door cars that look pretty much alike that I've also more than once put my key in the wrong car when I come back out.
posted by hippybear at 12:28 PM on April 11, 2011
The problem is that there are enough small grey four-door cars that look pretty much alike that I've also more than once put my key in the wrong car when I come back out.
posted by hippybear at 12:28 PM on April 11, 2011
Now that machines are self-aware and are pairing off with each other based on similarity, how much longer do we, as humans, have left?
posted by perhapses at 12:31 PM on April 11, 2011
posted by perhapses at 12:31 PM on April 11, 2011
All I know is, there's a ton of gray late 90s/early 2000s Camrys out there. I've definitely tried to open the wrong one before.
I'm sure there's some confirmation bias going on though. I never noticed how many gold Buick Lesabres there are out there until I started dating my now-wife, who inherited that car from her grandmother.
posted by kmz at 12:31 PM on April 11, 2011
I'm sure there's some confirmation bias going on though. I never noticed how many gold Buick Lesabres there are out there until I started dating my now-wife, who inherited that car from her grandmother.
posted by kmz at 12:31 PM on April 11, 2011
Humans like patterns.
posted by jnnla at 12:32 PM on April 11, 2011 [5 favorites]
posted by jnnla at 12:32 PM on April 11, 2011 [5 favorites]
I drive a 2010 Honda Civic. At times, I could probably post a 'buds' photo with more than four identical models parked close by. Because I drive a generic car.
posted by NationalKato at 12:33 PM on April 11, 2011 [2 favorites]
posted by NationalKato at 12:33 PM on April 11, 2011 [2 favorites]
Humans like patterns.
And are very annoyed if we don't see patterns when promised.
posted by MCMikeNamara at 12:38 PM on April 11, 2011
And are very annoyed if we don't see patterns when promised.
posted by MCMikeNamara at 12:38 PM on April 11, 2011
This is the danger of all this "its easy peasy to make a blog" technology -- people can have an idea but go ahead and publish it without even having the content to back it up.
posted by MCMikeNamara at 12:39 PM on April 11, 2011
posted by MCMikeNamara at 12:39 PM on April 11, 2011
I know someone who drives a grey Prius in Berkeley. It's a notable event when there are no auto-buds in view.
posted by zippy at 12:43 PM on April 11, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by zippy at 12:43 PM on April 11, 2011 [1 favorite]
I drive a silver Corolla. Half the people in my town drive the same car as I.
posted by arcticwoman at 12:46 PM on April 11, 2011
posted by arcticwoman at 12:46 PM on April 11, 2011
I love it when this happens.
Better yet though would be a fuck yeah pdiddle blog on Tumblr. Someone get on that.
posted by cmyk at 12:52 PM on April 11, 2011
Better yet though would be a fuck yeah pdiddle blog on Tumblr. Someone get on that.
posted by cmyk at 12:52 PM on April 11, 2011
I own the two best-selling vehicles in the model year in which each of them were sold, each in the most common color and trim level for those models. This happens to me about once a week.
posted by deadmessenger at 12:52 PM on April 11, 2011
posted by deadmessenger at 12:52 PM on April 11, 2011
Back in '91 or so a friend of mine and I came out of the movies and got into his Lincoln Town Car that his dad's when he was a kid or something. It was an early 70s model and was huge (a boat). He starts up the car, puts it in reverse, then has the realization, "Hey man, this isn't my car!" (It was clean inside.) Now, we didn't know if the cars just had the same keys or if this one had a bad ignition (my current car starts with about any key and will allow you to pull the keys while it's still running). This was Christmas time so the lots were packed. My friend drove the car over like 5 rows and way down the row away from the mall.
We then found his car and drive home. I sometimes wonder if the owner of the other guy called the cops or if he just did what I would do (walk up and down every row for hours).
posted by cjorgensen at 12:53 PM on April 11, 2011
We then found his car and drive home. I sometimes wonder if the owner of the other guy called the cops or if he just did what I would do (walk up and down every row for hours).
posted by cjorgensen at 12:53 PM on April 11, 2011
I drive a 2000 yellow VW Beetle and I loooove seeing my car twin.
posted by lizzicide at 12:54 PM on April 11, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by lizzicide at 12:54 PM on April 11, 2011 [1 favorite]
notion: "I win."
