"What did you do to deserve that car?"

Since this is the 4th time me or my wife has been asked that question (or variation) within the past month. Usually it's kids (younger than 30). Is there something I don't understand here? Nobody deserves a Porsche . Nobody deserves a Yugo, either. You work hard, do what's right and sometimes life has a way of working out. What's with "Deserve"? Is it a young person's thing? Do they think that you were special and God rewarded you with a Porsche ? To me, deserve implies receiving something that was a result of your service. I didn't do anything for Porsche . Anyway, got us wondering. Ole Joe

I'm < 30 and I don't think I've ever asked anyone that question. I have been asked that question. I usually tell them that I got off my rear end and did something with my life. I think some people have this impression that you will be given things if you deserve it. People are always looking for handouts and don't like to believe their success/failure has anything to do with themselves. Of course, the flip side to that is older folks looking at me and treating my like I'm spoiled ... that things have been given to me. Oh well, rant over.

Deserved is certainly not the correct word, at least in my thinking. I didn't deserve my CS, I EARNED it. For many many years I struggled. I couldn't find a job in my field after I graduated college, so I bar tended to make ends meet. I found a great job soon after I got married only to get laid off 3 months later. I went through the hired/lay off cycle 2 more times until I found a steady job for many years and became very successful at what I do. I switched jobs for a higher salary and job grade, and decided it was time to reward myself for all that I went through. I got my wife a Cayenne S for the same reason. We almost filed bankruptcy at one point and we worked our fingers to the bone for everything we have. So, like I said, I EARNED my CS.

There is definitely a sense of mystery and exoticness to the porsche brand and its cars. My cayman cost about the same as the BMWs I have driven before, and less than some other cars I have drove, yet it gets so much attention. I got gas a week ago at a full-service station (I go there because its sunoco and its the cheapest gas in town). I always pump myself, and as I was doing so, the service attended says "thank you, we generally dont like to put gas in exotic cars like that" LOL.

Joe, you are absolutely right. "Deserve" is not the correct word. It is rather shorthand for the mentality behind the old saying, "Who died and made you king?" We are all free to spend our money as we see fit. The only sense in which we "deserve" a Cayman is that we had the good sense to want it in the first place! 987f

Tell them you ran into a burning building and saved a baby.

Actually, I believe it quite common in the popular media to dismiss personal achievement as "fortune" or "luck", and to try to make it sound bad. You hear constantly stories about "those who are less fortunate ..." , etc. The culture wars attempt to make "personal responsibility" an arcane ideal, and smother the underachievers with the comfort that it was "luck" or "fortune" to blame, rather than their personal choices. SPOILER ALERT: With the upcoming political season, stand by for a mass dosage of this **** from the "populist" candidates.

Yeah, to continue along this line, I think these "deserve" questions come from a jealousy mentality, in which you have sinned if you provoke other people to feel jealous (because jealousy leads to discord). This in turn reminds me of something Winston Churchill said: "Socialism is a philosophy of failure, the creed of ignorance, and the gospel of envy, its inherent virtue is the equal sharing of misery." I'll take discord and beauty over the equal sharing of misery every day of the week. And as for these punks asking what one did to deserve that car, I think the best response is usually "mind your own business". But that may come from all those years I spent living and driving in Boston and NYC .

I just say, "I did your mom"

That's some good analysis. Moreover, people within the very political bloc prone to embrace and promote this attitude have rendered society now quite replete with mechanisms that make people financially wealthy at random. I mean the tort lottery, in particular. A recent article in the Journal ("The Tort Tax", Wall Street Journal, 2007-Mar-27, p.A18, by Lawrence J. Mcquillan and Hovannes Abramyan) found that "America's tort system imposes a total cost on the U.S. economy of $865 billion per year. This constitutes an annual "tort tax" of $9,827 on a family of four."

douzzer, you have brilliantly amplified my original thought. It seems these days that one has to be somewhat apologetic for actual success, and even more so for any display of that success. When I was growing up, if I had seen a beautiful car go by, I would have been filled with admiration. Today, when I see a car full of kids look at my car, more often than not there is contempt in their eyes. As society has become more materialistic, the very people who want more seem to be the most resentful of those who have some of what they want. Man, I'm turning this into Speaker's Corner! 987f

Ohh...just a reminder: for some of us, driving a CS today may not mean much. We're not "set for life"; far away from it. How many of us paid for our CS with cash? Most of us still earn a salary by working for a boss and boss' boss and boss' boss' boss. Anytime our CS may be taken away by the dealership or bank because of reasons out of our control. Anyway let's not get carried away for owning a CS. Personally I don't view it as a personal achievement...not yet at least. It's simply a nice car that I happen to like and I happen to own, for now.

My plates "NL HDLM" will answer their question.

Nobody has asked me that, and I'm not sure how I'd answer if they did, since it would be none of their business.

