Originally Posted by
Wogsterca
I think it probably started, out of someone getting tired of hunting for flat causing objects looking at the whole tire, then they noticed that the label was a point of reference, which made it easier, and they told others, who started doing it, until pretty much everyone was doing it. That is when it became tradition, not following the tradition makes people think some clueless idiot installed the tires.
I agree with everything you said here.
Bike mechanics might not look down their noses at you if you put your tires on "any old way" but they will look down their noses at you less if you have them installed the "traditional" way. You get a small shot of instant credibility and "belong" when they realize that you know a little something.
This goes double for the hipster kid fixie-riding bike mechanics who look down their noses at just about everyone.
We are all clueless idiots to one degree or another. Some of us are more aware of our limitations and seek to minimize them, and some of us are better at hiding them (for good or ill).