Home » When A Story Could Easily Be About A Company Or One Crazy Person: Comment Of The Day

When A Story Could Easily Be About A Company Or One Crazy Person: Comment Of The Day

Mercedesormercedes2

Mercedes has been in the news for the past couple of days. Mercedes has recalled 447,659 cars, some of them over 20 years old. And today, Mercedes reportedly wants to challenge Tesla’s supercharger network. Sure, we could be talking about Mercedes-Benz the automaker, but for all you know, my brain is sitting on a pile of hundreds of thousands of cars to recall for you.

A common question that I get is if my name is actually Mercedes Streeter, or if I’m writing under a nom de plume. My legal first name really is Mercedes and my last name used to be Streeter. I changed my last name sometime over the past two years to honor my grandfather. But, “Streeter” is sort of perfect for this job, so I kept it for writing.

When I started writing about cars for work, something funny happened. I started looking at headlines with “Mercedes” in them differently. Of course, the subject would be about the automaker, but I’d think about the subject “Mercedes” being a person and I would have a sensible chuckle. At the old lighting site, there were plenty of headlines like this, and sometimes my co-workers would even joke about headlines that sound like I’m doing something. I remember jokingly apologizing for killing wagons after this was published:

Vidframe Min Top
Vidframe Min Bottom

Screenshot (202)

And now, the joke has spread over to the Autopian. Yesterday, Matt published a Morning Dump with the headline: Mercedes Is Recalling 447,659 Vehicles And Some Are Over 20 Years Old

ADVERTISEMENT
Ad Placeholder Wide Top Banner

TenuredLurker brought it up first, saying:

Not gonna lie, I read the title and thought “Ooh, Mercedes is writing a long one.” Got my hopes up for the wrong Mercedes.

Drew followed it up with this banger, which had me giggling:

“Mercedes Streeter fondly recalls hundreds of thousands of vehicles. Mostly buses and Smarts.” I’d read that article. The “some over 20 years old” is a given, though.

Today, Patrick published a Morning Dump with the headline: Mercedes To Challenge Tesla’s Supercharger Network

Drew did it again, commenting:

“Mercedes To Challenge Tesla’s Supercharger Network”
Without reading any of the article, I would like this to just be Mercedes Streeter fitting buses with EV chargers and creating her own mobile charging network. Or simply challenging the supercharger network to a duel. She’ll win, since she has the advantages of both mobility and reason.

And total hilarity ensued in the comments, including this one from mrcanoehead:

ADVERTISEMENT
Ad Placeholder Wide Top Banner

There needs to be an editorial rule here that things either say “Mercedes” or “Mercedes-Benz”. Every time one of these headlines pops up, I think that Mercedes Streeter sure is one busy writer.

Drew wins COTD today with an honorable mention for TenuredLurker for these fantastic quips. Now that my face is red from laughing so much, I will explain why the heck I’m even named Mercedes in the first place. I wasn’t born with the name Mercedes, but I chose the name for myself almost 11 years ago, and perhaps for a silly reason.

As some of you know, I am transgender. Back in 2012, I was still finding myself and experimenting with my appearance and a bit with my identity. That year, I sold my first car–a 2001 Kia Rio–to CarMax.

356787ef4212717729d0a390a6297114
Mercedes Streeter

Replacing it was my teenage dream car, a Smart Fortwo.

I still have this car today, but it needs some restoration work. This car meant the world to me, as it was physical proof that if I worked hard enough and if I believed in myself, my dreams don’t have to be limited to desktop wallpapers and posters. This car to me is like a lifelong friend; it has always been there for me, even when I haven’t been there for it. Even as I own 21-ish vehicles today, this car sits right near the top of my list.

479283 398330893511941 1318123645 O
Mercedes Streeter

When the car was still nice and fresh in 2021, it was basically my home base of operations as I continued with my experimenting. I got the car 5 percent window tints so that I could change clothes more or less in private. And I got the optional cargo blind so that I could hide my clothes out of sight. One day, I realized that there’s a chance that I’d just become my “new self.” So, I thought that I should come up with a name. I decided to choose the first name that came to my mind. Then I looked down, saw the Smart badge, and boom, “Mercedes” popped into my mind. As you could guess, I committed to it.

ADVERTISEMENT
Ad Placeholder Wide Top Banner

So, yep, I named myself after a car company. And it’s not like I’m the biggest fan of the brand’s cars, just its tiny subsidiary that makes tiny phonebooths dressed up as cars.

Facebook
WhatsApp
Twitter
LinkedIn
Reddit
28 Comments
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
mr.choppers
mr.choppers
1 year ago

When I was young and still waiting tables, I had a manager named Mercedes (from Spain). She was so d***d hot, and now that I think back on it I realize that she was flirting with me all of the time and I was totally clueless.
Like, you don’t go around telling your subordinates that they remind you of the Archer from the Khalil Gibran poem if you aren’t trying to get in their pants. I was an idiot.

Rich Pistacchio
Rich Pistacchio
1 year ago
Reply to  mr.choppers

Man, I just read that poem that you’re referencing and I have to tell you that I have… no fucking clue what you’re talking about. The archer is like the life force that just wants to see life propagated, right? I would be very confused if someone told me that.

