Lum

I know no-one likes BMW drivers, and wont give them the time of day, but I'm wondering, do people expect a certain behaviour out of you based on the car you drive, and/or do you make assumptions based on other people's cars?

This topic has fascinated me for a long time, ever since I noticed people being much nicer to me when I switched from a red 3 door Escort MkIV to a blue 5 door Escort MkIV.

Anyway, I currently have the "opportunity" of driving a black 1.2 corsa while my Legacy is repaired and I swear the thing is invisible, bloke in a ****ty Astra MkIII in the middle lane (I'm in the right) of a roundabout tries to change lane into the side of me, presumably not expecting me to accelerate that quick, and people are forever pulling out in front of me from the first exit on a roundabout because I don't slow down much if there is nothing coming and visibility is good.

I'll admit I'm probably driving it a bit like a bumper car, it's a rental so I don't give a **** about the engine, and it handles like a bumper car, the suspension makes it roll the same amount regardless of whether you're cornering at 5 mph in Tesco car park or at 40 mph on a roundabout so it's not like it matters, I doubt I'll be able to flip the thing.

However when I drive in the same way in the Legacy, people see it coming and dont pull out in front of me when it's my right of way. It can't just be because it's smaller and harder to see, though I suppose in the case of the Astra above it could be as he pulled in front of a huge bright yellow truck on a roundabout that was making a right turn across his path, causing it to slam on and miss him by inches.

Senior_AP

YES!!!!

Definately.

Van - anger.
Lorry - sleep.
Scooby - bwoarp chisshing up peoples jacksies.
Rep -car - flashing lights/tail-gaiting.
Bike - why must they shake there head when people don't see them undertaking/chopping in and out of traffic??

Taxis - the road is MY OFFICE.
4x4 - I'm coming, like it or not.
Supercar - dunno, never seen one on road properly.
Small hatch - erratic, no sense of direction.
BMW - Err.....

Drunken Bungle Whore

YES, YES, YES! My company car is a black Ford Mondeo (Ztec S TDCi) - not a bad car for the job it needs to do. I drive it around 30,000 miles every year and rarely get harrassed by anyone else - other than the usual d1ck heads out there!

My proper car is a black WRX - I only have to drive that about 2 miles before I'm being hassled - usually by blokes in far less significant cars! If I overtake on the mororway I can pretty much guarantee that many of them will try and re-take me almost immediately, even though my speed is constant. They all want to race from the lights and carve me up on roundabouts.

My driving style doesn't change - but other peoples attitudes certainly do!

Lum

etc.

Is that your initial opinion of other cars, or how other people have reacted to you in each of those cars?

I know all the stereotypes, and spend enough time on the road to get a feel for which ones are true, though it's a lot more subtle than just type of car, eg.

Rough condition chavved up nova with big exhaust is probably going to do something stupid, but look out for decent brake upgrades and be careful as it may be one of the scary 2 litre novas.

OTOH, if I drove a Nova myself, people would probably assume imminent stupidity and give me some room?

Senior_AP

My response was just jokey. There are some generalisations but one can never tell.

Lum

Well, there is some truth in generalisations but as you say you never can tell. Use them to try and pre-empt stupidity but please don't assume that just because someone is in a slow car that they are going to yield when they have right of way.

For example Chavaliers have a tendency to change lane in front or into the side of you, which is handy to know, but I wouldn't necessarilly try to race a chavved up nova if I'm in a lane that disappears shortly after the traffic lights, for all I know it could be one of the scary 2 litre novas (though a look to see if it still has the standard drums can help me work that out)

The Zohan

Yes
When i had the Scoob i rarely got hastled, if i was it was by 40somethings in the lower end Mercs or Pissats, rarely youngsters

I had to use the company Galaxy for a week or so. I got cut up and generally pulled out on and cut up in this thing alsmost like it wasn't there or maybe just one person in a people carrier wound people up.

