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

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We like the school where we send our kids. The magnet came in the swag pack years ago and has been on the car ever since. I do like seeing other magnets “in the wild” and it’s nbd when I see other people with stickers or magnets from other schools.

Maybe generationally wealthy OP can use their money to help solve some major issues in this country versus obsessing about car magnets on DCUM.

See, here's the thing. Most people "like" the school where they send their kids. That's not the issue.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Another example of public school parents getting triggered by literally, a CAR SIGN. We put ours because we like our school! We also have one for Jolene's Ice cream from MN. That definitely is a silent brag....

OP is a private school parent.

Try again.

OP says OP is a private school parent =/= OP is a private school parent

I'm OP and not only a private school parent but the generationally wealthy kind who doesn't even pay for it himself.

Let’s not forget wealth whispers OP. All private school parents aren’t created equal and all generational wealth is not created equal. There are people out here signaling generational wealth that is no longer generating. It’s just a fixed pot of money at the end of the rainbow that they can’t get there hands on until nana and pop pop move on to glory. I don’t see that as a real flex until that money appears today and is under your control.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The reason is that schools has some of the features of a country club and people like to signal that they are part of the club.

It also happens with clothing. Why do people buy famous brands ?

I was going to say, people like OP who are Big Mad about private school stickers must be the same people who are Big Mad about the Rolex on my wrist.

Ironically I (OP) send my kids to private and wear a Rolex

To be fair, I bought the Rolex 20 years ago when I thought money and material goods were the path to happiness. I'm glad I did though because I still enjoy wearing it (and it's a good reminder of how inevitably fleeting the dopamine hit from a new purchase will be)

You mean coincidentally. That isn’t ironic.

Obviously I’m using the Alanis Morissette definition

[Anonymous]

I have a numerous stickers/ magnets. It started with rec sports and swim team. Then HS and HS sports, now college.

I why people place professional sports, location names (e.g. OBX), or even political magnets on their cars.

FWIW- I have had multiple interactions with strangers due to the car magnets. DC was with some other students when they had a car accident on the way to school. Three parents, one current and two alumni parents stopped to offer assistance. A few months ago, a woman stopped to ask me some questions about the school, she had one on her car also that was given to her by her nephew. Nothing life altering, but it does signal a community. Any right now I am grateful to anything that builds a community.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have a numerous stickers/ magnets. It started with rec sports and swim team. Then HS and HS sports, now college.

I why people place professional sports, location names (e.g. OBX), or even political magnets on their cars.

FWIW- I have had multiple interactions with strangers due to the car magnets. DC was with some other students when they had a car accident on the way to school. Three parents, one current and two alumni parents stopped to offer assistance. A few months ago, a woman stopped to ask me some questions about the school, she had one on her car also that was given to her by her nephew. Nothing life altering, but it does signal a community. Any right now I am grateful to anything that builds a community.

This is a good point. A few mornings ago I was taking my daughter to school. It was one of the mornings it was raining pretty hard but I noticed a car with our school sticker on the side of the road and it looked like an accident had occurred. We noticed it was a student by themselves so we circled back to make sure everything was okay. They were pretty shaken up and seemed relieved to have another friendly supportive community member during that time. I remember my first accident in high school and it was important to be there. We were late to school that morning and it didn’t matter. The family later called and thanked us for being there in the moment. I can assure you we would not have stopped if we didn’t see the sticker.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have a numerous stickers/ magnets. It started with rec sports and swim team. Then HS and HS sports, now college.

I why people place professional sports, location names (e.g. OBX), or even political magnets on their cars.

FWIW- I have had multiple interactions with strangers due to the car magnets. DC was with some other students when they had a car accident on the way to school. Three parents, one current and two alumni parents stopped to offer assistance. A few months ago, a woman stopped to ask me some questions about the school, she had one on her car also that was given to her by her nephew. Nothing life altering, but it does signal a community. Any right now I am grateful to anything that builds a community.

This is a good point. A few mornings ago I was taking my daughter to school. It was one of the mornings it was raining pretty hard but I noticed a car with our school sticker on the side of the road and it looked like an accident had occurred. We noticed it was a student by themselves so we circled back to make sure everything was okay. They were pretty shaken up and seemed relieved to have another friendly supportive community member during that time. I remember my first accident in high school and it was important to be there. We were late to school that morning and it didn’t matter. The family later called and thanked us for being there in the moment. I can assure you we would not have stopped if we didn’t see the sticker.

So you wouldn’t have stopped if the student didn’t have a sticker? I find that quite disturbing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote: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.

Seriously. I really love when the posters show up acting like this is a US-only thing. Sure, maybe people in the UK don't use bumper stickers, but they sure as heck have ways of broadcasting their membership in the elite. You want to see elitism in education, try France! Basically every European country has a separate elite track for education and they have their subtle ways of telling everyone else they're in it.

This. We are just more direct and open about it as a culture (or tacky and ostentatious for those who sneer at the U.S. way). It's like the old money new money or city slicker country bumpkin dynamic. The elitism and exclusivity "I'm better than you" is universal, but just manifests differently. We are a car culture where much public interaction is on the roads, so there's that.

Compared to who? I see lots of brand names and logos outside the US. More than I see in the US. It's ok to wear the shirt, shoes, belts, pants, purses, scarves and hats but gee don't put a label on your car! I would say many more people outside the US are brand conscious even if they are wearing fakes.

