How Do You Describe Your Hobby?

Really, I regularly find myself trying to explain what I do to casual friends. Not in a why I do it or what I get out of it kind of way but, in a casual conversation, "What are you doing this weekend?"/"What hobbies are you into?", sort of way.

I don't like to say "I race cars." Because I don't actually compete or race. No one knows what "Autocross" is. I'll sometimes say "autosports", but I've actually had someone where their initial connection was that it was maybe some kind of kinky personal thing. I'll tell people "track days", but most don't understand that concept either. That I drive around a race track with other cars, but we're not actually racing. I can tell people that I go to the track and do Drifting, and most understand that.

The easiest is for me to say that "I play with cars." But that still doesn't communicate it.

Similarly, trying to describe my Miata. If I call it my "track car" people don't quite get it. If I refer to it as a "race car", they know what that means.

So how do the rest of you manage the balance of communicating with non-car folks about what you do? How much do you go for communicating it accurately, versus telling them something they understand quickly and easily, even if it's inaccurate?

"I take a 27 year old car out to a field and try to drive as fast as possible without hitting any of the cones that I helped put in the field."

Swap out "field" for "parking lot" for auto cross events.

Q: So, what are you doing this weekend... we have a tee time at 7 on saturday

A: I'm doing NASA time trials and instructing at Watkins Glen

Q: What is that, motorcross or drag racing.

A: Its road racing only you race against the clock not other drivers. (insert Painful explanation... no not on dirt, no.. all kinds of cars... open wheel, sedans, etc... you could even bring your car. Oh, Escalde... nevermind - can't bring that)

Q: What kind of car do you have?

A: An M3

Q: Holy E36 M3 - Thats expensive isn't it? You must be loaded.

A: How much was that country club membership?

~ awkward silence ~ slowly wander off to find beer ~

"I build and race cars".

Q: What are you doing this weekend? A: Flying to Atlanta to pick up a 15 year-old Sentra sight unseen and drive it back to Ann Arbor. Q:What the berkeley is wrong with you? ...

The other one I get is, "Wait, if you've got a BMW that really nice and really fast, why don't you race that instead of a cheap old Miata."

"I don't race the BMW because it's nice. It's nice, because I don't race it. I can buy a whole new Miata for the cost to repair body damage and repaint that BMW."

Salanis wrote: The other one I get is, "Wait, if you've got a BMW that really nice and really fast, why don't you race that instead of a cheap old Miata." "I don't race the BMW because it's nice. It's nice, because I don't race it. I can buy a whole new Miata for the cost to repair body damage and repaint that BMW."

I guess the logic of that depends on how risky the event is

I just tell people I play video games, which I do, it's a lot easier. I try not to tell anyone I'm into motorsports because it causes horrible responses. Examples:

"I race that car" "Are you one of those hooligans making all that noise at night!?"

"I do track days and autocross" "ZOMG THAT'S SO DANGEROUS!!!!" Or: "How much can you win?"

And the one that seems promising at first but then disappoints you badly:

"I do some motorsports events" "Like what?" "Autocross, open track..." "What do you drive" "My Corolla coupe" "WAIT WUT?" Image of open-wheeled race car or stock car is shattered "Yep the same car I drive on the street" insert bewilderment here

One of my buds calls autocross 'precision driving events'. I'll probably use that at some point and see what happens.

I get the whole 'how much do you win' thing as well.

The best description I have found to explain autocrossing to redneck drag racers and mudboggers is "Parking lot racing", which I truly despise for it's effectiveness at emasculation.

For bulding cars and describing the Challenge, I frequently use "Monster garage racing".

Sigh...

I sometimes explain auto-x as being like an obstacle course in a parking lot or airport tarmac that you need to navigate as quickly and precisely as possible.

captainzib wrote: Q:What the berkeley is wrong with you? ...

If I wasn't about to drive a friend to Vermont from PA to pick up a rusty 89 325iX I would have to ask the same thing but... any excuse for a 600 mile round-trip in an old 911 with another car guy is a good one.

