[Fiestaboy]

I had seen differential treatment in following areas:

The security team who opens the gate in my gated community, (not only to me, but to everyone. The speed at which they run to open for an Endeavour or Fortuner is much higher when compared to Alto/Zen). Hotels, Marriage halls - parking lot (Chennai) & even in shops where we stop to buy in something- where owner/staff can directly view us, while we get out.

I found this hurt (yes - during 2013/14), but understood later that it's someway built into our culture of linking status with the cars.

I had a strange noise coming in rough roads (same Zen) & tried to correct it in Maruti dealership where i usually service. The SA, who usually help me always, said the following "Car is almost 20 years old sir, so - no issues & it's only because of ageing & let's leave it as such". I just kept quiet, b/c i don't want to spoil the relation because of that single issue.

[AntPaul]

You are judged by what you drive. Always and everywhere. Car is not just a machinery or a utility tool or a private depreciating asset for our people. Its part of your address. It affects how others perceive you. I generally do not think too much about what others think of me when I choose which car to drive, and I do drive some old model cars regularly. I love them too.

But sometimes, the negative treatment is hard to ignore, like when my better half refuses to go to out for a dinner in my old car. Perhaps she is worried that the valet at Taj might think poorly of us!

[Infurion]

Yes,

I get the premium parking space when I take my BMW to the mall, but I am relegated to the the corners when I take my Verna.

Also,
Sometimes the security doesn’t even check the boot of the BMW unless I ask him to do so.

Once,
When the new jeep was launched, the showroom room security asked me to park my Verna on the road, where as for a second visit I happened to take my BMW, and guess what? I am inside the parking area with him guiding me all through.

Really made me feel bad, that my status is judged on the car I drive. I love both my cars and will never ever put one on top.

Sadly seems like the society does.

[adrena]

Thought I'd share the exact opposite experience at IKEA Mumbai. We went early on a Sunday. We knew what we had to buy and took the wife's MG ZS ev instead of my Baleno RS. There was decently long queue on entering since everyone was being checked for fever and given sanitizer. No big deal. As we entered, I was being signaled to follow a different line. All other cars were being told to follow another line. Turns out, they recognized an EV / green-plate car and gave us the most premium parking with free charging points!
Felt quite nice to be honest.
Small perks that I think I can enjoy till EVs become common.

Good part was when we were leaving. Started to load up what we bought and we had about 10 odd people walk past and ask to see the boot, check on range etc. I'd be happy even if one of them ditched their old oil-burner for an EV.

[arpirocks]

I believe it's in the general mindset of people to associate status with the type of car a person can be seen sitting inside.

I have a rather different incident to share:

While working in an MNC based out in Mumbai, we had a business trip planned to Chennai to meet one of our consulting partners (a big IT consulting firm). I was traveling with our Director (he was an Indian guy by birth but an American Citizen living in the US for ~20+ years) also one of our team members who were of British origin and an entry-level member in our team.

We landed in Chennai, collected our bags, and as we stepped out we saw 2 different people holding placards for us. One had my name and the Director's name written on it and the other was for the British guy. I didn't think much of it but as soon as we approached our designated cars it became clear

Myself and Mr. Director were assigned a worn-out Mahindra Logan car (because of our Indian / Local status)

The Brit got a shiny brand new Innova Crysta for himself to match the elite status that comes with a foreign name.

Later I found out from one of the folks in the Consultancy that they had 2 tiers of cabs as I expected - one fleet for common folks and one executive fleet

[V.Narayan]

I can fully relate to the experiences shared in this thread. As a young man I had my fair share of them. But allow me to share a different perspective.

Do we treat a stranger whom we are encountering {in whatever setting} for the first time based on his/her attire, manner of carrying himself, tone and style of talking - I guess we all do. I certainly do. It is hard wired into us. We all need tools and measures to size up our environment, the people around us and the constant changes in both. First impressions count. In an ideal world maybe they shouldn't but none of us are ideal. The poor doorman or salesman or parking attendant is no different.

What we think, what we fear, what we worry about we tend to attract. At least that has been my observation. At a sublimal, sub-conscious level those fears, prejudices, worries transmit from the emotional or psychological lines of our face. And in some sublime way attracts the very conduct from the other side we fear or feel uncomfortable with. Something in us 'hooks' the behaviour, for both better and worse, in the other person. Just sharing my observation of these matters. Others might of course disagree.

[ash22]

Big YES !!

This is not new to the society and just not with cars.This differential treatment and judging happens everywhere. Even with in our office, With in families, friends group etc..

Two of my cousins recently (in last 8 months) upgraded their cars.
One is a Top end White Crysta and the other is Seltos GT Line.
We all are of the same age and the whole family started asking me,
When you are going to get a new car?
What!! Why!!
-I own a humble alto which solves my city usage. With this lock down and economic situation, I dropped the new car purchase for a year now.

