Agressive Drivers

Originally Posted by bspears

Men can be dicks.

So can women...

For all our guesses as to how people drive because of the type of car they own they are just that - guesses.
I would wager the best mitigating factor to a drivers attitude on the road (OTHER then the biggest one -- the driver) is how new their car is. Do you remember when you first drove your car off the lot? Remember how careful you were? Everyday walking around your car to make sure there were no chips, scratches, dents, dirt, & bird poop? One-two years later how often do you do that?
Now again - people's habits/attitudes will override this - but if you have a new car you are less likely to do something stupid (like tailgate) because you REALLY don't want to get into a car wreck. A car getting fixed never drives like it did pre-accident. Now if you have been driving your car for 5+ years you are more likely to do silly things.

But overall - the best answer is each person has different habits and the type of car only differentiates how fast they can go.

Two days ago someone was tailgaiting me (Acura TL, 2006) and I had to slow down fast because I spotted a cop with a radar gun. He almost rear-ended me. I had to make a hard decision - take a chance this person would rear end me or eat a ticket. I opted for the chance (silly probably, but I am not eating a ticket because of some moron).

In the end - if you are driving so close to someone they can't see your head-lights you are wrong. Three-four car lengths won't kill a person especially when you are driving 65MPH+

Originally Posted by robdokwon

Kitty - if you were driving your car properly, you wouldn't be having these problems. You need to find a way to get ahead or get out of the left lane, period. As for your original post, the reason why no one tailgates you when you're in your Ford F-150 pick up is because it's impossible to see through or around. It's a truck, duh. So, drivers keep their distance out of prudence. Your BMW is just a low (height) passenger car with clear windows and it's easier to drive right behind without worrying about unexpected stops they can't otherwise see from behind a pick-up truck. As for the 4 pages of inane posts by some others, the Bimmerfest forum is ironically the last place one would expect to see some folks vent about this stuff. Once again, this is a site stocked primarily with Type A performance car enthusiasts who drive great cars in a sprited manner whenever possible in a country where most drive like dolts. This thread is killing my spirit.

Are you serious?

Originally Posted by neapolitan

Are you serious?

I think he is. Kinda scary huh.

Originally Posted by furby076

For all our guesses as to how people drive because of the type of car they own they are just that - guesses.
I would wager the best mitigating factor to a drivers attitude on the road (OTHER then the biggest one -- the driver) is how new their car is. Do you remember when you first drove your car off the lot? Remember how careful you were? Everyday walking around your car to make sure there were no chips, scratches, dents, dirt, & bird poop? One-two years later how often do you do that?
Now again - people's habits/attitudes will override this - but if you have a new car you are less likely to do something stupid (like tailgate) because you REALLY don't want to get into a car wreck. A car getting fixed never drives like it did pre-accident. Now if you have been driving your car for 5+ years you are more likely to do silly things.

Nowadays the majority of drivers of expensive vehicle's lease rather than buy cars. From Day 2 of the lease they are waiting for the next latest greatest. Therefore shouldn't they be the most careless drivers?

I think we live in a generation where the vast majority of drivers overestimate their abilities to perceive and react to control a 3000-5500 lb hunk of rolling metal, glass and plastics. This same generation of drivers overestimate the capabilities of technical safety and control aides such as ABC, VDC either completely avoid collisions in spite of negligent driving techniques/ habits and looming hazards. They also rely on SRS systems (airbags) to avert serious injury or death resulting from such collisions. Add to the mix the distraction of in-vehicle communications and personal grooming and you might as well be painting your toenails (as one woman in suburban Chicago recently admitted doing just before she plowed her car into a motorcyclist. The motorcyclist, properly stopped at a light was killed instantly).

The fact that so many adult drivers follow too close, "Hollywood stop" at stops signs, engage in informal race contests, text type and rarely yield to pedestrians says a lot about the general aloof personalities of many drivers bordering on narcissism.

In plain English it means that there are a lot of immature people with driver's licenses plying the roads. Those immature drivers can be in big trucks or little cars, in brand new luxury convertibles and 20 year old clunkers, and still they will transmit their ill emotions into poor driving behavior. They may have plunked down as much as $600K (as in the case of the German who totalled his Ferrari Enzo in Malibu a couple years ago) or $600. They are perfect willing to sacrifice the safety of other motorists and their own to indulge. Imagine what would happen of airline pilots operated aircraft in that way.

For this reason more and more states are enacting new laws making driving conduct previously labelled as negligent punishable as strict liability felony crimes.

Something I learned from driving in Europe was to activate the hazard flashers get tailgaters to give you more room. The last thing the tailgater wants is to be stuck behind a disabled vehicle.

Originally Posted by athen

Nowadays They are perfect willing to sacrifice the safety of other motorists and their own to indulge.

Something I learned from driving in Europe was to activate the hazard flashers get tailgaters to give you more room. The last thing the tailgater wants is to be stuck behind
a disabled vehicle.

Yes! I SO agree... perfectly willing to sacrifice the safety of others as well as themselves to "indulge in their emotions." Thanks for the Hazard light tip... that is very good too!

Originally Posted by furby076

I think he is. Kinda scary huh.