A challenger appears!
A dorky challenger...
posted by danny the boy at 12:54 PM on April 11, 2011
A challenger appears!
A dorky challenger...
posted by danny the boy at 12:54 PM on April 11, 2011
In Calgary I usually see <=07 Toyota Matrix in packs of three.
posted by Pruitt-Igoe at 12:54 PM on April 11, 2011
posted by Pruitt-Igoe at 12:54 PM on April 11, 2011
I used to own a grey prius (actually I think it was beige) in Berkeley. Finding that car was so annoying, until I accidentally backed into a garage door (no wait, I think the door jumped out and attacked the car..) and got a nice big dent in the bumper.
I used that dent to find my car for about two years. Until one day, when I tried and tried to get in my car but the stupid key wouldn't work and the damn power lock wasn't responding and... Oh no, another prius, same color, same exact dent in the bumper, parked just a few spaces from my own.
Oops.
posted by nat at 12:58 PM on April 11, 2011 [2 favorites]
I used that dent to find my car for about two years. Until one day, when I tried and tried to get in my car but the stupid key wouldn't work and the damn power lock wasn't responding and... Oh no, another prius, same color, same exact dent in the bumper, parked just a few spaces from my own.
Oops.
posted by nat at 12:58 PM on April 11, 2011 [2 favorites]
At one point in my car-owning history I was in possession of the only two 1972 AMC Javelin AMXs I had seen in the entire state of Utah. They're long-since gone, but I still have only ever seen one other here.
posted by mr_crash_davis at 12:59 PM on April 11, 2011
posted by mr_crash_davis at 12:59 PM on April 11, 2011
This morning as I drove to work, there were about a dozen SUVs in front of me, occupying both lanes. They were only similar in that they were all black, white, and grey SUVs, but for a few minutes there was this weird sensation that overnight a new state motor code had gone into effect, requiring all single-occupancy passenger vehicles to weigh at least a ton and a half.
And then, far ahead of the pack, I saw I red Impala pop out of the queue and make a left, and I thought C-C-C-C-COMBO BREAKER! and felt better.
posted by ardgedee at 12:59 PM on April 11, 2011 [4 favorites]
And then, far ahead of the pack, I saw I red Impala pop out of the queue and make a left, and I thought C-C-C-C-COMBO BREAKER! and felt better.
posted by ardgedee at 12:59 PM on April 11, 2011 [4 favorites]
I was the GM of a Restaurant and Jazz Club from '98 till 2000(ish) in Jacksonville, Fl. At the time, I was driving a white Accord EX.
One evening in particular, with all the paperwork sorted and the logistics of closing completed, the bartender and I took one last shot, set the alarm, and walked out. Turning the corner of the building, my mouth dropped. My car was gone.
Yeah. 3am in the morning, and my car is gone. Not only my car, but my Guild, two technics 1200's (i moonlighted as a DJ), thousands of dollars of music (on vinyl and cd alike), and my girlfriend's birthday gifts. I was hyper screwed.
The normal "my car has been stolen" hit list started; freak out, call the police, freak out some more, go back in side and take another shot before the poilce showed up (actually 3, Duval Police take forever), fill out a police report, get a ride home, and stress over everything yet to come.
Next day, I'm at work. In walks one of our regulars. Normal people, normal times. Nothing special. He stepped up to the bar and says "Artichoke Dance Off!!!, um, I'm kind of embarrassed about this, but, I, um, kinda stole your car last night."
So, we get into the story. Apparently, he, too, owned the same year/make/model/color Accord. He left the bar well hammered, argued his key into the door (which he said was a bitch), hamfisted it into the ignition, and drove home. It wasn't until the next morning, when he went to his car and thought "someone stole the racks off of my hood!!!". Late for work and no time for a police report, he gets into the car, late for work, and see's all my stuff. He realized immediately that he wasn't in his car.
Got my car back. Got all the stuff back safely. Embarrassingly closed out a police report.
So, not only did we have the autobud thing happening, but to the degree that his key managed to unlock my door AND start the ignition.
I walked him to HIS car from that night forward.
posted by Artichoke Dance Off!! at 1:03 PM on April 11, 2011 [9 favorites]
One evening in particular, with all the paperwork sorted and the logistics of closing completed, the bartender and I took one last shot, set the alarm, and walked out. Turning the corner of the building, my mouth dropped. My car was gone.
