Maybe I shouldnt drive this thing everyday?

[Sonic dB]

I drive a classic.

[cstreit]

It's really sad that you can't have something nice without people getting beligerant about it. Funny thing is, by the time half these people drive off the lot in there 2004 Honda and get some paying 5 years of interest and fee's, they probably spend twice as much on their cars as we do.

...yet they get pissed at us!

[Sonic dB]

The thing is cstreit... I did nothing to provoke these people .... really nothing.

Another example is last Thanksgiving... my car broke down due to DME relay failing. I coasted up a hill and into an empty parking lot. The car did not make it fully into a space, it ended up sitting in the middle of the parking lot with no other cars around. The closest car was about 75 feet away or more.

I got out of the car and was standing there on the phone talking to AAA to get a flat bed truck sent out.

This old bag in a Buick pulled in and drove up the the building...
she gets out and goes inside for a few minutes. On her way out, she drives past me and rolls down the window.

Instead of asking me if I needed assistance, the snotty bi-ch said:

"Did it ever occur to you that you are blocking the parking lot"

I looked at the snooty bi-ch in amazement and said "Did it ever occur to you that my car may have broken down"

She goes "yeah right...in the middle of the parking lot!"

I said "Look lady, I dont need to justify myself to you...why dont you just be on your merry way...bye...Happy Thanksgiving!!!"

She goes "Oh Mr. smart alack....go on mr. smarty"

And that Bi-ch was the one that started up with me!!! I didnt start up wit her...

WTF is this world coming to!!!

Does driving a red Porsche make you a marked man??

Like a bullfighter waving a red flag in front of the stupid bull.

[nostatic]

Originally posted by Sonic dB

Does driving a red Porsche make you a marked man??

yes...and if you don't realize that and change your attitude and behavior accordingly, I think you'll end up pretty angry/frustrated/etc.

I think the key is to be happy that you are driving what you are, and just forget everybody else. When I'm driving the 911, I'm very non-agressive...way less than when I'm in the 4-runner. If someone wants to cut me off, I let them do it. Sure, they get in front of me and get there first, but I'm driving the fun car. Spending an extra couple of moments in it is a bonus, not a curse.

[Sonic dB]

ok nostatic...you tell me...what am i doing with my attitude and behaviour that is causing this?


Answer: nothing other than driving a classic red car.

[MFAFF]

Sonic,

You drive a red car, a red porsche, a red convertible porsche.

All of these, through no fault of your attitude will provoke a reaction from other road users.

As Nostatic says the only way you can avoid it is to be really calm and observant....even to the point of making that special effort to not ge thte car noticed.

I have to do a realmental gear change when I driv ethe P-car. Its a real leeson every time.

Its slower and less valuable than my daily driver but I have to make allowances because its so much more visible....I get minicab drivers trying to race me from the lights, van drivers cutting me up, tailgaters, the whole nine yards.....for nothing.

The same trip in the Audi is painless and easy.....

I look at it this way, I want ot drive the P-car, I'll be careful and considerate and remember that for every mile of driving I'm having more fun than they do when they're in bed with their f### friend of either sex.

Makes it all go away.

[cegerer]

Good advice from Todd. Sometimes these incidents can't be avoided (like the parking thing) but others can. If I see somebody starting to drive aggressively behind me, I just get the hell outta the way and let them get as far away as possible. I drive the 911 the same way I would drive a motorcycle - very cautiously around other vehicles. Sometimes it is fun though. Seems like women in minivans just have this genetic urge to try to accelerate faster than 911s when in traffic. One time I was coming from a traffic light on a 55MPH highway. The soccer mom next to me just planted her foot to the floor. I casually stayed with her but back a few car lengths to kinda see how fast she would go. She eventually hit 90MPH in this 55MPH zone!!!!! I almost had to pull over, my daughter and I were laughing so hard.

[on-ramp]

this is interesting...i've driven my 83sc up here in Mass for over 4 years now as a daily driver and i've never had an incident like you've described. never
call it luck?

btw, my car is also a red convertible but i rarely wash it, so maybe that's the key

[Sonic dB]

Maybe its a 'numbers game'...with the unbelievable traffic situation that we deal with on a daily basis out here, odds go up that these things will happen.

Also...seems to be alot of bad attitudes out here too..selfish attitudes, stupidity etc.

[expat]

Sonic - I had a similar experience to you with that old bag, but with a police officer!

My 964 broke the shifter bushing and I lost all gears as I was about to leave an on-ramp leading to the freeway. I had been caught behind someone who didnt know how to merge into traffic and we ended up stopping and waiting for the freeway traffic to clear before pulling into the crowd.

As we started off, this is when the bushing went south. To make things worse it was an uphill gradient and I had cars behind me.

After the traffic behind me cleared, I rolled backwards and as far off the side of the ramp as I could. I couldn't roll all the way back because it was a single lane so I had to get as close to the verge as possible.

Anyhow, the police officer on a m/bike arrives a few minutes later and starts getting aggressive saying I can't stop here! I explain I have no gears and he gets really pissed and starts pushing me towards the car and telling me I gotta get it off the roadway. What the F.....!

Where the hell do you think I'm gonna go? So I climb in the car and ring the tow company and explain my situation to them and they then speak to the cop using my mobile phone. The officer hands me back the phone and says he'll be back in 10 minutes and if I'm not off the ramp he'll book me and have the car towed!

