Pedestrian Musings

[cacophonesque]

Sometimes when I am out walking, I forget that cars are operated by actual humans. They usually seem like hostile metal boxes, almost alien in a way. Last night, I was explaining to my friend, while we were walking, that I actually tend to think of them as Decepticons. And then, once in a while, one will be kind and yield for the pedestrian in the

Comments

[teaberryblue]

I love when I see people who have put Autobot or Decepticon decals somewhere on their car.

[alephz]

I had one on my last car. A fact which should surprise no one.

[teaberryblue]

But your car actually did turn into a robot!

[alephz]

It did. Many were the times we teamed up and fought crime.

[alephz]

This post has made me absurdly happy to have you on my flist.

[shotgundivorce]

I love this so hard :3

[edith_jones]

Inquiry:
This is the second time this week that I have seen someone say that they "love something so hard". Up here in Ontario, Canada, we don't say that at all. We love something "a lot" or "very much", and being fascinated with language, I'm wondering where the "so hard" comes from. The other woman was from Atlanta and I'm wondering if you come from the same area? - if not, I'm going to have to start wondering about similar cultural references because this is a usage that I've never seen before. Sorry to be nosey like this, but I can't help myself!!

[_samalander]

I'm from Washington, DC and we don't say we love/want/verb something "so hard" here, but I see it a lot on line. I don't think it's a region thing, I think it depends on what part of the internets you frequent.

[edith_jones]

Ah, good point. I wasn't thinking of the internet as a means of transmitting word usage. Thanks for pointing that out! And thanks for not being too put out by my butting in and asking silly questions!
-Allie.

[edith_jones]

Do NOT take this the wrong way.
I used to think in somewhat the same way. I could actually feel exactly what you were talking about here. Walking with my brother, as a teenager, through deserted residential streets in my hometown in the summer, the night air hot but not unbearably so, and every so often there'd be the schuss of a car going by, and it felt like an alien invasion for a moment. And then the world would be quiet again and it was just Graeme and I and the streets mostly dark with a streetlight here and there, no aliens at all anywhere.

I think I grew out of this but [that's the part I don't want you to take the wrong way!] but your entry was such a tangible reminder of walking with my brother that I wanted to tell you about it.

ETA: Reading other comments I see that Autobot and Decepticon are terms from some source that I don't know. Please enlighten me!

[teaberryblue]

Transformers!

If you don't know Transformers, they are robots (canonically organically-formed living robots) from another planet who transform into ordinary household objects/vehicles in order to blend in on Earth. Autobots are the good guys, the ones who believe they should ally and live peacefully with humans. Decepticons are the bad guys, who believe that humans are their enemies or at best an inconvenience. Both appear to have drivers when they are in vehicular form, but the drivers are just part of their camouflage. The vehicles are in control of everything (although in certain select circumstances, they will allow humans to drive and/or ride them)

[edith_jones]

I don't know Transformers! James never watched them, and then we had a girl, so the television being watched was definitely NOT Transformers, although it isn't too feminine either, so I don't know it. I'm not likely to watch Transformers independently of someone else turning it on. Aislinn's interests are quite varied. For instance yesterday she watched the last X-Men movie and Resident Evil. She's 12. Thanks for filling me in.

[teaberryblue]

No problem. They weren't very popular for a number of years anyway. I think that's all you need to know about them to get what Destiny is talking about when she compares drivers/vehicles to one or the other.

[java_fiend]

lol... this totally amuses me. :-)

But you will of course, let us all know should you stumble across any benevolent or evil robots disguised as cars, right? :-)