Accoutrements like brand clothing, luxury goods, and car magnets are signs of a society with social mobility. People broadcast their status to signal to others who might not know just by looking at them. If everyday life is in a walkable urban society without a car, a car decal does no good. Coded language, posh accents, attire, and other trappings of wealth and superiority are required for those settings. Tomato Tomahto

+1

The Brits are probably the snobbiest culture on the planet.

But wealthy Brits all want to come to the US. MC folks in the US live like UMC folks in the UK. UC folks here are out of reach for most Brits. DH is UMC Brit, just as I come from a UMC American family - our lifestyles were not the same and he feels out of his depth in some of our social circles. It just is.

A sample of one isn’t representative. I’m a Brit and just spent the weekend in Portugal with three UMC Brit friends (one immigrated from the US) and none of them want to live in the US. But I’m not silly enough to assert a sample of four is any more meaningful than your sample of one.

[Anonymous]

Ridiculous thread

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have a numerous stickers/ magnets. It started with rec sports and swim team. Then HS and HS sports, now college.

I why people place professional sports, location names (e.g. OBX), or even political magnets on their cars.

FWIW- I have had multiple interactions with strangers due to the car magnets. DC was with some other students when they had a car accident on the way to school. Three parents, one current and two alumni parents stopped to offer assistance. A few months ago, a woman stopped to ask me some questions about the school, she had one on her car also that was given to her by her nephew. Nothing life altering, but it does signal a community. Any right now I am grateful to anything that builds a community.

This is a good point. A few mornings ago I was taking my daughter to school. It was one of the mornings it was raining pretty hard but I noticed a car with our school sticker on the side of the road and it looked like an accident had occurred. We noticed it was a student by themselves so we circled back to make sure everything was okay. They were pretty shaken up and seemed relieved to have another friendly supportive community member during that time. I remember my first accident in high school and it was important to be there. We were late to school that morning and it didn’t matter. The family later called and thanked us for being there in the moment. I can assure you we would not have stopped if we didn’t see the sticker.

So you wouldn’t have stopped if the student didn’t have a sticker? I find that quite disturbing.

Agree

[Anonymous]

Don't worry guys, OP's Aunt Bitsy thinks he is more embarrassing than a bumper sticker.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I can't even imagine. Seems like nothing but a naked flex.

It's no different than a sticker/magnet for any group/community one is proud to support/belong to. When our kids were in public school, we had its magnet on our car.

[Anonymous]

Cause I want to.

[Anonymous]

No worse than the stupid stickers that say “Little League All Star” and the kid’s jersey number. Is there anything less impressive or more inconsequential or brag-worthy?

Cool — your kid peaked at 12. Congrats.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have a numerous stickers/ magnets. It started with rec sports and swim team. Then HS and HS sports, now college.

I why people place professional sports, location names (e.g. OBX), or even political magnets on their cars.

FWIW- I have had multiple interactions with strangers due to the car magnets. DC was with some other students when they had a car accident on the way to school. Three parents, one current and two alumni parents stopped to offer assistance. A few months ago, a woman stopped to ask me some questions about the school, she had one on her car also that was given to her by her nephew. Nothing life altering, but it does signal a community. Any right now I am grateful to anything that builds a community.

This is a good point. A few mornings ago I was taking my daughter to school. It was one of the mornings it was raining pretty hard but I noticed a car with our school sticker on the side of the road and it looked like an accident had occurred. We noticed it was a student by themselves so we circled back to make sure everything was okay. They were pretty shaken up and seemed relieved to have another friendly supportive community member during that time. I remember my first accident in high school and it was important to be there. We were late to school that morning and it didn’t matter. The family later called and thanked us for being there in the moment. I can assure you we would not have stopped if we didn’t see the sticker.

So you wouldn’t have stopped if the student didn’t have a sticker? I find that quite disturbing.

And you’re disturbing for implying that every-time you see a fender bender on the side of the road you stop and help. That would be a lie. In most accidents the two cars involved pull to the side of the road and everyone else drives by if they can or go around.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have a numerous stickers/ magnets. It started with rec sports and swim team. Then HS and HS sports, now college.

I why people place professional sports, location names (e.g. OBX), or even political magnets on their cars.

FWIW- I have had multiple interactions with strangers due to the car magnets. DC was with some other students when they had a car accident on the way to school. Three parents, one current and two alumni parents stopped to offer assistance. A few months ago, a woman stopped to ask me some questions about the school, she had one on her car also that was given to her by her nephew. Nothing life altering, but it does signal a community. Any right now I am grateful to anything that builds a community.

This is a good point. A few mornings ago I was taking my daughter to school. It was one of the mornings it was raining pretty hard but I noticed a car with our school sticker on the side of the road and it looked like an accident had occurred. We noticed it was a student by themselves so we circled back to make sure everything was okay. They were pretty shaken up and seemed relieved to have another friendly supportive community member during that time. I remember my first accident in high school and it was important to be there. We were late to school that morning and it didn’t matter. The family later called and thanked us for being there in the moment. I can assure you we would not have stopped if we didn’t see the sticker.

So you wouldn’t have stopped if the student didn’t have a sticker? I find that quite disturbing.

Agree

You private school parents are funny. I’ve been driving on 495 coming and going for years. There’s always accidents in rush hour and no one stops. The cars pull over to the side and everyone drives around and goes to the side in a rush as always!