This is one of those Seinfeld moments… I used to be on the road an awful lot commuting to various jobs, and would see these cars with memorial stickers on them a couple times each week, if not daily. I’ve always wondered what sort of sociological and psychological factors might be at play.
Southern Californians have always had deep relationships with their vehicles. The four-wheeled contraptions aren’t just a way to get from Point A to Point B. For many, the car is a toy, sanctuary or way to announce to the world that “this is who we are.”
So perhaps it’s not strange that sedans, SUVs and pickups also have become forums for displaying sadness, for showing familial bonds, for paying tribute to the departed.
“To the extent that cars are a central part of our life, it makes sense,” said Nicholas Christenfeld, a professor of psychology at the University of California San Diego. “Cars are now just mobile living rooms, family rooms, kitchens … and the symbols of mourning that one might have confined to one’s house can now be displayed on one’s car.”
Owners of sign and automotive custom shops in San Diego County said the sale of personalized memorial decals has become a steady part of their business.
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