Yeah. 3am in the morning, and my car is gone. Not only my car, but my Guild, two technics 1200's (i moonlighted as a DJ), thousands of dollars of music (on vinyl and cd alike), and my girlfriend's birthday gifts. I was hyper screwed.
The normal "my car has been stolen" hit list started; freak out, call the police, freak out some more, go back in side and take another shot before the poilce showed up (actually 3, Duval Police take forever), fill out a police report, get a ride home, and stress over everything yet to come.
Next day, I'm at work. In walks one of our regulars. Normal people, normal times. Nothing special. He stepped up to the bar and says "Artichoke Dance Off!!!, um, I'm kind of embarrassed about this, but, I, um, kinda stole your car last night."
So, we get into the story. Apparently, he, too, owned the same year/make/model/color Accord. He left the bar well hammered, argued his key into the door (which he said was a bitch), hamfisted it into the ignition, and drove home. It wasn't until the next morning, when he went to his car and thought "someone stole the racks off of my hood!!!". Late for work and no time for a police report, he gets into the car, late for work, and see's all my stuff. He realized immediately that he wasn't in his car.
Got my car back. Got all the stuff back safely. Embarrassingly closed out a police report.
So, not only did we have the autobud thing happening, but to the degree that his key managed to unlock my door AND start the ignition.
I walked him to HIS car from that night forward.
posted by Artichoke Dance Off!! at 1:03 PM on April 11, 2011 [9 favorites]
I drive a 2000 yellow VW Beetle and I loooove seeing my car twin.
I had an '02 and had the same reaction. I'd also purposely park near other Beetles. One time there were four of us in a row - it was great.
posted by Lucinda at 1:05 PM on April 11, 2011
I had an '02 and had the same reaction. I'd also purposely park near other Beetles. One time there were four of us in a row - it was great.
posted by Lucinda at 1:05 PM on April 11, 2011
I prefer photographing Auto Opposites. My car is the Honda Civic, not the Porsche (the Civic is the car on the left).
posted by zzazazz at 1:05 PM on April 11, 2011 [2 favorites]
posted by zzazazz at 1:05 PM on April 11, 2011 [2 favorites]
This guy's not that good at telling the difference between Honda models. I see two Honda Civics in this photo (different colors, upper and lower right), but only one Accord (lower left) in this photo that's supposedly of two silver Accords.
posted by limeonaire at 1:05 PM on April 11, 2011
posted by limeonaire at 1:05 PM on April 11, 2011
This is TOOOOOO easy when you drive a 3rd gen(2002 - 2006) silver Nissan Altima. A few tasteful cosmetic modifications ensures that I can instantly pick my car out no matter how many impostors are parked nearby.
My wife drives a black Versa hatchback, and parks in a smallish garage with at least 3 other nearly-identical Versas.
posted by owtytrof at 1:23 PM on April 11, 2011
My wife drives a black Versa hatchback, and parks in a smallish garage with at least 3 other nearly-identical Versas.
posted by owtytrof at 1:23 PM on April 11, 2011
This really needs a photo of a drive-in with about a thousand Saturns (and a mention of the problems with that set-up) to be complete.
Back in the days when Ontario license plates went with cars and not with drivers, my mom owned a blue 1983 Honda Civic with the plates OSK 631. One night we went out for groceries at the local Miracle Mart. We loaded the groceries into the back, got in, she started the car and I suddenly noticed that there was something in the car that shouldn't have been there (an unfamiliar parking pass on the dashboard or something -- I honestly forget at several decades' remove what the trigger was). We got out and looked at the car: a blue 1983 Honda Civic with the plates OSK 632. Our car was one row over in the parking lot. We quickly relocated our groceries to our own car and drove off.
