I’d like to comment about one of our forum members getting mildly upset when someone said that his Crossfire was the ugliest car that he had ever seen. I’m putting this in the general topic section as it affects all of us not just the coupe.

The statement that the Crossfire was ugly wasn’t right or wrong, the statement was rude. The Crossfire is a blend of curves, straight lines and color. The beauty or ugliness comes in the mind of the observer. It’s a Rorschach Test. One observer (me) sees a work of art. Another sees a “dog taking a poo.”

The sad part is that somebody feels the need to say a negative remark and it says volumes on what must be going on in that persons head. They must have a miserable existence.

I personally try to follow the old saying “ If you can’t say something nice, say nothing at all”. I feel no need to pull someone else down to lift myself up.

You can’t change people’s behavior but you can learn to observe it and understand it for what it is.

I would prefer that someone would say that my car was beautiful but don’t need them to.

What we have to guard against is our tendency to overreact to the comment to where we change our vehicle, clothing, haircut, etc., to get another persons approval. This is where a Charlie Manson type gets his followers, people who need approval and validation.

Today I see disturbing signs of this all around me. You can’t be just for something without also being against something. How many times have you seen a decal on the back of a Chevy pickup with a Bad Boy urinating on a Ford emblem and vise versa? I won’t even comment on the bad behavior on the sport scene or religion to make my point.

We see this today in our opinions on candidates for president. You can’t just be for any one of them without being even more against another one of them. You can’t be a conservative without hating the liberals or a liberal without hating the conservatives.

It’s far easier to bind a group together by being against something than for something.

To quote one of our fine members: “Just my dos centavos, for what it’s worth.”

 

people will be people. and if someone goes out of their way to say something negative to you that accomplishes nothing, that speaks a lot about their personality. we don't have to like him or what he said, it is just another personality in the world. and if you don't like that one, there are 301,139,946 other personalities in the u.s. that might work for ya.

 

Well said Chuck. Back to the Crossfire comments, it's a good thing when something; an object, piece of art, architecture has a bit of controversy, or like and dislike. Usually that's a sign of greatness.

 

Good point FP

 

yup, well said. i work at a very VERY nice museum with amazing architecture, but damn, you should read our comment cards... very entertaining.

 

Having a design that evokes emotion is a good thing. Love it or hate it, the fact is, the design itself stirs one enough to feel it neccessary to make a comment, however rude it may be. I think that this car is one of the best designs to come out in many, many years. It is not for everyone, and thats the way I like it. No one ever pulls up next to a Camry owner and makes such remarks because the design does not inspire. It is just a car. Truly great design causes controversy. Remember the 1971-73 Riviera ? This car will be on many top design lists in years to come.

 

Like the old saying......."if you can't say anything good, then shut the f*^k up". It has served me well through the years.

 

A fresh reminder that what we think our words are saying [in our head] has nothing to do with what they communicate to the ears of the person they land on. That the person who hears them may or may not be in the frame of mind to "handle" them at that moment. I had a total stranger say something so comforting, helpful and understanding to me, that it pulled me through a really tough time, they didn't even know what kindness they had shown me. I've had a person who is in the business of being a way station for feelings and emotions rip my child down to the bone and again not even know it. Both times I told each of them what effect their words had, they didn't have a clue. It makes me wonder when I've hurt another and didn't even know it.

 

BOATTAILS RULE. and if you like that one, what about the '63? hijack over.

 

The reactions to my roadster are measured by how many admiring looks without comments it gets. It gets almost as many as my Mini...enough said...

 

Very true FP.