Yes, it is.

Kitty - You still have no idea why they were flipping you off, right? Are you a Jersey driver by any chance? If so, enough said, that explains it. If not, then, I don't believe you anyway. Must be Jersey. Your post location shows "USA," which is secret code for "I don't want to let anyone know I'm from Jersey when I start a thread complaining that people are passing me and flipping me off because I chose to drive slow behind a slow truck."

Am I serious? I'm serious that this thread, as silly as it is, is far more entertaining then "my HPFP blew on Friday, see my pics!"

To the OP, simply put, they're just jealous, think of it as a compliment...

[quote=neapolitan;4213297]
You guys probably know this, but the legal / ticket term for tailgaiting is FTC. Laws everywhere again on this, but rarely enforced.

My wife was pulled over for FTC (following to close) a couple weeks back. No ticket, just a warning. That was the first time I had ever heard of someone being pulled over for it. I know they'll tack that on to a ticket if you read-end somebody and you are at fault.

Originally Posted by robdokwon

Kitty - You still have no idea why they were flipping you off, right? Are you a Jersey driver by any chance? If so, enough said, that explains it. If not, then, I don't believe you anyway. Must be Jersey. Your post location shows "USA," which is secret code for "I don't want to let anyone know I'm from Jersey when I start a thread complaining that people are passing me and flipping me off because I chose to drive slow behind a slow truck."

Am I serious? I'm serious that this thread, as silly as it is, is far more entertaining then "my HPFP blew on Friday, see my pics!"

*** yeah Not all but many NJ drivers like to go 10 miles over the speed limit in any lane. I think it's better for everyone to drive within the law. I'm in a very rural part of south central KY (for now anyway) ~ it is absolutely stunning here and the best BMW cruising roads ever.... ya know what? you're a pizzahead!

touche.

Originally Posted by Grentz

They are just feeling wussy in their big a** trucks that can be beat by a little tiny car

I wouldn't say that about the new e9x series But compared to some trucks (lifted like 4ft, w/60in wheels, then yeah lol) I can see that.

This site is great for peering into the attitiudes of others. Some of these traits:
Mad at any car or group of cars that are driving the speed limit, not keeping pace with traffic.
Mad that a car/truck would pass on a two lane and not "have room" to move back in. So give them room, they are trying not to tailgate you they want to get on with life not looking at your back bumper at 43 in a 45 (BMW Speedo after all) lots of guys in pick-up trucks have kids, jobs, motorcycles and some even own a few performance cars, but they may have some where they need to go and work.

Some are mad at any car that is driving 10-15 MPH over.

Mad at any car that is driving 20 over and clearly taking advantage of the lack of traffic in the right lane of multi-lane roads....BTW, try keeping right even to pass for a few weeks, it's a cleansing experience, virtually no one cares, those that do will stubbornly wait for the dolt in the left lane to move over, which they will do when they get to their exit. By then the right lane passer is miles ahead and still has a calm pulse rate.

Others assume that the guy in the BMW must be really impressed with him/herself and therefore be driving aggessively.
Others assume that the BMW should have extra space around them, but that would not count if the other car was an equally pricey auto.
There are comments about bad women drivers, bad men drivers, bad SUV drivers...*****.
Lot's of anecedotal evidence that car carnage must be rampant, yet deaths and injuries have been declining since the 1960's and deaths per mile driven has plummeted.

I have not been flipped off or honked at in at least a year. I have not flipped anyone off or honked my horn in anger in at least 3 years. I drive in Chicago, Detroit, NY, Boston, DC, Houston, etc. pretty much everywhere. A typical month finds me in rental cars in 3 states and my cars in 2-3 states. What is the deal with this latent and overt rage that is expressed all over this site?

I like to put the other car in perspective, a kid in a GTi, all he wants is to see a cool car go fast, they are car kids after all. A guy on your bumper in traffic on the highway, move over and follow him at a safe distance, you are only going to be 1 truck length slower to where you are going, and chances are if they are on your tail, they caught you.

Lighten up out there, it's an earned priveledge to be in a BMW going anywhere.

I would say this site highlights the frustrations which stems from witnessing morons out there doing the wrong thing (instead of the right thing, in particular when it's obvious and they know/ should know it) which in turn forces one to adjust to that behavior in an attempt to maintain safety.

People need learn how to drive better and know/ respect the law and the non-written road etiquette.

I for one am sick of people treating their car like their leaving room (that should be license suspension right there), the teenage-like driving of weaving in-out of traffic 10 inches from each bumper (suspension + heavy fine), not signaling when changing lanes/ turning/ signaling intentions when about to come a stop and when driving-off/ merging into traffic.

It is surprising you haven't seen any of this or if you have, that it doesn't bother you (given the amount of time you spend on the road).

Perhaps you haven't driving in NYC: people drive like monkeys here. There is always worse but that should not be an excuse.

I want society to better educate people before they get a license and for the police to stop going for the obvious speeding ticket (why should I worry about doing 30 mph over on an empty road/ lane???) and focus on other pervasive infractions (FTC, failure to signal, failure to come to a stop at a STOP sign, reckless driving, doing anything else than focusing on driving etc.) instead.

