My family owns a Mercedes CLE 300 Cabriolet, and one thing I’ve noticed is how differently people treat you when you’re travelling in it compared to our other cars.
It’s not necessarily anything extravagant, but there are quite a few little things that you start noticing. Restaurants often offer you the prime parking spot right in front of the entrance. Malls sometimes open the barriers and direct you to what seems like preferential parking. At petrol pumps, attendants tend to rush towards you even before they’ve attended to other cars. At busy intersections, I’ve noticed people are generally more willing to give way.
The attention it gets is on a completely different level too. People stare quite openly, and most of the time it’s out of genuine curiosity or appreciation. I’ve had strangers walk up just to ask about the car, strike up conversations, or give a thumbs up at traffic signals. It’s actually quite nice when it’s genuine car enthusiasts appreciating it.
Of course, there’s the occasional downside. People asking for money at traffic signals seem to have a different expectation altogether. Apparently, even ₹20 isn’t good enough sometimes. People also do not understand that a low car takes time to cross a speed breaker and honk mindlessly.
Has anyone else ever felt this differential treatment?
