Aggressive Drivers - A Pattern? - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

alamostation · #1 05-21-2008, 11:52 AM

When I was driving the 300SDs, aggressive drivers never bothered me. If they were tailgating, a little brake and gas pedal together would flash the lights and create a nice black smelly cloud. No more problem.

Now with $4.30 diesel, 90+ degree temps and no time to fix the A/C in the Benzes, I'm driving a car so small I can rest my elbow on the roof when I'm standing next to it. I've become very aware of aggressive drivers.

I'm not talking about the driver in the fast lane doing 90 wanting me to move over when I'm doing 80. No problemo. I'm talking about when all lanes are backed up doing the same slow speed, some idiot drives inches from your back bumper like if you speed up, the car 10 feet in front of you will disappear.

Is it just me, or have you noticed that most vehicles that drive inches from your back bumper are driven by fat ugly women. The bigger the vehicle, the bigger and uglier the woman driving it.

Is it any coincidence that most Hummers are bought by women?

I'm going to try and get a custom bumper sticker (to put in my rear window) that says "Fugly Fatties Tailgate". That might give some thought to those on my bumper.

OldPokey · #2 05-21-2008, 12:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by alamostation

Is it just me, or have you noticed that most vehicles that drive inches from your back bumper are driven by fat ugly women. The bigger the vehicle, the bigger and uglier the woman driving it.

Not planning to vote for Hillary, are you?

865sp300e · #3 05-21-2008, 01:13 PM

FFTs must be a Texas thing, my brother lives near Houston and he just complains about Mexicans. Up here in the Philadelphia area its mostly young guys in rice burners or soccer moms with a phone glued to their head that tailgate.

Actually, yesterday I had a soccer mom on my butt. When I got on a long sweeping entrance ramp I managed to get almost 100yds separation in spite of her efforts to keep up. Once I was on the interstate I slowed. A minute later she passed me doing over 90 MPH. She made up her mind she just had to get past me.

Idolotor · #4 05-21-2008, 01:21 PM

I just wish people would obey traffic laws! SLOWER TRAFFIC STAY TO THE RIGHT!!!! God!!! It's amazing how many assh*les don't move over to the right lane and let faster traffic pass. If you just want to do the speed limit stay in the right hand lane! Some jerks stay even with the person in the other lane just so no one else can pass! Get my gun!

POS · #5 05-21-2008, 01:22 PM

As a guy who drives 140 miles a day for the past eight years, here's my observations for my stretch of highway outside Houston:

Hogging left lane and not moving for anyone NO MATTER WHAT - black females, well-off white women on the phone in SUVs, Mexicans in a white van
Hogging left lane and accelerating violently as you pass on right - black males
Tailgating violently in a long line of cars - white males in pickups
Driving very fast - white males
Usually moves over for faster traffic - white males
Usually hanging out in the right lane as they should - most people

G-Benz · #6 05-21-2008, 01:30 PM

I haven't been able to pinpoint a profile on "tailgaters"...

I've been dangerously tailgated by young AND old males in F150s, teens in Civics and Cavaliers, and soccer moms and harried businessmen in Expeditions and Escalades.

The only common element is their desire to push traffic along to what THEY consider the a "desired" speed...usually 15 to 20 mph over the posted speed limit. Any attempts to shake them off nicely, will do no good...do so aggressively, and suddenly, you have a "road-raged" individual behind you!

However, if you perchance try to lose the perp by driving at a speed that should satiate his/her desires, it's interpreted as a "challenge", and you find yourself a reluctant participant in an on-road duel...you accelerate to 75 mph, they want to go 80!

So you slow back down, which then infuriates the tailgater...so at the first opportunity, the tailgater blazes past you wrecklessly in a huff, thus confirming (to themselves) their superiority over you!

I think as the economic issues continue to frustrate more and more vehicle-owning individuals, this trend of tailgating will worsen.

POS · #7 05-21-2008, 01:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by G-Benz

However, if you perchance try to lose the perp by driving at a speed that should satiate his/her desires, it's interpreted as a "challenge", and you find yourself a reluctant participant in an on-road duel...you accelerate to 75 mph, they want to go 80!

