Quarantine and my happy place

[DrFunkalupicus]

So, my wife has heard this a 1,000 times, but I figure it may be better shared amongst my fellow enthusiasts. I have been working from home since March and I got my GTI 3 months ago, and that car has become my happy place. I am guaranteed to have at least one thing every day that I can do after 1700 that puts a huge smile on my face. I could not have picked out a better car and I love the damn thing!

 

[Strange Mud]

nice, but I'm going to report you for using 1700 instead of quitting time

Mud


(5:00 would also have been OK)

 

[Jovian]

It has given me a nice release also. Been very thankful to get out for drives occasionally to break up the monotony.

 

[Ezekiel81923]

Ya know, I have literally the same story except I might drive my car once a week.

But when I do, the one time a week I take it out, I feel like I'm always narrowly avoiding the handicap driver merging into me, or the ass that's not yielding at the top of the on-ramp, or the woman making a right turn from the far left lane, and the pick up truck doing 100 down the shoulder. Always something. It feels like I'm in a new car and I am finally taking it easy, taking care of it, trying to be nice to it, and I'm just being peppered with shit stain drivers all around me.

Have I lost my touch? Has the general population always been this bad at driving? I'm afraid to grab my keys and open the garage door anymore....

 

[riceburner]

i'm so glad that i love detailing and just spending time futzing around with random shit on my car! it's such a good time waster and i couldn't agree more with OP

 

[Rennwagen]

Ya know, I have literally the same story except I might drive my car once a week.

But when I do, the one time a week I take it out, I feel like I'm always narrowly avoiding the handicap driver merging into me, or the ass that's not yielding at the top of the on-ramp, or the woman making a right turn from the far left lane, and the pick up truck doing 100 down the shoulder. Always something. It feels like I'm in a new car and I am finally taking it easy, taking care of it, trying to be nice to it, and I'm just being peppered with shit stain drivers all around me.

Have I lost my touch? Has the general population always been this bad at driving? I'm afraid to grab my keys and open the garage door anymore....

I completely agree. I used to want to get a bike, so I started paying more attention to the drivers around me imagining I was on a bike instead of in a car.
I came up with my answer. NO.

 

[Ezekiel81923]

I completely agree. I used to want to get a bike, so I started paying more attention to the drivers around me imagining I was on a bike instead of in a car.
I came up with my answer. NO.

I had a bike. Until someone ran a red light and sent me over the handle bars. But the first lesson you learn if you take a safety course is you should have not been in that situation in the first place.

I still want a new bike and I encourage anyone who has one to keep it and anyone who wants one to get one. But it is a VERY different driving experience. I was young(er) and drove my bike like I used to drive my car. That's not good. There's no "billions of dollars in technological advancement" to protect you. Always be on the defensive.

If your ego can handle that, you can handle a bike.

 

[Rennwagen]

I had a bike. Until someone ran a red light and sent me over the handle bars. But the first lesson you learn if you take a safety course is you should have not been in that situation in the first place.

I still want a new bike and I encourage anyone who has one to keep it and anyone who wants one to get one. But it is a VERY different driving experience. I was young(er) and drove my bike like I used to drive my car. That's not good. There's no "billions of dollars in technological advancement" to protect you. Always be on the defensive.

If your ego can handle that, you can handle a bike.

I agree, and I am a very cautious person. However, California drivers are certifiably insane on the road.
My wife would be a nervous wreck knowing I was out on the roads here lol.

If we ever moved to a different area I would probably consider it. Here I would have a difficult time feeling like it was worth the risk.

 

[Eman1]

Ya know, I have literally the same story except I might drive my car once a week.

But when I do, the one time a week I take it out, I feel like I'm always narrowly avoiding the handicap driver merging into me, or the ass that's not yielding at the top of the on-ramp, or the woman making a right turn from the far left lane, and the pick up truck doing 100 down the shoulder. Always something. It feels like I'm in a new car and I am finally taking it easy, taking care of it, trying to be nice to it, and I'm just being peppered with shit stain drivers all around me.

Have I lost my touch? Has the general population always been this bad at driving? I'm afraid to grab my keys and open the garage door anymore....

It might not just be you, traffic accidents have increased dramatically in the past few months, and speeding is at a record high.

 

[9uns]

Ya know, I have literally the same story except I might drive my car once a week.

But when I do, the one time a week I take it out, I feel like I'm always narrowly avoiding the handicap driver merging into me, or the ass that's not yielding at the top of the on-ramp, or the woman making a right turn from the far left lane, and the pick up truck doing 100 down the shoulder. Always something. It feels like I'm in a new car and I am finally taking it easy, taking care of it, trying to be nice to it, and I'm just being peppered with shit stain drivers all around me.

Have I lost my touch? Has the general population always been this bad at driving? I'm afraid to grab my keys and open the garage door anymore....

Definitely has gotten worse. Way too many people on their phones. Not even a millennial issue anymore. Dumbasses not signaling when I'm waiting on them to turn, dumbasses sitting in a passing lane going 65 or slower, etc. Frustrating as fuck driving in CA.

 

[swcrow]

I literally just pulled the belly pan for fun to look for mount points....which I've been told don't exist....and I confirmed...but it was fun to do.

 

[Ezekiel81923]

Definitely has gotten worse. Way too many people on their phones. Not even a millennial issue anymore. Dumbasses not signaling when I'm waiting on them to turn, dumbasses sitting in a passing lane going 65 or slower, etc. Frustrating as fuck driving in CA.

Philadelphia is no better.

But we're also still contending with the seasonal affects of deer fucking everywhere, black ice on random early mornings, and "falling rocks" which my two previous cars were victims of

 

[DrFunkalupicus]

Ya know, I have literally the same story except I might drive my car once a week.

But when I do, the one time a week I take it out, I feel like I'm always narrowly avoiding the handicap driver merging into me, or the ass that's not yielding at the top of the on-ramp, or the woman making a right turn from the far left lane, and the pick up truck doing 100 down the shoulder. Always something. It feels like I'm in a new car and I am finally taking it easy, taking care of it, trying to be nice to it, and I'm just being peppered with shit stain drivers all around me.

Have I lost my touch? Has the general population always been this bad at driving? I'm afraid to grab my keys and open the garage door anymore....

Naw...it's everyone else. I go through the same thing...I mean I know the GTI isn't the biggest of cars, but some people have a form of black hot hatch blindness

 

[DrFunkalupicus]

nice, but I'm going to report you for using 1700 instead of quitting time

Mud


(5:00 would also have been OK)

And use dirty civilian time?!?! Never

 

[DrFunkalupicus]

i'm so glad that i love detailing and just spending time futzing around with random shit on my car! it's such a good time waster and i couldn't agree more with OP

This car got me into detailing....turns out I really like doing it. Even made the wife's Versa look pretty.