What's up with young males and reclined seats?

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southpawboston

New member

• Apr 25, 2007

• #1

i've noticed that a lot of young males (i'm talking 18 to late 20s maybe) think it's "cool" to sit in the front seat with the seatback really reclined (like 45 degrees!). their backs aren't even touching the seatback. they have to hold themselves up by holding the steering wheel. what's up with that??!! are they trying to go for the "laid back" look? to make things worse, to compensate for the extra disance between their backs and the seatback, they slide the seat forward more, positioning themselves closer to the steering wheel. i gave a co-worker friend of mine (who was in his mid-20s at the time) a hard time (jokingly hard time) about it when i had to ride in his car once and noticed his seatback at about a 45 degree angle... i asked him if he really thought he was cool sitting that way. he got really defensive and insisted it was more "comfortable" that way... yeah, right. i can only imagine the danger of submarining that that poses!!! not to mention that in a rear-end collision, your head protection is really compromised.

and living in the city now, i see this almost ALL the time.

do any of your DH's have the tendency to sit this way?

sometimes i just don't get young men... i mean, i was one once (not THAT long ago ) but i never had the desire to put myself in an unsafe and uncomfortable position just to look "cool".

 

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remken

Member

• Apr 25, 2007

• #2

I notice that here all the time and was wondering the same thing.

 

Chameleon

New member

• Apr 25, 2007

• #3

I've seen it too, and I don't get it. My DH sits back further than I do, but no where to that degree.

 

Starlight

Senior Community Member

• Apr 25, 2007

• #4

I think it has something to do with Darwin... survival of the fittest.

Unfortunately, that can't be true, because then it would seem that parents don't want their kids to survive. I tell you, if I ever caught one of my boys driving like that, they wouldn't be able to sit for a week.

Of course, we don't spank, and even if we did, we certainly wouldn't be spanking 16 yr olds. But you get the idea.

I think its just a "cool" thing.

:shrug-shoulders:

 

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remken

Member

• Apr 25, 2007

• #5

My h sits with his back also but not quite that bad.

 

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Yoshi

New member

• Apr 25, 2007

• #6

Well, my DH is an old guy, LOL (56) and he sits up straight, hands on 10 and 2 o'clock.....so no comparisons there!

I think these young guys in those Honda Civics with the spoilers and low profile tires are doing that to achieve a real sports car feel, IMO. They look like they wish they could be driving a Lamborghini or something. Maybe that's it?

 

cpsaddict

New member

• Apr 25, 2007

• #7

It's not just guys around here. My sister was practically driving from the back seat of her Nissan and it's only slightly better in her VW Beetle. Not only laid back, but a little off to the side. So they end up not even near the airbag. She also insisted it was comfortable that way. Righttt.

I think they think they are "cool" or something. If I drove that way I'd never be able to reach the clutch!

 

skaterbabs

Well-known member

• Apr 25, 2007

• #8

It's supposedly the "cool" way to ride. Sadly, I imagin there are a lot of serious injuries and ejections from it. There's no way thje seatbelt could protect them that way. And it's not just young men - high school & college age girls do it too.

 

lynsgirl

New member

• Apr 26, 2007

• #9

Dh and I have noticed this for a couple of years now and it drives me bonkers! As IF barely being able to see over the steering wheel and half-laying in the back seat is the "comfiest" way to drive. No, it's more a "cool" thing that I think is soooo uncool . Kind of on par with those who still persist in wearing their pant-like garments (since I'm not sure all of what they're wearing IS pants all the time hehe) hanging off the end of their behind. You know - cool like that.

 

murphydog77

Admin - CPST Instructor

Staff member

• Apr 26, 2007

• #10

Yeah, the cops around here have a nickname for it which I won't say in a public forum . Though I never would have thought it cool, the older I get, the more I shake my head.

 

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cmm7

New member

• Apr 26, 2007

• #11

Girls do it here, too! But none of my friends... at least not when they're in a car with me. They know I would b***h them out!

 

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arly1983

New member

• Apr 26, 2007

• #12

Its probably something that was in a music video and caught on..

 

ThreeBeans

New member

• Apr 26, 2007

• #13

It looks sooooo stupid, too

 

J

jn__

New member

• Apr 26, 2007

• #14

ugh this annoys me. They lay back, and way off to the side, with their left arm at 12:00 and a dumb sneer...

my husband sits reclined and I hate it... but he has to because he's too tall for his little car, and if he wasn't a little reclined his head would be pressing against the roof. And yet somehow this didn't stop him from buying the car...

 

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arly1983

New member

• Apr 26, 2007

• #15

jn__ said:

ugh this annoys me. They lay back, and way off to the side, with their left arm at 12:00 and a dumb sneer...

my husband sits reclined and I hate it... but he has to because he's too tall for his little car, and if he wasn't a little reclined his head would be pressing against the roof. And yet somehow this didn't stop him from buying the car...

Click to expand...

LOL, and my DH swears my Honda CRV is extremely too small for him Well, his knees are in the dash.

 

TheRealMacGyver

New member

• Apr 26, 2007

• #16

I could never figure this out either. When I was younger a lot of people (mostly NY-ers) would lean over to the center of the car, hang their left hand over the wheel and think they just looked way too cool. I think it's kind of the same, just different position. I personally can't drive unless my seat is completely upright. This lying down posture just can't be safe though. Between that and the 1000 Amp 12" woofers, I think the jobs of the future will be in chiropractic and hearing doctors!

 

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southpawboston

New member

• Apr 26, 2007

• #17

cpsaddict said:

Not only laid back, but a little off to the side. So they end up not even near the airbag.

Click to expand...

TheRealMacGyver said:

When I was younger a lot of people (mostly NY-ers) would lean over to the center of the car, hang their left hand over the wheel and think they just looked way too cool.

Click to expand...

yep, i see that too... left hand on wheel, body leaning toward the center. when you're behind them it looks like their head is above the center console.

 

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teekadog

Active member

• Apr 26, 2007

• #18

I don't think it's that new a fad. My brother's over 30 and he's been driving in a "near recline" since he had a learner's permit. I don't understand it. My dh does recline more than seems right to me, but he's really tall and says it's the only way he's not cramped. My bro, tho, is just over 5.5 feet tall... They both make fun of me for sitting bolt upright, but it's the only way I can see clearly over the dash

 

joolsplus3

Admin - CPS Technician

• Apr 26, 2007

• #19

We had a 19 yo nanny in L.A. that used to do that... the seat would be ALL reclined, headrests taken out of the back seats, and she took the carseats out of course, so she could haul all her friends from bar to bar....

I wonder if there are more ejections and submarining showing up in the injury and accident data? The vehicle manuals I've read are very clear that it's BAD to recline while the car is in motion (yeah, I know these kids aren't reading them, lol)

 

MagnificentMama

Senior Community Member

• Apr 26, 2007

• #20

murphydog77 said:

Yeah, the cops around here have a nickname for it which I won't say in a public forum .

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:ROTFLMAO: Hehehe, I know the ssaayyinnngg. :ROTFLMAO: I just started reading this thread and now i'm singing Ridin' Dirty by Chamillionaire in my head (oh and FTR, i dislike the song, its just one of those easy songs to have wedged in my head) Have no fear though, everyone. I've honestly never seen anyone riding like that, WITH their seat belt on. I don't think it's possible to ride like that with a seatbelt on.