BMWs the atvs of the highway

[MissJean]

Rant.....
Ok, so exactly how does the BMW/jackass connection work? (I'm all into stereotyping today 8)) Are jackasses just naturally attracted to BMWs or does driving a BMW turn you into one? Do they give you some sort of a test at the dealership? Or maybe it's special pheromones that BMW puts in their new car smell.

I'm driving home, getting on the on-ramp, glance in the rearview – the closest car is a ways back - I'm about to merge onto the highway, blinker on, and look in my side mirror and, swoosh! there is a BWM about 12" from my bumper trying to get around me on the left, but the cars on the highway are too close. He stays 12" from my bumper 'til we get on and varoooom, he's off, weaving in & out of traffic.
Then at the _very_ next entrance ramp, I glance over to see how close the on coming cars are, and there is another BMW accelerating to pass the others on the ramp, squeezes in between two cars, and varoooom he is off, weaving in & out of traffic.
BMW owners: the ATVers of the highway! ;D ;)

[jerseygirl]

Hey O.B. I think the weather's gotten to you too. People are p*ssing me off right and left.

Seriously, I know what you mean. I does seem like certain types are attracted to certain cars and display certain attitudes when behind the wheel.

Basically I think those people in the BMWs are just jealous because we're the ones driving the cool cars.

Elements rule!

[Quo Fan]

I spend a lot of time on the road,and it's not just the BMWs that are driven by *******s. It seems to me, that anything that is subject to the luxury tax is being driven by an *******. What gets me, is why would anybody buy a vehicle originally designed to go off road, and never let it see the dirt.

[gnurider1080]

What gets me, is why would anybody buy a vehicle originally designed to go off road, and never let it see the dirt.
*cough* hummer *cough*

[Slider]

I think the ******* driver problem generally is growing, and I think it goes deeper than BMW drivers. But we could start with shooting them first, then spread out from there. Big, spotless pickup trucks with lots of chrome come next, okay?

Slider

[CouchingTiger]

I've had a string of bad luck with Volvo drivers latelty also, and especially with people w/ f-ing cell phones! Nearly got cleaned out on the road going 32 mph by some woman on the phone in a Jeep in few weeks back. People suck!

-Couch

[TrailBate]

Hey, maybe the guy had a severed aorta and was rushing to the hospital! You never know!

Personally, I find Lexus and Audi drivers to be the worst. And I find that New York drivers like to just dilly dally in the passing lane, without passing anyone.

then again, Massachusetts drivers basically suck at everything.

[off piste]

Personally, the worst human behavior I've witnesed on the roads comes from anything with one of those little metal fishes, WWJD, God is my Co-Pilot, etc., on the back.

[Mr_Cheeze]

I think the ******* driver problem generally is growing, and I think it goes deeper than BMW drivers. But we could start with shooting them first, then spread out from there. Big, spotless pickup trucks with lots of chrome come next, okay?

Slider



Big ditto for this one. The theory here is that they are all driven by short men (under 5'9") all trying to overcompensate for their vertical deficiency by driving something that is bigger than everything else on the road. Punks.

I still think the worst and most aggressive drivers, though, are young, girls who get behind the wheel and turn into raging lunatics. Doesn't matter what they are driving. This must be where the phrase "bitch on wheels" came from.

Lately, I have seen a spate of aggressive drivers with Caddillac Escalades.

[BG]

"Could you drive any better if i shoved that cell phone up your ass?"
"Caution: Can go from 0 to Bitch in 2.5 seconds"


Great bumper stickers. Good entertainment while driving amongst the *******s.
Which reminds me: "My wife has two *******s, and i'm one of them"


BG

[slapheadmofo]

I like to put on a fedora, slouch down real low in the seat and drive my town car in the passing lane around 50mph, with my right blinker going the whole time. People seem to love it. 8)

[BG]

I like to put on a fedora, slouch down real low in the seat and drive my town car in the passing lane around 50mph, with my right blinker going the whole time. People seem to love it. 8





Is that you, you bas*ard? I'll bet you like to stop with your ass end sticking out into the roadway as you enter a parking lot so you can pick out the perfect place to park too..or did you just forget why you turned right to begin with??

BG

[jerseygirl]

Personally, the worst human behavior I've witnesed on the roads comes from anything with one of those little metal fishes, WWJD, God is my Co-Pilot, etc., on the back.


Seriously -- there is a Catholic church on the corner and God forbid I try to back out of my driveway when mass is getting out. Not one of those good christians will cut me a break and let me out. I got cut off one day by someone with the rosary beads hanging off the rearview. My son gave her the sign of the cross as we blew by her.

[off piste]

Personally, the worst human behavior I've witnesed on the roads comes from anything with one of those little metal fishes, WWJD, God is my Co-Pilot, etc., on the back.


Seriously -- there is a Catholic church on the corner and God forbid I try to back out of my driveway when mass is getting out. Not one of those good christians will cut me a break and let me out. I got cut off one day by someone with the rosary beads hanging off the rearview. My son gave her the sign of the cross as we blew by her.