Hey everyone - this is a great thread. and there's some good discussion here, but I also see the beginnings of a political discussion (including the "tort tax" topic) around the edges of some of the posts... and I want to remind everyone the posting rules ask that we not delve into politics. Let's be good girls and boys and not let this good discussion devolve into a political flame war... please, please, please...keep it about the original topic. Thanks in advance, brad

I've had that question asked a few times. I just dismiss it and reply that I've just been blessed.

Nobody has ever asked me why I deserve something. I'm like Chris. I'm not sure how I would answer if they did. (Fact is I don't deserve most of the "stuff" that I have. I feel very blessed.) Some people have said: "Nice Car!" or "Wow! I like your car." I think that's because people are curious about our cars and want to say something. (Where I live you don't see a Cayman every day. People are curious.) One woman actually walked down my driveway and up to the back of my car. I was busy and didn't notice her. When she said "What's a Cayman?" she scared the c**p out of me.

I think you mean: "I did ur mom." While they're trying to figure out what a "you are" mom is, you can drive away in the shiny Cayman that you paid for/earned!

Put myself through 10 years of night school, had 4 kids before I was 30, made enough money so my wife could stay home, drove the following cars from 1982 - 2003: Toyota Corolla, Chevy Eurosport, 1978 Impala Wagon, 1982 Impala Wagon, 1991 Isuzu Pickup, 1998 Altima. Built my own addition and renovated my house, saving around $150,000. Most of all, married a frugal woman who when I said, "Honey, I'm going to buy a Porsche , do you object?" said, no, you deserve it.

I would say "I saved Kansas, but the details are classified".

I think that is a great answer however, I have never been asked that question but I have only had mine three weeks and it mostly stays stored away. The wife and I did take it to a wedding recently and as my aunt parked next to us she looked at the Cayman and said "do ya'll really like that"? Then my wife responded No, we really don't like it but we bought it anyway! My wife told me about this later and couldn't stop laughing all night. If you knew my aunt you would laugh too.

A BMW club racer showed up to a dinner in a relatively new, pretty well track prepared but still street legal, 550 Maranello...much to the shock of a bunch of his buddies....the conversation kinda went like this: "Ike, how the hell do you afford all your toys. I know for a fact you don't make that kinda dough" "What's the problem? I have a PHD!" "What, a PHD? I didn't know that. From where? Since when?!" "Sure, Papa Had Dough!" Not that this the case with anyone from this forum, but I got a kick out of it...sometimes an honest, straight up answer is the best way to go!

I am going to purchase a Cayman soon. Sometimes I ask myself if I'm crazy to spend over $60,000 on a car that will be a toy for me. I can afford it but I certainly don't need it for transportation. Anyone else feel a little guilty?

That question hasn't arisen yet. My reply would be that, in my youth, I lived cheap and saved my money so that, in my old age, I could afford such toys.

Well tsk tsk. You're right of course; I hadn't even considered that aspect. I think the ensuing civility of the thread, particularly given the inherent contention of the topic, is something to marvel at.

Not at all.

Q: What did you do to deserve that car. A: I'd tell you but then I'd have to kill you. (Standard answer to most questions when I was in the really high security clearance business. How high you ask? The name of the clearance was classified.)

That question had exactly the opposite meaning when I got a used 30,000 mile 1975 911 when I graduated from college in 1978. It was the car from hell. I got to be friends with the guy in town that towed Porsches. From snapping cv joints to the cam chain tensioners letting go coming down from Big Bear and lots of valves getting to meet the pistons. You never knew what it had in store for you. My girlfriend got to the point that she wouldn't ride in it because we always got stranded. It finally caught on fire one day and burned to the ground. It was not a happy car.

Wow Scott - great perseverence! Makes me appreciate things more when I work so hard to get them.

A good answer: "Every year I pay 100,000 dollars in taxes, I get a voucher from the government that allows me to drive a Porsche for a year for $1500 a month."

i've been asked that question a couple of times and my typical response is "hard work and personal sacrifice." i always put in an honest day's work. i've also saved as much as i could at considerable personal sacrifice (haven't been on a vacation since 1993). it appears that the younger generation has a strong sense of entitlement...perhaps because their parents overindulge them. maybe its all those years of receiving trophies for just being on a soccer team that doesn't ever cut anyone. all with good intensions, but with unintended consequences (you know what they say about good intensions and the road to hell). i've even seen t-shirts with the phrase "hello, my name is high maintenance"

I had one of those! It was a 1969 911 (see Avatar). I got so I could pull the plugs, clean them and put them back in fifteen minutes . . . on the side of the road. I had too. I finally sold it when the heat exchangers rusted out. New heat exchangers cost more than I paid for the car.

It's because the Fonz is strong in you. I've never gotten the question at hand, but around here, caymans are not all that high status cars.

Some one once told me" You don't get what you deserve, you get what you negociate" but Money Man, after putting up with the 911 you deserve a Cayman .

Personally, I don't deserve a Cayman , so it would be hard for me to answer that question. Or, I might just say, "Damned if I know...."

You don't just end up with a Cayman GB. You either did something right and were rewarded by the man up stairs or you made a deal with the man down stairs and he pulled some strings for you.....