Are all Cali owners old farts or geeks?

[VW Cali]

Wish I'd had one years ago but needed an inheritance to make it happen. Seen as really cool not geeky. Only problem is that if I have any quotes for work on the house if they see the Cali they think I have loads of money!

You do!

Be generous with builders. Let them RIP you off.

 

[VW Cali]

40 when bought last year (it's the new 30 so not old). Geek? Not really. Thought was if not now then when? So bought new. Been used for short weekends without the kids, boys cycling weekends and most recently a 3 week tour in Europe. The only geekyness is the collection of stickers we have going showing where we have visited and maybe our Euro tour t-shirts . Love our Beach. Don't listen to those haters, they are just jealous.

View attachment 15995

Cool post, and cool T shirts!

Anyone vounteer to get Calis tattooed? Ideally with beg pecs you could simulate raising the roof by flexing pecs!

 

[phsdv]

Most old farts would have collected enough wisdom over the years to not care about what others are thinking. So I think the OP is definitely not old.

Verstuurd vanaf mijn D6503 met Tapatalk

 

[VW Cali]

Most old farts would have collected enough wisdom over the years to not care about what others are thinking. So I think the OP is definitely not old.

Verstuurd vanaf mijn D6503 met Tapatalk

Well I can do 10 proper chin ups still. Is that youth or age?

A conundrum. Plus I am buying the Cali so obviously do not care what others think. Every car at the school run is Land Rover/Range Rover/Q7/X5 and a few XC90s. I will be the first in a van!

Personally I think owners usually oldies...

 

[T6 CFO]

This is a very odd thread for a number of reasons, one of them being that everyone I have met thinks the opposite. Not only that we are all individuals and not to be put into a category.



Mike

 

[GrannyJen]

I quite agree Mike.

The Cali is probably the most versatile personal transport machine on the market and therefore the people owning them are probably going to be the most diverse group imaginable. Why the need to prove that the elixir of youth still runs through our bodies or if we are old farts we are old farts with advanced alzheimers so don't have cognisance of what is being thought is beyond me.

I bought my cali to fulfil a purpose and what that purpose may be is of no consequence to anybody but me.

 

[VW Cali]

This is a very odd thread for a number of reasons, one of them being that everyone I have met thinks the opposite. Not only that we are all individuals and not to be put into a category.



Mike

Ok.

Proves, old, young, or middle aged, a serious type foremost - not given to self mockery.

I am quite happy as old fart. Long as I can beat the young pretenders....even if I do not, quite enjoy the challenge, and even loss.

Rage, rage, rage against the....oh, what? Who said that!

 

[VW Cali]

I quite agree Mike.

The Cali is probably the most versatile personal transport machine on the market and therefore the people owning them are probably going to be the most diverse group imaginable. Why the need to prove that the elixir of youth still runs through our bodies or if we are old farts we are old farts with advanced alzheimers so don't have cognisance of what is being thought is beyond me.

I bought my cali to fulfil a purpose and what that purpose may be is of no consequence to anybody but me.

Clearly Sundays serious most day of week in the life of Cali owners!

I am going to watch old fart Jeremy C on telly with my boys to lighten up. Why do they like him so much!

 

[Velma's Dad]

we are all individuals

I'm not!

 

[GrannyJen]

Perhaps not serious, perhaps just wanting a break from the interminible

I'm not!

I know your not.

That hat your wearing is the same type and colour of hat my dad and thousands of others used to wear when they watched Arsenal play at highbury.


PS: and I was once picked up by Jack Kelsey when as a Kid I was allowed to watch from the ditch that ran behind the goals at Highbury, and the football missed the goal and hit me instead

 

[Velma's Dad]

That hat your wearing is the same type and colour of hat my dad and thousands of others used to wear when they watched Arsenal play at highbury.

Oh, I lost that hat years ago when things got a bit raucous down the Rat and Riveter after an Accrington Stanley game. That picture was taken when I was a much younger man.

 

[Deskman]

I'm not!

You are twins?

 

[VW Cali]

You are twins?

Why twins? Why not triplets or more?

Don't let imagination limit you sir!