I sometimes wonder what would have happened if I had not noticed the telltale parking pass or it had not been there. Would we have noticed in a day or a week? Would the other car's driver have gotten into our car and driven off equally unawares? Would it be grand theft auto if there was no intent to steal the car and if you left behind an exact duplicate? What if we're all, like, in someone's dream, man?
posted by ricochet biscuit at 1:23 PM on April 11, 2011 [3 favorites]
Back in the days when Ontario license plates went with cars and not with drivers, my mom owned a blue 1983 Honda Civic with the plates OSK 631. One night we went out for groceries at the local Miracle Mart. We loaded the groceries into the back, got in, she started the car and I suddenly noticed that there was something in the car that shouldn't have been there (an unfamiliar parking pass on the dashboard or something -- I honestly forget at several decades' remove what the trigger was). We got out and looked at the car: a blue 1983 Honda Civic with the plates OSK 632. Our car was one row over in the parking lot. We quickly relocated our groceries to our own car and drove off.
I sometimes wonder what would have happened if I had not noticed the telltale parking pass or it had not been there. Would we have noticed in a day or a week? Would the other car's driver have gotten into our car and driven off equally unawares? Would it be grand theft auto if there was no intent to steal the car and if you left behind an exact duplicate? What if we're all, like, in someone's dream, man?
posted by ricochet biscuit at 1:23 PM on April 11, 2011 [3 favorites]
How thoughtful of you to make sure the drunk guy drives the right car
I said I walked HIM to his car. I didn't say I walked the plastered, tits off, pissing in his pants and texting ex girlfriends guy to his car.
I got people home safely when and if I felt they couldn't do it on their own.
Geez...
posted by Artichoke Dance Off!! at 1:24 PM on April 11, 2011 [1 favorite]
I said I walked HIM to his car. I didn't say I walked the plastered, tits off, pissing in his pants and texting ex girlfriends guy to his car.
I got people home safely when and if I felt they couldn't do it on their own.
Geez...
posted by Artichoke Dance Off!! at 1:24 PM on April 11, 2011 [1 favorite]
1) Surely this is not the best of the web. Hell. Half of them aren't even *right.*
2) Sad to not see more old Saabs and Volvos. For some reason, they seem to travel in packs. Made easier by the fact that vintage Saabs came in any color, as long as it was Black, White, or Red.
posted by schmod at 1:33 PM on April 11, 2011 [1 favorite]
2) Sad to not see more old Saabs and Volvos. For some reason, they seem to travel in packs. Made easier by the fact that vintage Saabs came in any color, as long as it was Black, White, or Red.
posted by schmod at 1:33 PM on April 11, 2011 [1 favorite]
I once saw a 737 next to a 737, both from the same airline, at the airport. WHERE'S MY NOVELTY BLOG?!
posted by mccarty.tim at 1:40 PM on April 11, 2011 [4 favorites]
posted by mccarty.tim at 1:40 PM on April 11, 2011 [4 favorites]
When I was very little I would encourage my mom to park next to a car of the same make so they could talk to each other while we were away. I always felt better knowing our car wasn't bored sitting out there in the lot.
posted by Hey Dean Yeager! at 1:43 PM on April 11, 2011 [4 favorites]
posted by Hey Dean Yeager! at 1:43 PM on April 11, 2011 [4 favorites]
has anyone said "stupid" yet??? no??? let me be the first!
stupid...
I drove by a car dealership today, with 50 cameros in the lot.... some were the same color....
posted by tomswift at 1:56 PM on April 11, 2011
stupid...
I drove by a car dealership today, with 50 cameros in the lot.... some were the same color....
posted by tomswift at 1:56 PM on April 11, 2011
Whenever I used to see somebody driving the same car as me, I used to be all happily "Hey, car twins!"
Now my car is getting pretty old, and these days, my car twins are looking pretty rough.
posted by Comrade_robot at 1:57 PM on April 11, 2011
Now my car is getting pretty old, and these days, my car twins are looking pretty rough.
posted by Comrade_robot at 1:57 PM on April 11, 2011
I see the newer Ford Focus bodies like mine all the time, so that is nothing special. What is special is seeing one that has the exact same cosmetic options as mine (read: None), and is the actual color as mine. The blue they use for 2010-2011 is not as nice as the 2009 blue. I generally do like to park next to them, and I've noticed that the drivers of these other cars are just as ecstatic as I am upon seeing another car that looks just like theirs.
