To think my neighbour is a snob, and a very strange one at that?

[Bluemonkeyspots]

My car is in the garage today for a service so told dd this morning she would have to walk home, not a problem she does this most days anyway. Sat earlier and I see my neighbour driving into our street and dd is in the car so I go to the door to check everything is ok and this is the conversation that followed

Me- "hi, everything ok"

Neighbour- "yes fine, dd just wanted a lift home in a BMW today "

Me- "sorry?"

Neighbour- "yes, since you were not there at pick up dd thought it would be nice to get a lift in a BMW"

Me- "dd, did you want a lift in a BMW?"

Dd- "what's a BMW"

Neighbour- "aahhhh come on now dd, it must have been nice sitting in a BMW?"

Dd- (looking totally confused) "yes, thanks for the lift home"

Me- "thanks for that"

Then she smiled and walked off.

Was lovely that she offered dd a lift as it was starting to spit rain but was this really such a treat.

To put it into context a bit my car is average but only six month old, the BMW in question is very old (nothing wrong with that my last car was old) but I feel I'm missing something by neighbours attitude.

I also loved the "what's a BMW" question.
Locally, and I live in Germany, they are known as Bums Mal Wieder or Bayrisches Mist Werk. Nothing wrong with them, both my parents in the UK drive BMWs, as does toyboy here in Germany (company car). Personally I don't like the engine noise, which is "whiney".
And now my "snob" bit, I drive a Mercedes, which is mine, bought and long paid for long ago and she is ace. But my choice and very personal.
I would never, ever offer someone a lift in my car under the pretext of being able to mention the make. These are machines to get you from A to B safely, end of story.

Can't tell from OP whether she is a snob/car obsessive/made a rather bad joke, but if she is a strange snob she's a friendly strange snob with amusement value who is happy to give a neighbour's child a lift, so what's not to like really?

it is not the fancy cars we are on about it is the mentioning LOTs about the fancy car as if it is something and the little girl was like MEH i got a lift home is all

yes i am very affronted. i'll confess now, i am actually a BMW and terribly offended at someone, even a child not knowing what i am.

get a grip. i asked how she didn't know what one was. i didn't say she should be shot for it.

"What's a BMW?"

For some people the car they drive defines them. I love driving nice cars (BMW's in particular actually), but I also get a kick out of driving our wee Polo. I just like driving and really appreciate cars. I could never afford a Ferrari for example, but I love to see them on the road (and imagine what it would be like to drive one).

Your neighbour sounds a bit odd, but maybe she's just a bit socially awkward?

our next car is going to be a BMW estate dh says should i start mentioning it tout it about a bit to see who it impresses

My SIL refers 'the audi' and refers to her home by the road's name - so it's never 'I'll go home now', it's 'I'll go to Conifer Mews now' (not real name!). She also refers to 'the family room' and the 'den', as well as the 'master suite with private bathroom', which is in the 'front wing'.

It's a 2 bed 2 reception new build with a master bedroom so small you can't fit wardrobes in and an ensuite where you can touch both walls when you're sat on the loo.

When I was a student, a man once stopped in his open topped BMW and motioned for me to jump in. I ignored him and he persisted, at which point I said in scathing tones "I'm not getting in a supermini".

I refer to anything smaller than E class size as a supermini.

It's like that Top Gear thing. 'I just wanted to tell you I ran over your dog. In my Jag.'

Stephen my dd does not even know what my car is never mind anyone else's. If I asked her to name three car makes she would most likely reply car, bus, tractor.

Car have less than 0% intrest to her as was demonstrated today.

Infact she was impressed by one thing in the BMW, seemingly it has these really cool handles in the back to wind down the windows!

How is BMW the most recognised car logo when the Ford logo actually is the word FORD in big silver letters?

DH has a Beamer. It's called Gustav. I don't think it's a particularly posh car especially since I ran it into a low stone wall in Wales but it does have bloody awful suspension. My shitheap is a far comfier ride.

Excuse me!! I am a BMW owner and frankly I am furious that your DD does not know the significance of the brand!

It must be a quite an old BMW if it has a manual stick to wind down the windows

Very funny, OP - thanks for sharing

I am forty-something and couldn't identify any cars on sight other than a Mini or a Reliant Robin (not that my Dad used to have one, oh no)

Apart from my own, obvs. It is a Peugeot, which is French for "slow-moving beige poo"

DH however, recognises Audi's, Mercedes and BMWs by the way they are being driven, even if they are a long way behind us.

don't you encourage your dcs to recognise car makes incase they ever need to describe one for some reason? like an attempted abduction or a hit and run? growing up we played games in the car to get us used to recognising different types of cars. we didn't realise at the time what the point of the games were obviously but that's what it was. i do the same with my dcs now. i didn't think it was that unusual for dcs to be aware of at least a few more common types of cars.

Just asked DD1 who will be 10 next week. Market research.

• a BMW is a car - tick
• we have a Lexus - tick ten years old and very second hand
• Name 3 others? Mercedes, Ferrari and Audi - tick

I have just told her she needs to work very hard, go to a good university and get a very good job if those are the first marques that come to mind.

I had no idea I was raising a little capitalist materialistic consumer

My friends DS is rather obsessed with cars - he is 8 and knows all the makes and models and has done since he was 3 He nearly fell over himself when DD told him we had a mercedes! I quickly explained to his mum that it was 15 years old with the star snapped off!

The thing is, at 10 i would have probably fallen over myself for a ride in a BMW, but that was in 1980 when they were fashionable. Now if i see a BMW i think "sales rep" its all about the Audi!

are BMW making marques now?

StephenFry I was amazed when my best mate's little brother used to say things like, "that Escort just undertook us" when I was a teenager. He was only seven.

But then in those days DC used to ride in the front seat a lot.

My parents didn't do it but then we only ever used the car for long journeys so I was usually reading.

at HTD's DD.

Just proves that most BMW's are driven by wankers IMO.

Stephen now you do sound barking. Who teaches their children makes of car in case of an attempted abduction FFS?

[goes off to educate DCs about makes of flying saucers in case of alien invasion]

that isnot really a common practise I dont think stephen

i really don't care if i sound barking or not (although i'm never impressed when people use mental illness as an insult.)

who teaches it? well my parents did and i do so that's who.

maybe not common. useful though. i'd rather have it and not need it than need it and not have it.