I'll just never understand

Rocketboy · Motorist

I'll just never understand

Cogman · Member

Erik,

You make a VERY good point, and let me tell you that the transition from Mini to a motorcycle would be an easy one for you! I have never owned a car before that people treated so similarly to how they treat my bike! It seems to be something that they simply NEED "out of their way"! I have to traverse the infamous 290 every morning and always find it interesting that SUV's stop their forward progress in the far left lane as soon as they are alongside the Mini. That is always my warning that, within seconds, they fully intend to cut in front of me, ready or not. I work with a woman here who drives an Expedition, and who realizes she desperately needs a more economical car, but who simply cannot give up the "King of the Road" syndrome. She is totally addicted to that very intimidation factor you so aptly illustrated. So, she spends nearly $100 a week in fuel to feed that need!

Rocketboy · Motorist

Or how about the translation from MINI to bicycle? When I was younger, I rode all over the place. And by younger, I mean mid teens, and by all over the place, I'm talking about from Lockport to Olde Forte Niagarae as part of a bike club, just so we would have some place to turn around once we got there

. It was the same but different in that situation. I've almost been run over by psychopaths who think that a bicycle on an open country road is an affront to their better sensabilities.

And as far as going to a motorcycle, well, I've always had my eye on one of these...

Shame about the lack of colors...

Erik...

yellowmininy · Obsessed (Taking the long-cut)

I saw an interesting thread on the Car Talk message board recently, "Why isn't there any road rage in Italy?"
http://cartalk.com/board/showflat.php?Cat=0&Number=307424&an=0&page=0#307424

Their idea, or the idea proposed by a few others was that everyone in Italy drives like a wacko, everyone expects that, and no one takes it personally. Here in the US, everyone takes everything as a personal affront. The phrase "life is too short" certinaly does come to mind in most of the road rage we see on almost an everyday basis. There is a certain competitiveness, and the 'big car goes first' mentality is certainly way more prevalent than you'd think it should be.

OK< I could keep ranting, but I'll stop now. I guess it doesn't really matter!

Rocketboy · Motorist

To me, I never take things as being personal. But damn if I get angry if someone's rudeness puts my life, the life of my passenger(s), or my car in danger. I have a huge issue with respecting other people's property and well being.

And anytime that i feel the need to be first, it's 99% of the time due to the fact that yes, I will be faster than you when we get to the section where we all have to turn. I will drive thru the turn faster than you, and accelerate away faster than you. You will not catch up to me untill at the very earliest 2 exits away. And by that time, I'll be 2 thirds of the way to where I'm going.

Of course, as one author once put it (i cannot recall who wrote it, nor what story it was in, but it was a short story, that I recall) "If someone passes you... it means that they have a bigger dick than you".

Erik...

Cogman · Member

So right after I make that post, I have to drive to Continental Camera on Transit in Depew. At a light, I failed to accelerate away fast enough for the old gentleman (?) (he was anything but gentle!) behind me. He proceeds to begin PUSHING my car forward! At first, I was puzzled to have my car accelerating forward with no impetus from me! I hadn't put it in gear yet, nor were my feet on any of the pedals, but here I went, fully keeping up with the car in front of me! When I got the chance, I blasted forward enough to create a gap between he and I, then stopped to inspect the rear of my car. He had an ear to ear grin, and seemed to be enjoying himself immensely. When I started back toward his car, he locked his door, and put both hands up as if to say "What does it matter?" I could find no damage, so I continued on, but I must say that I wonder what he told his wife and friends when he got home? He sure showed me who had the bigger -----! I did copy down his plate number though.

yellowmininy · Obsessed (Taking the long-cut)

Apparently no one can afford the copayments for mental health visits...

Rocketboy · Motorist

So, what was the plate number? What was he driving? I'd also think about taking the car in for an inspection. Just because there's no visible damage, does not mean that there was not hidden damage...

-- Edited by Rocketboy at 20:46, 2005-11-21

Peaces · Member

Seeing these posts brings to mind some of my recent experiences. My foul weather car is a 1997 Ford Aspire. It is the same width and height (minus the roof rack I put on it) but a full foot longer than the MINI. In other words: still not a big car. Also it is red, a color that is hard to miss, and decked out like a kid's car (tinted windows, window decals, medium performance white lettered tires, sound system, heck, I still was a kid 8 years ago when I bought that car).

