Have you noticed....

[Cleon-Fonte]

I've noticed in the Daihatsu other road users will tend to treat me like total shit, pulling out of junctions at the last minute and forcing me to slow down, usually provoking me to use the (comically camp) horn and a flash of the lights. That and not moving out of the way on motorways. I guess people assume I'm some old giffer in a Japanese shopping trolley and I'm going to hold them up for the rest of the journey.

 

The SD1 only really gets trouble from the Barry Boy Brigade in their 1.2 Corsas or similar: either they assume it's a Rover and must be giffer-driven, and therefore has to be overtaken at all costs; or they assume it must be a fast car and therefore they must race me. Both can usually be dispatched quite easily with a little movement of my right foot. People do always seem keen to move out of my way on motorways/dual carriageways though.

 

The BX seems to appeal to the courteous and considerate side of other motorists, apart from the lane hogger in his Audi A6 1.9TDi who decided I must not pass him, at least not while he was making 'wanker' gestures and staring at me in his rear view mirror anyway. Not too much a problem if he hadn't continued like this for a good 10 miles.

 

I hate British roads when they have other people on them.

[Urko]

Why bother ?

Illogical illusion of progress - it's like the people who will push past you so you can all stand on the same Tube train, or the ones who's insistence on shoving their way off the plane first backfires when they are first on (and therefore last off) the bus they weren't expecting to have to get to the terminal

[DaveAspley]

I mostly drive a lot of crap cars , and the current company Rover 25 gets absolutely zero respect on the road. Tailgated , sneered at , boxed in , the lot. But occasionally I dream that I might stick to the arse of a 65 plate Mercedes up to well over a ton off the lights and be very amused if the driver happens to take great exception. I had a similar dream years ago where in I bang shifted a Yugo to glory past a then new 3 series.

[HH-R]

Illogical illusion of progress - it's like the people who will push past you so you can all stand on the same Tube train, or the ones who's insistence on shoving their way off the plane first backfires when they are first on (and therefore last off) the bus they weren't expecting to have to get to the terminal

 

I often overtake people on NSL roads going 35-45 MPH and sometimes see that they'll pull up behind me later on at a set of lights, but it does my box in sitting behind them, panic braking on every slight bend. Wouldn't tailgate then overtake on solid whites though...

[HH-R]

I don't notice much difference to how I'm treat in different cars TBH, see the same shit driving all the time. There was a guy in a new Astra yesterday on the A1 in the outside lane who got pulled out right in front of 3 times in a row.

[Lukas]

When I drive around in my Pajero V6, everyone is triying to get out in front of me because they think that I am slow. Sometimes when entering the Autobahn with a tailgater in the back, I am driving quite slow and when it gets to enter the traffic, I am accelerating up to an indicated 160km/h. Imagine how surprised drivers of modern cars with not so much hp look when the old and oh so slow 4x4 gets up to 160 km/h quite fast. 

 

When I drive my wifes grey 2010 Honda CRV with blacked out windows, its a different story. This car is so normal and so average that every other road user just leaves you alone. I find that quite relaxing. 

 

In the Buick, everyone´s looking and nobody is able to assess the character of the driver or how the car is driven or how it performs. Most people are just looking what it is. 

[rantingYoof]

Out of all the cars I've owned, the one that got the most "respect" was, unsurprisingly, Mason the LS400.

 

Being brutishly large, and with the bodywork relatively tatty, it oozed a "no fucks given" attitude, and I think most people, even in older cars, decided that they'd rather not risk having some LS400 paint buried into their doors/wings.

 

Mason was particularly good at dissuading the people who decided that, even when the blockage is on their side of the road, they are going to drive towards you and create a very tight passing space between the parked cars, themselves, and me. I had a few people quite obviously NOPE out of that decision before committing to it, as it was plainly obvious that if they misjudged the gap, only one of us would give a shit about the outcome.

 

Mason even managed to prevent someone doing a proper lane-belm on a roundabout - I noted them early, I could tell they were plotting something 'tarded, and then as they began the cheeky signal and swerve across my path they glanced right at my face over their shoulder and abrubtly bailed out. They ended up having to commit to a junction of the M1 - a 14 mile junction I hasten to add, and I doubt they were pleased. Being the mature sole that I am, I patted Mason fondly on the dashboard and congratulated him on ruining someone's day.