 

[SandyR]

Iam 60. Had every size and shape of caravan and motorhome and although my "kids" think the Cali is really cool, I don't really care anymore if I am classed as an old fart or a geek. In fact I think I am happily both !

 

[Zizzy]

A geeky question:

What's the difference between nerd and geek? In the US it's the same...

Is a nerd a person who reads? A person who can tell a Chomsky from a Wittgenstein, a Thomas Kuhn from a Karl Popper, a TS Elliot from George Elliot?

Or one who reads popular books? Or watches Downton Abbey on the Beeb rather than reality TV shows?

Is a geek a non inquisitive person in general who is fascinated by trains, or buses etc? Kind of Dustin Hoffman's "Rain Man" type?

I am inveterately curious and often wonder what occupies most people's cranium during waking hours. I have come to the conclusion that it is usually autofunction based on the limbic system....

Envy is not great. I hope the Cali has given a lot of freedom to do things normal cars do not. I am already planning a rock climbing experience on the cliffs!

I think you are on the right lines. Nerdiness is more closely associated with academic and or arcane interests and geekiness is more closely associated with interest in tech, gaming, fantasy and sci-fi. There is overlap.
You could have a technophobic nerd but not a technophobic geek I think. The techie associations of geek are recent development, the words would have been more interchangeable in 1980.

 

[VW Cali]

I think you are on the right lines. Nerdiness is more closely associated with academic and or arcane interests and geekiness is more closely associated with interest in tech, gaming, fantasy and sci-fi. There is overlap.
You could have a technophobic nerd but not a technophobic geek I think. The techie associations of geek are recent development, the words would have been more interchangeable in 1980.

When I was in the States in the 80s, geek and nerd were more interchangeable. Still, nerd was more what we'd call a swot, or clever, here, while geek was not necessarily technophile but social oddball. Pee Wee Heman in US, and Mr Bean here would have passed as geeks but not nerds.

Interestingly this American vernacular had not yet arrived in the UK. Usually it took about 5 to 10 years but has accelerated since advances in global communication.

Much more fun were other description of nerd/geek. The "jocks" would call nerdy geeky types "pencil necks." Always found that very funny. Most British men, about 5 foot 9 and 12 stone on average in the 1980s, would have qualified for the epithet.

Much more intriguing was the disgusted and dismissive "what a dweeb!" by the female of the species when describing an undesirable male. Usually nerds/geeks/pencil-necks all passed the dweeb test.

Strangely, Americans have never considered RVs geeky or old farty. Driving coast to coast in an RV is almost considerd an essential, as wholesome and American as baseball and apple pie.

So not at all old farts and geeks in their eyes. Just normal earthy people no matter what their background. I believe true in OZ as well.

 

[em13]

In all seriousness,

Where is this perception that Cali owners are old farts or geeks? Who holds it?

The only time I have ever seen such a premise mentioned is in a forum a long way away from here where someone not able to belong here was having a general moan about all and sundry.

My nephews think it's cool; my two great-nephews, on hearing that when they stop over at Jen's can have Albert as their Dorm were "Yeah!!......."; and I have to hide the keys from my Son. All of the "younger generations" to me think it's brilliant.

Very true in my experience too. My friends' kids (right from age 8) think Chili is incredibly cool, and my own friends (younger and older) are all incredibly jealous that they don't have one. They just choose to spend their money on other things, but for me my Cali is practical as well as fabulous!

 

[hirsty]

I saw an article in the Telegraph last weekend saying that UK camper van registrations had rocketed of late, attributed to an influx of younger buyers, rise in Brexit-led staycations, and the apparently positive influence of both Jamie Oliver and Kate Moss being fans ...

I can't say any of these have influenced me!

As for the more general bad-rep, I'd say it's partly down to the uninitiated incorrectly associating Calis with caravans and motorhomes, and partly a general assumption from "VW Scene" folks with the impression that California owners can be a bit snooty / older / richer ...

 

[westfalia]

Well said.

But would anyone from St George's Hill in Weybridge, Surrey ever be caught seen in one, or even know what it is?

Some of their domestic staff might though. However, I am trying to get this changed..

How did you get on trying to change whatever it was you wanted
to change ? superman.