But that's nothing. Finding a twin for my wife's Aspire is very rare, and is all the more awesome when it happens.
posted by mysterpigg at 2:01 PM on April 11, 2011
But that's nothing. Finding a twin for my wife's Aspire is very rare, and is all the more awesome when it happens.
posted by mysterpigg at 2:01 PM on April 11, 2011
Just take a picture of our garage: My wife and I have almost-matching Kia Souls, bought at the same time at the same dealer.
posted by lodurr at 2:12 PM on April 11, 2011
posted by lodurr at 2:12 PM on April 11, 2011
Dark green Outback, Portland, OR. I could take a picture at any stoplight.
posted by bink at 2:13 PM on April 11, 2011
posted by bink at 2:13 PM on April 11, 2011
My first car got a flat on my first interstate trip. It was a 1973 yellow BMW 2002 (European import model), and I didn't even know where the jack was. It was 2am on a dark country road in Cape Cod. I see headlights pull in behind me and a super friendly guy gets out and changes the tire for me, directs me to a service station where I can put more air in my other tires (who knew?) and follows behind until I get there, then drives off with a toot of his horn.
"I wonder why he did that," I said to my passenger. Her response, "Um, probably because he was driving a 1973 yellow BMW 2002 European import. You didn't notice?"
posted by StickyCarpet at 2:14 PM on April 11, 2011 [2 favorites]
"I wonder why he did that," I said to my passenger. Her response, "Um, probably because he was driving a 1973 yellow BMW 2002 European import. You didn't notice?"
posted by StickyCarpet at 2:14 PM on April 11, 2011 [2 favorites]
I rented a convertible mustang in Maui last fall. Could have taken dozens of these pictures at the beach, waiting for valet parking, in front of waterfalls etc.
posted by Big_B at 2:23 PM on April 11, 2011
posted by Big_B at 2:23 PM on April 11, 2011
Three words: Blue. Ford. Windstar.
posted by Ron Thanagar at 3:20 PM on April 11, 2011
posted by Ron Thanagar at 3:20 PM on April 11, 2011
With respect to key-likenesses: when my impala was stolen, the fuckers busted out the glove-box lock rather than just turn the knob (it wasn't locked). In those days, they keyed the doors and the ignition together, and the glove box with the trunk. This was so you could give a valet your keys to drive, but he couldn't get in where you keep anything valuable. Anyway, I saved up (broke-ass student) and bought a new, factory overstock (the car was 28 years old at this point), new-old-stock glove box and trunk lock set. I put the new key on the ring, put the new glove box lock on, and planned to swap out the trunk lock the next weekend. Ten minutes later, not thinking, I use the new key in the old trunk lock. Worked perfect - out of all the combinations possible, I got a set that matched my old set perfectly.
I've never seen another car like mine on the road, though.
posted by notsnot at 3:33 PM on April 11, 2011 [1 favorite]
I've never seen another car like mine on the road, though.
posted by notsnot at 3:33 PM on April 11, 2011 [1 favorite]
When I was a kid in the 80's, at the tail end of the Red Scare, I always thought when I saw two of the same cars driving down the road one after another that it was Russian spies.
posted by holdkris99 at 4:51 PM on April 11, 2011
posted by holdkris99 at 4:51 PM on April 11, 2011
I'd also purposely park near other Beetles. One time there were four of us in a row - it was great.
We're the same way! But I only got three at the local supermarket a few weeks ago. This is also where I confess our car (the one in the middle) is named Ted (Kord) because we're absolute dorks.
posted by immlass at 4:51 PM on April 11, 2011 [1 favorite]
We're the same way! But I only got three at the local supermarket a few weeks ago. This is also where I confess our car (the one in the middle) is named Ted (Kord) because we're absolute dorks.
posted by immlass at 4:51 PM on April 11, 2011 [1 favorite]
2011 Civic here. I have tried to get into the wrong car many times before. There's at least 3 other people on my block that have the same generation (same body) Civic, and one of them is the same color as mine. We all park in the same lot.
Not that Civics are exactly rare, but it's especially disconcerting when you own one. You just notice them so much more.
posted by erstwhile at 4:54 PM on April 11, 2011
Not that Civics are exactly rare, but it's especially disconcerting when you own one. You just notice them so much more.
posted by erstwhile at 4:54 PM on April 11, 2011
I used to have a lot of Auto Buds when I drove a teal-colored 1996 Corolla. I secretly called us "The Teal Corolla Club."
