Slipstream - September 2020

Oversteer: Letter from the Editor
by Kurt Scaggs, Managing Editor
Let me begin by saying that I will not be discussing,
mentioning or referring to any of the words du jour. The
ones mostly beginning with the letter “C”. I am fatigued
beyond all good sense about that discussion. That is all.
Instead, I’ll be focusing on an exchange had at our weekly
local Porsche kaffeeklatsch. It began innocently enough as
most do, but it quickly turned contentious. (Yes that was a
“C” word, I’ll try to do better.) The topic you ask? Shoes.
How does one have a discussion about shoes go wrong you
ask? Let me try to explain.
First some background; topics at our Friday gettogethers
vary widely, but one theme seems to reappear
quite often. Of course. And because of this, every so often
there is talk of looking for an addition to the menagerie.
The stockpile? The stash. Whatever, you get my point. The
question that usually follows, “so what are you going to
get rid of?” (Another disclaimer which I probably should
have mentioned sooner; our group is predominantly
married men and as such some of our pursuits fall under
specific guidelines.) We absolutely owe our wives a debt of
gratitude as most of us are not as practical as perhaps we
should be when Porsches are involved. Am I good? I’m sure
our women enthusiasts deal with the same thing.
So back to the story, we were having a discussion about
one or two of us in the group looking to acquire a new or
new to them Porsche. Someone asks what will be leaving
to make room for the new addition and then I opened my
mouth and started a fire. I asked “does she have to throw
out a pair of shoes when she buys a new pair?” Guys, this
is a stupid argument and I suggest that you never consider
using it. Thinking men that we are, we quickly realized that
shoes do not go for the same money as Porsches, but they do
run in the same range as a lot of the things we like to put on
our Porsches. So we pressed on. Could this be the argument
we’re looking for? Exhibit A. Wheels? Manolo Blahnik
Exhibit B. Exhaust? Jimmy Choo. (I know, I almost made
it, but it’s a proper name so I think that’s a technicality) I
have more, but I think I’ve made my point. And before you
argue that you wear those things to look nice for us, so do
we. We want to deliver you to the opera in an automobile
befitting your elegant visage. We want you to be the envy
of the men and the women we see on our way to dinner.
The grocery store? The track? Are you buying any of this? I
definitely should have kept my mouth shut.
Well guys, I gave it my best shot. If you need me, I’ll be
on the couch. Enjoy her new shoes and enjoy the drive.
36 September