The Wrong Colour Car.

If I have an interest in cars at all, it tends to be more in what they say about the drivers than the cars themselves. Where I live – a rural area in which you see the occasional old farmer driving the occasional old tractor, but which has largely been invaded and settled by professional types – most of the cars are black. And as well as being black, they’re mostly big, posh and new. Big, posh, new, black cars seem to say ‘I’m rich, important and I mean business.’ There are also a few white ones. Big, posh, new, white cars seem to say ‘I’m rich and important, but I also like to be seen as having a sense of style.’ The rest are mostly those innocuous colours like Champagne, Pale Gold and Play Misty for Me, and are generally driven by middle aged and elderly women. I haven’t quite worked out what message they project yet, but it seems to be something like ‘I want to be seen as being prosperous and belonging, but I don’t want to stand out.’

I’m the only person in the whole area who drives a ten-year-old primary red car. Driving a red car is not the best way to make friends and influence people in a place like this. And I do so want to make friends and influence people.

And what's the betting that of the three people who still read this blog, two of them drive black cars?