One of the best examples I've seen of the phenomenon was when a freind got cut off by a woman leaving church one day in Milford, NH. He gave here the palms up, "what gives?" gesture. She flipped him the bird, roasted the tires and headed off to spread the Word throughout the world.

[TrailBate]

Seriously -- there is a Catholic church on the corner and God forbid I try to back out of my driveway when mass is getting out. Not one of those good christians will cut me a break and let me out. I got cut off one day by someone with the rosary beads hanging off the rearview. My son gave her the sign of the cross as we blew by her.


well, maybe if you went to church, instead of stayed home like an anti-christian heathen, they would have cut you a break!

[MissJean]

Basically I think those people in the BMWs are just jealous because we're the ones driving the cool cars.

Elements rule!


Yeah!! Those BMWers have toaster envy. ;D

(someone once said Elements remind them of toasters on wheels)

[jerseygirl]

I think it was me because that's what my oldest said when I brought it home!

[gnurider1080]

I still think the worst and most aggressive drivers, though, are young, girls who get behind the wheel and turn into raging lunatics. Doesn't matter what they are driving. This must be where the phrase "bitch on wheels" came from.
you must know my sister.

[narlus]

Personally, the worst human behavior I've witnesed on the roads comes from anything with one of those little metal fishes, WWJD, God is my Co-Pilot, etc., on the back.


Seriously -- there is a Catholic church on the corner and God forbid I try to back out of my driveway when mass is getting out. Not one of those good christians will cut me a break and let me out.

it's because they know you weren't at service.

[jerseygirl]

Personally, the worst human behavior I've witnesed on the roads comes from anything with one of those little metal fishes, WWJD, God is my Co-Pilot, etc., on the back.


Seriously -- there is a Catholic church on the corner and God forbid I try to back out of my driveway when mass is getting out. Not one of those good christians will cut me a break and let me out.

it's because they know you weren't at service.


Lucky for them. The lightening bolt would have killed us all.

[Quo Fan]

(someone once said Elements remind them of toasters on wheels)



When the Elements first started appearing on the roads, I commented to my son that they were probably styled with plywood, because of their boxy shape. Now I think that they look pretty cool.

[Quo Fan]

What really makes my blood boil, are idiots who dart out in front of you, then drive 15 mph below the speed limit. They had to be there, why can't they friggin' keep up with traffic?

I need to check the front of my car, I think there is a sign that says "Cut me off".

[huff'npuff]

What really makes my blood boil, are idiots who dart out in front of you, then drive 15 mph below the speed limit. They had to be there, why can't they friggin' keep up with traffic?

I need to check the front of my car, I think there is a sign that says "Cut me off".


So you're the one that found my sign !

[BadDNA]

Mass drivers make me thankful that I traded up from a Neon to a full sized pickup when I bought my house. I may not use it for off roading, but it's only 2wd, I bought it for hauling stuff and that job it does well. I've got a nice big push bar mounted to the front of my frame, I have no hesitation when somebody tries darting out in front of me. I've hit deer at 50+ with not a scratch on the truck, their little sedan doesn't stand much more of a chance. My next addition is going to be a set of locomotive horns, that'll make anyone dumb enough to try anyway wish they hadn't. *cue dueling banjos music*

[Quo Fan]

My next addition is going to be a set of locomotive horns, that'll make anyone dumb enough to try anyway wish they hadn't. *cue dueling banjos music*


Try to get a set of Nathan M5 horns for your truck. Those are the 5 note trumpets. Diesel horns are great, and you can hear them for miles, but you'll need to install one massive compressor to make them work.

[TrailBate]

Survey proves it! Northeast has the dumbest drivers!

http://www.cnn.com/2005/AUTOS/05/26/drivers_study/index.html


Jesus. Massachusetts drivers have problems with merging, turning, or going forward.

[Slider]

As a former MA driver now living in CT, I can say this: CTers are far worse than MA drivers. Tailgating is an obsession here, as is competitive lane changing.

My two pet peeves:

I'm driving along using cruise control, 77 mph. I come upon a driver or two in the middle lane, and have approached them for the last mile. I can see that they going maybe 72. Until I reach them. Suddenly, they want to go 77. That means the middle lane is blocked for me, and the fellow behind me who was going 80, is now tailgating me. But the *******s in the middle lane won't let me back in.

I am at a stop light, trying to take a left. I am behind one car. There is oncoming traffic. The light changes, but the idoit in front of me stays parked on the stop line, refusing to enter the intersection. He waits for all the oncoming cars to clear the intersection bfore moving. By that time, the light is yellow or red. That means I go through a whole second light cycle, because the moron in front never heard the basic driver ed lesson that says ENTER THE INTERSECTION WHEN THE LIGHT CHANGES.

I have more, but ranting gets old. So you are spared, for now.

Slider

[stutch]

I have a job that requires me to drive for long periods. I have also noticed a decline in "driving conditions" over the past few years. I'm not going to point out any particular group as being worse than any other. I've seen all types of drivers do stupid things. I've done a stupid thing or two at one time or another.

