I can’t explain the physics of it — I can only report that by including a baby and a dog in a weekend trip renders a mid-sized SUV useless for the transportation of any more than two small adults. Diapers, chew toys, car seat and stroller; I find it hard to believe I used to show property in this vehicle.

But instead of attempting to pare down or pack more efficiently, I did what most people in America do: I went shopping for a full-size SUV. We stopped in five local dealerships to kick tires and try to talk the sales force into letting us do test drives with the car seat installed and the dog kennel in the back.

You know what? Four out of the five salespeople who I spoke to had either worked in real estate or the construction industry. And that got me thinking. I have heard that car sales is a feeder industry for real estate. Is that true? And vice versa? To find the answer, I Googled it.

Boy, oh boy, did I open up a can of worms. I never could find the answer to my original question. Instead, I happened upon a treasure trove of commentary on Realtors and car salespeople. There were 1.98 million-odd entries, leading with: “Real Estate Agents vs. Used Car Salesmen: The Scum of Society.”