Now I drive a 2006 Hyundai Tucson, in "Desert Sage." There is no "Desert Sage Tucson Club," sadly. I've only seen one other one on the road, and that was two states away.
posted by candyland at 5:19 PM on April 11, 2011
Now I drive a 2006 Hyundai Tucson, in "Desert Sage." There is no "Desert Sage Tucson Club," sadly. I've only seen one other one on the road, and that was two states away.
posted by candyland at 5:19 PM on April 11, 2011
Like others; every day is twin day if you drive a Dodge Caravan. The best thing about mine getting rusty is it is now easy to pick out in a parking lot. Prior to that there were several "Why the smeg isn't my key working!?! GRAR GRAR GRAR. Oh wait, that's my van over there. *slinks off*"
notion writes "I win."(and I was driving one, too...)"
Not even close. Mine is the blue one dead centre.
posted by Mitheral at 5:42 PM on April 11, 2011
notion writes "I win."(and I was driving one, too...)"
Not even close. Mine is the blue one dead centre.
posted by Mitheral at 5:42 PM on April 11, 2011
I'll like it a whole lot more if dude can get some contributors from classic-car nights and fleet auctions and stuff.
posted by box at 7:26 PM on April 11, 2011
posted by box at 7:26 PM on April 11, 2011
Bet the autobud dude just freaks when he passes a rental car depot
posted by the noob at 8:18 PM on April 11, 2011
posted by the noob at 8:18 PM on April 11, 2011
I one time parked next to a shitbox Ford Laser identical to mine.. and on returning proceeded to drive the wrong car home. It took me three days for me to realise that I was driving someone else's car around the place. "Ah crap, Nancy.. what does our licence plate usually say?.. Really? Well, it says something else, now." "Well, I guess you better call the police, then." "Ah, crap."
posted by Philby at 9:16 PM on April 11, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by Philby at 9:16 PM on April 11, 2011 [1 favorite]
I one time parked next to a shitbox Ford Laser identical to mine.. and on returning proceeded to drive the wrong car home.
How? Do you mean that your car key opened and started a completely different car?
posted by His thoughts were red thoughts at 9:43 PM on April 11, 2011
How? Do you mean that your car key opened and started a completely different car?
posted by His thoughts were red thoughts at 9:43 PM on April 11, 2011
I was once in an accident in Seattle with a van that was the same make, model, year, and color as what I was driving. Two, late-nineties, white Dodges, if I recall correctly. I was on a cell phone, talking to my sister, before we knew that it was dangerous to talk and drive. The last thing I said was, "oh shit, I think I just got in a car crash", and hung up.
A primitive failure of our nascent anthropo-mechano-morphic self recognition or not, I can honestly say that I just didn't see it and turned directly in front of the exact same vehicle I was driving. Auto buds are dangerous at high speeds. According to the lawsuit, his back still hurts.
posted by zachhouston at 11:17 PM on April 11, 2011 [1 favorite]
A primitive failure of our nascent anthropo-mechano-morphic self recognition or not, I can honestly say that I just didn't see it and turned directly in front of the exact same vehicle I was driving. Auto buds are dangerous at high speeds. According to the lawsuit, his back still hurts.
posted by zachhouston at 11:17 PM on April 11, 2011 [1 favorite]
True story. We were pitching something at Microsoft headquarters and we parked in the underground parking garage. As we exited the garage to go up the stairs, there was a bright yellow Ferrari parked right near the door. "We'll have no problem finding the level we parked on," I said, "just remember that there is a bright yellow Ferrari parked next to the door. Silly Microsoft millionaires."
A couple hours later we came back down the stairs and opened the door. The bright yellow Ferrari was there, but we couldn't find our own car. It took a while before we tried another level, and sure enough, there was a second bright yellow Ferrari parked in the same position next to the door.
Silly Microsoft millionaires. I guess It was "Bring your Yellow Ferrari to Work Day".
posted by twoleftfeet at 11:30 PM on April 11, 2011 [1 favorite]
A couple hours later we came back down the stairs and opened the door. The bright yellow Ferrari was there, but we couldn't find our own car. It took a while before we tried another level, and sure enough, there was a second bright yellow Ferrari parked in the same position next to the door.