Just my $0.02...

Originally Posted by ChampagneKitty

*** yeah Not all but many NJ drivers like to go 10 miles over the speed limit in any lane. I think it's better for everyone to drive within the law. I'm in a very rural part of south central KY (for now anyway) ~ it is absolutely stunning here and the best BMW cruising roads ever.... ya know what? you're a pizzahead!

The guy is just trolling you. I find if you feed trolls cheetos and mt dew they are too busy stuffing their faces then typing on their keyboards

Originally Posted by furby076

The guy is just trolling you. I find if you feed trolls cheetos and mt dew they are too busy stuffing their faces then typing on their keyboards

I've been trying hard not to respond on this thread ... thinking it may just disappear. What is a Troll stuffing their faces with cheetos? My face hurts from laughing on what you wrote. i'm new to forums.

Originally Posted by v12

I would say this site highlights the frustrations of driving in NYC: people drive like monkeys here. Just my $0.02...

it's true on everything you wrote. i can't stop cracking up on Monkeys driving.... it's so true for NJ and DC as well.

Originally Posted by ChampagneKitty

I've been trying hard not to respond on this thread ... thinking it may just disappear. I'm embarressed about how i handled The Hack. What is a Troll stuffing their faces with cheetos? My face hurts from laughing on what you wrote. i'm new to forums.

Historically (actually it's still common) internet trolls were mostly 15 y/o pimple faced boys or 30 y/o pimple faced boys living in their moms basement stuffing their faces with greasy foods (as if their waist/cholesteral stats needed it). Their social lives consisted of going onto forums and waiting for people to make posts so they could micro-analyze the posts and make fun of the person. It doesn't matter if their argument was valid or not their entire purpose was to heckle people. They would point things out from typo's to actual factoid mistakes (yes they would research your comment to make sure it was true...or more importantly to find any study that would disprove it).

How to handle a troll: Take a bag of dorritos and throw it behind them. They will usually turn around, run to the bag and in amazing feat manage to tear into it faster then you can get your car from 0 to 60. Think of the honey-eating boggit from the Spider-wick chronicles.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_troll

Originally Posted by furby076

Historically (actually it's still common) internet trolls were mostly 15 y/o pimple faced boys or 30 y/o pimple faced boys living in their moms basement stuffing their faces with greasy foods (as if their waist/cholesteral stats needed it). Their social lives consisted of going onto forums and waiting for people to make posts so they could micro-analyze the posts and make fun of the person. It doesn't matter if their argument was valid or not their entire purpose was to heckle people. They would point things out from typo's to actual factoid mistakes (yes they would research your comment to make sure it was true...or more importantly to find any study that would disprove it).

How to handle a troll: Take a bag of dorritos and throw it behind them. They will usually turn around, run to the bag and in amazing feat manage to tear into it faster then you can get your car from 0 to 60. Think of the honey-eating boggit from the Spider-wick chronicles.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_troll

Furby, I don't agree with your post at all. You spelled "cholesterol" wrong. Doritos only has one R, and is a proper name. Also, you should only use the apostrophe with typos if it has a baseline plural. Read up on it here.

http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/621/01/

Sheesh. You punk. I bet you couldn't afford the 335 which is much better than your car. Now where did I put that bag of Doritos?

Neapolitan added as his reason for editing, "Oops, I had to correct my own spelling mistakes. How hypocritical of me."

LOL, I looked for something to nitpick!

Originally Posted by DSXMachina

Neapolitan added as his reason for editing, "Oops, I had to correct my own spelling mistakes. How hypocritical of me."

LOL, I looked for something to nitpick!

Neapolitan |s @ nubt@rd tr0ll. F@iling @ us|ng 1337 sp3@k |n e@ch 0f h|s w0rds @nd @dm|tt|ng h3 m@d3 @ m|st@k3.

F@|L


BTW cool ranch doritos > cheetos!

Ok.... So let's add some gasoline to this fire..... Why do people in NJ, Nj & CT insist on causing West Virginia traffic jams? West Virginia Traffic Jam is defined as two cars traveling similar speeds next to each other when there are two lines or more traveling in the same direction. The only thing that I can come up with is that left lane is just for them or they are two busy chatting on the cell phone to notice they are holding up traffic. Keep right except to pass.

Cell phone laws are not working. Everyone try’s to get their calls in at traffic lights. This in its own has created an increase in honks and fingers. When you beep at them they shoot you a look like can't you seem I am on the phone? How rude even though I have just made you sit through a long light a second time.

Originally Posted by neapolitan

Furby, I don't agree with your post at all. You spelled "cholesterol" wrong. Doritos only has one R, and is a proper name. Also, you should only use the apostrophe with typos if it has a baseline plural. Read up on it here.

http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/621/01/

Sheesh. You punk. I bet you couldn't afford the 335 which is much better than your car. Now where did I put that bag of Doritos?

How come you missed the most glaring error right up there in neon lights-the title of this GD thread "agressive" instead of the proper "aggressive".

I didn't need iDrive to help me figure that out!

+1

Originally Posted by v12

+1
i then see them move over 40% of the time in the rear-view mirror.