Had a loan Nissan Primera for two months, never hastled or even noticed.

when my g/f used to drive the scoob to work she used to get lots of grief, tailgating and stuff from blokes, again usually 40+ somethings, younger than that wanted to 'pull' her and/or just smiled!

It is easy to generalise but i suppose you just notice the bad examples.

BTW i am now (just) a 40something!

hawkthescoobslayer

attitudes do change, when I was in the my old car MY02sti I got a lot of younger people wanting to race. Now I don't!!

I just get older people trying to goad me on and no ****** ever and I mean ever lets me out at t-junctions grrrrrrrrrrr.

Paul

2003 Ruf powered 911 turbo


ps mind you not getting let out of junctions lets me savour the sweet delights of my car some more so things aren't too bad

Dr Nick

People tend to step off the pavement in front of my smart car. Never had this problem in the scoob.

andy1505

Yep, certainly the Police treat you differently. Stopped doing 40 in a 30 let off! Why? Because I was driving a Rover 75.

pugoetru

Sadly the answer is definately YES

I get it A because my car is old j reg is past it to most people
B because i drive an old car and dare to overtake their superior car
C because my estate car is old and slow it must be its an estate car!




It is fun watching them try to keep up though

vindaloo

If I'm overtaking (motorway) and there's someone in front, the Impreza creates far more chaos than my Citroen. People ignore the Citroen but realise I want to "make progress" and move over sensibly.

With the Impreza, they either get out of the way very quickly or become stubbornly aggressive and sit there trying to p*ss me off. I usually pull over and let the Mondeo/Vectra that's tailgating me past at this point.

J.

eClaire

Nothing wrong with them.

pugoetru

they are fine claire as long as they are walking

New_scooby_04

iTrader: (4)

Yes. If I drive my dad's old Capri....don't laugh -it's a loveable old beast- I tend to get no attention/agression whatsoever! Ironic, considering that in it's day, you probably couldn't have got more of a "boy racers" car; how times change!

In contrast, when I drive my Scooby, I can be assurred there will be at least one person, who tailgates becuse I'm driving at the speed limit, or pulls up in the right hand lane only when they fully intend to go straight ahead! I just let em get on with it, unless there is a police car around, when I rev the engine very slightly to indicate that I might be thinking of putting my foot down, then they screech off the line as I pootle away in 2nd

Guess who the police want a word with after!

The points on their licence will mean that they're that much less likely to be able to afford to insure a Scooby any time soon.

It's a public service you know!

SJ_Skyline

Never had a problem with the Scooby.
Everybody wanted a better look at the DC5 Integra.
Constantly cut up, boxed in and tailgated in the Clio.
Don't really get much attention in the Pug now.

farmer1

Its strange as a bike rider when filtering through traffic you get the people who move out your way (great) usually in banged up old nackeres etc the average focus/hatchback just stays were it is (fine) and then for some reason I always seem to get twits in new volvos, saabs and x5s who move over to block my path.

For instance today when I was just riding in the traffic with everyone else at 20mph I had this guy in a rover indicate left, move over and then wave me past. Just so I could get one car ahead. God knows why he didnt because there was no way of over taking the other cars.

In the same journey I was overtaking a load of stopped cars using the oncoming traffic lane when there was no cars coming (long stretch, clear road) but when i tried to pull back so that I didnt have a head on collision a black x5 decided to purposefully not let me in and then accelerate at the speed of me so i couldnt get into the gap. I know he did it on purpose because we made eye contact. I don't see what he gained other then to threaten my life and those of oncoming traffic.

Abdabz

Ahh farmer - this is because you are one of the motorbike 'lane creators' - creating your own "special lanes" when it suits, then expecting to cut back in when it suits...

Possibly one for a different thread this

I often block bikes trying that game in slow moving traffic - not too bothered when traffic isnt moving. When it is, you are not only risking your own neck, but risking scratching my car or even denting it by sneaking into my blind spot just as I finish a "mirror, signal, check blindspot manouvre bang"...