What I suspect is responsible for the whole state of affairs is an increasingly casual attitude about the activity of driving in general. Think of how cars have changed over the last 20 years. They accelerate faster, stop quicker, handle better, and are built to protect occupants from impacts that would have killed them in models made only a few short years ago. An easier driving car with multiple embeded safety systems requires less effort and less attention to simply keep it on the road. Eventually some driver's minds will wander.

Now look at the increase in distractions that are available in cars now, cell phones, flat panel TVs, 8 speaker sound systems with cd changers, GPS units, On-Star, why would anyone want to spend more than a few moments actually looking out their windshield. Remeber when a base model car only had an AM radio. Name one model now that doesn't come with a CD player standard.

And it seems that a large number of people are simply content to know their car runs. I run into people constantly that haven't a clue how a car functions. They've never changed a belt or tire. They've never checked the oil or changed a spark plug. They've never had to. Jiffy Lube takes care of them and cars are so reliable now that don't need to know. The point here is that many drivers have adopted a "black box" metality towards their car. It works, it functions, they don't have to think about it. I suspect that eventually this begins to carry over into the day to day driving of an automobile. It becomes so effortless that a driver soon forgets that their automobile is 4000+ lbs of steel, glass, and hard plastic. It's simply an extension of their will, and their will often finds intself distracted or worse driven to anger. At that point the car is already changing direction, overtaking another car, and driving recklessly. Driving angry "to get even" is easy. The automobile has become a status symbol, a sign of success, perceived slights against a cars space are now taken as personal insults.

And after all that, if a driver does get in an accident, so what? The seatbelts held, the airbag went off, the car's crumple zones functioned correctly, and the jersey barricades along the median prevented the car from doing anything more than grinding to a stop. All the driver is punished with is a big repair bill or an increase in their insurance premium. So how much of a lesson was learned? Even when there's a fatality, the behavior required to cause it is often so outlandish that people fail to connect the dots and learn from it.

I don't think it's going to change soon and I sure don't advocate going back to driving more dangerous cars. In fact, I suspect people always drove this way. The difference today is there are more cars on the road and "Vehicular Darwinism" is not as effective as it once was.

Now everyone be careful out there.

[If_Rider]

Think of how cars have changed over the last 20 years. They accelerate faster, stop quicker, handle better, and are built to protect occupants from impacts that would have killed them in models made only a few short years ago.
The difference today is there are more cars on the road and "Vehicular Darwinism" is not as effective as it once was.


It's true, technology is adversely effecting the "natural selection" process. Airbags and anti-lock brakes are saving the idiots from themselves.

[narlus]

My two pet peeves:

I'm driving along using cruise control, 77 mph. I come upon a driver or two in the middle lane, and have approached them for the last mile. I can see that they going maybe 72. Until I reach them. Suddenly, they want to go 77. That means the middle lane is blocked for me, and the fellow behind me who was going 80, is now tailgating me. But the *******s in the middle lane won't let me back in.



this phenomenom (as i dub "the free lane") is nicely illustrated on a single lane road (think rt 100 in VT) which suddenly gets a climbing lane. once that 2nd lane is available, no one wants to be passed, so everyone guns it. then when the lane ends, these ninnies go back to their original speed.

???

[Prefect]

Speaking as both an MTBer and a BMW driver... Well, you're right. I'm not going to defend anyone else driving these things. But as other people have pointed out, there are plenty of equally frightening asses driving other types of vehicles out there. I'm honestly more afraid of a huge vehicle like an SUV causing a major compound accident because of sheer mass, high center of gravity, and poorer handling. Asses behind the wheels being equal (which may not be true), I'd rather have someone have to panic stop/steer/whatever in a vehicle that handles those situations well than one that might roll, flip, or simply crash into me with its large mass.

There is definitely something about BMWs that makes some people drive differently. They are excellent performing/handling vehicles, so that goes to people's heads. I definitely drive differently since I bought my car, but I make it a point to have my fun when nobody is around and I won't be hurting anyone but myself if I do something stupid. And I still admit even that mitigated risk is stupid.

I doubt it helps, but do I try to go out of my way to drive extra courteously normally because I know the stigma BMW owners have. And, I did name my car "stachelschwein," which is German for "porcupine." ("What's the difference between a BMW and a porcupine?" .. "A porcupine has the pricks on the outside.")

It's amusing to me that people talk about the SUV/pickup owners with spotless vehicles that have never been off-road. I've got the opposite problem. I've got bike racks and more often than not dirty bikes on the roof, a trunk full of bike tools and gear, and occasionally have taken it off-road to camp sites. I really need something more practical next time around.

[sizlinseagulsoup]

People used to always piss me off in the road. How'd I fix the problem?

Well, as opposed to a relatively good bodied car, I drive a totalled mini-van. No one ever cuts me off anymore. Why would they? Who the hell wants to mess with a driver that looks like he hits people for fun?

[off piste]

People used to always piss me off in the road. How'd I fix the problem?

Well, as opposed to a relatively good bodied car, I drive a totalled mini-van. No one ever cuts me off anymore. Why would they? Who the hell wants to mess with a driver that looks like he hits people for fun?


When I was 19, I drove a battleship gray, dented up 1969 Roadrunner 383 with "Battlescar Galatica" written across the trunk lid. Never had any problems on the road in those days....