GranolaBox

I make my own bumper stickers.  I like my bumper stickers to be thought provoking, amusing and when I’m at my best, offensive to certain people.

Like most people, I wear my heart on my bumper.  One glance and you can tell I’m a stark raving liberal fag-loving, peace-mongering deadhead. 
 
Whenever I’m stopped at a red ight, or in slow traffic I like to watch people reading my bumper stickers.  It’s hard to tell with any certainty what people reading my bumper are reacting to.  If I watch for a few minutes, and then check out the bumper stickers of the other people, I can get a general idea what they’re reacting to.

Of course it’s hard to tell in any scientific way what people reading my bumper are reacting to, but after some careful study, and taking into account the b ackground of the other drivers, I can safely assess which reaction is coming from which sticker.
My bumper currenty has three stckers that draw a variety of responses.
 
First (and my personal favorite) reads “Jesus saves, passes to Buddha…he shoots…Scores!!!”  The reaction usually begins with a puzzled expression, then upon re-reading, laughter.  If they don’t get it, it stays puzzled.
 
The reactions from born-again Christians are the funniest.  They read the first part, and smile thinking I’m one of them.  Then they see the reference to Buddha and the smile fades to disillusion and/or contempt.  Sometimes there’s a look of benign pity when they determine that I’m bound for eternal damnation because of my theological ambiguity and outright blasphemy.

Next we have one I bought from Northern Sun Merchandising and wish I could take credit for.  It’s a quote from my hero, Howard Zinn that reads “Dissent is the highest form of Patriotism. This usually draws a look of derision from right wing types.
 
There’s an intellectual gap with both of these stickers though.  A lot of people just don’t get the Buddha sticker. It’s just a bit over some people’s heads, and I’m okay with that. 
Elite liberals familiar with Howard Zinn usually give me a huge thumbs up as they pass by.  Those on the right who know who he is tend to give me very dirty looks.
 
Finally my most incendiary sticker to date reads “END WAR - DRAFT RICH KIDS FIRST.” My car is a beat up old Honda; clearly not a luxury vehicle even in its prime.  Shortly after I put it on, a  BMW pulled up  behind me with a teenage driver out for a spin in daddy’s car. There was an instant look of fear and a sheepish, very uncomfortable grin.
 
Then there was the woman in the Jaguar.  She pulled up next to me to give me the iciest of all possible stares, then shook her head in an expression that was somewhere between utter contempt or pity for my lack of appreciation for all the rich folk and their children have done for me. 

Comment!

What’s your favorite bumper sticker?

What’s your favorite reaction to the bumper sticker?

Filed under: General Observations on November 7th, 2006