Banagor is on a roll...taking swipes with a very sharp broadsword he defines the hippie herd for those interested in identifying the trophy hippies lashed to his Hummer fenders.
Since it's Friday and Banagor may be out tracking and not realize I've shamelessly stolen his meme, I'll offer an embellishment.
Sitting high above the Berkeley horde I must occasionally enter their grazing territory to replenish the pantry. A key means of recognising a few of the hippie archetypes is by their cars. You will notice that hippies almost entirely eschew American-made cars, an interesting contradiction for those in solidarity with labor. Rice Burners seem to rank very low as well...too Asian.
Sixties Hippies:
The successful Sixties hippie drives whatever prestige car his Capitalist peers favor, MB's, Beemers, Audi's, Lexus and garages a Harley for the bad boy cache. The failed Sixties hippie drives a beat VW Rabbit.
Hippie leaders:Professor, Activist, Greens, Student (with Activist tendencies), Net (online only):
This group tends to drive top-of-the-line Saab turbos, Volvos, and VW's, although the net hippie covets the Sixties hippie's MB and will, if left to his own devices, drive a downmarket, underpowered MB. The professorial or activist hippie will drive a Detroit shoebox but only on the taxpayer's dime.
Green, Net and Commune Hippies:
This is the easiest prey to spot... with their Prius, Volvo wagons and VW vans...they radiate smuggness, smarmy bumper stickers and green vanity plates with peace and whale themes. Art cars also appear in the artisan green herd....and true Greenies bicycle...the carcass chained prominently outside the local poser's cafe.
Hardened Anarcho, Activist, Student:
Takes public transport, thumb or drive any beater they can barrow, steal or buy for $50...1970's rust-bucket beemers and VW's seem to be most desirable. Hard core cyclists inhabit this group as well...relishing the chaos created by Critical Mass in the City. This group also favors Japanese motorcycles and aggressively lane splits on the Bay Bridge...making trophy hunting too easy to be satisfying.
Posted by feste at December 19, 2003 10:15 AM | TrackBack
But, but who's driving the
thousands of Subaru's I see?
;)
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Ordinary folks like you and me....how many hippies do you see in your neck of the woods?
Posted by: feste at December 19, 2003 06:02 PM
Actually, we have quite a colony
of 'em. Prescott College offers
an "environmental" degree. I see
lanky wimmin, with unshaved legs
and tattoos and nose rings. We
have half a dozen "organic" food
health stores. Lot of homeless folks
live in the forest (but they don't
drive anything).
The hippies' children, now in their
30's, are pushing for gun control,
a cigarette-less city, and no thinning
of our tinderbox forest.
:)
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