Must be the car...

BlkBird · 10-19-2004, 10:37 AM

I know we've all had this experience before so maybe my wife is right when she says "It must be the car".

Out for a nice country drive last Sunday. Just driving along enjoying the fall colours, chill in the air and the sound of the exhaust burbling.

Come to a series of passing lanes and the guy in front of me keeps pulling left to pass slower moving cars. Of course he himself isn't going that much faster so it takes a while for him to get around. But no biggie, not in much of a rush this day.

Final car in the train and now numbnuts decides that he isn't going to let me pass him. So he starts his pass and then slows down enough to try and block me between him and the slower car. Now what's up with that? Why is he busting my balls? Well you'll note I did say he tried to block me in. As those of you who have Turbos know, or those of you who have driven my dear Blkbird, well when she gets on boost she GETS ON BOOST. Good thing he had his windows down or I'd have shattered the glass going by.

Next thing I know he is tailgating me. Doesn't he know that he is catching up only because I'm off the throttle? As we go through a series of traffic lights he is pulling up in the lane next to me, staring straight ahead. Okay, got a little ego problem happening.

Three times this guy tries to get in front (ba-ha-ha). Finally he turns off to go who knows where.

So why do I say it must be the car? Because it happend two (2) more times on this same journey! Some country boy in an old Monte Carlo tries to play. And then some other guy in a noisy Mustang. Honestly I didn't do anything to encourage these folks. And by the time the guy in the Mustang wanted to play I was getting fed up with it all. Well, except for the part with the sonic shockwave

I can't figure it out though. At best these guys beat a 15 year old Porsche. And at worst, and most likely, the Turbo waxes their butt. Do they get to brag to their buddies "Hey I almost beat a Porsche?"

Teutonics · Teutonics's Garage

Hey Chris, I saw you turning from McGinnis onto Peachtree Parkway a week or so ago... would have honked and waved but don't think you would have recognized me in the wife's minivan.

I think these jerks have pre-determined stereotypes of the drivers of certain types of cars. I get the worst aggressive driver incidents while driving the minivan (which I hate driving, BTW)... cut off, tailgaiting, speed up when trying to pass, risky pass manuevers, etc. Much worse than my daily driver, an OBVIOUS difference. What makes it worse is my kids are in the car while these a-holes are trying to boost their egos!

Fender-mount machine guns should be allowed for approved drivers (like me)!

Maybe they like to brag to their buddies "Hey I beat a minivan!"?

K. Roman · K. Roman's Garage

The guy in the Monte Carlo was me! I was trying to catch you to let you know you left your gas cap at the station!!!

sammyg2 · 10-19-2004, 01:16 PM

Chris, your car is obviously a troublemaker. I suggest you ship to me and I promise I will watch it and keep it out of trouble

masraum · 10-19-2004, 01:24 PM

I used to get lots of that sort of stuff in my no-tail narrow body '88. It's the car. Some people really show their stupidity around 911's.

BlkBird · 10-19-2004, 01:26 PM

That's it Steve (Masraum)! It's the big tail that puts them off!

SpeedracerIndy · 10-19-2004, 01:33 PM

Oh man, I was just complaining to my buddy about this on Saturday as we drove around, how irritating!! I had three separate people try to "race" me from a stop light within 1 hour of driving around town. 99% of the time I just ignore them, and it happens A LOT. One dumb a$$ who had been tail gating me for about a mile decided to passed me on the schoulder to get in front of me!!! He was in his 'hemi' and I guess he thought he was going to show that old Porsche who was only doing 10 over the speed limit. Well, this was one of those 1% exceptions I had to make. Let's just say that before I was even out of 1st gear he was a spec in my rear view mirror. Deffinately the car though, my daily driver Mitsubishi does not attract such attention.

Adam · Adam's Garage

Try living with a bright yellow 911! I think part of is other drivers just trying to razz us into stretching our car's legs and putting on a little show. I remember, as a kid peering out of the back seat windows of the family car and whenever I saw a 911, I'd pray that the driver would floor it and race off into the distance, deafening me with the boxer scream - and if he did, I'd dream about that display for months.

I remember those guys, so I try to return the favour for today's kids. If they wave or point, I tend to wave or toot and, where safe, give the car a little burst. They love it.

What really worries me are the Gimps driving old beaters following too close, whose cars clearly cannot brake like a 911. I tend to get away from those bums as quick as I can. I've been hit twice by the brainless housewife brigade ("Oh, I'm sooooo sorry. My husband's going to kill me!") so I drive as defensively as I can and avoid driving in the rain completely, as that's the witching hour for 911s.

