cloaking device turned on.

Reading this post brought back a memory that may help explain this. Years ago while living in the Norfolk Va area I had a old VW fox. Mechanically it was in great shape but outwardly it looked awful. The clear coat was applied over the original paint and it had started peeling off and sometimes coming off in small sheets. It did not have a/c so during warm weather the windows were down. I could merge on all the interstates,especially the downtown tunnel so easily. Folks would actually see me coming and put on brakes so I could get in front. BUT let me drive the same highway on my shiny, big supercab 4x4 and it was horrible merging. I think folks know we are not going to mess up our shiny rigs but when they see a hunk of junk in their mind they think we don't have anything to loose and will merge anyway.