Following on from an earlier thread, how do you think you and your fellow F car drivers are seen by others? 1.Flash,brash & too much cash? 2.Old, stuffy Army Officer type ? 3.Successful business-type who appreciates the finer things in life? 4.Normal bloke who's saved up his hard -earned for years to fulfill a dream?
It's every one of the 4........and probably a whole lot more! Ferrari ownership is a very broad church and so is the FOC UK, and the complainers (from the other topic) need to realise that any voluntary organisation is only as good as the effort its members put in to it. So, if you want to see other or different sorts of events - make them happen! offer your services! I've been a very happy FOC member for years now. Some events I like, those I don't like I don't have to go to. Some people are really nice/interesting, others less so but I don't have to spend time with them. Badge.
Its not fellow F drivers you should be asking about image, thats like asking the police to investigate other police.I have met good and bad F drivers. I have met alot of up the backside tossers who look at me like i should not even own one.I have some frends that i have met through my feild of work who are well known footballers who own ferraris and always have, Owners clubs have been discused by us and was also dismised mainly becourse of the old boy school image. It is what it is. I along with some other of my frends who are of colour are reguarly stoped for routine checks,becourse its perseved that we must be drug dealers or pimps, something that the average flat cap brigade never comes up against. These days having ferraris,lambos and bentleys does not mean the pin stripe suited MD of a large company anymore. If you look at the image of porsche or bmw, there is no particular perseption, any one and every one ownes one, in my opinion.I wonder if the USA has the old boy school image that i think the UK has, somehow i dont think so, you tell me.Oh and Rosso badger, its all very well sayig what you said about voluntory organisers, where does the £70-£90 a year go from each member. As long as people dont open there eyes and see the image problem, the FOCs will always have the same image problems.
Chaz, I Like your response to this thread.There's an old saying about not judging a book by it's cover, and that applies to us F car drivers too. Regards Tony
Badge, you are quite right most Ferrari drivers are at least 3 of the types in the poll + more. Personally it`s No 4 for me, but then I am petrol head so it`s the Holy Grail for any true car nut. Chaz, As the West Midlands Area Organiser for the FOC I can tell you I do not receive a penny from the the Members fee for running the area group, all costs are covered by a small charge for the monthly newsletters that I send out to the interested members. Any events organised have to appeal to the majority of the members in the area, we also have strict quidelines that we have to adhere to from the FOC committee on what we are allowed to organise. That said no one`s idea`s for events are dismissed but they have to be acceptable to all. All are welcome to attend (not sure about the footballers) but there wifes are ok !!! Look forward to the F chat summer meet. Organiser.
Hi gent's,cant pick any realy,so i will go with two words from no 3- successful business nothing wrong with that i dont measure peoples character on there wealth,two from no 4-normal bloke's this is from what i read on these boards, Men in white suits are letting me out of padded cell soon so should be able to come along and say hi to you guys, Dale.
Chaa,totally agree with you,and refering to the "volunteer" issue a few months ago I had the audacitity to criticise the people(volunteers)who work the regalia section only to be lambasted by certain individuals on the FOC site,who incidently among other things wrote that And I quote "They only do it for a little money".Forgot also to mention that of the critics only one identified himself(after my prompting)and did not respond any further when I sent him a private e-mail,my thoughts were why critcise my comments in public but not in private(I had already contacted the club on 3 occasions with no reply before I went on the site) Best regards Dave McGuire
chaa - kickin', tell-it-like-it-is post, as is your signature style. It's interesting you mention some points - as last night, while my fiancee was doing her sister's hair (extensions) - we were having a discussion about "projecting" image of what a person of colour driving a nice car is perceived as. More to the point - Several months ago, a pro basketball player, Stephon Marbury, was interviewed by a reporter on Nightline who is also black, just as my fiancee is. The correspondent's name is Michel Martin, who does the occasional ?America in Black and White? piece on Nightline. One report in this series was nominated for an Emmy Award, cited by the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism for excellence in coverage of racial and ethnic issues, and received special notice from TV Guide in its ?cheers? column for its candid look at racial stereotyping in news coverage. During this interview, she berated him for driving a nice car (Bentley). Repeatedly. Her quotes/badgerings were to this effect: "You should be driving a Honda, so you don't stick out so much." "Why do you think you have to drive this car - so you can say - look at me, I'm black - I'm driving this." "Wouldn't it be better if you got a Honda and bought everybody in the 'hood a Honda too?" And much, much, more... ad nauseum. This is a guy who takes care of his entire family and pours money back into the poor community he grew up in. Well, we didn't like her before that interview, though she somehow has