I'm not trying to be mean, but that was your mistake right there. If you didn't try to confront him, you wouldn't have been going over red line, doing j-turns, putting unnecessary wear and tear on your car in addition to probably almost getting yourself killed by messing with some maniac like that. I know there's been times where I've wanted to ride someone's bumper because they cut me off, slam my brakes on a tailgater or confront them because they almost caused me to have a wreck, but I'm not going to stoop down to their level and try to confront them, and I'm in Texas, guns everywhere, and I don't want to experience getting shot by some dumb driver.

Yeah, I agree, it's time to leave L.A. Other places aren't that much better though. There's dumb drivers everywhere. This is why I support a plan to require all persons who want a driver's license to take a series of written courses paid for by their OWN money and a whole bunch of driving tests before they can get licenses, I would say that they would have to score at least 85% or higher on all tests, make the standards high and filter out a bunch of potential bad drivers.

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'81 MB 300SD, '82 MB 300D Turbo (sold/RIP), '04 Lincoln Town Car Ultimate

Sooner or later every car falls apart, ours does it later!
-German Narrator in a MB Promotion Film about the then brand new W123.

here.

make it a lot harder to get a license. it is so in germany. one reason they can get away with an autobahn with no speed limits.

folks dont think they have a right to pirate the left lane and go slow, ...hell you could die there by doing that!

not much different in italy. they have a posted limit but nobody pays any attention to it. woe to you if you loiter in the left lane.

tom w

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[SIGPIC] Diesel loving autocrossing grandpa Architect. 08 Dodge 3/4 ton with Cummins & six speed; I have had about 35 benzes. I have a 39 Studebaker Coupe Express pickup in which I have had installed a 617 turbo and a five speed manual.[SIGPIC]

..I also have a 427 Cobra replica with an aluminum chassis.

I highly doubt the guy had insurance but I would have stripped every penny from him to afford shiny new "finn-tastic" twin turbo OM606 W116 with police style push bars in front and a reinforced rear bumper with MP5's affixed to every interior door

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1974 240D 3.0L 4(M) - 250K -OM617.910 + 300D FW + Rajay turbo power!
1977 6.9 3(A) - 84k

H-town, I know that was the mistake hence pointing that out at the beginning. In this town which I am sure is not unique but if you're hit you're screwed and you have to pay for it which on a $1k car I would have had to angrily junk the car. Since the chance of a runner is VERY VERY high the only thing one can do is chase the car down. In a 240D that's a tall order.

I am proud that my 31 year old car held its own even with tall tires and didn't have any oil starvation issues. I am impressed by the fact that the car can hold its own without ever previously pushing the car to the limits. I might have to design a special medal for it for today's bravery.

Regardless, the lesson is learned although I am sure if someone was TRYING to injure you your testosterone would be through the ceiling. I drive very conservatively and use my turn signals so why does that make me a target....I don't think that's idealistic....well maybe it is but I know this doesn't happen day in and day out elsewhere. I'd be elated if people would just stay in their own space....being a good driver is just asking for waaaay too much.

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1974 240D 3.0L 4(M) - 250K -OM617.910 + 300D FW + Rajay turbo power!
1977 6.9 3(A) - 84k

Ohh man I have epic day dreams about this kind of stuff. I build and drive demolition derby cars and I can just picture myself taking out his rear tires with the corner of my bumper and taking out his radiator with my rear. and then I realize oh yeah, this is a diesel mercedes that we're talkin about. Not a 79 buick estate wagon with a 460 and fatty headers coming out of the hood, full posi welded differential and pre bent rear frame rails....oh well. I'll take 'em anyway.

Scary...

...I wait for the day a driver tries to "chase me down because they are throwing a fit"...

I don't get confrontational for people who screw with me in traffic..I let my horn do the talking (and boy does it like to talk).

Last person that tried to follow me (becuase I was driving around his neighborhood?) was in a Chevy blazer and I was in my 300SD.

I went down a gravel road and I guess 45mph wheel spin + windshield of blazer = they stop following you?

The police of course got called...my plate was invisible through the dust/gravel and I was on the backroads home by the time he called in the "car prowl"...

Right...that YAMHILL COUNTY SEARCH AND RESCUE sticker on the back means nothing?! Jerks.

Next time...lay into the horn for a good 3min...

If he makes chase...smile and wave...never seen anything piss someone hot headed like that off more than just smiling and maintaining...its a beautiful feeling...you are calm..collected...happy...and they are enraged of the fact

I spent years in New York City driving all over the place and never encountered the aggressive driving I now have seen in Southern California and Las Vegas. Lately I've been there a lot. It really amazes me how really awful the driving habits are out there. Don't kid yourself, New York is rough too, but I never felt disadvantaged there by my lack of aggression.

Even though it's cold here in Iowa in the winter, the roads are pretty good, and mostly empty.

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DS
2010 CL550 - Heaven help me but it's beautiful
87 300D a labor of love
11 GLK 350 So far, so good
08 E350 4matic, Love it.
99 E320 too rusted, sold
87 260E Donated to Newgate School
www.Newgateschool.org - check it out.
12 Ford Escape, sold, forgotten
87 300D, sold, what a mistake
06 Passat 2.0T, PITA, sold

Las Vegas NV

Now let's see; in your own words you pushed him over into oncoming traffic because you changed lanes. I think you really pissed him off because you were clearly in the wrong according to the law. If an accident happened during your lane change you would clearly be at fault.
Put yourself in his seat... I'm just toolin along minding my own business and this jerk in an old slow mercedes smoker diesel moves right into my lane ...INTO ME!.. Man I almost went head on with oncoming traffic. Then the mercedes jerk catches me and flips me off!!??? WTF is his problem?! At that point I just lost it! I chased him down to let him know what a jerk he is.
See; there are alway 2 sides to the story.
IMHO- Uncooperative idiot jerk drivers are everywhere; they are not going away. This is a fact of life. We need to live with them and let them get away with crap because anything we do won't change them, we can't control thier brains. They usually get old and slow down and meanwhile get lot's of tickets & have high insurance rates & ulcers.
But we can be mature; control our own reactions & thoughts and let the infractions go, forgive and be happy.
Just my 2cents.