We don't want you to speed up, we want you to move to the right lane. People drive at a speed that feels comfortable for them; if you accelerate to 80 to satisfy the guy behind you, you're now driving out of your comfort zone, and we know that eventually you slow back down until you're in your comfortable zone again - and we'll still be stuck behind you. As a driver whose comfort zone is 78-80mph, I'm not that aggressive, but I do get bothered when someone just won't move to the right lane when the situation allows it. If I'm stuck in a line of cars doing 70, then I'll patiently wait in the line. If I'm stuck behind you at 70 while you're passing someone, I'll wait patiently. But if the right lane is open, you need to move over - not speed up.

G-Benz · #8 05-21-2008, 02:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by POS

We don't want you to speed up, we want you to move to the right lane. People drive at a speed that feels comfortable for them; if you accelerate to 80 to satisfy the guy behind you, you're now driving out of your comfort zone, and we know that eventually you slow back down until you're in your comfortable zone again - and we'll still be stuck behind you. As a driver whose comfort zone is 78-80mph, I'm not that aggressive, but I do get bothered when someone just won't move to the right lane when the situation allows it. If I'm stuck in a line of cars doing 70, then I'll patiently wait in the line. If I'm stuck behind you at 70 while you're passing someone, I'll wait patiently. But if the right lane is open, you need to move over - not speed up.

I should have added that I was referring to isolated single-lane situations where I have encountered such behavior...municipal streets and two-lane highways. I too have a peeve with left-lane hogs!

But tailgaters exist even when you are minding your own business in the right lane and the tailgater, frustrated with the speed of the passing lane drivers decides to veer over to the right lane and attempt to "coax" you into speeding up anyway...

Hatterasguy · #9 05-21-2008, 04:13 PM

On the highway I often put my foot down to get away from these morons. I had an F150 riding me in the center lane on 91 for some unkown reason because the road was damn near empty and the left was clear. So I just put my foot down ran up to about 100 and than slowed back down to 75 when I had some space.

My friend has a very real looking M14 EBR airsoft gun with a laser site. Not that I would because I don't want to get arrested, but I always thought it would be fun to get rid of tailgaters, or those left land bandits.

Open the sunroof and stand up holding the M14 and point the laser site at the offending moron. Watch them move!

So tempting to try, just once...

Jim B. · #10 05-21-2008, 04:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Idolotor

I just wish people would obey traffic laws! SLOWER TRAFFIC STAY TO THE RIGHT!!!! God!!! It's amazing how many assh*les don't move over to the right lane and let faster traffic pass. If you just want to do the speed limit stay in the right hand lane!

A friend of mine that had an '82 300D and used to live in the San Francisco bay area had a sign like that in the rear window.

...WRITTEN IN CHINESE !!!!

Racial stereotypes aside for a second, people who asked about what it said, thought it was pretty funny when they were told.

Idolotor · #11 05-21-2008, 04:56 PM

I swear the Phoenix/Scottsdale area is a dangerous place to speed. We got red light cameras at most intersections, automated speed cameras on our highways, and lots and lots of automated speed cameras on most other streets also. I've been lucky, no tickets for over fifteen years!

Larry Delor · #12 05-21-2008, 04:58 PM

A Florida Senator has been trying to get a "no hogging the left lane" law passed since last year. He's tried 2 or 3 times now - I hope he does not give up.

MS Fowler · #13 05-21-2008, 09:18 PM

When driving on secondary roads, at 10 mph over the posted limit and someone tailgates me, I find a safe place, and pull over to let them pass. Its not worth it to me to try to slow them down. Thats their business. My safety is mine.
I am always surprised at how many women pass me.

The ones who really frost me are those who refuse to get in the correct lane. Signs say, " Right lane closed 1 mile; 1/2 mile, 1000 feet...
OK at that point, but when traffic is backed up and some clowns think they are so much more important than the rest of us, have to go to the choke point, and cut off someone who got over at the right time.
Note to them'' You are NOT more important than the 150 people who you just cut off."

Hatterasguy · #14 05-21-2008, 09:23 PM

Now I should do the sensable thing and let them pass. But probably because of my age, when someone is doing that to me I slam on my brakes for all they are worth and scare them!

Of course only in my throw away vehicals. If a $60k SUV rear ended my Jetta I would have came out way ahead.

Ara T. · #15 05-21-2008, 09:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hatterasguy

Now I should do the sensable thing and let them pass. But probably because of my age, when someone is doing that to me I slam on my brakes for all they are worth and scare them!

Of course only in my throw away vehicals. If a $60k SUV rear ended my Jetta I would have came out way ahead.

Except you might have back problems or neck problems for the rest of your life