Why do so many people put private school bumper stickers on their cars?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP is right. My kids are at a big 3 school, and I am very proud of them for getting in. I also love the school and community. However, outward demonstrations of pride = bragging.

Our neighbors and friends are still in the DCPS that we left, and it would feel weird to me to wave the private school flag in their face. Anyone that is suggesting it’s the same as a public school sticker is not being honest with themselves. One is very inclusive, while the other is very exclusive.

My kids asked once to stick it on the car and I said that I didn’t want any stickers on my car. It’s okay to say no to your kids on occasion. It is my car. They do have plenty of school merch that they wear to school, have never seen them wear it outside of school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I did not realize until I moved (temporarily) overseas that it is really weird to advertise schools, politics, religion or my other highly personal association on one’s vehicle. Cars here are clean. License plate. That’s it.

People are very social, yet private. One would look like an ass if they tagged themselves to share that info with the world, no matter the type of school.

I am now so comfortable with this, that I find all car decorations crazy looking when we are back in the US.

I love the US, but we are, sometimes… just weird.

A lot of us studied abroad.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This reminds me of the recent attitude that reading in public is always performative “bragging.” Turns out some of us just like to read and see it as a normal activity.

The difference, to me, is that one requires tens of thousands of dollars while the other requires a library card.

As a fellow reader I think that attitude comes from couch potato binge watchers feeling bad about how they use their free time and like readers are somehow rubbing their proverbial noses in it.

What about a sticker for a school that doesn’t cost tens of thousands of dollars? Or a student on FA? Where do you draw the line? Why do you get to draw it? Why do you care at all?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I did not realize until I moved (temporarily) overseas that it is really weird to advertise schools, politics, religion or my other highly personal association on one’s vehicle. Cars here are clean. License plate. That’s it.

People are very social, yet private. One would look like an ass if they tagged themselves to share that info with the world, no matter the type of school.

I am now so comfortable with this, that I find all car decorations crazy looking when we are back in the US.

I love the US, but we are, sometimes… just weird.

A lot of us studied abroad.

Gosh, it’s as if different people from different cultures do things differently.

[Anonymous]

Agree it feels obnoxious. My kids have been in three privates and I would never do it. Then again, I’m a foreigner and in my country it would definitely be seen as bragging.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I did not realize until I moved (temporarily) overseas that it is really weird to advertise schools, politics, religion or my other highly personal association on one’s vehicle. Cars here are clean. License plate. That’s it.

People are very social, yet private. One would look like an ass if they tagged themselves to share that info with the world, no matter the type of school.

I am now so comfortable with this, that I find all car decorations crazy looking when we are back in the US.

I love the US, but we are, sometimes… just weird.

A lot of us studied abroad.

Gosh, it’s as if different people from different cultures do things differently.

I mean, I think it's ridiculous that people do it, I hate it, and I never would do it myself. But not because it's something that a European wouldn't do. Who gives a shit about what Europeans do?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I put my LSAT score on the back of my car.

I wondered what that "130" was on your car....seemed random but it makes sense now.

[Anonymous]

In England people wear ties that signify what university they went to, please. The ties are also coded so only people who know know.

When I was a child, my dad wouldn’t let me put a school decal on our car, because he thought it looked like bragging. Now I let my kids, because who cares what triggers adult strangers with confidence issues.

[Anonymous]

So. Many. Uptight. People. Here.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So. Many. Uptight. People. Here.

Yep. The ones who put private school bumper stickers on their cars.

[Anonymous]

So when I am on the road and see another I jokingly say "oh there goes another member of our cult" . Our sticker does not spell out the school name-it is just a logo

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So. Many. Uptight. People. Here.

Yep. The ones who put private school bumper stickers on their cars.

No… I think it’s the people who are easily annoyed who are uptight.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
As a fellow reader I think that attitude comes from couch potato binge watchers feeling bad about how they use their free time and like readers are somehow rubbing their proverbial noses in it.

Right. It’s about other people’s insecurities.

And imo the best way to respect others is not to assume they’re insecure over something you do or have but just be both kind and factual about your own life. My kid goes to this school. Yes, I’m happy to talk about it if you’re interested. I’m not going to bring up where I went to HS/college/professional school and act like you should know about it, but if you ask I will tell you the name of the school and not beat around the bush by telling you the city in which it happens to be located.

But I don’t generally go around assuming these things are better than your things of that you should be jealous or insecure about things I have or have done. Because my opinion of their value is specific to me and my situation and need not be shared by all around me.

[Anonymous]

My kid goes to a small school and it makes me smile to see bumper stickers from that school when I drive around DC. It happens every once in a while. It's not about the cost or the bragging rights. It's about knowing that there's a community out there. It also makes me happy when I'm wearing his school athletics t shirt at the gym and someone comes up to me to tell me his/her husband or nephew or something went to that school. I like the excuse to exchange a few words with people. What's wrong with that?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So when I am on the road and see another I jokingly say "oh there goes another member of our cult" . Our sticker does not spell out the school name-it is just a logo

Hmmmm, what could it mean?!