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Had a long drive this weekend and saw some bad driving....just lately I've seen a whole string of tools driving BMW's sedans and it got me thinking about specific vehicles that you might see and cringe in anticipation.
My more recent experiences:
1) the guy in the 540 sedan aggressively tailgating me through an 8mile construction zone on I35, one lane....and a semi in front of me.
2) The balding 30-something guy in the 325 that seemed to think he was driving an indy car and nearly rear ended me as I slowed to turn into a gas station (I signaled in advance) because he wasn't paying attention.
3) The guy in the M5 that likes to hassle people in sports cars in our area. I heard some people complaining about him at a car show and then ran across him myself one evening on my way home. (This is the one that actually surprises me since it's a classy high-end car.)
A lot of the guys driving muscle cars in my area (Mustangs, Camaro's, Trans-ams, etc) tend to drive like douche bags and intentionally apply excess force to the throttle so that people can hear their flow masters several blocks down the road (some of these guys are probably running straight pipes without cats/mufflers). We've also got quite a few truck/suv drivers with modified exhausts who seem to think that they have the fastest vehicles on the roads.
Funny thing... WHen I was driving around in my opld PT or my old SVT Contour, very few people seemed to be tools or cause me grief. Since I got my 740iL, it aseems liek EVERYONE has something to prove. It's like every driver around me becaem a tool as soon as they see a BMW.
You could be having just passed someone while in the left lane (using it only for pasing, like you're supposed to) and I swear, someone will look in their mirror in the right lane, see a BMW, and dive over to the left in front of me, cutting me off so I have to slam on the brakes, and then slow down. I'm like, "what? I'm driving along, enjoying my day, minding my own business, and you have to act all "let's bring him down a notch 'cause he drives a BMW." iI's not even a new BMW!
True, a lot of BMW owners tend to stick out badly, mostly 3 series drivers, or the small 6 cylinder 5s (like 525s and 528s). Maybe it's because they have something to prove. Luckily most of the younger hotshot drivers that were in 3 series for so long are moving to Audis, so it's almost safe to go back to liking 3 series BMWs for what they were originally for, which is practical sports cars that work really well, and not just parking lot filler for the high schools of teenage children from successful '80s yuppies.
Around here, however, it really isn't a brand/model of car that stands out as something a tool owns. there are just so many idiot drivers that, even though my car has one, I'm almost going to say, if it has an MD plate, it's a tool driver.
And unlike you, driving fast isn't on my list. Making a right turn from the left turn lane. Making a left turn from the far right. Darting across 4 lanes to get to the exit they almost missed. Coming up on the right at a stop light on a normal 2 lane (one in each direction) city street, then racing you across when the light goes green in order to get in front of the line of cars at the light...
the two cars that always want to race or seem to push it on the freeway be late model 05-09 mustang GTs or BMW 3 series.
To me 5 and 7 series BMW owners are not like that and drive pretty normal but then again a 22 year old is not going to lease a 5 series or M5 with it's 5.0 V-10 and massive price tag they would need a really really good job to get one of those or very generous rich parents
also some 03 and up hemi rams seem to want to push it on the freeways but then again these are now affordable to guys in their early 20's with a decent job.
Cookie cutter WRXs... you know blue with gold/black rims and the exhaust tone that always sounds exactly the same. I only mention them first because I had another encounter with one this morning. Also many run ins with 3 series BMWs and Audis. Funny thing is all these people like to fly passed you in a hurry and then get stuck at the light straight ahead.
On the expressways I don't have too many issues since I drive pretty fast. On the main roads I just don't like guzzling fuel by gunning it from light to light, its pointless.
True, a lot of BMW owners tend to stick out badly, mostly 3 series drivers, or the small 6 cylinder 5s (like 525s and 528s). Maybe it's because they have something to prove. Luckily most of the younger hotshot drivers that were in 3 series for so long are moving to Audis, so it's almost safe to go back to liking 3 series BMWs for what they were originally for, which is practical sports cars that work really well, and not just parking lot filler for the high schools of teenage children from successful '80s yuppies.
