Would you date someone with a really bad car?

[Zippy2000]

Gaeta,

From my dating experiences many years ago I came to the conclusion that if a guy can't take care of his car then he can't take care of anything else.

 

If he can't be bothered to maintain his car (ie; it belches smoke, rattles, looks and stinks like a dustbin/garbage can inside) then he isn't mature enough to take responsibility for anything else.

 

In UK there are rules about exhaust emissions and having an MOT certificate to say that the car is roadworthy. I presume there is something similar in USA?

 

In my experience if the car is a mess then where they live will be a mess as well. Who wants to get involved with a messy child?

 

My own car is 10 years old but it is roadworthy and clean.

 

This guy sounds like a loser, give him a wide berth.

 

 

 

 

In Liverpool you`d actually pay for an M.o.T? lol

[gaius]

Does it have that thing going on where one door is a different color than the rest of the car?

 

I would think it was endlessly cute if it was a woman but I get your disgust Gaeta. Doesn't mean he's a bad person, he's just not scratching you in the right place.

[Dork Vader]

He might not be completely broke. He might not care what he drives. He also might not have any debt. I drive an 04 350z with 130,000 miles on it. The leather seats are tore up and in general the car is a piece of crud. I could go buy new car tomorrow. But I don't want any debt and I don't want to blow through my savings buying a car.

 

I have a friend that has a new range rover and a new porsche 911 C4s. He easily has $250,000 worth of cars. He is also in debt up to his eye balls.

 

Get to know him and pay attention to other signs of his finances. If he is broke you'll see other signs of it.

[malin819]

I'll jump in here

 

I have 2 cars...an old beater Saturn that I use for Winter and to travel to work. I also own a track prep Subaru STI. I always use the Saturn for the first few dates.

 

No point in showing off when you want a person to like you for who you are

[CaliGypsy]

I'm picturing Uncle Buck pulling up lol .

 

Don't care for the most part. I'm thinking an excessive amount of trash would turn me off. ( didn't care enough to shovel it out for the date)

 

Reliable is nice too. Who wants to spend the evening on the side of the freeway ?

[amaysngrace]

I dated a guy who drove a car that was terrible. The cloth ceiling kept messing up my hair because it was falling down.

 

He parked it in the city on the street because he didn't want to pay for parking in his condo's garage. He did have an oceanfront unit though.

 

Maybe there's a reason why he drives it.

[Day.One]

.. and smelt like there was a corpse in the trunk then I'd see your point.

 

Went out at lunchtime and brought some Fabreze for my car....

[Day.One]

In UK there are rules about exhaust emissions and having an MOT certificate to say that the car is roadworthy. I presume there is something similar in USA?

 

 

It varies from State to State. Some do, some don't have vehicle inspections. Most only have emissions testing (smog).

[gaius]

I'll jump in here

 

I have 2 cars...an old beater Saturn that I use for Winter and to travel to work. I also own a track prep Subaru STI. I always use the Saturn for the first few dates.

 

No point in showing off when you want a person to like you for who you are

Wouldn't it be great if this guy was really a billionaire trying to find someone who likes him for him? That's probably what I'd do.

[Zippy2000]

Well he`s not going to be dateable if he turns up in a Tuk Tuk and the seats are covered in those wooden beaded seat covers. lol

[Toodaloo]

Went out at lunchtime and brought some Fabreze for my car....

 

So made me laugh...

 

I could smell something "dead" in my car once so went through it... Found the source of the smell but never did figure out what it actually was... I suspect it may have been an old rabbit head that the dogs were saving for later... one can't be certain though, it could equally have been a mouldy cabbage... it was soft and squishy on the out side and solid in the middle... it was too far gone to tell... it stank so it went in the bin and the disinfectant came out.

 

My car is mechanically sound, however if I want people to get in it other than myself and the dogs I usually have to do a good 2-3 hour muck out. My drive is a track, I travel mainly along single track roads with grass growing in the middle to work, my work places are along tracks and in farm yards. The back is full of stuff for the horses and dogs... It is basically a farm yard in there! Stet that, the farm yard where I keep my horses is tidier because all the cr4p is in the back of my car

 

Its an old banged up estate and I love it, the engine is well looked after as are the brakes etc. I don't worry about the a-holes in their shiny 4x4's driving too fast in the opposite direction because lets face it, they would be crying a lot more than me if they wrote of their car... I probably do a heck of a lot more off roading in my old banger too! I didn't cry when the scaffolding lorry reversed into it... I don't cry when the wing mirrors get snapped off because I have had to dive in the hedge again... I just get another cable tie out the back and fix it back on again! My car belongs to me and not the bank. Its a tool to get the things I need to get to where I need to get them to. yes it would be nice to have a nicer car and to clean it out more often but I have bigger priorities.

 

People who don't know me well always assume that my house is going to be an absolute heap... Considering its old and falling down its very clean and tidy... bit like the yard!

[mightycpa]

Why don't you just ask him why he drives that piece of **** he calls a car?

 

Old, rusty car that still runs? His front yard is probably littered with them. To be completely honest, I'd be worried about his ability to provide. It's one thing to be 24 and low on the economic scale. At that age, you could assess a person for their potential. But if he's within spitting distance of 49, he's pretty much done whatever he's going to do, and is established in a pattern. Also, it is not about being poor, necessarily. It is about how you choose to live.