Silly Microsoft millionaires. I guess It was "Bring your Yellow Ferrari to Work Day".
posted by twoleftfeet at 11:30 PM on April 11, 2011 [1 favorite]
his thoughts were red thoughts: That's right. I used my own car key to drive off in the car of some poor random stranger. Lucky for me the police thought it was a bit hilarious, as did the poor random stranger. The car had been reported stolen, but once they realised what had happened they let me off with a stern word and a wink.
posted by Philby at 11:51 PM on April 11, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by Philby at 11:51 PM on April 11, 2011 [1 favorite]
When I was very little I would encourage my mom to park next to a car of the same make so they could talk to each other while we were away. I always felt better knowing our car wasn't bored sitting out there in the lot.
My son did the same thing! Except he wanted us to park nose-to-nose with the other cars so they could face each other while they visited. He is now 18 years old, but the habit of scoping out similar cars to park next to became so ingrained, we continue to do it just for fun.
posted by amyms at 11:54 PM on April 11, 2011
My son did the same thing! Except he wanted us to park nose-to-nose with the other cars so they could face each other while they visited. He is now 18 years old, but the habit of scoping out similar cars to park next to became so ingrained, we continue to do it just for fun.
posted by amyms at 11:54 PM on April 11, 2011
For some reason, they seem to travel in packs.
Saab owners will go out of their way to do this, too. The best is when you get three or four ordered by vintage.
posted by mendel at 12:55 PM on April 12, 2011
Saab owners will go out of their way to do this, too. The best is when you get three or four ordered by vintage.
posted by mendel at 12:55 PM on April 12, 2011
whenever i hear a story about someone starting the wrong car with their key, it always seems to be a Ford.
posted by lodurr at 4:43 PM on April 12, 2011
posted by lodurr at 4:43 PM on April 12, 2011
When I was very little I would encourage my mom to park next to a car of the same make so they could talk to each other while we were away. I always felt better knowing our car wasn't bored sitting out there in the lot.
There was once a sci-fi story in Analog about this...
posted by limeonaire at 8:16 PM on April 12, 2011
There was once a sci-fi story in Analog about this...
posted by limeonaire at 8:16 PM on April 12, 2011
Our last car was a 1996 Jeep Cherokee. One night we parked it on Level Whatever at the Houston Galleria. Came back, stuck the key in the door of what I thought was our car, and was startled that the interior was much cleaner and pleasanter than it had been when we left.
Then we realized we were on Level Whatever + 1 and someone else had parked their Champagne-colored 1996 Jeep Cherokee in the same position, one floor above us. And our key had worked perfectly in their door.
If I hadn't been tipped off by the fact that our Jeep's twin's owners were much less slovenly than us I very well might have pulled a Philby.
posted by Neofelis at 10:04 PM on April 12, 2011
Then we realized we were on Level Whatever + 1 and someone else had parked their Champagne-colored 1996 Jeep Cherokee in the same position, one floor above us. And our key had worked perfectly in their door.
If I hadn't been tipped off by the fact that our Jeep's twin's owners were much less slovenly than us I very well might have pulled a Philby.
posted by Neofelis at 10:04 PM on April 12, 2011
Philby, that's some *quality* engineering you had there. And some pretty nice cops.
posted by His thoughts were red thoughts at 8:18 PM on April 13, 2011
posted by His thoughts were red thoughts at 8:18 PM on April 13, 2011
His thoughts were red thoughts writes "that's some *quality* engineering you had there."
It's pretty typical. Car keys take a horrible beating so the locks they activate have to have loose tolerances. And then the locks themselves get a lot of use, the typical car is going to see at least twice as many lock activation as house locks. And they've got to continue working when exposed to extremes of temperature, salt, sand, dirt, water and ice. Really it's amazing they continue functioning for years.
posted by Mitheral at 8:41 PM on April 19, 2011
It's pretty typical. Car keys take a horrible beating so the locks they activate have to have loose tolerances. And then the locks themselves get a lot of use, the typical car is going to see at least twice as many lock activation as house locks. And they've got to continue working when exposed to extremes of temperature, salt, sand, dirt, water and ice. Really it's amazing they continue functioning for years.
posted by Mitheral at 8:41 PM on April 19, 2011
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posted by me & my monkey at 12:20 PM on April 11, 2011 [3 favorites]