It’s official. Christmas is less than two weeks away. For millions of Americans who celebrate, that means it’s almost time to trek back to their parents’ house to spend a few nights sleeping on mattresses and pillows that should have been replaced years ago. Plus, of course, there’s the food, the music, the sweaters, the extended family you just saw at Thanksgiving and the presents.
As an adult, presents can be tricky. A lot of what you really want or need is too expensive to ask one or even a handful of people to spend on you, and people you don’t see very often rarely have a good idea of what you’re currently interested in. If you’re a car enthusiast, though, they know you like cars, which means a lot of times, you’re getting car-themed gifts whether you want them or not.
Sometimes, they’re great. A subscription to Road Rat Magazine? Oh heck yeah. A gift card for your local independent BMW mechanic? How did you know? A bottle of Blair’s Last Run Moonshine? It’s five o’clock somewhere, right?
Depending on how well the gift-giver knows you, though, those car-themed gifts can be pretty big misses. Personally, my favorite bad car gift came from my somewhat naive aunt back in 2007. She knew I liked old cars, so when she saw a metal sign with a classic wood-sided wagon on it, she bought it for me. A sign that read “Get Your Woody Serviced Here.”
The double entendre that’s probably obvious to everyone reading this went completely over her head, and she even earnestly suggested that I hang it on the door to my freshman dorm. I, uh, did not hang it on the door to my freshman dorm. Was it hilarious? Absolutely. Was it my style? Not at all. At least it gave all of us a good laugh after she left.
What about you, though? What bad car-themed Christmas presents have you gotten in the past? Let us know down in the comments.