How many rude encounters have you had because you drive a diesel?
 

How many rude encounters have you had because you drive a diesel?
It seems that everyone thinks that diesels are too slow to follow. I get people trying to cut in front of me way too often even if there's plenty of room behind me. I've been driving long enough to tell who will try. Fortunately I drive a turbo-diesel and when I see some SOB trying to cut in front of me I just speed up. I'm tired of their crap because if they do succeed cutting in front of me, they are on their brakes trying to avoid hitting the poor schmuck in front of them.
What have you encountered?

Try driving a VW camper bus!!! the only thing i've gotten was some dude( the second day i had the car) yelled at me "rich ass hole". all i could think was, so what if i am, your obviuosly not. any way i am not rich. this car is a 1980 $2000 car! If i didnt have any manners i would have told him to eff off. any way thats my story.
will

Well, I haven't had any over-the-top rude encounters. But you're right -- a lot of people do think that because you're driving ol' smoky they can do a fly around and cut you off.

Ever since I took ownership of my wagon I've had to reprogram my driving behavior: I don't try to overtake people unless it's absolutely necessary. I don't dart out into traffic. I give myself plenty of leeway to enter traffic. I try not to get worked up over the a-holes on SoCal streets and freeways.

But I've got to admit that every once in a while someone pushes my buttons just right and I release a billow on 'em, or I play Mr. Pokey Ole Driver and block 'em in!

I can't really say if the rude encounters are because of the Diesel or not. Seems to me that there is a high percentage of the drivers who are rude or just plain dangerous and that it just gets worse as you move toward a large city, in my case Dallas.

Comments I've gotten over the 30+ years of MB diesel driving have mostly been a lot of hands cupped over ears, suggesting that the engine was soooo quiet. NOT...... The only other one, and rarely heard, was when will you be mounting the snow plow!!

You are so right about rudeness increasing with proximity to the larger cities. Years ago, while driving a '29 Ford coupe, the person behind started honking their horn before the light even changed. So I proceded to stall the car, grab up the hand crank, slowly walk to the front and crank start it. Needless to say the light had turned red again before I returned to the cab and the heavy traffic had prevented Mr. hyperventillator from going around. Rude got rude, and yes I'm sure he thought it was a slowwwww old wreck.

Once a wench at a u-fill-um in Dickinson, TX suggested to the proprietor that, because I was obviously rich enough to drive a Mercedes, I could buy her gas for her.

I politely pointed out that my car was over 20 years old. Plus, I'd choosen to pay cash for it because I was smart enough to stay out of debt and not 'owe my soul to Detroit' like the majority of the lumpenproletariat.

The diatribe was probably lost on her because I don't think she made the connection.

Had two rude episodes that I remember. First one was when I had my '68 220D. One fellow passed me on the street holding his nose. But then again, the thing did smoke a bit.

Other encounter was much, much worse. Left work on a very cold day. This was with my '80 240D stick shift. I work at a well know NASA center in SoCal. There seem to be an abundance of eco-freaks that work there too. Anyway, I got a letter in the mail about a week later from the state saying that I had to take my car to a licensed mechanic and have my car checked because it smoked excessivly.

I called the number on the form and asked what was going on. It seems that here in California, if you see a car on the road that smokes or smells a lot, you can call it in and the powers-to-be will jump all over the owner to get it fixed.

I explained to the lady that I was driving a diesel, it was cold, I had just stated driving after the car sat all day, etc. She said all was okay and that most people don't understand that diesels work that way and smoke under heavy load, especially when not fully warmed up. She said not to worry.

When I was entering the highway after a WOT acceleration beacuse of long string of cars behind me, a guy in a F350 Powerlesstroke doing 65MPH passed me not only on the sholder, but the entire truck on the grass to get by me. Afterwards, he procedes to TRY and do a smokescreen on ME (I had not yet installed mine). I never cought up because of traffic, but I only regret not taking down his license plate.

I was going up the street from my home when I spotted a caravan coming in the other direction right in the middle of the road. Cut me off, forsed me onto the dirt and as she went by she gave me a dirty look. I know her as a person from our area and asked some friends about her. It seems some folks think my 83 300sd means i'm rich and snobie. I had the same thing happen about a week later. Now when I see her coming I slow way down and keep right, as I must remember anger is better left to saner men. steve

RICH !!! Man, I can't believe this. I have three personal cars (wife has one too and I also have one collector car that doesn't count), two 83 MB's, a 300D and an 83 CD and an 89 Mazda 929. Total them altogether and you'd be hard pressed to break $5,000. Hell, people are spending near 30K for the suv wildebeasts. Rich, jeez, I drive an old MB because it's good on fuel and after all, if your gonna drive and old car, why not an old car with at least a little bit of coolness.

It's not just diesels, but I had another contractor from work fly past me going out the gate today (driving the 300D, probably faster than his silly S10 anyway) -- he smoked the tires at every light all the way through town like an idiot. I didn't try to keep up, too many kids on the street in that part of town, I have NO desire to squash a child at any time!

I had someone try to fly past and cut me off Monday in the 280, too -- I guess he though stomping the gas would put him in the clear. I was accelerating "normally" -- meaning gradual accelerator application, that beast gets bad enough milage as it is, but gave the old girl a bit more as he blew past. Sure enough, he flipped on his turn signal and swerved over just as my headlight passed his bumper. Scared the s...t out of him when I laid on that big two-toned horn in his ear! I was beside him by that time and not moving over -- I want someone else to buy the new fender I need on that side, and an idiot chaging lanes without checking will work fine.

I noticed he kept a good distance between us the rest of the way out of town.....!

Peter

Really just one in the 300CD...
 

someone complained about the smoke (a problem I've never had with the 240). I've since learned that less accelerator pressure can moderate the clouds a bit from cumulus to cirro-stratus.

HAVE had trouble driving antique cars...
 

People don't realize they don't start/stop/turn on a dime. Driver's view from a '49 Packard is eye-to-eye with Mr. SUV.

Complaint in general is deterioration of road manners, period.

I agree; for the most part it's just that there are too many jackasses on the roads, not anything to do with our diesels. Many times while getting on the freeway I've had people in trucks and SUVs in the onramp behind me cut into the freeway early and try to pass me, shoving me onto the shoulder. I don't get on slowly (my wagon has plenty of oomph and I have a lead foot); I think they feel the need to prove their 10 ton, 50 thousand dollar ride can outdo an old station wagon...

Speaking of which, has anyone else noticed lots of ads for "small-size" SUV's lately? They sure look a hell of a lot like my wagon... :rolleyes:

The only real "rude" encounter I've had that actually involved my diesel was with an animal rights activist on a corner protesting the circus... I stopped at the light and honked as her sign requested (not a big fan of the circus myself) and she shouted to me "Diesel??" And shook her head disappointedly after I nodded.

"Oh well," she said, in a we can't all be perfect sort of tone.

Lately biodiesel and veggy conversions have been getting a lot of press around here; hopefully now her reaction would be better informed and much different :)

There may have been many, for all I know, over the past 16 years from fellows tailgating me in their BMWs, but I coudn't see their extended digits for the smoke cloud that ensued when I dropped her to third.