Everyone I know, even more “progressive” people, treat me like a damn alien for not prioritizing getting a new car since mine died over covid.

Why does nobody blink an eye at this habit people have of just… Sitting in their car in the driveway? Its not on, there’s no music, they aren’t leaving - they’re just sitting there for an hour or more. I see it fairly often, but if I mention it being odd people look at me like I’m dumb. Are we really THAT car centric now that it’s this normalized to be like “fuck my living room, fuck my TV, fuck my couch, I just wanna sit in my car all day?”

54 points
*

I’ll sit in my car for 5 to ten minutes after a hard, stressful day at work to decompress in silence before entering home, but that’s mostly because I want to be joyous and loving to my boyfriend who’s waiting for me instead of cranky, not because I enjoy car.

Do people really chill in their cars for an hour? That seems wild.

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25 points

I live in a small maritime town and ya people do that. They bring their car to the parking lot and line up and just sit there. Sometimes they talk to the people next to them or a friend.

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22 points

Okay yanno I see that at the park and by the lake. Folks park, go for a walk, then hang out in the car and chat or nap.

I’m guessing they’re doing that since it’s a free place to be and the car offers some privacy. That makes a bit more sense to me than sitting in your own driveway for an hour.

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10 points

I was reading, thinking “this is definitely New Brunswick” before recognizing your username :P

I’m originally from Bathurst, hotboxing a Honda Civic in the McDonald’s parking lot was essentially a rite of passage.

Sidenote: the culture of driving stoned and/or drunk is so crazy prevalent around here. I was pretty reckless as a teenager, thankfully I now know better but a lot of people I knew back then never grew out of it.

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4 points

Ayyy recognize ya too! Haha it’s wild the culture here for that. I’m originally from Ontario so this whole thing was new to me

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11 points

Where I live I see multiple people who will sit in their cars for multiple hours, I was just being generous with the “one hour.” Lol

Ive been doing yard work for probably about 2, and there’s a dude whose just been sitting there the whole time in his driveway, which prompted the post. I see it often enough to call it a thing though, definitely. I go for a walk most days and sometimes I’ll just double back, and see someone still in their car 30-45 minutes later.

To be clear, I totally get taking a few when you get home or something. Really wouldn’t bat an eye at 15 minutes regardless. An hour or more though, yeah sorry thats weird and no amount of normalization is going to change my mind. I’m so tired of people trying to tell me people aren’t fucking weird about their cars 🤣

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2 points

I guess it’s like sitting on your porch?

Seems bleek. 😞

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1 point

*bleak

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1 point

Spell check didn’t care so I don’t either lol

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3 points

Apparently “bleek” is a real word!

Bleek: adjective. pale [adjective] (of a person, his face etc) having less colour/color than normal. wan [adjective] pale and sickly-looking.

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15 points

from people I’ve talked to who do that (and me) it’s usually to get away from other people before going inside somewhere. like the husband who chills in his car to avoid the wife, or the son who doesn’t wanna go in to deal with the dad yet.

the car is a portable bubble, an escape, your own little contained environment in which you can exercise some form of control. a mini home away from home for some.

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-5 points

If you have to sit in your car for 3 hours to avoid your wife, you need a divorce. 🤣

Same with any other situation, if you have to live in your car you need to change your living situation.

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12 points

yeah, they do. unfortunately a lot of people are stuck in situations not easily got out of… that’s why they escape to their car…

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15 points

Not many people sit for 3 hours, but many sit for maybe half hour. you’re exaggerating stuff.

And no, not many people can “change their living situation” with a snap of their finger either, because they’re mostly trapped in that situation unwillingly, whether physically or mentally. That’s why they chose escapism in some shape or form, and doomscrolling in their quiet car after a long day is one of em.

Yes, it’s unhealthy but laughing at them as if you’re superior helps no one and only makes people resent this community more. This community shouldn’t be that literal.

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-8 points

I’m going to ignore you now for your bad faith arguments. You don’t know my experiences, or the behavior of people in my area.

I think its weird and unhealthy, coping mechanism or not, and I refuse to pretend it isn’t to make people comfortable. Check out exercise or therapy.

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3 points

I have never experienced this lol I’ve sat in my car for like 20 minutes when I had to eat lunch in the car before but that’s about it.

I’ve never seen anyone just sit motionless in their car for an hour before though… Maybe that’s a regional thing?

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3 points

Thats possible I reckon. I live in a fairly conservative Bible belt “city” so I’m used to being surrounded by all the things I find insane, counter productive, etc 🤣

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4 points
*

I can’t say that I see this a lot but I can tell you why I and others I’ve spoken to do it. I’ll leave you to ponder and extrapolate reasons.

.

It’s quiet.

.

No other humans are talking to or at you.

.

Quiet = bliss.

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-4 points

If you have to spend 3 hours a day in your car to avoid people, you need to speak to a professional.

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4 points

Therapy is expensive, time consuming and tragically filled with social stigmas. People are coping with the thing they already own in the only way they know how.

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3 points

That doesn’t make it healthy. As someone who is hyper isolated due to living on a pension, it only compounds itself.

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3 points

3 hrs is a lot. I think my top time was 30min. Still. It’s cheaper than therapy.

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Fuck Cars

!fuck_cars@lemmy.ml

Create post

This community exists as a sister community/copycat community to the r/fuckcars subreddit.

This community exists for the following reasons:

  • to raise awareness around the dangers, inefficiencies and injustice that can come from car dependence.
  • to allow a place to discuss and promote more healthy transport methods and ways of living.

You can find the Matrix chat room for this community here.

Rules

  1. Be nice to each other. Being aggressive or inflammatory towards other users will get you banned. Name calling or obvious trolling falls under that. Hate cars, hate the system, but not people. While some drivers definitely deserve some hate, most of them didn’t choose car-centric life out of free will.

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