Road Rage Linked to Bumper Stickers

1. Mother Theresa
   June 17th, 2008 at 5:21 pm

   This makes perfect sense. However, I've never seen 10 stickers with "jesus themes" on a car. When I see 10-15 stickers on a car it's more along the lines of some enviro-atheist, dog-worshipping cretin in some pathetic pea-green rusted-out clunker with some damned dreamweaver thingy swinging from their rearview mirror that spews out black exhaust and is driven by someone who barely can be seen at the wheel and who throws their trash on the back seat.

   BTW, I have only one bumpersticker: "the King is coming, and boy is he pissed".

2. plainswalker75
   June 17th, 2008 at 5:26 pm

   Boy Theresa, it's too bad you're not living up to your namesake!

3. Xinavera
   June 17th, 2008 at 5:35 pm

   The people with the Jesus paraphenalia all over their cars worry me, but not because I think they're going to go nuts on the highway.

4. Geekazoid
   June 17th, 2008 at 5:53 pm

   Interesting study. Instinctively I view any car that I pull up behind that has tons of stickers on them with caution. Whether the sticker, any political affiliation, makes me wary for some reason, I don't know why. And I agree, the more the sticker the more it gives me caution. I can't explain why it's just instinct, probably because I think anyone that has to put their beliefs or whatever their thoughts so in your face all over your car, so that everyone can see, must have some ego issues or whatever issues. Now a few sporting logos such as your favorite team maybe I'm not too worried about, except for Raiders fans.

5. nobody
   June 17th, 2008 at 6:21 pm

   People think they're so original and have such valid points to make and share with the world via their car. How sad is that? All the while they fail to realize their "original" message was mass produced in china for thousands and thousands of "original" special people exactly like them.

   Oh and the "jesus" stickers and "proud parent" stickers seem like a great way to make friends. Who wouldn't want to socialize with an elitist a-hole?

6. bean
   June 17th, 2008 at 6:52 pm

   There are only two kinds of stickers that set off red flags with me: the Jesus ones and the pro-military ones. They're the worst offenders.

7. Geekazoid
   June 17th, 2008 at 8:24 pm

   And don't forget the pro gun wackos.

8. Johnny Cat
   June 17th, 2008 at 8:48 pm

   I saw a bumper sticker today that said "Silence Is Golden; But Duct Tape Is Silver"

   Made me laugh, but I also yielded big time. Could be a rager.

9. Thomas
   June 17th, 2008 at 8:54 pm

   My only bumper stickers are little decals saying that I donate to the local Fraternal Order of Poilice.

10. Thomas
    June 17th, 2008 at 8:55 pm

    ^(police)

11. ted
    June 17th, 2008 at 9:17 pm

    Can't stand the damn ribbon ones.

12. MightyCow
    June 17th, 2008 at 9:17 pm

    Many of the cars in Berkeley are nearly covered with bumper stickers. This study seems to hold out, in my experience driving in the Bay Area.

13. Vako
    June 17th, 2008 at 10:32 pm

    The only bumper sticker I ever had on one of my cars was a "blessed be" sticker, But after a few months I got tired of it. What cracks my up is when I see gays with rainbow stickers on their cars. I would not want people knowing that much about me just by looking at the back of my car.

14. violet
    June 18th, 2008 at 12:41 am

    My favorite is "My loved one is corpse of the month at Riverside Funeral Home."

15. WordyGrrl
    June 18th, 2008 at 12:54 am

    Vako, I've had people come out to me just because they saw a rainbow sticker on my car. It's not about me. It's about solidarity, aka "You're not alone."

    Oh, and do avoid those drivers with the Jesus Fish decals. Those folks are so busy waiting for the Rapture, that they're not paying attention on the road.

16. heather
    June 18th, 2008 at 2:21 am

    Well, dang. I wanted to put a "God was my copilot but we crashed in the mountains and I had to eat him" sticker on my car but I'd rather not get rear-ended

17. DOJ
    June 18th, 2008 at 2:45 am

    is there a correlation between lots of bumper stickers and road rage victimization

18. beach chick
    June 18th, 2008 at 5:01 am

    mine says "happiness is a full tank and an empty bladder"

19. K!P
    June 18th, 2008 at 5:19 am

    mine say's: SEXWAX and in small font: Dr. Zogs original, best for your stick. it's used on surfboards, so you won't slip. How ever it being placed on a 1978 VW van that has been rollerpainted makes people asume things. Got rearended once - people tend to dream of when they think about sex

    Althoug truckers stop at gas station to take a picture of it and childeren in the neighberhood refer to it as the sex bus, it has nothing to do with it, people just asume. i like it

    (btw, i live in the Netherlands, so the surfing products are not well known.)

20. Evil Pundit
    June 18th, 2008 at 7:49 am

    The loony left stickers are the worst.

21. roger
    June 18th, 2008 at 1:59 pm

    Seems like left-wingers hate right wing bumper stickers, while right-wingers hate left-wing bumper stickers. Really, if you feel like you must shove your politics in the face of the person driving behind you, realize that you are not winning any converts on the road to wherever, but only sending the message that you are a swaggering, obnoxious boor.

    So its not at all surprising that people with sarcastic political bumper stickers are prone to road rage/territory issues. Its like walking up to a stranger on the street and saying "hey, guess what I think about so and so". Look buddy, I don't give an f what you think. If you want to get off to a good start, to persuade me to your cause, start with a civil introduction.

    Neutral public spaces, what a concept!

22. rainbow
    June 18th, 2008 at 2:46 pm

    Having stickers could be associated to a lack of taste and rude manners also.

    Jesus save me from going to prison.

23. FlappyGums
    June 18th, 2008 at 7:03 pm

    a google map showing where the most cars with bumperstickers are would be hilarious. there's not many around here!

24. Reechard
    June 18th, 2008 at 10:08 pm

    A lot of people don't like bumper stickers. I don't mind bumper stickers. To me a bumper sticker is a shortcut. It's like a little sign that says 'Hey, let's never hang out.'
    -Demetri Martin

25. Celeste
    June 19th, 2008 at 4:50 am

    I'm actually a big fan of bumper stickers. a) it gives me something to look at when I'm in traffic, and b) it's interesting to see the diversity of people around, especially as compared to the cars themselves (i.e. sometimes you'll see particular stickers on makes of cars you wouldn't expect to see them on). I try not to get too political with mine (click my name for a picture), mostly because I don't want anyone getting ragey on me and/or keying my car when it's parked. But I do wonder sometimes if other people get the fannish ones I have. I see a lot more of the Apple sticker than I used to, which is cool.

26. Vastarien202
    June 20th, 2008 at 11:52 am

    I'm an artist, so I make my own stickers. I have four that I change regularly whenever I get tired of them, and many people have actually pulled up and complimented me on my work. My current faves are one which says "Robbed Again '08 (referring to the "elections" in this country, no matter who "wins", we all lose), and an intricate knotwork Pentacle made from five dragons of varying colors (red blue black green and white).

    I have seen far worse driving from those with pro-bush and christian stickers than anyone else, period. I live in AZ, though,so it may just be the high ratio of idiots to sane people out here. It's almost a guarantee that any truck or SUV is going to drive like an entitled jerk , stickers or not.

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