'You’re Driving a 2006 Silverado!:' Truck Driver’s Bumper Sticker Attacks ‘the Poor.’ There’s Just One Problem
A viral TikTok video taps into a classic refrain of American politics—the people complaining about the poor and empowering elites aren’t exactly rich themselves. Where better to ask these questions than on the U.S. highway system?
Sometimes politics hits the road in the form of bumper stickers, a terrain where people of all beliefs can force other drivers to reckon with their views on everything from religion to whether or not Senator Ted Cruz ate someone’s offspring.
Self-described Southern Leftist C.J. (@c.j._____) caught sight of some extra large political decals on a 2006 Chevy Silverado that inspired him to take to TikTok and scream about it.
Viewers largely agree that he may have a point.
Thousandaire Drivers Beware
In the clip, C.J. accelerated along the left side of the black Silverado, filming from the car. In the video, he started to read out loud from the white decals pasted along the back of the truck’s cab. The truck had Georgia plates.
“The rich got theirs, the poor got welfare, guess who's getting screwed,” he said, quoting the truck’s bumper sticker.
C.J. brought his voice to a shout.
FROM THE TRENDING NEWS DESK
Viral bits from across the social media landscape
Our team of experts tracks what's trending so you don't have to—from viral videos to online debates that have everyone talking.
“You and the poor are the same!” he yelled. “You're driving a 2006 Silverado!”
In the caption, he added, “Sorry, the absolute lack of class consciousness had me crashin’ out for a sec.”
Putting aside the obvious truth that a person who drives an older car can very easily also be rich, how much does a Chevy Silverado actually cost? On CarFax, 2006 Silverados range from as low as $3,899 to roughly $12,000. A number of features impact the pricing on these cars, including mileage, wear and tear and previous number of vehicle owners.
Kelley Blue Book lists four different variations of the 2006 Chevy Silverado at different prices, based on the national average:
- Silverado 1500 Extended Cab: $5,574 - $10,980
- Silverado 1500 Regular Cab: $5,505 - $8,194
- Silverado 1500 Crew Cab:$7,235 - $8,495
- Silverado 1500 HD Crew Cab: $9,541
For a point of comparison, more recent Silverado trucks can go for a little under $40,000.
TikTokers had a laugh with C.J.’s observation about class issues.
“Goes to work 6 days a week, doesn't think the term lower/working class means him,” @hydrothermalworm wrote.
TikToker @todaschingona quoted John Steinbeck in response to the video.
"Socialism never took root in America because the poor see themselves not as an exploited proletariat but as temporarily embarrassed millionaires,” @todaschingona wrote.
Someone else threw out a word of warning for the “thousandaire” class.
“These thousandaires just love billionaires; I guess they haven’t figured out that they’ll never be a millionaire,” @goszed wrote.
Motor1 reached out to C.J. via TikTok direct message but didn’t immediately receive a response. We'll update this if he responds.
