RyanHarne.com

There are a few groups that form unspoken bonds solely based on product identity. Car owners often exhibit this phenomenon, although it’s generally limited to certain brands of cars. Volvo owners, VW, and, especially, Saab owners seem to have these ties to each other that exhibit themselves in the form of waves or side glances. Mazda Miata owners also, and Mini Cooper owners.

This doesn’t just begin and end with automobile manufacturing, but extends to other realms freely. One other such bond-forming agent is the ownership of an Apple computer. This isn’t the case everywhere, I must note, because there are some areas that are so saturated with Macs that the ratio of Mac-to-Windows is uniquely toppled towards Steve Jobs. But for the majority of cases, Mac users are a scarce species - not near extinction, no far from it, but more so just now emerging as that super species, if I may say so myself.

Such implicit relationships among Mac owners are very noticable in towns like Lynchburg where the Microsoft demons are prowling within nearly all offices and homes. To see someone pull out an iBook or PowerBook while at a coffeehouse nearly demands that you have a quick chat with them about Apple (this is assuming you are a Mac user yourself, as I am using this example from my own experiences). There have even been recent news articles pointing out the opportunities for singles at Apple stores because, “if you talk to a guy in the Apple Store, you already know he’s going to be modern and up-to-date and sober. It’s healthier than picking up someone in a bar.” Well put. There is just something about Apple users that attracts themselves into groups.

With that said, one of the symbols around Lynchburg, and I’m sure elsewhere, of Apple users are the small Apple stickers that come with every computer purchase. Most people throw one on their car and use it to get some glances and looks and whatnot. I just thought it looks nice; plus, I’m a geek and it is a necessity. Necessity like my Underworld 1992-2002 album, must have.

Today I was driving around when I noticed a Volvo trying adamantly to pass me. I don’t mind people passing me, and I tend to help them by slowing down a bit if possible, so I was cautious while this person weaved around me and into the adjacent lane. But she soared ahead of me in the next lane and then slowed down to my speed once she had passed me fully (for a better visual, think of our cars now being caddy-cornered).

I was shrugging off this odd maneuver, but then I noticed something on her rear bumper. An Apple sticker. Oh, lovely! So I proceeded to take the invitation to race back ahead of her to pomp off my Apple sticker. And back and forth it went. On a side note, car safety was taken full into account; nothing stupid was attempted during this event.

But this isn’t the first time others (or me, actually) have noticed another Apple sticker and quickly moved their [my] vehicle so that the other driver can notice their [my] sticker. It’s a humorous endeavor, but it has some undeniable meaning to it. You don’t see Windows users trying to hook up at Best Buy. Being an Apple user comes with a territory of being sophisticated (or at least a mostly-assumed territory).

Before I wrap-up, Apple released another iPod ad today. Featuring, no less, the song that is shown in my new graphic. How interesting! I guessed fortunately.

This entry was posted on Sunday, May 15th, 2005 at 2:03 pm and is filed under , . You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.