Man I see stuff crazier and worse than most of this on a weekly basis. During my commute, I usually see at least one person a week blasting up the shoulder kicking up rocks and dust over 70mph just so they can pass a few cars. I see people every day who will get into lanes that are about to end so they can pass a few cars then force their way back in. People around here often will tailgate closer than they can park. I swear some of these jerks will tailgate so badly that they ask me to change the radio station. On the way home I usually just sit in the left lane and move with traffic. I'll only move to the right to pass if there is some idiot really going slow. I'll often see some car weaving around in the right lanes blasting past people only to get stuck in traffic and a minute later there they are blasting past me on the right again. It can be really hard to maintain calm in the face of such anger and stupidity. I mean these dip$h!ts can't be ignored either you have to make sure they don't wrap you up in some horrible accident. When someone does something really stupid or dangerous it is scary. to quote yoda, "fear leads to anger, anger leads to hatred, hatred leads to suffering." which is how I feel when I get home. Though with rare exception I don't think that any of this has anything to do with the car I am driving, except that in my car I can do battle with any of them. If I am motoring along in the fast land following another car at a reasonable distance and some prick in an SUV/truck/ricer/bmw/whatever tailgates me the passes on the right and tries to cut in front of me. In the 911 I can slam the door shut with the slightest movement of my right toe. Once I give into that impulse to block them because I think they don't deserve to pass me like that, then there they are tailgating me even worse now, which makes me even madder, which makes me want to get on the brakes, which is a very dangerous game. In the Volvo, I can't really do any of this and my clutch foot doesn't get tired and I arrive home refreshed.

I started this just to add my $0.02, but you got my $2.02!

Another MA guy tuning in:

I get the full gambit of responses. From people telling me they think the car is sweet, to racing, to being unussually obnoxious. Thursday night there were three chicks in a Mustang GT Conv that wanted to race, although I didn't race I always stayed at least 1 - 2 feet in front of them - just for kicks. How about the person in traffic that just has to get around you for no reason and when they can't they swear at you - this doesn't happen in kiki. Sometimes people go nuts when they see it, other ask why american is good enough, of which I have several good response. I don't know and I don't really care - I think the Porsche is an amazing car. I gave a friend a ride home the other day after work, he doesn't like cars none the less expensive ones, and I almost think he got it - who knows.

There my .02 -

Anthony

As Falstaff said, "They hate us youth!"

Stay mellow and don't excite the masses. I equate driving to molecules: when one gets excited it seems all others react the same way. I stay low and pick my times to drive fast. Remember also that the current economy is such that many folks cannot afford much - they see a Pcar and you are seen as one who is floating on other's misery. Irrational yes, but you must see through their eyes to understand their response. Just don't drink their KoolAid...

I also smile a lot and give folks the thumb's up on their rides, even the ricers. I learned this years ago when I trained on my bicycle for races. You must be upbeat and self-deprecating or you will catch much ****e.

Finally, you can defuse the worst of them with a license plate surround that is a bit self-mocking. I am thinking of several right now:

= Caution! Drive wrenches own ride!
= You are looking at 5K and hard work
= My other cars looks like a Porsche too
= It's just a VW and a half...

John

ah-hemm.......

Ummm....My daily driver and 911 tow vehicle is a crewcab turbo diesel Pickup....:rolleyes:

I just drive like a jackass and don't worry about it.

I get my share of irate drivers. It all evens out in the end; some of them are justifiably pissed. But I don't go out of my way to piss anyone off. I always signal and avoid cutting people off.

And I never, never give a ricer a race. They don't deserve it. Get a real car, punk.

:D :D :D :D

I feel the same way.

I had an interesting experience in my white 911 cab a couple weeks ago. I was going to meet some buddies for an afternoon beer at an outdoor bar in Tiberon, CA (a VERY upscale neighborhood). As I was getting off the highway, I got on it a little bit, but nothing crazy, and I certainly don't think I cut anyone off... Never went over 75mph - no way.

Anyway, at a stoplight about two blocks from the exit ramp, a mid 40's guy and his wife in a huge Lexis SUV pull up next to me, and the guy says (I have my top down) "Hey, nice move back there on the highway." So I say, "Thanks" because I don't know what he's talking about. So he says, "Yeah, going over 100mph, almost causing several accidents, real nice." Then his wife gets into it, wagging her finger at me. She says, "You know, I got rear-ended FOUR TIMES in the last year from people doing exactly what you just did!" To which I replied, "You got hit four times in one year? That sounds like a lot. Are you sure it isn't something YOU are doing wrong?" To which they both had no reply for a second or two - and the light turned green, so I drive off.

Well, these two follow me about 5 miles to the public parking lot I'm going to. I was walking away from my car (I left the top down) and saw them pull into the lot. Figuring this guy was enough of a jerk to do something to my car, I walk back to the car and put the top up. As I'm locking my door, not one, not two, but THREE police cars pull up and bascially surround my car!

The first cop that gets out is a young guy and is really nice. I tell him EXACLTY what happened and what I said. They asked me if I'd been drinking, blah, blah, blah.