 

In contrast, the S60 is definitely treated by people in the same way they would treat a grey or silver BMW 320d - "it's obviously driven by a bellend so I'll give it wide berth".

 

Whilst I may not always debate the fact that I am, indeed, a bellend, I pride myself in at least not being a bellened behind the wheel of a car. However, I think I'll have to basically accept that the S60 is a knobhead wanker car, and my moniker on this very forum is particularly well chosen.

[Supernaut]

The bright green sports-spec Audi A4 attracted a LOT of dickheads.

 

The black road wars spec Omega? None at all.

 

Now I don't even have a car, so can't really get road rage. Hopefully I'll find something I want to buy soon.

[Uncle Jimmy]

I get no hassle at all in either of my elderly white vans, people are courteous, let me out of junctions, no tailgating goes on.

In the Toyota I get the occasional boy racer trying to race me or I get BMWAudiMercedes man up my arse trying to intimidate me because Im in a very small Japanese tin foil box.

In the Volvo many assume I must be woefully slow and have a surprise when the old bird kicks down and whooshes past!

[Uncle Jimmy]

Worst by far though is my Sprinter work van, even more so if I'm towing a trailer. I regularly get people pull out in front of me, cut in, can't be arsed to wait or give way, tailgating, you name it. Driving it gets stressful sometimes.

But, I try hard to ignore it now. I just cant be arsed rising to it anymore.

Interesting that the Sprinter arouses ire. Perhaps older, scabbier vans are more respected.

My swb T4 is mildly pineappled which may help.

[Urko]

 

Mason was particularly good at dissuading the people who decided that, even when the blockage is on their side of the road, they are going to drive towards you and create a very tight passing space between the parked cars, themselves, and me. I had a few people quite obviously NOPE out of that decision before committing to it, as it was plainly obvious that if they misjudged the gap, only one of us would give a shit about the outcome.

Hmmmm time to buy one of those I think.  I have never had a vehicle that successfully dissuaded people from doing that, and I haven't quite (yet) got the brass neck to close the gap so much one (or both) of us would have to stop.

[Timewaster]

Every twat in the world wants to race me in the Cosworth.

I can't be arsed and just let them go.

 

You can bet they are boring the tits off everyone at work for a week with their tale of how their 1.4 Astra beat a Cosseh.

 

*Actually it's been off the road for the last 3 years but I doubt it has improved.

[hauserplenty]

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=92Gi-5WoDBA

[sierraman]

Having driven a 1.4 Astra, I can tell you it couldn't win a raffle let alone a race. With anything.

[danthecapriman]

Interesting that the Sprinter arouses ire. Perhaps older, scabbier vans are more respected.

My swb T4 is mildly pineappled which may help.

I think it's probably more to do with the company branding and owner of the van! Electricity companies aren't exactly well thought of by many! Having company logos and phone numbers all over a big van in a distinctive livery means anything that happens, your fault or theirs, means it's easy for people to phone in a complaint.

Plus it's restricted to 70 which seems to really agrevate anyone in the outside lane.

[Timewaster]

All our company vans have Speed Monitored stickers on the back now after a guy in that London was pulled over and twatted by the angry prick behind, who got upset that he was obeying the speed limit.

[danthecapriman]

All our company vans have Speed Monitored stickers on the back now after a guy in that London was pulled over and twatted by the angry prick behind, who got upset that he was obeying the speed limit.

Ours are supposed to have the speed monitored stickers but mine got missed out somehow. It's due replacement soon anyway so probably not worth fitting one now.

Our vans have trackers too, they monitor our exact location, speed, cornering and braking forces etc. Does mean you've got to be very carefull what you do in them.

 

That's pretty extreme! Obeying the speed limit and getting a beating for it! There are some right arse holes around. I've had some crap before but never that bad.

[17-Coffees]

I used my Cappuccino as my daily car over the winter of 2014/15, during the evening rush hour traffic from the city center to work on the outskirts of Aberdeen. (Was okay on the drive home, finishing at 3:30am means no traffic) 

It was a nightmare, due to the size of the thing (or lack of size) people would just bully you all the time, pulling out in front of you at junctions, barging there way into your lane, etc. Keep in mind the cars lower than the average window line on modern hatchbacks....