This is very true.

After taking my psychology courses....I now look upon situations like these with a more unbiased view.

Attemping to get a rise out of me (using conventional meathods which works on most drivers) just makes me laugh and ends up pissing the agressor off even more.

Had someone brake checking me on my way to school today...when they realized that I was smiling and NOT going to play their game (ie...I didn't brake when they did) they knocked if off. Probably pissed as all get out but I didn't blow a vein over it

Yes I could have been too close...but with no cars in front of him, and he traveling at the same speed of traffic on the right, he should have been in the right lane (especially in the 3 lane section). I do the same in the event I have to drive slow for some reason...get out of everyones way.

Like I said...grin and enjoy the drive...let them do the fussing.

I try to avoid using the finger...the horn works much better and is legal

I carry my 45ACP one in the pipe, cocked and locked with three loaded clips tucked under the seat. It's like American Express (I don't leave home with out it.)

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1983 300-D turbo
1985 300-D turbo
1959 Harley Panhead chopper
1929 Ford coupe restored
I hang out with Boneheaddoctor at Schuman Automotive OBK#5
All liberals are mattoids but not all mattoids are liberal.

Glinko you've got potential.

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1983 300-D turbo
1985 300-D turbo
1959 Harley Panhead chopper
1929 Ford coupe restored
I hang out with Boneheaddoctor at Schuman Automotive OBK#5
All liberals are mattoids but not all mattoids are liberal.

Was chased by a woman that was off her medication - all over north Dallas. She was a mental patient. She tried to ram my car twice. I did unholster my weapon, but decided to try and get help before drastic action. Called the cops from a pay phone as she circled the block. No help....so advised the police that I was legally armed and would shoot if I had to. So on next circle the block, I made like Mario Andretti and dissappeared on her. Thank God I did not have to shoot her.

Second time was when a drug dealer/user pulled a gun on me. He was paranoid (cocaine does that), and would try and run you off the road if you got beside him or pull a gun on you. Had some 3 X 5 recipe cards--stiff and good to write on-- and filled out his description and tag number.....dropped it off on highway 30 state patrol office. Checked on it about 6 months later at the same office. Seems they used my report as just cause for a car stop. Then the drug dog went off. Then they tore apart the guys car. Then the impound and drug charges and weapons charges. He is currently visiting Bubba down at Huntsville,TEXAS (state facility for the wayward criminal) and will be for about the next 15 years ---earliest parole.

Try all alternatives (if you have time) first before using a weapon.

Regards

Run-Em
1983 300 S D -aka- SPARKY THE DIESEL

Yes. Been there before. Live around the Boston area for awhile, you see your fair share. I'm usually going too fast for people to bother me on the highway, though.

Sometimes, you NEED to get out of a dangerous situation briskly. You can report a person's LP#, however, what does that do for you in the present. Some jerk is playing chicken with you, trying to run you off the road. You need to do some quick thinking.

There was one fellow on Rt 1 southbound where you come to a 2:1 merge(after 107 in Seabrook). This jackass comes out of nowhere, just as I'm merging and comes within .5 inch of striking the driver's side mirror of my SDL. He refuses to back off, and at the time, is actually riding on the left side of the road. He proceded to swerve into me. If I hadn't cut the wheel sharply to the right(gracing grass clippings), he could've ruined the side of my car. I had had enough. I had to get away from this maniac.

I put the pedal down to the floor past kickdown, dropped to 2nd gear, and held the selector in "2" and manually shifted to third at 53 mph. I was gone. Makes one wonder how many corrupt individuals there are out there. Is it coincidence that they're ALL FROM MASSACHUSETTS?

He caught up to me(must've been going 70 mph, this in a 35 mph zone), and tried glueing himself to my bumper. I led him to the Seabrook Police Station. He didn't follow me in, naturally.

In retrospect, it probably would've been prudent to hit the brakes, and turned around right then. But, in these critical situations, the adrenaline takes over. I have young blood, I am irrational, and have ever so much to learn about driving behaviour. I can admit to that, and to my mistakes.

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1987 300SDL (324000)

1986 Porsche 951 (944 Turbo) (166000)

1978 Porsche 924 (99000)

1996 Nissan Pathfinder R50 (201000)

I like that idea...

Drive them to the police station

Mr Kenny, the situation was on the contrary. This was in mid afternoon heavy street traffic. I was IN FRONT of the car merging into the left lane and had already merged into the lane when the car behind unecessarily sped up and went around me in the oncoming lane and then swerved back into my lane to miss an oncoming car AFTER I had already completed the merge. He came coming within inches.....I could have removed his gas cap if I had extended my arm halfway out the window. I am not a slouch driver. This guy was being a super a-hole and I wasn't driving slow. This all happened at 35mph and he was clearly at fault although it would be hard for him to explain why there is body damage on the left side of my car when i am driving IN the left lane!! Even then he would have run guranteed and I would have had a damaged car so that wasn't a favorable condition either way on my part.

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1974 240D 3.0L 4(M) - 250K -OM617.910 + 300D FW + Rajay turbo power!
1977 6.9 3(A) - 84k