Those morons just can't help themselves...

mmm · 10-19-2004, 03:53 PM

The best way to deal with such behavior is just to turn the other cheek and drive even more "like a grandma" in such situations in my experience. It's hard sometimes, but seems to be best. You know, just take on the attitude that you at least have nothing to prove other than to demonstrate that you have nothing to prove. Just makes the morons come off as morons all the more.

rcm · 10-19-2004, 04:15 PM

Same thing with the wife about a month ago. Gentleman in a early '70s Charger. Passed us in a passing zone making all kinds of noise and looking over at us. Thehn he would slow down in other passing zones and try to get me to go around. I hung back until his car (running rich) became stinky. I think he was suprised to see the little b*tch goes.

masraum · 10-19-2004, 04:44 PM

About 2 weeks ago it was a nice Sat night, so the wife and I went out for a drive in the miata to the same area that we used to go in the 911. It's fairly quiet with very little traffic and winds around a college campus and then through a nice park with lots of green and trees and some easy curves. As we got to the nice part of the drive I came up behind a mustang (don't forget, in a stock miata) and as I got within about 2 car lengths he gunned it so I let off, slowed down, and dropped back some. He followed suit, but I managed to stay behind for a while, so I started gradually speeding back up to normal speed, I actually passed him slowly and was pulling away when from behind the car I hear him hit the gas, fortunately I was at a point where I could cross over the curbed grass median so I hit the brakes and hung a quick U-turn. I think it surprised him a bit since the miata will respond just as quick or faster to that sort of thing than a 911 since it's so light. Surprised the wife a bit too, but I went back to the next point where I could turn around and hung another U-turn since by that time he was long gone. What a Pain in the azz.

In the 911 it was the same type of thing, but much more often, and often really crappy cars. I remember a drunk guy in an '80's caddy that was running so rich that it looked like a diesel with his two kids standing up and jumping on the seats. He passed me on the interstate going about 100 the last time I saw him.

rrpjr · 10-19-2004, 04:46 PM

Quote:

The best way to deal with such behavior is just to turn the other cheek and drive even more "like a grandma"

Agreed. I drive steadily slower, but with a faint and I daresay faintly self-satisfied smile.

beamonk · 10-19-2004, 07:27 PM

Try driving in alabama on a Saturday night. Boy the idiots are everywhere!

CRH911S · 10-19-2004, 07:45 PM

I guess it's the same everywhere you go. What is it about small cars that gets under the skin of rednecks in pickups is anyone quess. Just have to play it cool or whip em into submission. Usually this is done at high speed in a turn which usually means understeer for the big 4x4's.

geof33 · 10-19-2004, 07:53 PM

Had a bonehead try to play in a raised Jeep last winter on a curvy pass... He almost rolled it, he was on two for a split second. As much as I hate to admit it, I wish he had rolled, lesson learned... I wasn't even working it... Oh well. Natural selection at it's finest...

k9handler · 10-19-2004, 09:42 PM

it's the car...paint it baby ***** yellow and people will leave you alone. I know what my car can do so I just drive and let everyone else wonder about it.

Tinton · 10-19-2004, 09:42 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Adam Chaplin
I remember those guys, so I try to return the favour for today's kids. If they wave or point, I tend to wave or toot and, where safe, give the car a little burst. They love it.

I do the same. It's almost criminal if you own a 911 and don't put on a display for children.

stomachmonkey · 10-20-2004, 05:20 AM

It's the car. I was recently tooling along the highway minding my own business. In my rearview I see a Mitsu cutting through traffic like an idiot.

Eventually he catches me, passes me a bit and then slows down to pull even.

Out of the corner of my eye I can see he and his buddy looking over at me goading me to race.

This is a road that is known for a lot of police activity and we are already doing 80 so bad idea.

I look over at the guy, make eye contact, look his car over from back to front, look back at him and started laughing, looked straight a head and continued to laugh.

The guy was so PISSED. He pulled off at the next exit.

It was a fun safe way to handle it.

Scott

creaturecat · 10-20-2004, 08:03 AM

usually(quite often) when this happens to me the harrassing vehicle is a F250/F350 Ford. For some reason thay like to tailgate or get as close as they can at a red light.This is what happened to me last week-i pass a car that is going 40mph in a 50 - the elderly woman passes 3 signs saying"slower vehicles stay in right lane" I patiently wait for an opportunity to pass on the rhs.waiting for everyone else to pass while she is hitting the shoulder and throwing rocks at the H-4's I finally pass her,check my mirror-somehow a red mini van manages to squeeze in behind me-he proceeds to get approx 6 feet off my bumper -all i can see is his grill.i speed up to get out of his way and move to the right-boom on go the hidden police lights - instant $200.00 fine and 3 points.

GFORCED · 10-20-2004, 08:15 AM

Yeah, I have a new story every day.

Once had a guy going to church in a suit and tie driving a station wagon loaded with flowers do the same, after I passed him he got on my tail about 10 inches close so I hit the brakes. The church goer turned into the devil and wanted to kill me. He tried cutting me off nearly hitting me swearing and yelling like I had killed his kid.

One interesting point was when I was driving a friend and we were on the street and he noticed a car cutting me off, then another and he said, "They don't give you any respect in this car, huh?"

I replied, "Just jealosy."