I just bought a new (to me) Mercedes Vito that, because I am hoping to get a few years out of it, I am inclined to personalise a bit more than many of my cars of the recent past. This would include the application of certain decals, especially in the rear window.
Of course, I am sure that all of us have seen surfers’ VW T4s with ‘ANIMAL’ (or whatever) decals on them, andfrankly, I like it. I like the fact that, even though a driver may be stuck in traffic going to their Mon-Fri 9-5 job, they likely have cool interests away from the desk that keep them sane and happy. And in my mind, the same goes for seeing a decal representing pretty much any active hobby.
In any case, I was looking for a replacement of one of my cycling decals and came across a cycling forum entry in which a person asked if decals were “cool” to which he got a million responses, many of which said no. Some of the negative comments were quite strident.
First of all, I can’t help but wonder: why do cyclists seem to care so much? It’s a bit like the “Rules”. I think some of them are worth observing, but most of them are just amusing. If taken too seriously, though, they become destructive.
And secondly, how do such attitudes develop anyway? I honestly don’t think I would have ever noticed in my entire life (in a negative way, that is) if someone wore a T-shirt that identifies their interest in something. Or put a sticker on their car, or whatever.
If it was preachy maybe; but not if someone was just expressing a feeling like “I love [fill in activity here].
So why not just live and let live?
It's "one life live it" that your looking for
Stickers are cool, stickers on property or vechiles just advertise to thieves that you probably have something they would like.
bike stickers say - I have bikes in the back - steal me
Stickers are cool, stickers on property or vechiles just advertise to thieves that you probably have something they would like.
Pretty much this.
Although I think the stick man families look a bit naff I won't be cutting off all contact with my brother in law because he has them on the back of his people carrier...
Don’t know about stickers but a reversing camera is a nice addition.
These ones replace one of your number plate lamps
Security is easily sorted with a sticker saying 'no bikes left unattanded in this vehicle, honest.'
I hate stickers of any kind on a car.
Having said that, I’d defend your right to have them if you want* with my dying breath.
*except dealership stickers. I draw the line at that. Especially Arnold Clark ones. I’d happily set fire to any car that still has one of those on the window.
It’s “one life live it” that your looking for
One wife, livid
You may have to pay extra insurance when you declare this to your insurer too.
Well it's a public service. If no-one put stickers on their cars, the rest of us wouldn't be able to point and laugh.
I think people's attitudes have always been a bit snarky towards each other. People make a comment to their friends about other people. The problem now is that people psychologically put posting on the internet in that same category - except the person being criticised can read it.
In real life, you wouldn't stop a passerby and say 'what do you think of this sticker on this van?'. And even if you did the person would be very unlikely to say anything other than 'er yeah whatever' even if they really didn't like it. But on the internet, people like to jump in and find the cattiest way to express them, as if they were a group of friends ganging up on someone.
I think the physical presence of another human being has a huge psychological effect on someone's behaviour, and the lack of this whilst still being able to talk publicly is what's causing all the modern issues with nastiness on social media.
What have 8 year old girls and mountain bikers got in common..?
The love of stickers makes for some weird Venn diagrams
I have a Fell Runners Association sticker on my windscreen. So far I’ve been pretty lucky that no one has tried to break in it to nick off with my inov8’s that reek like cat piss.
You need a big sub and a ‘I get the goose bumps when the bass pumps’ sticker😬
Edit:
Being sensible what about hope decals?
Stickers are almost as bad as 'van'ity plates on vehicles (see what I did there?)
The amount of VW T5's with 'T5' in the plate?
Yeah mate, we know It's a T5, think of something original please.
Still, live & let live.
The advertising what's inside the van thing is a good point. I see it a lot of kitesurfing stickers too, our van doesn't have anything that advertises what's inside it.
Go for it, put stickers all over it & do what you want, but if you ask for opinions then expect to be told honestly what people think. And some people think they look rubbish.
I would need to be paid, or get some freebies at least,before I advertise their brand.
But yes, live and let live, not the slightest bit interested if people want to put stickers on their property, until it gets to funny.
YOLO.
I do have "cyclists: stay awesome" on the rear wondows of my cars.
I used to have a map of Iceland on the back of my car, reminded me of a great trip. Only a few people recognised it.
If you're going to leave a valuable bike in your van, may I suggest big stickers all round saying
"Saxonrider's Dog Poo and Ladies Sanitary Products Recycling"
(It does have a reference to cycling) 🙂
I've got loads of stickers on my roof box, mtb and snowboard related. Bikes are usually on the outside of the car any way.
In the event they are inside my car, I also have a Leicester Tigers sticker so thieves will obviously not want to break in for fear of being mauled!!
Yes I am fully expecting someone to tell that their defence is so shit at the moment that thieves will just run straight past them.....
I remember seeing two women in full niqabs driving an old Honda Civic.It had two stickers one in the rear window which was red gold and green and had a cannabis leaf and said "Love the life you live ,live the life you love" and one on the bumper which said " No muff too tuff".
Takes all sorts.
I've often thought about getting some stickers made up reading 'On the driveway under a rusty Land rover' to stick underneath those one life- live it stickers you see on landys.