Now, on the other hand, a sorority girl in college told me that I reminder her of Ralph Fiennes. That clearly meant she had the hots for me, clearly.

Sour
Sour
1 year ago

21-ish cars? You’re the new DT? Also, I want a fleet breakdown.

Drew
Drew
1 year ago
Reply to  Sour
eggsalad
eggsalad
1 year ago

If I’m reading this right, you sold an 11 year old base KIA to Carmax. How much did they pay you, $12.50??

Ruivo
Ruivo
1 year ago

I say, get an official Autopian Unimog. Then, refer to both it and our dear scribe as “our own Mercedes”.

There will be much rejoicing.

Uninformed Fucknugget
Uninformed Fucknugget
1 year ago

Could someone with more skill than me make a meme of Mercedes(the person) in a Smart car squaring off with a supercharger?
I picture something like a modern Don Quixote.

Drew
Drew
1 year ago

I’ve got a workaround to minimize required photo editing. We just need you to hop in a Smart and be holding a lance. Failing that, pose with a lance in front of a Smart.

Of course, either of those options requires you to have access to a lance, which may not be a reasonable expectation.

Drew
Drew
1 year ago

Get Mercedes (the company) to release a model called the Streeter. Maximize confusion whenever Mercedes Streeter is mentioned.

nlpnt
nlpnt
1 year ago

I can’t remember whether it was here or at the old jello picnic, but I recall Mercedes’ telling the story behind her name before, in great depth. I had thought it was a chosen name but had no idea how much deeper it went than the usual nom de plume. Likewise, I’d figured since the Will It Baby? days that Jason’s choice of name for his son probably went deeper than puns and the inventor of the four-stroke cycle or else his wife would never have approved it.

stefthepef
1 year ago

It’s a good name!

newbalanceextrawide
newbalanceextrawide
1 year ago

I just came to say I got my Lumiere Rouge shirt in the mail today (with a bonus bag, decals, and lanyard holder) and I’m proud I bought it before the item became the Ricardo Montelban workaround! I guess I’m limited edition now.

Justin Short
Justin Short
1 year ago

Just got my swag today as well! So impressed! G.A.S. rocks!

thanks to the team

joregon
joregon
1 year ago

Thank you for sharing that piece of your journey!

Should “ When the car was still nice and fresh in 2021…” be “ When the car was still nice and fresh in 2012…”?

ProudLuddite
ProudLuddite
1 year ago

ProudLuddite says:
January 7, 2023 at 10:46 am
“Mercedes To Challenge Tesla’s Supercharger Network” Came hoping for a story about Mercedes Streeter setting a cross country record for EVs in a Smartcar or a bus, left disappointed…”

I guess I was late to the party, though I hadn’t seen this story or the other referenced comments.

Drew
Drew
1 year ago

I’m so glad you shared this story! It’s really cool to hear how this sort of moment of clarity came to you. It’s a good name that suits you well.

BrakShowStarringBrak
BrakShowStarringBrak
1 year ago

I propose The Autopian adopt the Mix-a-lot Manual of Style and refer to the cars or company as “Benzo.”

Drew
Drew
1 year ago

“The crash was related to his use of benzos (the drug) behind the wheel of his benzoyl (the car).”

Let’s go for it. The edge case of talking about drugs will rarely come up and will add some levity when it does.

Drew
Drew
1 year ago
Reply to  Drew

Stupid phone. I hate autocorrect.

bockscar
bockscar
1 year ago

Middle name…Smart?

CSRoad
CSRoad
1 year ago

Mercedes Jellinek’s ghost says “It’s all very confusing, just keep writing.”

Old Busted Hotness
Old Busted Hotness
1 year ago

Mercedes (not Benz), we love your weirdness. Mercedes (Benz), get a fucking grip.

IDM3
IDM3
1 year ago

Considering how they raped and pillaged Chrysler’s cash reserves during the time they owned it (1998-2008), I’d say Mercedes-Benz is getting what they truly deserve-pure karma.

SilentButDeadly
SilentButDeadly
1 year ago

As one person who has watched this ongoing development in real time whilst always hoping for the best despite that catch of doubt…. this little episode is yet another satisfying payoff.

TOSSABL
TOSSABL
1 year ago

Those exchanges had me chortling.
I, too, would like to see a qualifier: ‘our’ or ‘Miss’ before, or ‘(not ours)’ or ‘-Benz’ after. Stumbling on that unspecified noun unprepared is sometimes less like tripping and more like how the cat twines among your feet as you totter to the coffee pot: you know it’s not actually malevolent, but you still want to kick something just for a second

PaysOutAllNight
PaysOutAllNight
1 year ago
Reply to  TOSSABL

Qualifiers? Here? The land of absurd hypotheticals frequently featuring scatological references?

Where’s the fun in that?

I’d rather have a site-wide autocorrect bot that erases every single instance of “Miss” and “-Benz” to enhance the fun rather than eliminate it.

Dead Elvis, Inc.
Dead Elvis, Inc.
1 year ago

Embrace chaos!

That seems fitting, here.

28
0
Would love your thoughts, please comment.x
()
x