 

It could be anything... he might be poor, or his regular car might be in the shop. Maybe he's putting a kid through college and the situation is temporary. Maybe he's one of those guys who likes to live like a pauper and hoard money in the bank. Maybe he grew up poor, did alright for himself, but has a "poor" chip on his shoulder. Who knows? But Occam's Razor says that he just doesn't have a lot of money, or a lot of pride, or both.

 

The question you have to ask yourself is can YOU live with that. I wouldn't, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't.

 

If I were you, I'd go out with him one more time, then find a way to follow him home so you can take a look. Life's too short, especially at 49.

[Haerts]

In all honesty and answering your title question, I probably wouldn't. lol

My boyfriend doesn't have a car and I don't either. We go everywhere by bus and I'm really fine with it. Having a car or not isn't really a big deal to me, let alone being it a good car or not.

 

However, I think the point here is that the car is all damaged and old. He should've made something by now to change/improve that car and if he didn't, it only shows how accommodated he is - which should be a sign of his personality. Appearance means a lot. Let's put it this way: would you like to go out with someone who always dress like a homeless? With very old clothes, with holes in it and all? I know I wouldn't!

[Gaeta]

Does it have that thing going on where one door is a different color than the rest of the car?

 

.

 

Ya...and the windshield cracked from side to side too.

[Emilia]

Ya...and the windshield cracked from side to side too.

Hm, not sure I'd want someone neglectful like that as a tenant let alone a boyfriend!

[Tayken]

would you like to go out with someone who always dress like a homeless? With very old clothes, with holes in it

 

You mean like a woman who wears Yoga pants / jogging bottoms / leggings / tights / sweats, and my least favourite jeans all the time as their de-facto outfit? Oh, and we hav't even got to the caked up makeups yet

[HappyLove]

Dude is broke. The question is can you date a broke guy? How was he on the date?

[Toodaloo]

Ya...and the windshield cracked from side to side too.

 

Oooh thats just sloppy...

 

Mine may have splatters of various animal poo smeared in places but at least you can see clearly once you have washed it off!

 

In answer to your question if its dangerous no, if its just a banger why not

 

I know someone who collects Vintage Rolls Royces for a hobby and has a chauffeur on call in 4 countries who sometimes likes to drive round day to day in a battered old estate... in fact I think his is in worse nick than mine!!!

[Gaeta]

Dude is broke. The question is can you date a broke guy? How was he on the date?

 

I dated broke before. It's not the issue. Maybe he's broke-broke with no 3rd credit.

 

He was nice, he told me to put my wallet away when I tried to pay. He had a really hard time looking at me in the eyes, so much I asked him if he was shy, but that's not the subject of this thread.

[Chemist]

I think your a fool to judge him on this.

 

I am 29, I don't even own a car. I had drug addict parents, worked through college to pay for it, have student debt, my PhD and I don't own a car.

 

My friend who is 35 drives an old ass grandma car with his PhD making bank and is a nice guy.

 

I think you should judge someone for their character, and not what they drive. Some people prefer to ride a bike, but only drive if they have too. Maybe he has a pimpin bike somewhere that he takes excellent care of. Maybe he's nursed that car this long because he doesn't feel like he is looking for a woman who would judge him and not what he drives.

 

I think your question is incredibly superficial.. maybe why you're 49 and still looking for someone.

[Gaeta]

I think your question is incredibly superficial.. maybe why you're 49 and still looking for someone.

 

I think you are very judgmental to call me superficial without knowing anything about me.

 

I am a professional. He has no specific education and he works in a manufacture. It did not stop me from meeting him. I am superficial you said?

[HappyLove]

I'm willing to bet he's not a secret millionaire or Dr just a broke guy who can't afford even a $2000 car. So you have to decide if you can deal with it. I don't think anyone in their right mind would drive such a dangerous junky car if they could do or afford better.

[Chemist]

I think you are very judgmental to call me superficial without knowing anything about me.

 

I am a professional. He has no specific education and he works in a manufacture. It did not stop me from meeting him. I am superficial you said?

 

Says the person who is judging someone.

 

Also, I said it is a superficial question. I didn't necessarily call you superficial, but whose splitting hairs here.

 

Doesn't change the fact that rust doesn't just wash off. This would require a serious paint job, probably not worth doing for an old rust bucket. Or a new car, and well maybe the man has a sick mother he drops his money into. Maybe a nice ass house he takes great care of. You know nothing about him from one date to judge if he has character.

[Emilia]

I think your a fool to judge him on this.

 

I am 29, I don't even own a car. I had drug addict parents, worked through college to pay for it, have student debt, my PhD and I don't own a car.

Are you going to be in the same position in 10 years' time? Don't you think a 39 year-old is slightly behind the curve/his peers in this position?

[Chemist]

Maybe he's had a harder life than me too.

 

And in fact, I have no idea if I will ever buy a car. I am content riding a bike, taking public transportation, and renting a car when I need one.

 

It's cheaper, and I, ffs, hope I never, ever, fall for a girl who would care about my wheels. I wonder, if 150 years ago, people would look at their partner's horse. No, they wouldn't, because that isn't what we're looking at. It is purely social status and money... because those make good lovers and partners.