Annoying Things about Cars & Driving, in Graphical Form
Here are several trends I've noticed on the road, displayed in graphical form.
The first seems to be standard across the USA. At least it holds everywhere I've spent a significant amount of time. The notation "Pr(x)" means "Probability of x".
Next is something I've only noticed in the Midwest, and mostly while commuting on my bike. I think I understand the underlying connection between the x and y axes of the previous diagram, but this one baffles me. Here, a Christian vanity license plate (e.g., "4GIVEN"*) counts as two bumper stickers.
Finally, an annoying temporal relationship between oil and gasoline prices after a Gulf of Mexico hurricane or some other event that causes a spike in crude oil prices:
__________________
*I've mentioned some of the crazy Christian vanity plates before. It seems that every permutation of 4GIVEN that fits in seven characters or less has been taken by someone driving in a gigantic SUV on my way to work. Also popular are Bible verses and variants on "Trust in God"; the latter is a bit too glib for someone piloting a three-ton death machine while completely distracted. My favorite recent sighting, belonging to someone in my neighborhood, is the straightforward CHRIST. Note the huge double standard: words like DAMN and SHIT are illegal, but state-sanctioned swearing on your license plate is perfectly acceptable if you take care to invoke Jesus. I've noticed that Christian vanity plates break other rules, like having seven characters plus more than one space. I was denied a vanity plate under that rule once.
The first seems to be standard across the USA. At least it holds everywhere I've spent a significant amount of time. The notation "Pr(x)" means "Probability of x".
Next is something I've only noticed in the Midwest, and mostly while commuting on my bike. I think I understand the underlying connection between the x and y axes of the previous diagram, but this one baffles me. Here, a Christian vanity license plate (e.g., "4GIVEN"*) counts as two bumper stickers.
Finally, an annoying temporal relationship between oil and gasoline prices after a Gulf of Mexico hurricane or some other event that causes a spike in crude oil prices:
__________________
*I've mentioned some of the crazy Christian vanity plates before. It seems that every permutation of 4GIVEN that fits in seven characters or less has been taken by someone driving in a gigantic SUV on my way to work. Also popular are Bible verses and variants on "Trust in God"; the latter is a bit too glib for someone piloting a three-ton death machine while completely distracted. My favorite recent sighting, belonging to someone in my neighborhood, is the straightforward CHRIST. Note the huge double standard: words like DAMN and SHIT are illegal, but state-sanctioned swearing on your license plate is perfectly acceptable if you take care to invoke Jesus. I've noticed that Christian vanity plates break other rules, like having seven characters plus more than one space. I was denied a vanity plate under that rule once.