harmonyp

Sorry - need to vent for a few minutes.

Went to a family function yesterday. Arrived in my 2016 Z51. Family knows I'm a car nut, people were commenting how nice it was, and asking questions about it. So I'm going around the room, talk to another family member who was bragging about how successful she is, and I'm patiently listening, and being agreeable. Her organization buys her a new car every 2 years (gov't, seems ridiculous as she never drives anyone around in her job) and she was complaining about not being able to find the right color last time around for her Lexus RC and could only get horrible white (my vette is white). And she's starting to get bored with the Lexus.

I say - hey, why don't you test drive a vette? She said - "oh no, that's too flashy / show-off'y for me".

I responded somewhat annoyed saying - you don't drive it for how it looks, you drive it for the experience. I really wanted to deck her.

Just left a bad taste in my mouth. Why do people have to be like that?

CptCvMan

Sounds like you are overly defensive. Unless I am missing something, she gave you a valid reason as to why she would not want one for herself and personal opinion of a car
and color is a valid reason.

Did she at any time put your Vette down directly and tell you how wrong you were for it?

z edge

I didn't realize the govt bought cars for employees? Maybe i need to have a talk with my boss.

I think in the future you should keep all conversation with this family member at a minimum. Some people just rub others the wrong way and that's what it sounds like in this case. She may not have meant to be like that, or maybe she did, i really wouldn't know but the last thing you would want to do is act on your urge there.

dvilin

Well probably in the minority on this but I do not think she was being rude. You asked her a question and she gave you her honest response, too flashy for her. No big deal. Corvettes are not for everyones taste.

Red C8 of Jax

I would think a C-7 would be way too flashy for a G ride. Might be too hard for her to justify. Everyone outside the corvette community thinks our cars are very expensive.

LT4CMG

I can picture this conservation because I have a family member just like yours. I deal with it by limiting my interaction. On a side note, with state budgets in shambles, deficits all around, how are the free Lexus RCs flowing like wine?

gpuglisi

I don't think she was being rude, maybe insensitive. It is a flashy car that gets attention.

madrob2020

From just your explanation, it seems you wanted/had to have 100% agreement that your car was awesome & you knew what was best. She (reading your post) simply said "not for her" & as others have said, since a government employee it would not be a practical choice in any scenario. Ask yourself if maybe it wasn't her acting like that, it could be how you came across discussing your car. I get it we all love "OUR" car ('16 M7 Z) but it certainly isn't for everyone & aren't we glad. We don't blend in like the camaros, Hondas, Ford whatever, etc.

eboggs_jkvl

If it's free, color is not a requirement. She was just stroking her ego and had no room for sharing the moment.

harmonyp

I think we more react to "how" something is said than the "what" is said, which is hard to translate for external consumption. But admit I may have been over sensitive. This person is very successful, but it gets tiring hearing about it and having it be the only topic of conversation when I see them.

Anyways - I vented, I feel better . Thanks for listening!

OntarioOrangeC3

Of course you should have decked her for making such a rude comment.

eboggs_jkvl

No problem, glad we could help. My normal fee for venting appreciation is a 6 pack of barley pop! But, since it's winter, this session was pro bono!

Elmer

c54u

OP, in my opinion you have just described an insecure person.

Bragging - how successful she is.

Complaining - she only could get horrible white color car and couldn't get the color she wanted

Putting you down - she said Corvette is show-off'y for her and called your car color horrible since it is white.

I hear your frustration.

Unreal

Sounds like you have an issue, not her.

Kevin A Jones

I wouldn't let it bother me. It's actually pretty reserved in comparison to some of the conflicts at my family functions --

Besides, some do buy Vettes for the FLASH / Look At ME aspect!
I have a friend where it's totally about that, except now he's moved on from Vettes now to Lambos.

maxp

Steve Garrett

Harmony, just consider the source and don't worry about it. If this female family member is getting bored with a Lexus RC, there's more here than meets the eye.


Plus, please understand that a Corvette IS flashy! And that's a good thing. Not everyone can pull off driving a Corvette and pull it off well. It seems like she's better off without a Corvette anyway!

JerryU

Most of my friends and family are not car buffs. They would not want to own a Vette. Not a good car for business. She probable dosn’t care about a “driving experience.” May care more about a comfortable ride and an interior where she can hear her phone calls. That is not a C7!

Gear heads and car buffs have to careful not to bore others with our passion.

Recall Jay Leno when he had the Tonight Show being asked why he doesn’t talk more about his cars. He said most of my audience doesn’t care!

Art17

My comment would be that sometimes 'being honest' is nothing more than veiled hostility. We all have times when we temper so called honesty with compassion. For example: if you have a friend who is over weight, do you say 'hey, you are fat, just being honest'. It costs nothing to be nice and to at least seem interested in something that maybe is not so interesting to you, but may mean alot to the other person. How to win freinds and influence people.

davidtcpa