The study made some strong remarks about the kind of people who would modify their car’s exhaust. If psychopathy and sadism aren’t bad enough, apparently loud truck owners would do even worse.
- A professor in Ontario, Canada, has released results of a study of people’s attitudes toward loud vehicles.
- Having asked undergraduate business students whether they think such vehicles are “cool,” the result, not totally surprisingly, was that many of them do.
- Respondents also scored high on the “psychopathy and sadism” scale, but the study was only for cars. Truck and motorcycle owners, the study suggests, might score even worse.
A new study by Western University in Ontario says that if you’ve got a car with a modified exhaust system, odds are you’re a guy and probably also psychotic and sadistic. Slapping a Cherry Bomb glasspack on your Monte Carlo doesn’t (necessarily) mean you’re a Ted Bundy–level psycho, but the data someone points to a personality that enjoys inflicting unpleasantness on others. The study—catchily titled, “A desire for a loud car with a modified muffler is predicted by being a man and higher scores on psychopathy and sadism”—was commissioned by professor Julie Aitken Schermer, who heard many a loud car in London, Ontario, and wondered what kind of person would want their car exhaust to be louder than normal. She probably could have saved a lot of time by simply looking up Cadillac Escalade-V registrations. …
I started typing everything below and then remembered most people that modify their exhausts want attention and most of these people with loud cars are young. They usually grow out of it.
I used a loud radio in my car to get mine when young. I still like loud music but keep it to myself.
Original reply
I’ve almost always lived in places where there was a mechanical inspection or smog inspection. There were a few times I had to temporarily let my car be loud and I hated it. These times were only when I was waiting on parts or talent.
Some people play the cat-and-mouse game with loud, modified exhausts and fix them when caught. Others like to modify their ECU so the car makes popping noises when decelerating.
Even negative attention will do, or at least complete disregard for the people who have to listen to the exhaust and don’t think “omg that car with the obnoxious exhaust is so cool…”