ayoung101

am i the only one? i proudly drive my toyota around detroit metro area, all the while getting glares for driving a non-american vehicle. i'm sure this happens somewhat elsewhere around the country, but NOTHING like in detroit metro. people here have an intense hatred for foreign vehicles. it's bad. i even notice a massive difference when i drive 3 hours west to western michigan. it's BAD here.

anyways, so here's my dilemma. i just got a job at chrysler, prolly start later this week. i LITERALLY have to park across the street because of my toyota. chrysler doesn't make much product that i'm interested in, but even if i found a jeep or something that was acceptable, that would mean i would have to sell my 4runner. this sucks. i don't know what to do. am i the only one on yotatech that works for the american big 3?

The Ruckus

At least it's a fuel consuming 4WD, right? Try pulling up in a fart canned & winged Civic and see how long it stays shiny-side-up in the parking lot.


I'm over in grand rapids but my brother works for a GM contract company and his wife just got laid off from a corporate IT/software development position. One of them was in Romulus and the other was in Grand Blanc. I have no qualms about driving my "imports" through any Michigan city.

ayoung101

yeah, but when you work for one of the big 3. . . .and they put food on your table. . . .and a roof over your head. . . .etc. etc. etc.

The Ruckus

yeah, I don't work for any of them, so I don't deal with it on a professional level. But I can understand the concept. You can't bring outside food or beverages into my arena, because it takes money out of my company's pocket. You don't bring a car from somebody else's factory to your job at GM, because of the same idea. That, I get- but don't flip me off when I'm behaving and minding my own business, just because I'm in a toyota.

yotawheelin95

I used to sell Fords and they had no problem with my toyota parked in the lot. I usually took the first spot closest to the lot too. I often lied and told customers I did drive an f150 though.... I hated being a salesman...

hross14

My brother works in the Rim factory that builds thier rims--so yes and no--but i was in Detroit this summer and i asked the same question. Most people were kinds on the fence and it seems like the demographics are changing in Detroit from industrial to Artsy

JamesD

Do not buy into their mentality. You are just as American as the next person that works there. The big 3 dug their own hole all by themselves and two of them got our tax paying money to dig them out. F-em', drive your Toyota and DO NOT BUY another vehicle just to satisfy them and if you buy a vehicle buy the one YOU WANT with YOUR MONEY. Remind your co-workers of all the Chinese crap that they own and stop being hypocrites.

James

Bobcat Sig

And if you wanted further leverage in your argument to drive a Toyota, just reference the NUMMI plant out in California. It is/was a joint effort between Toyota and GM where the most recent Tacoma is built, as was the Pontiac Vibe, Toyota Matrix, among others.

So when people here in Montana give me hell about driving a Japanese marque, I simply tell them that my truck contains more American components than their truck. Only the engine, tranny and the majority of the electrics were manufactured in Japan. But the entirety of the truck is assembled in the US.

70elcoss

He tried to make a 1st gen runner out of it lol

RobD

I used to teach defensive driving to novice drivers. We had an instructor who was using a Honda Civic (the company was owned by Ford and most of us ran Focuses...er, Foci...but you could use whatever you wanted). A kid's dad (born and raised Texan) called in and complained that he wanted his kid to drive an American car, none of this "Jap crap".

I wanted to tell the guy that this "Jap crap" was built in Ohio, whereas the Focus was designed in Europe and built in Mexico.

But...well...it would have fallen on deaf ears.

I don't think anyone realizes that there aren't too many vehicles that are "domestic" anymore.

Keep the Yota. Or switch jobs.

chrishf12

Hey tell them that as long as they are putting the food on your table you will drive the Toyota...until they put a car in your driveway for you to drive back and forth to work.