10/01/2026
Don’t judge a book by its cover, or a client by their car.
What is the first thing you think of when you see a "nice car" in the Calgary Food Bank's drive through hamper line? Does your mind question whether someone who can afford a nice car should be using the food bank's services? Or do you think that the family driving the car is one paycheck away from being unable to pay their rent?
Whether you are facing food insecurity or not, cars have become a necessity in Calgary. With a greater number of affordable homes situated further from places Calgarians need to access in day-to-day life (e.g. workplaces, amenities) and challenges with public transportation, it is clear why many households depend on a private vehicle.
For many households, maintaining an owned vehicle is cheaper than downgrading. But staff and volunteers at the Calgary Food Bank are often asked why so many "nice cars" come to the food bank. To investigate, our researchers conducted a six-week long observational study of the cars coming through the hamper pick-up line at the Calgary Food Bank.
We found that 9 out of 10 cars are economy vehicles. That is one premium car observed for every 55 cars, or every 60 minutes of field research. The average age of these premium cars did not differ from the overall average of 12 years old. Nevertheless, clients are free to borrow cars or catch a ride with a friend or neighbour to the food bank. Simply put, a client’s car is not a good predictor of need.
So why the misconception?
Every weekday, between 600 and 700 cars pass through the Calgary Food Bank's hamper line. With such a large volume of economy vehicles, a few premium cars stand out from the crowd. This psychological phenomenon is called the Oddball Effect and explains why premium vehicles are noticed at a much higher rate than their actual occurrence.
The results of this study show that premium vehicles are often judged based on the brand alone rather than age or condition. The age or condition of a premium car in this study did not differ from economy cars. In fact, a 2016 model shares many visual features with a 2026 release, making it easier than ever to mistake a decade old car for something newer.
View the full report on https://www.calgaryfoodbank.com/resources/
