Saturday, Nov. 01, 2008

Stickers give too much information

For most of my 68 years, I've managed to keep my cars free of bumper stickers.

Oh, there was that one time back in 1964 when I plastered a Barry Goldwater strip on my bumper. I liked Barry, but I also liked the cleverness of his bumper sticker: "Au H2O."

After that election, I entered the world of newspapers where even that small participation in partisan politics was strictly verboten.

This year, safely retired, I put a political sticker on my car for the second time, but it will be removed after the election, whether my guy wins or loses.

The thing is, I do not like telling other drivers anything about me beyond the kind of vehicle I'm driving.

I'm proud of the four years I spent as a U.S. Marine, and I've often thought of placing a USMC globe and anchor on my car window. Unfortunately, the Marine sticker looks a little like the National Rifle Association sticker, and I would hate to be mistaken for a gun-toting, critter-killing member of the NRA (not that there's anything wrong with it).

Nor do I want to brag about my years in the Marine Corps - and trust me, I would be bragging.

So I keep that part of my life to myself, thank you. The automobile gives all of us anonymity, and I don't want to interrupt mine with such personal messages.

In his book, "Traffic: Why We Drive the Way We Do," which I mentioned in an earlier column, Tom Vanderbilt says people derive a lot of information from bumper stickers, often through stereotyping.

He points to a 1969 experiment at California State College, the site of several clashes between the Black Panthers and police.

"In the trial," Vanderbilt writes, "15 subjects of varying appearance and type of car affixed a bright 'Black Panther' sticker to their auto's rear bumper.

"No one in the group had received traffic violations in the past year. After two weeks with the bumper sticker, the group had been given 33 citations."

On the other side, I know a couple who send a check annually to a police benevolent organization and in return get a sticker for their rear window noting their support for law enforcement.

The couple swear it keeps them from getting stopped by police, though I'm not convinced. They are both very law-abiding citizens and would no more break a speed limit than rob a bank.

Besides, I have enough trust in police to believe that if I'm going 80 in a 45-mph zone, it'll take more than a sticker to save my sorry behind.

ONLINE | For past columns, go to the Bestler page at MyrtleBeachOnline.com.