To think I am surrounded by twats

[TrixieBlue2016]

This aibu is based on multiple conversations I have had in the last week with friends and colleagues.

So male colleague had a minor cat accident thankfully no one was injured. His car is a 16 plate. The car who he was in accident with was a 03 plate. This is relevant.

So he blamed the other driver (I'm not sure who was at fault) and said the driver was 'at it' as he drove a old car. All drivers of cars that age don't care about their cars so was glad to be getting a new one.

I disagreed with him. Just because it is an older car doesn't mean they are looking to cause accidents for the insurance. This was before a meeting started so there was about a dozen people in the room. All but one other agreed with my colleague. Comments made included, having an old car is a sign they don't have self respect , mental illness , laziness and the driver criminal and is likely is on benefits, has a 'council' lifestyle (drink/drugs). I made a point of disagreeing with them.

I went home and mentioned it to DH. He agreed with me. DH mentioned it to his friends when we were out at the weekend, they disagree with me and made similar comments. Apparently most people think this, the police do, insurance companies do. DH mentioned it to his colleagues, same result.

So the majority of people DH an I have casually mentioned it to agreed with my colleagues. so aibu to think the people in my life are twats. Or am I wrong?

[Mousefinkle]

So what about people who drive vintage cars? They spend an absolute fortune on the upkeep of their cars, in fact they can be far more expensive than some modern cars. Are they lazy benefit scrounging louts? .

13 years isn't that old for a car either. If I saw a lot of 03 cars I would not consider them to be old bangers. But regardless, I don't think any less of anyone because of their car because I'm not a pompous judgemental twat.

[acasualobserver]

So male colleague had a minor cat accident thankfully no one was injured

Nevertheless, I'm sure he was feline bad about it.

[MatildaTheCat]

They missed out single mothers. I'm struggling to get my head round this whole scenario TBH.

[SlinkyVagabond]

You are right. Twats to the left of you, dickheads to the right.

[ProfessorPickles]

Acasualobserver

[exexpat]

Do they seriously think that when someone driving an old car has an accident, the insurance company will buy them a new one? If so, never mind being twattish, they are not very bright.

Usually if an old car has an accident, the insurers will say the repair will cost more than the car is worth and will only pay to have it written off, which is usually a lot less than you need to pay for another working, roadworthy car.

[wasonthelist]

I earn 70+k (this is relevant) and my current daily car is a rusty 2000 reg Ford Puma. Unlike most of the "twats" and definitely some Police, I don't need to spend a fortune each month on a recent car to give people some kind of impression. YANBU

[exexpat]

(Fwiw, I drive a battered 2006 reg I am planning to keep until it starts failing MOTs, and I am a home-owning, school-fee-paying, non-criminal, non-drug user etc)

[TimeOfGlass]

Really? Your colleague is being terribly judgmental and jumping to all sorts of unfounded conclusions.

My car is a similar age to that 03 reg one. I don't see the point in getting rid of a (so far) perfectly functional and reliable car just because it's getting on a bit.

I don't feel that this is an indication that I lack self respect. I am not mentally ill, lazy, a criminal, on benefits, an alcoholic or a drug addict. Although I don't see what's so terrible about someone being on benefits and owning a car.

And as for glad to be getting a new one - has your colleague stopped to consider how much you get from your insurance company for an old car of the insurance company consider it to be a write off?
You get the market value. If you've got a 13 year old car, that's going to be nowhere near the price of a new car, or even the price of a decent second hand car. I'd be seriously out of pocket if a crash forced me into replacing my car at short notice, without having a chance to save up or take my time about finding a car I wanted at a price acceptable to me. I certainly wouldn't be happy about the situation.

[FlyingElbows]

This has made me irrationally angry. Do the people you work with all drive audis and beemers and wear too much aftershave?!

You seem to have landed on Planet Twat.

[TrixieBlue2016]

Acasualobserver bugger. Yes they thought they were being purrfectly reasonable.

There was something going about Facebook a while ago, about how to find a new home. I remember one of the tips was to look at the car regs, the new the reg the better the area.

[Jaimx86]

Not in to cars at all. If it gets me from A to B and isn't costing lots to run- I keep it. DP and I can 'afford' new cars (can't everyone on finance!) but aren't into keeping up with the Jones.

[Hariasa]

I know more than one millionaire whose car is more than 10 years old.

[Twitterqueen]

TWATS - all of them!
And no, Trixie I'm going to disagree - new reg plates in driveways is absolutely no indication of how 'good' the area is.

[thekaratekid]

The other day I was having a very similar conversation with dp about changing attitudes towards car ownership. We have recently started noticing a number of our friends and neighbours driving brand new (flashy) cars despite their circumstances suggesting they might have other priorities. We drive an 06 plate and have only ever driven old cars btw.

A recent example, a family friend has two very sporty flashy cars (both 15 plates) despite living in a very overcrowded housing situation (4 adults and many animals in a 2 bed house). Their son who owns one of the sports cars lives in a shed in the garden! I would imagine not many of his mates or work colleagues know this. I think some people base a lot of their self worth on driving a brand new car or do it to keep up appearances.

[SugarMiceInTheRain]

YANBU, ridiculous to judge people on their car and assume that if they drive an old car they'll be out to cause an accident. I've always driven old cars, not least of all because I would rather own my vehicle outright than be constantly making monthly payments. Basically I will replace it when it's no longer fit for purpose or becomes expensive to repair.

[AugustaFinkNottle]

YANBU, you definitely are surrounded by twats. I think I'm probably most bemused by the fact that people so obsessed with cars don't know that insurance companies won't pay for a shiny new car if you write off a banger.

I drive a 2005 car and have no intention of replacing it - it's reliable, the right size for my needs, and reasonably economical to run. In two years' time, therefore, according to your colleagues, I will have magically have lost all self respect, started a life of crime and become mentally ill, will be permanently drunk and/or high, and will be on benefits. I'd better warn DH now.

[AugustaFinkNottle]

Actually, there's not much point in warning DH, he's got a 1934 Alvis. He's obviously already entrenched in crime, mental illness, drug taking and the rest of it.

[Spandexpants007]

I'm with you. Your colleagues and DH's friends must be quite shallow, materialistic and a bit thick

[Magicpaintbrush]

What??? My nissan micra is 30 years old and I am none of horrid things your colleagues mentioned! Affronted!!!!

[IfNotNowThenWhenever]

I drive an 01 car..and I live on a council estate! But my car is a very good one, and better built, with a better engine, than most brand new cars people drive. It amuses me when some twat in Car Craft's finest tries to cut me up and I leave him in my dust

[wigglybeezer]

It's those leasing agreements, you are basically renting the car. I know lots of people who use those, pay deposit, keep car for a few years with reasonably affordable monthly payments, then give it back before the hefty final payment is due and start again. People seem to get tempted to buy bigger cars because they can afford the monthly payments.

[Reallywantgherkins]

Outing self - I used to drive a 54 plate, red faded to pink Astra, the back was badly dented (think £1000 of damage) and the paint was peeling off, I took (despite reversing it into a lamppost) good care of that car, serviced, MOTd, attempts at tcutting it back to red.
Shock horror, I hold down a good full time job even getting a promotion while owning that car, I just couldn't afford a new one as I had hardly any equity left in that car to part exchange because of a stupid mistake.

[MrsBobDylan]

I had an accident in a 10+ years old car and guess what? I got enough cash from my insurers to buy another car that was 10+ years old.

Sorry op, you are lost in a sea of twats.