They asked me if I used any profanity because "that's illegal" (what????)

Anyway, to make what is getting to be a very long story a little shorter, they went and talked to the jerk who followed me, calmed him down, then let me go and thanked me for being cooperative.

Would this have gone down the same way if I was driving a Tercel instead of the 911? Who knows...

Dean

"Since I started driving 911, other drivers hate me"

It's not hate...it's envy:p

Dean... good story. Of course it had to do with the 911...made you an easy target.

That couple will learn some day, not to approach strangers like that with accusations...

Just a quick story. Two weeks ago, on the way in to work in my SILVER 911, I'm travelling in the left lane with about six cars, all passing a semi. A guy in a blue Geo Metro races up on my tail to the point where I can't see anything but his windshield. I can't go any faster due to traffic ahead. This guy is weaving around being obnoxious, for about a mile. Finally, I drop the throttle just a tad to give him the signal to back off. Well, he proceeds to whip into the slow lane and try to get around me. There is no place for him to go but man, he's working that three cylinder hard. I deicide to close the gap in front becuase I had become frustrated with his tailgating. He proceeded to "force" his way in front of me anyway. I layed on the horn and this guy just goes ballistic. Flipping me off and having a total convulsive fit in his seat. It was kinday funny to watch. I rode the horn for several hundred feet and he continued to just flip out. I started laughing so hard! It was probably the best retaliation I could have come up with. Hopefully I made the guy feel like the total idiot he was.

Troy

I have to agree that similar things have happened to me when driving the 911. I've had SUVs flash me or flip me off when I passed them with plenty or room and turn-signal, people have gotten pissed off and honked at me just for passing them, etc. I believe it has to do with envy and jaleousy, I never get that treatment when I drive my Mitsubishi SUV. It's funny when I know that my car cost half for what they paid for theirs, but they think I spent $100k or something. Either way f*** them, I hate all these LA drivers, can't wait to go back to Germany and drive on nice roads with decent respectful people.

You can say that again. I drove in 24 hours from the south of France, through Germany to the Nurburgring 1 year ago, and it was the most pleasant driving I've done in my life.

People maintain safe distances, keep right except to pass, and safely drive the speeds they want to drive, without pileups, without a self-appointed speed monitor purposely blocking them, and without someone unexpectedly pulling into their lane with no indicator. No cell phones in drivers' hands, no gigantic lattes on the dash.

It was great. Then I got back here and realized just how terribly we drive in the US. My all time worst peeve is the no-turn-signal thing. It's such a small amount of effort to use those things, and not using them demonstrates such an utter lack of respect for other motorists.

Gotta get off the soapbox now...I'm starting to clench. :eek:

Nice work, Troy. I wish I could have seen the guy's face! I love it when guys like that get all jacked up and you couldn't care less... :)

yeah.. I always flip off the 911 drivers.. thay suck! hahhaa they think they own the road.

Eric

Billy,

Man, I am really sorry.

Troy

coming from a blue collar background but doing ok now, I've never seen or talked with these kinds of people and am still amazed at stories like this. I pray I never make it to these circles.

These stories would make a great coffee table book.

Billy,

Absolutely classic post! I can only imagine what the BMW, Mercedes, Range Rover, etc. etc. dealers go through here in Marin - you've given us a taste.

I wouldn't want to live any place else (location, location, location), but we are certainly surrounded by pompous finger pointers.

BTW - I heard that you can (for like $10) get the name and address of someone if you know his license plate number. I remember the plate of the a-hole who followed me and called the police. It would be nice to know where he lives...

Anyone know how to get that info?

That's the funniest thing I've heard in 10 years.http://www.pelicanparts.com/support/smileys/happy.gif

Glad this came up because it has been on my mind the last couple of weeks.

Driving home through traffic in a spirited fashion, but not dangerous by any means. Got the top down, the kids in the back and we are all singing to the radio.

At the red light some guy in a big SUV asks if those are my kids with me. I say "Yeah" and he starts lecturing me about my driving. Honestly, I never even came near this guy or his car. I don't even know why he is mouthing off.

So on the green light he revs up beside me and then cuts me off - on purpose of course - with a lane change that does nothing for him. Then he slams on the brakes to try and hook me with his trailor hitch.

Hello? Did we not just determine these are my kids in the car? F**king idiot.

The environment nazis here in Northern California have come up with something that can help relieve just the slightest bit of the type of anger you must be feeling, C.H.

It's called 1-800-EXHAUST. It's a hotline for reporting smoking vehicles, and it works sort of like a speed-camera in that when someone reports your car, you are mailed a citation and you have to prove your innocence (smog check) or pay a hefty fine.

So, when someone cuts me off like that, I could simply pick up the cell phone, call 1-800-EXHAUST, and report the "smoking" vehicle in front of me. Not that I would ever do that, though...

Since the citation will say the date and place they were reported, you get the added bonus that the a-hole might actually REMEMBER what happened there on that date, and he'll know you got the best of him.

Ah, it's the little pleasures in life that make a big difference.