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.

[DisgraceToTheYChromosome]

The bikes aren't bad. It's odd that the two wheelers are owned by the nicest people on the planet, while the cars are the preserve of hypertensive fucknuggets.

Mind you, Saab's coming back: "I am considerably brainier than you".

[Peterpurvis]

This thread is brilliant - although it is a painful reminder that my car broke down this eve and I had to get the bleeding bus home.

[Seaweedy]

This thread is great. OP, your daughter has killer comic timing. Your neighbour sounds mildly crazed by her lack of appreciation of the glory that is BMW. Apparently.

I have realised, however, that I am a 41 year old professional, and I don't know what type of car we have. (Am a non-driver.) We got it in January, it's ugly and silver. It came with DP's job, and I gather is a fairly prestigious type, but I am astonished when anyone remarks on it. Am nostalgic for the recent past, when we were car-less central Londoners who leapt on and off the tube...

[VaultFullOfTwizzlers]

I think it's quite a good skill to have even if my parents didn't do it and I didn't think to do it with my DC.

I wish I'd had some training myself because I'd know what to look for when DH says, "watch this twat in the Audi who is going to cause an accident" without looking around desperately and wishing he'd said, "the silver car"

Not sure how useful it would be in case of abduction unless expensive cars have more luxurious boot-space emblazoned with logos, but in general, yes.

[lisylisylou]

Haha, I used to know a lady like that who ran a parents toddlers morning from a very posh (twattish) village and every time anyone spoke to this lady she always without fail mentioned her husband had a BMW. Me and my husband had a BMW but I never mentioned it at all to her and because of bad snow we got rid of it as it was useless couldnt even get it out of the driveway so we got pickups. 2 years later it had been snowing again and so we went for a family drive out and were helping dig out the police and towing their Volvo up a steep hill when a lady walked upto us. IT WAS HER and she said 'oh my husband can't get his car out of the drive its a BMW you know'. I have to admit I was cracking up inside but I couldn't show it! My son even got a free ride in the police car and they put the sirens on for him!! I had to tell you all it still makes me chuckle even now!!

[JesusInTheCabbageVan]

OK OP, I daaare you to get the whole family dressed up in their very best clothes on Sunday and go and knock the neighbour's door. When she answers, shout (in chorus):

"Hello, can we all come for a ride IN THE BMW?"

[Lottiedoubtie]

sounds like a plan Jesus!

[StephenFrySaidSo]

not too late to start teaching yourself vault the game is adult friendly too- just makes the stakes a bit more exciting than 'whoever wins gets to sit in the front on the way back'

and yes BMWs are shit in the snow, except if you like going sideways. that's scary fun

[StephenFrySaidSo]

jesus!

[JesusInTheCabbageVan]

don't you encourage your dcs to recognise car makes in case 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.

Well, not necessarily. Your parents might just have liked cars, mightn't they? And liked relatively peaceful car journeys?

[elcranko]

This thread is hilarious

I work with a bloke who calls his car 'the beast', he drives it the few miles to work every day and polishes it every weekend. He then puts photos of his shiny, polished car on FB.

I remember him talking about a trip he had coming up that involved about 300 miles of driving. "Oh the beast will come in handy then" I said to him. He replied "nah, we're going in my wife's car. It costs too much to fuel the beast for those types of journeys."

Why buy the bloody thing then?!

[StephenFrySaidSo]

well as they have since told me that was the point of the games i think its pretty safe to say that was the point of the games or maybe you're right and they lied- who knows?

[LEMisdisappointed]

Waltzing - when i was a kid we used to call BMW black mans willies :)

DP is from lewsiham and always describe BMWs as drug dealer cars.

[LEMisdisappointed]

Stephen, i dont see where anyone has referred to a mental illness or used it as an insult (i have MH issues and am pretty sensitive about it, but nothing to be offended by here!)

Could it be that your parents were just petrol heads and prefered name the car to eye spy?

[AmpullaOfVater]

Am snorting at memorising makes of cars in case of abduction! I know about three cars on sight, thank god no one's ever tried to kidnap me.

[StephenFrySaidSo]

how do you interpret calling someone barking? i believed it to be a way of calling someone mad (as in 'barking mad')/nuts/crazy/not right in the head- am i wrong?

"Could it be that your parents were just petrol heads and prefered name the car to eye spy?"

see my post to jesus.

[VaultFullOfTwizzlers]

Stephen I have a long and boring motorway journey as a passenger ahead of me tomorrow so I will make a start.

Eye Spy is fucking useless to play on the M1.

[StephenFrySaidSo]

i'm snorting at people thinking that's funny. because no-one is ever pulled into a car or van by abductors?

"only witness-can you describe the car that took your sister?"
"no"

"only witness- can you describe the car that took your sister?"
"yes it was a black Vauxhall astra- reg number abc 1234"

[LEMisdisappointed]

Well if you are posting to Jesus...........

But no, i dont see calling someone barking as calling them mad, and even if it is, i don't really associate calling someone mad with mental health issues, i really don't. Barking in my mind = eccentric and a little bit woo.

Teaching your children car makes as an anti-kidnap strategy is slightly eccentric, but would actually suggest an over anxious parent - and i suffer from anxiety and actually wont let DD go in anyone elses car without me present.

[BasilBabyEater]

I once had a trip in a BMW.

It was white.

And had cannabis in the glove compartment.

The owner wondered if it was legal to smoke cannabis in the privacy of your own car.

[StephenFrySaidSo]

yes- eyespy on the M1 "eyespy....sod it- it's all bridges"

[AnneUulmelmahay]

When we were young and loaded we had an Audi, always reffed as The A4

[StephenFrySaidSo]

not an anti kidnap strategy- knowing the make of the car wont stop the kidnap happening- but it might help someone be found.

i'm pretty laidback when it comes to parenting and certainly not of the 'peedo round every corner' mindset. it's something i grew up 'tuned into' if that makes sense and it's just something i'm passing onto my dcs as i think it could be useful in that (or other car related) situation.

i also mentioned hit and run but nobody is taking issue with that for some reason.

[TrinityRhino]

I have a convertible Beema
beat that