English judge Sir Edward Coke wrote in 1604 that a person's house is their "castle and fortress." Four hundred years later, the statement still stands. Only now, many of us also have a mobile extension of our estate.
Cars are not just machines that get us from point A to point B. Many treat them as a way to show off their taste, opinions, and, sometimes, a complete lack of restraint.
The subreddit r/BumperStickers is proof of that. It's a place where people share the funniest, strangest, and downright unhinged messages they spot on the streets.
Torres and Farrer conducted attitude surveys with paid volunteers, who then took part in a short driving simulation. In half of the simulations, another vehicle cut them off without signaling. The offending vehicle featured either no sticker or one of three bumper stickers: "Proud Democrat," "Proud Republican," or the neutral "I love my dog."
In the other half of the simulations, the other vehicle stayed in its own lane before making an unremarkable left turn.
"It activated their partisan hostilities," said Torres, who teaches political science in UC's School of Public and International Affairs.
For more, check out these 53 Crazy Bumper Stickers People Have Spotted In The Wild.