Also, My real time experience below,

ITC Grand Chola Chennai - When i went for our organization meet. The Valet parking person didn't even consider to come and offer the parking. He just said, "Sir, Parking is at the basement, Please park yourself". Usually I wont mind all these kind of treatments, I parked the car casually in the basement and went since i don't want to spoil the mood.


Check out this sample video (

Poor guy tries to buy a Porsche

)

[mukeshgoel]

When I bought my Civic-AT in 2006, I visited PVR Vikaspuri with my wife to watch a movie.

Parking attendant asked me to leave the car in neutral and I said it's not possible.

He got irritated and almost scolded me "kya saab, pata hai naa Delhi mein parking problem hai, kaisi kaisi gaadi le leto ho." Trans: "Sir, you know there is parking problem in Delhi, why do you buy such cars."

We shocked, parking attendant rocked.

[Lowflyer23]

Originally Posted by gkveda

In railway booking, First class, second class etc. Even while booking tickets, tatkaal, normal reservation, etc. In flight, executive class and economy class. In hospitals, super speciality ward, special ward, semi special ward, general ward etc

No offence to you man, but you have got it all wrong here! The bookings in railways depend upon how much you are willing to pay for a particular berth in a particular coach and not according to your social class as the name may sound. Also, flights and trains require money to run and they certainly aren't running charities so I don't think they'll be able to provide business class for the whole flight at the rate of economy class.

And the hospital point is plain crazy mate, these wards are specified for different types of medical conditions, the severeness and requirements. These wards are not aimed at dividing people according to their caste/religion/sex/economic status. And if by adding word class makes you feel that, then you should file a petition against Mercedes.

But talking about the original post, it's sad to see such things happening in a "modern" society.

[PrasannaDhana]

Originally Posted by paragsachania

When it comes to being treated right for the car/bike you are driving/riding, you need to be presenting yourself right. That is all that matters.

There should be no complex in the first place for driving what you like, no matter what.

100% agreed

I drive different cars of different sizes all the time, and I don't even notice how I am being treated.

It doesn't matter from which car I get out, if the general behaviour of the service provider/ sales people isn't right, I always make it a point that they are getting it known, loud and clear.

Funny thing last year, when I went for the test drive of Kia Seltos with my brother in his Skoda Rapid, the sales guy was telling us he worked with maruti earlier and that the kind of buyers who visited the maruti showroom were poor and cheap. I asked him if he even owns an entry level maruti, for which, reality struck him hard and slowly responded "no sir". I asked him to not judge people so easily.

A lot of us need to ask ourselves the question before we pinpoint others. Do we judge people by the cars they drive or the houses they live in or by the gadgets they use?

Sadly, a lot of us do, but here we complain about valets and security guards doing the same mistake. This judgemental attitude is universal.

To command my respect, your car or your Designation or your bank balance does nothing. It ends up in how you treat other humans. Humility and kindness are great attributes.

Insecurity can be a great driving force on some people that they fall into a massive debt just so they can be seen in a bigger car, so that someone they completely don't like may think high of them.

[anandhsub]

Originally Posted by blackwasp

I once drove to the Tata factory in Chakan in my Abarth. They asked me to park outside (not even in the designated parking) and then come inside. The rationale was only Tata vehicles allowed inside.

Not condoning it but in this age where the only thing matters is going viral on social media, I wouldnt be surprised if this is because some might click pics and tweet "Even Tata employees drive other cars "

[amol4184]

Originally Posted by PioneerNB

If it's a costly vehicle we always use "pre-owned/ pre-worshipped" and if it's cheap it's always "used"..

Interesting, I think I tend to agree. Though calling used vehicles as pre-worshipped seems a unique thing to tbhp. Every used car here is pre-worshipped be it Alto or S600.
Outside of the forum, in real life I have never ever heard anyone calling a used car as pre-worshipped.
It makes sense too because I don't think a lot many cars get worshipped, on the contrary for most vehicles on the road especially in non-metro areas/small towns "pre-abused" is more apt

[manishk123]

In Mumbai Lodha developers sales agents always ask you the make of the car you will be arriving in for a site visit. I once said Maruti 800. They didn’t call back 😜

[GeeTee TSI]

I view this thread with a sense of amusement and also resignation as it reeks of perception bias and elitism which exist around us.

I do judge a fake M car driver as pathetic and no, I am not bias free. Whether it is the parking attendant trained to fawn over high end cars or one who rubs off such biases to family (small kids!) most likely extending to 'societal' standing, place of origin, beliefs and so on; it is shameful until we learn to see through them.

Persons who are judgmental about my external appearance do not matter to me and probably vice versa

On a different note, it is clear now why the option of debadging exists in many cars!

[sramanat]

I have faced a this every time I visited Ford and GM offices in greater Detroit area. In the non-employee parking, the parking spots closer to the office are for their cars, then American cars and then foreign cars. I drove a Jeep at that time and so got to park in the middle tier.

Of course, in India all of us are discriminated based on the registration plates. From other state plates to specific RTO plates at certain toll booths...