I TSD and BA/BE Rally ... I usually answer like this.

Q: What are you doing this weekend?

A: I have a rally.

Q: What's that? or ZOMG like that european stuff I see on speed vision?

A: No it's on public roads safe speeds ... more like a driving version of the "the amazing race" first one dosn't win person with the best score wins.

I just tell them autocross (even though I haven't been in about a year). If they don't know, I just tell them we set up a course made out of cones in a parking lot, and you drive as fast as possible without hitting anything. Simple enough for them to get it, unless they want to know more.

I try not to talk cars to non-car-people. As a track day junkie with a penchant for underpowered cars (Miata, Focus SVT, etc.), it always turns into an exercise in frustration.

If I can't gracefully avoid the "what are you doing this weekend" question, I just say that I'm disposing of the body of the last idiot who couldn't mind his own business.

Therapy for an incurable mental illness.

Bruce

I spent the last two years auto-x'ing. In my DD Hyundai. That's always fun to explain.

What are you doing? Gettingready for this weekends auto-x. Is that were you go run around a parking lot or something? Yep. What do you drive? Porche? Corvette? Nope, this one. My Elantra. THAT!?!?!? But. . . it's a Hyundai. Won't it explode or something? Nop, it's not a Ford. . . get's 'em every time.

I autocross race... No, it's legal... I drive through a cone course laid out on an abandoned airfield... No, my Subaru is the slowest car there and the RX-7 isn't ready yet... Because auto racing is the most fun you can have with your clothes on!

I can't wait until next year.. . . and I thought racing a Hyundai raised eyebrows. . . wait until they see what they believe is a metro on course. . .keeping up with the EF's and beating most of our local SM class.

Sometimes it's just easier to tell someone that you knit or shoot pool.

"What does that mean?"

I have a hard time answering that question when I wear my Hong Norr shirt to school.

I autocross and have the same trouble explaining it. I usually just tell people that I do Sports Car Club of America Autocross Racing and let them build there own interpratation from there.

Aside from the autox, I race sailboats. Similar issues here.

Answer: Racing sailboats from Port Huron Michigan to Macinac Island.

Questions: How long does it take? 30 to 60 hours (depends on the weather)

How fast do you go? Zero to 12 knots (depends on the weather)

What do you do at night? Keep going.

What do you do if it rains? Keep going

How much do you win? A flag?

Everybody in my college program wondered why I disappear at least one thursday+friday a month. You think its hard to tell them you race cars, wait till you try to tell them you race cars but you aren't driving (yet). They are all like "so, you just sit there?" Uh, hardly. I think after doing a presentation on pace notes and what I do, plus reading a section then stating that was 200 meters out of a 30km section they got the point.

And then there are all the "do you win money?", "what kind of car do you race?" Yes we win money. No it is dick all. We race cars like STi's and Evo's (people don't really understand what that means still) but anything will do (even a firefly). I am not at liberty to tell you the ridiculars amounts of money spent on our program (it is ridiculous, I have no idea how I get with these serious drivers with monies). I basically sum it up to them as "real cars, real roads, real fast" and then tell them to picture a car doing 180km/h down a gravel road one lane wide. It's like skydiving, except you have to dodge trees on your way down!

HiTempguy wrote: It's like skydiving, except you have to dodge trees on your way down!

That's a great line.

billy3esq wrote: I try not to talk cars to non-car-people. As a track day junkie with a penchant for underpowered cars (Miata, Focus SVT, etc.), it always turns into an exercise in frustration. If I can't gracefully avoid the "what are you doing this weekend" question, I just say that I'm disposing of the body of the last idiot who couldn't mind his own business.

You could try a line that I would love to use on some of my coworkers.

Q: What are you doing this weekend?

A: I have a business meeting.

Q: What kinda business meeting occurs on the weekend?

A: The none of your berkeleying kind.

Don't you just love the "...so, how fast do you go?"

As fast as I berkeleying can of course.