Geez . I'm sure it was because I had a Porsche!

Just gotta roll with the punches I guess

[CJFusco]

"Then the A-Hole gets along side of me and attempts to swerve into my lane on purpose to smash into my car. The nut bag did this on purpose...! Luckily I hit the breaks before he could hit me, but he came within inches of crushing my car."

SAME THING HAPPENED TO ME YESTERDAY! I was coming back from class in the Ford (thank god), on a busy multilane road. Well, I was coming up on an intersection where the light was a stale red, about to turn green (I could see that the other direction's was yellow). Beyond the intersection was a lane-merging area.

Before I even got within 100 feet of the intersection, the light turned green... so I didn't bother to slow down. I passed a Chevy S10 on the left - he was stopped at the light, so was accellerating from a stop. Next thing I know, I hear his engine struggling, and he passes me out on the right, nudging his way into my lane. He came within inches of bumping his front fender into my rear passenger seat. Of course, I backed off... i didn't want to be side-by-side with this maniac when the lanes merged...

And why? Just because he wanted to be first when the lanes merged? He felt threatened by the fact that I passed him out? To a normal person, it wouldn't have even looked like I was challenging him to a race... and besides, who would want to race in a Ford Taurus? Some people piss me off.

[B D]

I think one of the problems is no one owns there car anymore every one leases and could care less about a few dings or even getting in an accident. We are the owners of our cars and probably have to much pride compared to others on the road.

Another factor is the SUV/Truck I am bigger you factor, so you better stay out my way else I will crush you and if I hit you with my 2 ton vehicle I'll win.

[GrindingGears]

People want what you have and hate you b/c you have what they want, especially here in Southern Cal. Image is EVERYTHING, everyone wants to be someone. If you've got something nice, you've threatened/challenged their image and they'll treat you like dirt to compensate.

Keep driving your 911, don't let the small minded win.

-Philip

P.S. I can't wait to see a red Carrera cab driving down PCH, I'm gonna pull up next to you, hold down the horn while flipping you off.

[singpilot]

I also drive a Guards Red 911 thru Manhattan Beach a lot. Between the Valley and Redondo I measure the commute by how many times I have to hit the horn to avoid an accident. By how many drunks or sleepers (cell phone/makeup/newspapers) I have to avoid.

What Sonic dB describes has become part of Southern California driving. It doesn't happen exactly like that (but close sometimes) in Las Vegas, or when I am driving the 944 or Mercedes. The road between Vegas and SoCal is a different type of problem (felony truckers), but the CHP has done their part out on I-15, and it is getting better.

Unfortunately, the police can't be everywhere all the time. It is why I use the 911 cell phone at the first sign of trouble. If there is a report of the offender, the officer that pulls that person over later, or as a result of the report has the discretion taken away from the officer. The officer will not give them the 'benefit of the doubt.'

Y'all be careful out there!

[Rot 911]

Originally posted by Sonic dB

I got out of the car and was standing there on the phone talking to AAA to get a flat bed truck sent out.

This old bag in a Buick pulled in and drove up the the building...
she gets out and goes inside for a few minutes. On her way out, she drives past me and rolls down the window.

Instead of asking me if I needed assistance, the snotty bi-ch said:

"Did it ever occur to you that you are blocking the parking lot"

You should have kicked the old bag's ass. I bet you could have taken her!

[concentric]

Originally posted by Sonic dB

Instead of asking me if I needed assistance, the snotty bi-ch said:

"Did it ever occur to you that you are blocking the parking lot"

I looked at the snooty bi-ch in amazement and said "Did it ever occur to you that my car may have broken down"

See, here's your problem... You've tried to respond to an irrational complaint with a rational explanation. Oil and water, my man. Something like...

"Did it ever occur to you that you should mind your own business"

...might work better. I swear whenever something like this happens, the rational approach just enflames the issue. Why that is, I dunno... I've tried and tried, and it just turns out badly unless I nip the whole thing in the bud.

JCM

[vash]

i think being nice is learned from the ones that teach us. so the converse must also be true.

one time a old man and his grandson pulled into the gas station ahead of me. he didnt pull forward to the empty pump. so i went around him and backed in to fill up my truck. he started ahead of me, so i went to prepay. he must have just put in a few dollars, because as soon as i got there, he said, "move your truck!"
"????"
again, "move your damn truck!"
i said, "you cant ask nicer than that, NO! you back up!"
"my tranny is broken i dont have reverse, i dont have to kiss your ass, move your effen truck"
" i said, you are teaching your grandson a bad lesson. you are right, you dont have to kiss my ass, but i know something you will have to do."
he said, "what's that?"
i said, " you will have to stand there and watch me fill up my truck!" i think his head almost exploded, but i was young and full of attitude. now days, i dont know what i would do. especially down in LA. i am a cynic. but i am learning just to keep my mouth shut.

[SilverPoly]

Sonic don't sweat it.

I think we all experience what you go through to some degree. It's understandable that we get flack from the general public, some adore us and others hate us.

Either way that's the price we pay to have fun in our cars. Just be cool out there.

[Sarah]

""The road between Vegas and SoCal is a different type of problem (felony truckers)""

What is a felony trucker?? That is the funniest thing I have read today.

S~

[cegerer]

Felony trucker? Need I say more .....

http://www.maskworld.com/display-product-full_151_6021_english_beard.html