TWICE in as many weeks while slowing down on a side street with MY LEFT BLINKER ON two different SUVs (but exact same location) decided to pass me ON THE LEFT from behind as I began my left turn into a parking lot. Both times the driver had to slam on the brakes to avoid hitting me because, well, I unknowingly cut into their path while making my completely legal (and indicated) left turn. Of course both times the drivers of the SUVs were yelling at me, as if it were my fault that I cut them off after I signaled my intentions to turn and then had the gall to actually turn. Both times I checked to make sure my turn signal indicator light was flashing, it was. Both times after I parked I put my blinker on and checked to make sure the bulb was working outside, it was

Just last week I crossed through an intersection after the light turned green and made it about 200 ft away from the intersection when another guy in an SUV pulled out of a bank parking lot, cutting me off and actually forcing me to skid to a stop. AGAIN the driver of the SUV yelled at me as he passed. From what I could read on his lips I think he yelled at me to slow down. I guess my outrageously powerful 1.3L 63hp engine getting up to 25mph in a 30mph is too fast for this guy who must fully expect to cut people off when he pulls into the street. After all, he was just looking out for his own safety.

I wonder what these people must tell their friends when they see them. What spin do they put on the story to make themselves the victim? I guess they could just be real jerks and brag about how they can do whatever they want to small cars because we have to be the ones to avoid a collision because when all is said and done, in an accident, we are most likely to be killed.

I don't want to seem like a totally innocent victim. I've done my share of intimidations (all with my little Ford, NEVER with the MINI). I've done some truly bad things but only to people that deserved it, read: started it. Me and my little Ford have made a lot memories in the 141,000 miles we traveled.

One of my favorite things to do is when someone does something stupid to me I just follow them home. I park on the other side of the street so they can see me but are too far away to start a confrontation. I then pull out a pad of paper and a pen and pretend to write things in full few. It makes people worry all night that something might happen. Of course I never would do anything but it brings me satisfaction. Once when I did that in a restaurant parking lot I actually had a guy come up and apologize for cutting me off.

Nowadays I have to be a bigger man. I've got a daughter now. I've got too much to lose playing those little games. It's just not worth it to me anymore but I sure had a lot of fun.

Rocketboy · Motorist

Peaces wrote:

One of my favorite things to do is when someone does something stupid to me I just follow them home. I park on the other side of the street so they can see me but are too far away to start a confrontation.

Egads, that's always asking for trouble. Of course, I can say I'm guilty of the same thing. This summer, the fun thing in my neighborhood seemed to have been blowing thru stop signs. Which is real great, as we have a MiniMart on my street, and two blocks over (or so) there is an elementary school. Not to mention the middle school 5-6 blocks or so the other direction. Long story short, we get quite a bit of foot traffic at times. Well, this dolt ran the stop sign (a 4 way stop, which is why people think it's safe to blow thru it, as of course the OTHER person will stop..) on the same corner as the MiniMart. I honked my horn in disgust, and the old guy driving his company's pickup truck proceeded to filp me off and starts swearing. I know, how DARE I honk my horn at someone who figures that STOP means STOP, unless you're me, than just roll thru it, devil be damned who else is around. (Side Note: Good thing that I came to a stop, as I actually reached the intersection before he did. So his exact behavior at that exact time would have caused an accident if I had done what he just did. Just a fun fact to paint his outrage in an even worse light) I quickly went from irritated, to VERY PISSED. So I followed the guy. And he proceeded to (knowing full well that he pissed me off) pull into his driveway two houses down from the intersection. When he and his equally as old and out of shape buddy got out of his truck, of course they started swearing at me again. To which I politely informed him that the red octagon thing that said STOP, was yes indeed, a STOP sign, which was installed to try to get traffic to stop, in such a way that would avoid accidents, much to the good of the community.

Wait, scratch the polite part of that last sentence. Although the explanation of what a stop sign is, and what one is to do when one sees it was still used, it was not very polite indeed.

Erik...

yellowmininy · Obsessed (Taking the long-cut)

Pretty much every day (like this morning) I see examples of the 'big car goes first' mentality. It was interesting to read the study results by pediatricians who concluded that though people are buying SUVs to keep their families safer, that the statistics don't support the safety theory- particularly with the rollover rate. Looks like there has been some re-engineering to lower the center of gravity on most SUVs & minivans, so it will be interesting to see if they prove to be safer.

Here's one lesson to share about not drinking & driving, but an impressive job on the part of the Mini in protecting the driver:

http://www.seacoastonline.com/2005news/12292005/news/80302.htm

MINI2 thread here:http://www.mini2.com/forum/showthread.php?t=106526