What Makes A Car Noticable?

One of the rules for being a private investigator is to blend in. Sorry, Magnum, that flashy red Ferrari stands out like Arnold Shwarzenneger in a Kindergaten classroom.


There are certain cars I notice on the roads as I'm driving. And cars I notice in the lot/drive of the condo where I live in exile. The two are certainly different categories.


On the road, I notice the jackass drivers more than anything. Usually sports cars or BIG trucks/ SUVs. They threaten to mount my car if I'm going anything under 120 (yeah, like MY car can do anything over 80!) They dart in and out of traffic, usually ending up just a car or two ahead until traffic clears the way. They often have trouble staying in a lane, riding along or over the lines. I notice them. I remember them for a day or two. Sometimes I see them again. Sometimes I'm not sure because I'm too busy trying not to die to check license plates or anything.


In the drive/lot where I live, it's a different matter. For those neighbors who live near me, I notice what cars are there a lot. Right next to me, the neighbors have a little SUV. I know they also have a big truck and a small car, which usually park out at the end of the lot, but sometimes they park in front of the garage instead of the SUV. I notice when a new car shows up, and sometimes try to guess who they're visiting by where they are parked. But if a car is there for a couple days, it becomes part of the scenery. I muse then move on.


(In spite of what this may seem like, I don't actually spend much time looking out the windows. These observations are merely from my many trips to my own car, parked off in the distance.)


Most cars don't stand out unless they have some sort of adornment-- the occaisional bumper or window sticker. Custom something or others. I also notice if a car is particularly old and/or rusty, if it is an unusual color, or if it is dented/scractched/broken.


For me, older sports cars in 'eh' condition blend in to the surrondings, too. I don't particularly take note of, say, a ten year old Camaro. Like the one I have Bo Fexler drive, once in awhile.


(Okay, I admit it. Part of the reason I gave Bo a Camaro is because it reminds me of my first car.)


Would you notice a ten year old blue Camaro poking around? Which cars do you notice and which ones don't even register?

TOMORROW: is Friday's Forgotten Books, started by the fantabulous, amazing, Patti Abbot! I'll be partaking in this grand project tomorrow, as well. Come by. Make sure to visit Patti, and the rest of the Forgotten Friday writers.