received awards - but we hated her thereafter. If her face is even on a commercial, we change the channel. He didn't need to justify a damn thing. If she was white like me and asking those kinds of objectionable, subjective questions - she'd be yanked off the Network, and rightfully so. Ironically - in comparison to her award-winning reports - it was spiteful stereotyping in news coverage on her part - "projecting" what an interviewee should do-be-do, in spite of his success while sharing her skin colour, though thankfully, not her opinion. It makes me happier than hell to see those whose ancestors were brought to the US to be slaves driving Bentleys, Ferraris, you name it. It makes me angrier than hell to see guys pulled over for DWB. Beverly Hills PD - how many times have I seen them with people pulled over at the corner of Wilshire & La Cienega? Hmmm... 20. How many of those drivers were black? Hmmm... 20. My fiancee's son - before he came to L.A., he'd never had a hassle from cops. Since then, he's been stopped for riding a bike on a sidewalk (perfectly legal) - didn't stop the cops from searching him and his backpack 3 times. Fruitlessly, with "are you sure you live around here and not down on Normandie" insults tossed in for "good" measure, I might add. Checked for a ticket every time he rides the subway (random checks, right). Jaywalking (no traffic), of course (That's odd, jaywalking is a way of life with white folks in L.A. traffic). A dear friend moved to Europe for a few years (France, Italy, Switzerland) - loved the way he was treated. Moved back to L.A., wept because of the way he was treated. I call it L.A.Bama. All told, your concerns about "is it only here" is justifiable, but unfortunately, it's not only here or there. I wish for you, your friends and my friends of colour as many high-profile cars or anything else as all desire - without the hassle. Ever.
Er,thanks wax. i think here in the UK england there is still the victorian outlook of what makes a english gentelman. Question: why is it that every time i see ferraris on car programs there is always classical music in the back ground and always some stately home, whats that about? I do know that alot of people travel to the UK from the states becourse they think we are a liveing mueseum. I have two little boys who are ferrari mad and they watch for Ferraris on music vidios every day on MTV, when they see ferraris tootaling along in the uk on tv acompaned by classical music,they shout boaring!! They love Jay Kay, well he is bloody cool. And for thouse who are about to say i dont love my country....well er i did spend nine years in the Royal Marines...and i dont like the UK much anyways.
I regard myself as a "four" (I purposely went carless for the 7 years before buying my car) but fear that the general public would rate most owners as "ones" (with a smattering of "threes"). Anyone awake tonight? Cheers, MARK
Sorry CHAA, I think you need to sit down and take the weight of that chip off your shoulder. You complain about image but it seems to me you're the only one who has a problem with it. If you look around and got out more with your Ferrari and stop posing outside some Hooters joints then you would realize that Ferrari owners defy pidgeon holeing and come from all walks of life. When you grow up and mature you'll realize that the concern about image only come from those who have an inferiority complex. Only when you realize that anyone can own a Ferrari for what ever reason and accept there are other people in the world. then maybe you will find peace. Come and meet up with us some time you'll then realize we're all the same. Ferrari Lovers Wazza
I knew it was a matter of time before some one used the phrase "chip on shoulder" and it was you wazza well done mate.That phrase is always used to keep certain people in there place.Very UK dude. Some one always says that to any one who says it like it is. Heres a stereo typical phrase for ya "you never know what its like to walk in another mans shoes" got it? good.Bottom line is the Uk likes to think its European but its not its Victorian, i spend alot of time in main land Europe and its so different.
"very UK dude" Sorry what is that ? I understatnd UK, but dude is not in my dictionary. I sort of sounds American but that OK we love them too. quote "Bottom line is the Uk likes to think its European but its not its Victorian, i spend alot of time in main land Europe and its so different.".... I think you need to take those dark glasses off or what ever's clouding your vision. I still don't understand what your problem is. Of course Europe's different. WE ARE ALL DIFFERENT or hadn't you noticed. But on this forum We are all Ferrari lovers Wazza
Before this gets out of hand and personal, let's just all agree that the Ferrari owning community is a broad and diverse one. It shouldn't ,and doesn't ,matter what race or religion people are , how much money so and so's got,whether your job's better than mine, blah blah.....bottom line is we come to this forum cos we all love Ferrari and we want to meet up , exchange views and generally have a nice time doing it. End of Sermon.... Tony
Chaa, Wazza's definitely not Mr Flat Cap. Go easy - he's a Blues fan - we've had a hard time this afternoon I agree with his point though - pigeon-holing owners is pretty much ill-advised - the minute you make assumptions about people, they invariably surprise you. I for one have met quite a few members from this board, and I've found all of those I've encountered to be generous, funny, interesting and personable - and above all, enthusiastic; certainly not like some of the Lotus bunch that I used to encounter. Come along to a meet arranged through this forum - I'm sure you'd enjoy it. Ben.
