[sperry]

I think I'm just jaded 'cause it all seems to have been done before. Back in '02, this shit was all brand new, and there were no experts (at least not in the US) on these cars, and the cars were unknown to your basic d-bag Fast and Furious fanatic.

Now we've got more aftermarket than the Honda Civic, and more ricers than ever... Seriously, when was the last time anyone saw a cool WRX? Sure there are some sweet STi's and RS's running around that are owned by real enthusiasts, and the smallest handful of WRX owners, but the WRX has become the ricer car of choice... they've all got MBC, BOV, Carbon Hood, lowering springs, and some punk-ass kid behind the wheel. And these guys are the vast majority of "Subaru Enthusiasts" today.

It sucks to get lumped in with these tool-boxes that run up our insurance rates, give us headaches at stoplights, and make the cops look twice. It's just a lot easier to wail on n00bs with the attitude of either they roll with the punches and "get it", or they can go fuck-off and blow up their car with their untuned MBC. In a way, the hazing means those that make it, have earned it. Which, in a twisted way, I support. But what it also means is that the whole scene has a negative vibe to it. All that negativity is detrimental to the fun level of the club in general. Meets used to be about checking out each other's cars, and bullshitting about what's next. Now meets are about shrugging off each others cars 'cause "we've all seen it before" and bullshitting about some retard doing something retarded we saw last week.

I guess I'm just being nostalgic about the past, and wishing things were as they were... but I'm not sure that's even possible, simply because by and large, the people attracted to these cars are *not* the same people that used to be drawn to Subarus. And I'm not speaking in particular to any of our newer members, as the people in the club today are those that have put up with the hazing and are people I consider "enthusiasts" not "fanbois"... I'm talking about the street racer types that join the board to talk shit, or sell their car from TX, etc.