Funny thing... WHen I was driving around in my opld PT or my old SVT Contour, very few people seemed to be tools or cause me grief. Since I got my 740iL, it aseems liek EVERYONE has something to prove. It's like every driver around me becaem a tool as soon as they see a BMW.
You could be having just passed someone while in the left lane (using it only for pasing, like you're supposed to) and I swear, someone will look in their mirror in the right lane, see a BMW, and dive over to the left in front of me, cutting me off so I have to slam on the brakes, and then slow down. I'm like, "what? I'm driving along, enjoying my day, minding my own business, and you have to act all "let's bring him down a notch 'cause he drives a BMW." iI's not even a new BMW!
True, a lot of BMW owners tend to stick out badly, mostly 3 series drivers, or the small 6 cylinder 5s (like 525s and 528s). Maybe it's because they have something to prove. Luckily most of the younger hotshot drivers that were in 3 series for so long are moving to Audis, so it's almost safe to go back to liking 3 series BMWs for what they were originally for, which is practical sports cars that work really well, and not just parking lot filler for the high schools of teenage children from successful '80s yuppies.
Around here, however, it really isn't a brand/model of car that stands out as something a tool owns. there are just so many idiot drivers that, even though my car has one, I'm almost going to say, if it has an MD plate, it's a tool driver.
And unlike you, driving fast isn't on my list. Making a right turn from the left turn lane. Making a left turn from the far right. Darting across 4 lanes to get to the exit they almost missed. Coming up on the right at a stop light on a normal 2 lane (one in each direction) city street, then racing you across when the light goes green in order to get in front of the line of cars at the light...
Good point. The 7-series is in a whole different league. My guess is that people are just jealous and are out to **** off the "rich guy" in the bmw. Gratz on the nice car.
I walk to the supermarket several times a week, and have to cross a 7-lane street. It's pretty easy, I wait until the light phasing places a gap in traffic from the left, cross to the turning lane, and then wait for a gap in traffic from the right. It rarely takes more than 60 seconds to get all the way, and I'm not a daredevil, I wait until I'm sure I can make it at walking speed. Sometimes there is a jerk who blows his horn at me, just as he is going by, but except for the hornblowers, drivers seem pretty sensible about the presence of a pedestrian.
I'd never cross where there's a light. In the middle of the block, traffic can come from only one direction, but at an intersection, it can come from three or four directions, and turning traffic is oblivious to pedestrians and can't even see the Walk signs, which never work anyway.
the two cars that always want to race or seem to push it on the freeway be late model 05-09 mustang GTs or BMW 3 series.
To me 5 and 7 series BMW owners are not like that and drive pretty normal but then again a 22 year old is not going to lease a 5 series or M5 with it's 5.0 V-10 and massive price tag they would need a really really good job to get one of those or very generous rich parents
also some 03 and up hemi rams seem to want to push it on the freeways but then again these are now affordable to guys in their early 20's with a decent job.
Yeah. I was suprised by the 5-series driver because he was probably about 45, maybe he was just having a bad day.
What's funny is that I almost *never* get hassled in my vette (except by the clueless M5 driver) and once in a while by someone that is just a bad driver that is tailgating in heavy traffic. Probably because the vast majority of vettes are driven by more mature people out for a nice cruise on a sunday afternoon as opposed to prowling the streets on Saturday night.
Good point. The 7-series is in a whole different league. My guess is that people are just jealous and are out to **** off the "rich guy" in the bmw. Gratz on the nice car.
Funny thing is my generation of 7 series is still seen as "the righ guy car" even though a imaculate condition one costs less now than a new Hyundai Accent. I only paid $7500 for mine 3 1/2 years ago! But yeah, even for those of us that modify our cars, th 7 is simply not a boy racer car that leads you into feeling the need to race everything around. Comfortable cruising at higher than average speeds, maybe..
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Luckily most of the younger hotshot drivers that were in 3 series for so long are moving to Audis, so it's almost safe to go back to liking 3 series BMWs for what they were originally for, which is practical sports cars that work really well, and not just parking lot filler for the high schools of teenage children from successful '80s yuppies.