I eventually just drove about with my window down all the time so I could shout abuse & give hand gestures at people. 5 times I ended up getting out and tapping on there window and asking stuff like "Are you fucking blind?". Only did that in extreme cases, such as when a car just pulled into my lane when we were side by side, with no indicator and near forcing me off the road.

 

With the Lexus, due to the size of it It get's respect though. 

[PhilA]

Last time I decided to visit the UK, I made a note that the driving test there should involve a full psychoanalysis of those intending on driving. The first question, multi choice, would be something involving the selection of vehicles. Q8/LR3/Cayenne/Qashqai is an immediate fail and optional prison time.

 

Any mid thirties office worker who ever owned a Nova and now drives an Audi or BMW get the same response as the above.

 

People here tend not to drive so angry. They do drive like careless twats but that's to be expected.

 

Driving the Silverado means I vanish into the background here and get treated the same as everybody else.

Driving the Challenger seems to attract the Japanese import crowd. Usually to tailgate then pass in a stupid place to get stuck between me and the car in front. Usually then they get dispatched rapidly with judicious application of loud pedal. Particularly as it accelerates from fifty at the same pace the Silverado does from a standstill...

 

The Renault is again different. People assume a slow, small car, especially with the horrible paint. Small, light with fairly decent torque and a low drag coefficient means that 120lbft/96hp are applied better at fifty than 250lbft/180hp in something with the same frontal area and weight of the Humber Bridge. The guy driving the new turbo diesel Dodge Ram who was screaming and pulling himself backwards and forwards by the steering wheel as I left him behind the faster we went was highly amusing. Inverse square law, knob-end!

 

I don't miss driving in the UK.

 

Phil

[jonny69]

When I drive my wifes grey 2010 Honda CRV with blacked out windows, its a different story. This car is so normal and so average that every other road user just leaves you alone. I find that quite relaxing. 

 

SWMBO's car has a blacked out rear window and, although it's pretty low on the local pecking order, something that almost never happens is tailgating. I genuinely think if your usual tailgater can't see you in the mirror to try to intimidate you to go faster, they don't bother. They can't see that their actions are having any effect.

 

*Actually it's been off the road for the last 3 years but I doubt it has improved.

 

Nothing has changed. See my earlier post

[Rocket88]

Buy something late model, powerful, and discreet.....put a few aerials on the roof, hang a hi-viz somewhere prominent, and wear a white collar and tie.............blue grille lights optional [and probably illegal]

[stripped fred]

SWMBO's car has a blacked out rear window and, although it's pretty low on the local pecking order, something that almost never happens is tailgating. I genuinely think if your usual tailgater can't see you in the mirror to try to intimidate you to go faster, they don't bother. They can't see that their actions are having any effect.

That's interesting. I think a lot of aggressive driving comes down to territory. We seem to become primeval behind the wheel. If you can't see the driver maybe there's no threat?

[Supernaut]

5 times I ended up getting out and tapping on there window and asking stuff like "Are you fucking blind?". Only did that in extreme cases, such as when a car just pulled into my lane when we were side by side, with no indicator and near forcing me off the road.

I can only imagine people's surprise (and then fear) on seeing somebody your size emerge from a Cappuccino looking rather pissed off!

[Guest Hooli]

Big dent in the passenger side of the zombie goona means no-one tries to block me out as I overtake them.

[UltraWomble]

People make stereotypical assumptions. Some people are twats, some are not. I tend not to lose too much sleep over it. some of the nicest people I know are murderers. Odd but true. Life is a bit fucked up really and society as a whole seems hell bent on being self serving and wanting something for nothing. I have no idea what the point of this is other than "try not to be that twat" and dont rise to twattish behaviour from others.

[forddeliveryboy]

Usually those who pull out in front of an old/small/scruffy/4x4/'obstacle' car are those whose driving skills are a bit lacking, and/or who have similar psychiatric probs as battery chickens. I don't let it bother me - half the time you end up overtaking further along the road.

 

I find a clean car helps, as does having headlamps on if it's a small car. Beyond the conscious, "oh shit, it's an old Ford coming, max speed 57mph must get in front" thinking, there's also a sub-conscious thing going on too. So a car which is perceived as seriously handicapped on a social scale is more likely to be treated with contempt as is one which screams, "I want to own half of what you see".

