Why are rich people, especially rich "soccer" moms so obsessed with...

[Anonymous]

1. Driving a spotless, freshly-detailed car.
2. Refusing to drive a car with any physical damage, no matter how minor.

Example. We had friends over last night and the husband was teasing his wife for refusing to drive her SUV until he got it fixed because it had a huge scratch on it. You can tell she was raised in an affluent setting, very hoity-toity. It's not just her though, I remember hearing similar from my well-to-do grandmother about "not being caught dead" in a dirty or damaged car. And in the lineup at my children's private school, the cars are generally sparkling clean with glossy tires, and have no damage.

Where does this come from? Like they have a perception that dirty and/or dinged up cars are seen as low class?

[Anonymous]

That sounds like one specific person you know. I'm rich but I work and my car needs significant body repair for over a year now (nanny got in an accident driving my car). But I don't have time to get quotes and have it in the shop, so here I am, driving around with cracks/dents/scratches.

[Anonymous]

My baby boomer mom was like this too. Spotless car, always, and traded it in for a new one every year.

[Anonymous]

We combined make 400K and one kid plays on three different soccer teams, so I think we qualify.

My car so badly needs a vacuum I cringe every time I get in it (though can't find the time to do the vacuuming in light of other priorities). Also, a reflector is held on with duct tape because it's too much effort to figure out how to get it fixed.

[Anonymous]

Are you sure she was raised affluent? IMO, the people who are the most concerned about things like this are the ones who weren't raised wealthy and have something to "prove."

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My baby boomer mom was like this too. Spotless car, always, and traded it in for a new one every year.

Every year?? Wow.

[Anonymous]

Would you go to work in a shirt that had a rip in it?

[Anonymous]

I'm a rich former soccer mom and I am definitely not obsessed. I do go to the car wash a couple of times a year because it gets heavily used as a beach car, ski car, and in the old days a soccer team car so gets sandy/muddy. I occasionally will wash the inside front windshield when it gets that film on it that makes it hard to see.. My car is 10 years old so it has all sorts of scratches and dings at this point.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Are you sure she was raised affluent? IMO, the people who are the most concerned about things like this are the ones who weren't raised wealthy and have something to "prove."

+100 new money/striver behavior

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Would you go to work in a shirt that had a rip in it?

A scratch on the car or a dent doesn't impact the safety or drive-ability of a car. Who are people concerned will "see" them in such a car and think less (?) of them? It's a very odd paranoia. Or at least one I don't fully understand. I assume it's some old-timey class stereotype.

[Anonymous]

My boomer dad and uncles would spot a random scratch, dent or wheel rash on my car from a mile away. A scratch I wouldn't even notice driving the car every day.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Would you go to work in a shirt that had a rip in it?

A scratch on the car or a dent doesn't impact the safety or drive-ability of a car. Who are people concerned will "see" them in such a car and think less (?) of them? It's a very odd paranoia. Or at least one I don't fully understand. I assume it's some old-timey class stereotype.

No, it isn't some "old-timey class stereotype." If anything, the stereotype is that old money cares less about having a cosmetically perfect car than strivers.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Would you go to work in a shirt that had a rip in it?

A scratch on the car or a dent doesn't impact the safety or drive-ability of a car. Who are people concerned will "see" them in such a car and think less (?) of them? It's a very odd paranoia. Or at least one I don't fully understand. I assume it's some old-timey class stereotype.

No, it isn't some "old-timey class stereotype." If anything, the stereotype is that old money cares less about having a cosmetically perfect car than strivers.

I live in a place with plenty of old money. They almost all drive freshly detailed European luxury SUVs, sports cars, Teslas, 4-door Mini Coopers, and Suburbans.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Would you go to work in a shirt that had a rip in it?

A scratch on the car or a dent doesn't impact the safety or drive-ability of a car. Who are people concerned will "see" them in such a car and think less (?) of them? It's a very odd paranoia. Or at least one I don't fully understand. I assume it's some old-timey class stereotype.

No, it isn't some "old-timey class stereotype." If anything, the stereotype is that old money cares less about having a cosmetically perfect car than strivers.

I live in a place with plenty of old money. They almost all drive freshly detailed European luxury SUVs, sports cars, Teslas, 4-door Mini Coopers, and Suburbans.

Lol where did you come up with "4-door mini cooper" for this list?

[Anonymous]

Her behavior strikes me as new money. In New England many wealthy drive their old beat up Mercedes and Volvos as a badge of honor.