Today while running some errands I pulled into a parking lot that was totally full except for a spot where a guy had parked about a foot into that space. Since I am about the most impatient person ever I made the foolish decision to squeeze into the spot. That’s when I notice his passenger door was freshly keyed. I almost backed out thinking he might retaliate on me if he saw it, but then I figured at 10 o’clock on a Wednesday morning there was a slim chance he had a passenger so I parked there anyway.

When I finish shopping and go to my car I see the whole left side of my car was keyed. Of course I about died, but luckily I had just waxed my car the day before coupled with Mercedes super hard paint most of it came off with some graffiti remover.
There is about a 4 inch area where it dug into the paint and put two 1/8” chips in it.

Now for the bigger picture…
I spend a large amount of my time on the road and have been noticing more and more how people are becoming more self serving. Bullying on the highways and streets has increased many fold. Drivers are spending more time forcing others to drive how they want with tactics like break checking, swerving into others lanes, and even driving in two lanes on highway entrance ramps. What happened to teamwork, can’t we get out of the way of faster moving vehicles, leave openings for people to get out of parking lots etc.?

I am not even sure where this behavior from those who apparently want to be the official pace car of the open road comes from or what rationalizations they use for such behavior but I do know that if every one in the world only cared about their self there could only be one winner. However if people work together as a team maybe we all could get home a little earlier, have room to park, and not have to buff out undeserved key marks from the sides of their cars.

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1984 300D / The only Benz I have

Completed weekend projects

1. R/R front crankshaft seal
2. R/R nearly the whole vacuum system
3. Converted to WVO www.greasemachine.com
4. Upgraded to electric power locks
5. Upgraded and rewired stereo/amp/speakers
6. Installed 2.88 differential

As I see it, the problem in the US is due to lack of driver education and driver accountability.

In Germany it takes about $1500 and more hours of instruction than it does for a pilots license in the US. The behind the wheel test involves about 50km and if the student makes the slightest error they must go back for 10 or so more hours of instruction before they can retake the test. Because these people have put so much into getting a drivers license, they are not about to do something to cause them to lose it which is EXACTLY what will happen if they start driving the way you describe.

In the US, a person must be 16 and their heart must be beating. That's about all it takes to get a drivers license. In Texas now, if they take drivers education, they don't even have to take a behind the wheel test. Once on the road they just about have to kill someone before the license will be taken away.

Have a great day,

That’s interesting. I have noticed how some of my friends don’t understand what could be life saving rules about what solid Vs. striped road stripes are, when to yield, and so on.
I guess Americans are making it up as they go along.

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1984 300D / The only Benz I have

Completed weekend projects

1. R/R front crankshaft seal
2. R/R nearly the whole vacuum system
3. Converted to WVO www.greasemachine.com
4. Upgraded to electric power locks
5. Upgraded and rewired stereo/amp/speakers
6. Installed 2.88 differential

Most American Drivers Suck! The tests are too easy and no one is punished enough for what they do! I have noticed in the last few years alone that the number of people that hang in the left lane on a highway has just about increased 10 fold. So much so that there are big gaps in the right lane and a solid line of cars in the left. I hope that someday we as a country stiffen our driving laws and tests so that we can be more like Europe as far as how hard it is to get a license and how hard it is to keep a car on the road. There are far too many junkers out there that should not even be on a back dirt road let alone a public highway. Personally I am starting to hate driving due to the amount of stupid people on the road.

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~Jamie
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2003 Pewter C230K SC C1, C4, C5, C7, heated seats, CD Changer, and 6 Speed. ContiExtremes on the C7's.

1986 190E 2.3 Black, Auto, Mods to come soon.....

You think it's bad in Texas? Try living in New Jersey!!!

I've said for a long time (to my wife) that states should have commercials ~ 15 - 20 seconds long reminding people about things like 'keep right except to pass', what the solid /striped lines mean, get up to speed when merging on a highway and other things. I try to be as safe and courteous as possible. I fail sometimes but I'd rather be alive than try something foolish to save 20 micro seconds of time along the commute.

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dtf
1994 E320 Wagon (Died @ 308,669 miles)
1995 E300 Diesel (228,000)
1999 E300 Turbodiesel ( died @ 255,000)
2006 Toyota Tundra SR5 AC 4X4 (115,000 miles) rusted frame - sold to chop shop
2011 Audi A4 Avant (165,000 miles) Seized engine - donated to Salvation Army
BMW 330 xi 6 speed manual (175,034 miles)
2014 E350 4Matic Wagon 128,000 miles
2018 Dodge Ram 21,000 miles

Dude, ditto New York!!!

I saw the show about the autobahn on discovery, if we implemented half the rules they do in Germany the number of people driving with suspended licenses would triple. They actually had a special camera to catch you tailgating, I would wear a blonde afro wig to work all year if they implemented that here in NY , you can't drive through a 30mph town zione without some moron on your a$$ because he needs to get to the red light up ahead as quickly as possible

Actually - I'll admit guilt here: What does the double striped lane usually in the far right lane going uphill mean? I can't figure that out. I know it is never OK to pass on the right so it can't be that.

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dtf
1994 E320 Wagon (Died @ 308,669 miles)
1995 E300 Diesel (228,000)
1999 E300 Turbodiesel ( died @ 255,000)
2006 Toyota Tundra SR5 AC 4X4 (115,000 miles) rusted frame - sold to chop shop
2011 Audi A4 Avant (165,000 miles) Seized engine - donated to Salvation Army
BMW 330 xi 6 speed manual (175,034 miles)
2014 E350 4Matic Wagon 128,000 miles
2018 Dodge Ram 21,000 miles

Well everybody does it, so it must be OK...go with the flow, blast your horn, get right on that bumper and intimidate the hell out of them til they speed up to your standards. Pass on the right whenever there is a chance, and even if there isn't one, especially at lights, and don't forget to pack the pistol in your glove box, cuss were in a hurry, and we don't care about your stinky measly life, just get out of my way because I"M COMING THROUGH! ............... BB

thats the special lane for those of us that are better than the rest to drive on....

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Proud owner of ....
1971 280SE W108
1979 300SD W116
1983 300D W123
1975 Ironhead Sportster chopper
1987 GMC 3/4 ton 4X4 Diesel
1989 Honda Civic (Heavily modified)
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Section 609 MVAC Certified
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"He who fights with monsters might take care lest he thereby become a monster. And if you gaze for long into an abyss, the abyss gazes also into you." - Friedrich Nietzsche