The Ultimate Shorewood Driving Machine?

CowDung December 5, 2012 at 06:18 pm

You forgot the everpresent 'Coexist' sticker (Mormons excluded, of course).

The Donny Show December 5, 2012 at 06:32 pm

You have nailed it. I laugh at EVERY teacher who drives their Subaru. I laugh!!!

David Tatarowicz December 5, 2012 at 08:35 pm

Hey CD --- you're right, that one is around a lot --- back in the day we were more interested in cohabitation :-)

David Tatarowicz December 5, 2012 at 08:39 pm

@DS In my informal visual surveys among union public employees, I noted that teachers seem to drive mostly foreign made cars, while police and fire personnel mostly prefer domestic, and a lot of Detroit Heavy Metal ie. Dodge Ram 3500 extended cab --- not sure which ones they are, but some PD guys (gals) seem to go for a lot of chrome --- maybe they work vice LOL

Lyle Ruble December 5, 2012 at 11:51 pm

@David Tatarowicz....You'll also notice that most of the contractors that come into the village drive 'Heavy Metal'.
An idea the 'Westies' have been kicking around is to turn the village into a gated community. Keep all passenger vehicles off the streets and go to horse drawn trolleys, pedi-cabs, bicycles and community vans. We could turn the old Pig N Whistle into a Community Parking Garage as well as take the Edgewood Park and do the same. Just think how unique we would be.

Alol December 6, 2012 at 12:26 am

Oh, the Subaru culture/class extends so far beyond unions and the swell of pride and patriotism that one might feel after purchasing an American-made car that it's ridiculous. It's called, "I'm white, have a subtle beard, I wear a puffy jacket or vest, and I listen to "independent" music. And my chocolate Lab's name is Max." and it's mostly of aesthetic origin, if you catch my drift.

Alol December 6, 2012 at 12:49 am

They even have a t.v. commercial that illustrates a couple who are modeling the correct way to Subaru Lifestyle.

Bob McBride December 6, 2012 at 11:47 am

I don't know if it's just the ones I run across or I'm just more aware of it because I'm usually on my bike when I see them, but there seems to be a correlation between the number of "progressive" bumper stickers on the car and the propensity of the driver to roll through stop signs and parallel park haphazardly, for instance.
I also think there are two categories of Shorewood-mobile. Perhaps another Eastie/Westie distinction. There are the Subarus and such of recent vintage that are generally clean looking with maybe 3 or 4 bumper stickers on them. Other than that and the appearance of the drivers (Alol has nailed that), they're pretty much indistinguishable in the flow of traffic. Then there are the older, beat looking Toyota Corollas/Geo Prisms with the back ends of the cars, literally, plastered with stickers and usually with at least the entire back seat packed with crap and, sometimes, the passenger side seat as well. These are the ones that have the stop sign and parallel parking issues I mentioned above Generally, I give these types a wide berth as they also tend to decide to make...how can I put this...spontaneous corrective navigation maneuvers....at just about any point along their route.

Lyle Ruble December 6, 2012 at 12:02 pm

@Bob McBride....You nailed it. I have also noticed that many of those that ignore stop signs have extremely 'blue hair'. They also think that turn signals are optional.

David Tatarowicz December 6, 2012 at 04:22 pm

@ALOL I just did an informal survey with a Person of Color who resides in shall we say a more intense part of the city -- and when asked if he had seen any pimped out Subarus in the neighborhood --- he laughed and said "A Brother would only drive something like that if it was his last option"

David Tatarowicz December 6, 2012 at 04:29 pm

@Lyle Interesting idea -- but I think that the first major Gated Community in WI will probably be River Hills .... not to block motorized vehicles, but to keep out interlopers from other areas --- actually I remember when a friend of mine who lived in Shorewood was stopped by River Hills cop, he looked at her license and said " I see you live in Shorewood, what are you doing here in River Hills" .......

Bob McBride December 6, 2012 at 04:47 pm

Having owned, third hand, a Subaru Forrester that didn't survive the floods of '10, I can attest to the fact that their supposed reputation as well-designed "engineers cars" is pretty much baloney. The cup holder contraption that not only unfolded to cover the climate controls, but that strategically located your drink right in front of the air vents should be testimony to that alone. We also discovered that if you stored it outside the garage (as I did once it became mine), it smelled of raw gas whenever the temperature went below 30 degrees, due to something that caused the tubing in the fuel conveyance system to leak (which, apparently, couldn't be fixed merely by replacing the tubing) - something I'd not experienced with a car since my first one, a 1966 VW Karmann Ghia.
Those are the two things that stick out from the myriad of problems the vehicle had with only about 90K on it - which for a car with the supposed reputation Subaru's have (not to mention what the original owner paid for the thing) is completely unacceptable. It's demise was perfect, as it was supposed to be a rugged, AWD mini-SUV - completely trashed by 18 inches of water that subsided after about minutes. The only saving grace was that it had a ridiculously high KBB value and the insurance comp for totaling it, while not enough to cover a new car, was much more than I could have gotten trying to sell it while it was working.

David Tatarowicz December 6, 2012 at 05:50 pm

@Bob Your Subaru tale reminds me of when in my younger more naive days (20) I bought my first new car -- a Volvo.... It didn't last even a year before I dumped that piece of junk !
I discovered its reputation was one created by Volvo -- not someone that owned one. I also found out that it was utterly terrible in the snow --- and I thought they had snow in Sweden ... Probably about 15 years ago or so, I was driving up a steep hill in Milwaukee in the snow with a Taurus, which went right up and I parked at the door of the business I was going to --- a woman who tried climbing the hill in her Volvo wagon could only make it about half way up and had to walk the rest of the way in the snow. She asked what the trick was that I was able to drive right up -- I told her it was to pay half of what she paid for that rear wheel drive Volvo, and get a front wheel drive Taurus --- won't be as trendy, but will get you were you are going for half the price

Alol December 7, 2012 at 02:07 am

Bob, I always assumed the people driving the beaters were college students.
David, I am surprised by the faulty Volvo story--I always see old Volvos out there, chugging dutifully along way past their prime. But the quote from your friend in the intense neighborhood was spot-on; come to think of it I've never seen a Subaru with spinners and a booming stereo system, but I have seen some well-cared for early model B'mers and Audis. Good taste or just good sense?

David Tatarowicz December 7, 2012 at 08:35 pm

I wonder if a Subaru with bumper stickers promoting Union Solidarity should be called a Scab-aru ??

Bob McBride December 9, 2012 at 01:41 am

I think I crossed over into some alternative dimension tonight. Just got back from picking up some food and ended up following a Subaru with Romney and Walker bumper stickers part of the way home.

David Tatarowicz December 9, 2012 at 05:37 pm

@Bob More than likely some student at UWM from Lake Country --- parents probably gave him or her the car (God forbid a walking or bus lifestyle) with the stipulation that the stickers must be on it LOL

Alol December 10, 2012 at 01:51 am

Looks like somebody had a change of heart somewhere along the line. They will have to surrender their Subaru Lifestyle Club membership--I hope you got a plate number.