 

Something which seems to have grown in recent years is the inability to accept that somebody else wishes to travel faster than someone else, unless it's on a M-way. Ok, so road congestion is some areas is chronic but there, most sensible sorts realise this and sit, resigned, in the train of vehicles. But it's as if the Highway Code has introduced a new section, which says that any overtaking on roads other than multi-lane ones is very, very dangerous indeed.

[beko1987]

I don't get any of this in the zx, the white wing must give a 'don't give a fuck' impression.

 

I do like slowing down when someone is up my arse trying to overtake me on an un-overtakeable Road though, especially if I can see them giving me a look of disgust behind me... Thrn sometimes speed up a bit when they go for the overtake (don't worry, I never block the overtake as that would be silly) then slightly up their arse when they have to slow down due to the slower vehicle infront of me...

 

Or if the old girls being a bit smokey I'll drop a gear and cover thrm in clay, generally any tailgating stops then

[Bobthebeard]

Don't get any hassle when driving the old Prelude usually. People smile and let me out of junctions etc. Driving the modern Accord seems to render me invisible and rarely let out/in. Driving the NYPD Mercury results in massive other road user courtesy and driving the MG ZT just seems to invite other drivers to want to race or overtake...

So, yeah, I have noticed. Same bloke, different car, treated differently.

[dugong]

Most straight line heroes can't corner for toffee.

I've lost count of the number of times an angry office type has blasted past me on an NSL country road only to jump on the anchors around bends.

 

TL:DR People are shit and don't care about driving any more.

 

My pet hates include other drivers entering a motorway / dual carriageway slip road at 30 mph (then refusing to accelerate up to speed and knackering the flow of traffic up) and / or passing vehicles in the left hand lane 0.000000000000001mph faster than than the car they're overtaking (and knackering the flow of traffic up).

These same untermensch are usually the ones who light up your dashboard of an evening and then crawl past when you defer.

 

The 605 diesel gets bullied because it hasn't got the grunt to overtake much; the Piazza gets a lot of mither until people realise it can pass a lot of stuff in fourth and fifth (even though in absolute terms it's slower than a lot of mid-spec diesel repmobiles).

[Chris2cv]

I used to drive a van, and found that I drove far more assertively than in my own vehicles. Not aggressive, I don't get road rage and try to be pretty chilled behind the wheel, but a lot faster and less likely to let people out. People used to tailgate - a high top van without windows - don't know what they thought they would achieve, as I only saw them in occasional reflections.

 

 The moped is very slow, and I am first to admit it. I don't mind overtaking, but every road that I use has a 30 limit, it does about 28mph (eventually) so what really is the point? Virtually without fail I pass them again at the queues for the traffic lights - I passed a BMW three times in 2.6 miles yesterday, but he was absolutely determined to pass again! Of course he had more power, but he was caning his car, I was puttering along at about 25! 

     Similarly a couple of lycra clad cyclists took great delight in overtaking me as I approached the roundabout, before going straight across without a glance at the traffic, then straight through the red light the other side!  When I am on my way to work, I am not risking my life to be 10 seconds earlier! (and am usually 5 minutes late anyway!)  Not knocking cyclists in general, but do not understand the death wish SOME cyclists (and some motorcyclists) seem to have.

 

  The 2cv suffers with the tailgaters, the insecure who have to pass regardless of speed and then go slower than I was going anyway, and those who apparently can't see or hear it. If you can't see a bright red car, with stripy roof and loud shirted occupant singing bad music very loudly (that would be me!) should you really be on the road?

 

  The Clio is easily the fastest, but also the most invisible car. I don't really get problems in that. Used to get kids in their mum's poverty Fiestas and Corsas wanting to race, but I would have beaten them easily (TURBO diesel) and needed licence for my job. Got a bit close at one stage, closer than the company knows anyway! Don't do that sort of thing anymore, as long as you pass safely, I don't care!

 

 Just as a side note, when my '96 Rover 100 was a couple of years old, and I was wearing a white shirt, I found people were a lot more cautious around me! Sometimes wearing a back tie made it even more noticeable. I never suggested that I was police (plastic helmet or hi vis could get you in trouble) but it was interesting to see the effect. 

 

 Basically - same bloke driving 5 different vehicles to different responses from the public. Why can't we just get along?