I’ve been attending the New England International Auto Show nearly every year since my first visit at the age of four in 1997, but this year was a little different. Now working for an automobile brand, due to my strong product knowledge I was asked by management to go along and assist the reps from corporate who travel around to various auto shows on the circuit, serving as a representative of my dealer in the process.
It was truly a fun and enjoyable experience all four days I was working the show. Not only did I have the pleasure of working with wonderful people from corporate as well as the other local area MINI dealers, but I felt right in my element. Although I mostly answered typical questions and walked people through the various MINI models, I naturally was asked some unusual questions. There’s no such thing as a stupid question, but there will always be some amusing ones which it’s hard to keep a straight face when answering. Without further ado, here are the top five most ridiculous questions I was asked at the auto show, what I actually said (not verbatim, but close enough), and what I was really thinking.
My answers to the most ridiculous questions I was asked while working the auto show
- “Do you know at what temperature and in what weather conditions the EPA does their fuel economy testing at?”
- “No I sorry. I know fuel economy can vary depending on temperature, so I’d imagine they don’t do it in the extremes, but I really don’t have that knowledge off-hand.”
- Do I look like I work for the Environmental Protection Agency or have that type of access into a government agency?
- “So if I get it with the standard automatic transmission, there’s no clutch, right?”
- “No, not when you get the regular automatic transmission.”
- And how long have you been driving?
- Does MINI have any plans in the next couple of years to release an 8-passenger SUV with three rows?
- Not that I’m aware of. The new Clubman is as big as they’re going to go in the near future. I think a three row vehicle would be a bit big for MINI right now.”
- On what planet would a three-row, 8-passenger SUV be “mini”?
- (After describing to me in great detail how he does not like the taillights on the hardtop, telling me he thinks they should be bigger and “stick out” as in not be flush with the sheetmetal) “So now do you have contact with the engineers to communicate design changes to them?”
- “Unfortunately I don’t personally have any kind of input in taillight design. And no, I don’t communicate with any of the engineers. They’re all back in Germany.”
- But really, are you kidding me?
- “Do you have any Jeep brochures or information I can take?”
- “Sorry, I don’t have any information to give you on Jeep. I work for MINI.”
- I’m standing at a desk that says “MINI”, wearing clothes and a name tag that say “MINI”, and am surrounded by MINIs, not Jeeps. On what planet does it look like I’m affiliated with Jeep?