Swap hobbies and get into Horses, they all have their vans and trailers stickered up. (I have to also declare an interest here as a sign writer)
The boy racers love their shopping lists on the side wing, and the pro cyclists don’t get any snide comments for their race ‘vans’
One of my friends back when I was in my late teens had an XR2i. He replaced all the Ford badges with Fuct badges and had Rage Against The Machine Lyrics on the windows. His mum used to use the car sometimes to go shopping. She was very old fashioned, blueish hair and one of those bag on wheels things. It was brilliant watching her step out of that car.
Brush script ‘Ragtop’ on the windscreen of an xr3 cabrio.
I don't get that bothered by it but I do like making judgements about people based on this sort of thing!!
For example somebody with one of those stick man family stickers on their back window is probably a bit of a sheep, has an iphone, wears superdry clothes and constantly bores their friends with pictures of their kids and what they had for dinner on facebook.
People with bike related stickers on their car (usually drive something cool and retro) probably smoke weed, say rad and gnarly a lot, ride a dh bike and make massive jumps look easy.
Anyone driving something with a T5 or X5 etc number plate is a bit of a bellend.
I was about to let a car out of a junction the other night until I noticed they had one of those sets of reindeer ears sticking out of their side windows so I immediately decided they were a complete loser and they deserved to sit and rot there for the rest of their pathetic life.
I know I'm a horrible person for judging people like this but it's fun!!
The specific decal under consideration both in my case and in the case of the person on that thread I referred to in my OP, was a simple British Cycling one. Hopefully, if you ever see one on my vehicle, @MarkBrewer, you'll allow me out at the junction! 🙂
Cockpisspartridge
Mark Brewer - only honest person on the Internet!
I wouldn't sticker up a van or car especially not with hobby stickers.
I subscribe to the view that discretion is the better part of keeping your glass intact.
From my personal pov it's the question of why do you have to advertise your hobby. Is it to make them seem interesting?
Only stickers of vehicles I like is when an entire panel is sticker bombed. You don't really see the stickers just a collage of colours.
Not a fan of them, just a massive cliche really but wouldn't think any less of someone for liking them.
As for the "why do people care", they don't but this is the Internet where people think it mostly only worth posting something if you offer a strong/controversial/derisive opinion. It's not the views of the majority, just the views of those that could be bothered to post an opinion.
As for the “why do people care”, they don’t but this is the Internet..
The very last post was what I was going to say.
I have a "British Cycling" sticker that someone gave me on my back window. Just a way of saying "I also cycle that might be why I've just given that person a decent amount of space if you have enough of a brain to even correlate the two events you car driving moron" or something.
OP earlier...
It’s not much of a stretch to accept that part of ‘live and let live’ is accepting that some people will disagree and laugh at what you do. Wouldn’t worry about it. Personally I wouldn’t have stickers on my car/van, but it’s not hurting anyone, so why not.
I don't have any stickers.. well actually I do - I had a Swiss motorway vignette from 2011 on the back of my rear view mirror, and I left it there as a sort of souvenir, and to show off to anyone who might recognise it 🙂
Love a good sticker. I’ve got traditional Icelandic compass, Nepalese Flag, Buddha face and Italian roadybike sticker plus few Swiss vignettes in window with Golden Bay NZ Parks sticker. Sticker up and get rad dude.
I don't think decals are cool at all. I mean, they are 'just' about acceptable on some things, but only when tasteful. Certainly not on a van!
They are obviously still a thing in the boy racer world. There is a Vauxhall Corset down the road which has a shopping list of most of Japans tuning companies down both the doors. Apparently applied by Stevie Wonder. Maybe the likes of JUN Auto have branched out into tuning parts for small Euro hatchbacks 🙂
Seems to also be a thing to have a massive sticker on the windscreen at the bottom now. What a great idea.
So why not just live and let live?So why not just live and let live?
Because people are dicks, and i've seen little evidence to prove otherwise. I like a sticker, it makes me feel a little less sad to know that someone else may share my interests.
I think stickers can be fun. If you are a family man who bores people with photos of your kids then why not have a stick family, or a "Princess on board" sticker. I saw a blinged up (actually blinged-down matt black everything) T5 with a "Trainspotter" badge on the back, which gave me a laugh. I remember the scorn poured on Gazza and Tracey window stickers. "If the van's rocking, don't come knocking" is trying a bit hard. There was a mk1 Micra with a Max Power sticker on it where I onced worked. It's all a way to personalise what is a mass-produced aspect of our worlds and whether you show a bit of wit, irony or imagination or just hang your hopes on your not-very-gnarr Red Bull existence is part of what you are (anybody remember "Windsurfers do it standing up"?). I'm sure a slightly battered white van is at least as likely to attract the light-fingered fraternity as a "Slingshot" sticker as it could have an angle grinder in the back which is much easier to sell down the pub than a kite.
So, go for it. If you can read this, thank a teacher.
This was me not so long ago:
Bollox to it
"Powered by Fairy dust" I truely detest, usually because its on the back of a shitty Corsa driven by a fat, makeup encrusted nail technician who calls everyone "hun" and "mate". Urgh
I usually assume that people are putting stickers on their car to either advertise its contents or are openly inviting my critique of their life choices.
A huge steaming dump on the bonnet usually shows my appreciation.
What is so different from having, say a BC sticker or a Fox sticker, to wearing a T-shirt? I generally choose my T-shirt’s based on the fact that they reflect my interests or say something I want to say.