Sorry officer I know most of his wounds are consistent with an RTA but those boot marks round his helmet...well err....I slipped getting out of the car

Langy

For the record, i drive a BMW and have loads of friends....i also had these friends when i had the scoob and all the other cars i've had.

I personally don't see what the problem is...it's peoples 'driving' attitude that affects attitute towards other road users IMHO. I treat every car the same if driven sensibily, the BMW driver situation is just a myth if you ask me

StickyMicky

you are a ******

why not let the bikers go, they ride bikes to help them get through the traffic, i bet your the sort of person who doesnt pull over when sumbody comes up from behind because your doing the limit and why should anybody else get anywhere faster then yourself

if i was on a bike and sumbody in an x5 sped up so i couldnt pull back in, and endangered my life, i would kick the side of the thing in and wheely away so they couldnt get the reg plate, i doubt they would feel so ****en smug then??

and before you start im NOT a biker either

Flatcapdriver

The Beemer scenario isn't a myth from my experience. If I'm in my car I generally have no problems with other road users but if I'm in my recently acquired Landy then most people get out of the way - even other 4x4 users which is a bit of a novelty, although I'm not that keen on driving it on the road.

However, if I'm in my wife's Z4 then too many muppets have to "show" me either how quick their car is or their Schumacher impression which tends to irritate me no end. Either that, or you have to barge your way out of junctions sometimes where normally at least someone would let you out.

Sith

Brother has a 323 CI, I got to drive it. Within 10 mins I had an Audi sitting on the bumper. Switched off the TC and spun up the back wheels and peppered it with cr@p from the road. My brother was more concerned for his tires, first time I drive it and already have the wheels spinning.

So yes, different cars do alter driving attitudes. I get in a BMW and try to get the back out asap.

Lum

Finally, someone who correctly understood the BMW comment I made at the start of this thread.

I only drove a BMW once, couldn't stand the attidude of other drivers, it was worse than the chavvy 3 door red Escort.

MAGIC.H

I usually drive a Ford 1.6 Ghia in a dark red, and predictably I'm invisible. Every Tosser has a go to bolster their egos. Now when I'm driving my Hubbys' White WRX STi it's another story! You wouldn't believe the prats that challenge you, I mean I had a lil' tosser in a golf gti try and keep up! He still had a go even when I waited for him to catch me up! It was Incredulous!

Leslie

I have never noticed BMW drivers to be any different to any others, either in my Sti Classic or my M3 Evo. I sometimes wonder if the whingeing is down to "inverted snobbery" or just following what the crowd says because its fashionable!

I noticed that most drivers used to give me room to get past on my 'bike. Car drivers expect that modern bikes have such a high performance that there is little point in competing and the bike is not going to hold you up after it is past anyway.

Having said that I was not too impressed at the biker who passed me at well over the ton on the A38 out of Plymouth. It was all very well but I was in the outer lane already overtaking another car and he passed me on my right about 3inches off the soft centre of the motorway and a similar distance from my door mirror! He was a lucky man to get away with that one.!

Les

Lum

Well that brings us onto a different question that also interest me.

Does the car you're in influence the way you drive.

I say yes it does. Cars that give the impression of having good brakes (such as crappy 1.8 Vectras and Mondeos) encourage tailgating as it feels safe, especially if combined with an underpowered engine that will take half an hour to get back to 70mph. I'm much more relaxed about people pulling in front in the Legacy because it takes about 4 seconds to get my speed back.

I really hate it when tossers do it to me in the Corsa (It's a rental jobbie, honest!), because foot to the floor in second feels like a VW diesel after selecting 5th when you meant 3rd.

I find the old 3-series have terrible sideways visability, as do white vans, funny how these vehicles are the ones that people regularly complain pull in front of them. Poor driving yes but if their car had a glass bubble dome they probably wouldn't have done that. This in turn adds to the BMW stereotype, which reinforces some people's anti-BMW attitude which in turn makes previously reasonable BMW drivers have to force their way in to get anywhere.