Discussion
I was using my GF's old Clio this weekend to give it some use... really noticed how the drivers of bigger cars try to 'bully' you out of the way.
My normal daily is a LS400 - and I never have the same encounters... does size really matter?
Bit back on Saturday afternoon though when someone tried the same crap as I was pootling along in the Monty
My normal daily is a LS400 - and I never have the same encounters... does size really matter?
Bit back on Saturday afternoon though when someone tried the same crap as I was pootling along in the Monty
BrettMRC said:
I was using my GF's old Clio this weekend to give it some use... really noticed how the drivers of bigger cars try to 'bully' you out of the way.
My normal daily is a LS400 - and I never have the same encounters... does size really matter?
Bit back on Saturday afternoon though when someone tried the same crap as I was pootling along in the Monty
Yes and no.My normal daily is a LS400 - and I never have the same encounters... does size really matter?
Bit back on Saturday afternoon though when someone tried the same crap as I was pootling along in the Monty
I used to have a Metro and if you were to have the cheek to overtake someone in it then some would get pretty aggressive. This happens less in bigger stuff
I think it's more the image of the car in question than it's size. It doesn't seem to happen in the Elise but did in the Punto and they're about the same size.
People in SUVs do tend to tailgate the Elise, but I think that's a subconscious thing caused by the fact that they can see over the top.
People in SUVs do tend to tailgate the Elise, but I think that's a subconscious thing caused by the fact that they can see over the top.
Some cars just attract that sort of attention.
Going to an MX5 from a Ford Focus, I noticed more aggressive driving on behalf of others, as well as tailgaters being more frequent and more noticeable due to the lower position. I guess people see it and think "rich sports car b
d" or "hair dressing woman" and decide they'll drive like idiots.
I don't get that so much in my A8. It's relatively anonymous as a big, silver Audi. Enough to be spotted by the clued-up petrolhead, but just a big silver saloon to everyone else. It's a bit to bully, really. If I have a persistent tailgater I can just click the rear blind button and shut them out. It's more than powerful enough to leave them behind when the mood takes as well.
Comparing my MR2 Turbo to my old MX5, it didn't seem as soft a target for bullying. On the contrary, people seemed to love it. I had people waving at me as I drove it, people asking questions about it at petrol stations etc etc. It still suffered from tailgaters, particularly as the wrap-around rear screen let loads of light into the cabin. It was particularly funny when an SUV was behind, tailgating. I would often have to slow down as their 'cathedral of light' was burning out my nightvision and stopping me seeing the road ahead. This no doubt frustrated them more, though as soon as there was an appropriate moment (like some bends in the road) I could get back on the throttle and leave them behind. Yes, that was a very quick car.
Going to an MX5 from a Ford Focus, I noticed more aggressive driving on behalf of others, as well as tailgaters being more frequent and more noticeable due to the lower position. I guess people see it and think "rich sports car b
d" or "hair dressing woman" and decide they'll drive like idiots. I don't get that so much in my A8. It's relatively anonymous as a big, silver Audi. Enough to be spotted by the clued-up petrolhead, but just a big silver saloon to everyone else. It's a bit to bully, really. If I have a persistent tailgater I can just click the rear blind button and shut them out. It's more than powerful enough to leave them behind when the mood takes as well.
Comparing my MR2 Turbo to my old MX5, it didn't seem as soft a target for bullying. On the contrary, people seemed to love it. I had people waving at me as I drove it, people asking questions about it at petrol stations etc etc. It still suffered from tailgaters, particularly as the wrap-around rear screen let loads of light into the cabin. It was particularly funny when an SUV was behind, tailgating. I would often have to slow down as their 'cathedral of light' was burning out my nightvision and stopping me seeing the road ahead. This no doubt frustrated them more, though as soon as there was an appropriate moment (like some bends in the road) I could get back on the throttle and leave them behind. Yes, that was a very quick car.
Worst car for it was my 172 back in 2001. They hadn't been out long.
It either attracted racers, who knew what it was and wanted to have a play.
Or it got bullied by everyone who assumed it was just a clio.
I have fond memories of approaching a roundabout with a rep in a mondeo close behind. It broke into dual carriageway after the roundabout. He took the inside, which was annoying as i then had to give him room. We pulled onto the dual carriageway with him alongside me. He was thrashing his rep-mobile.
I buried the throttle in the clio and disappeared off. That felt good!
On the flip side, my wife's C1 that she had a few years ago used to get bullied quite a lot. Particularly when approaching roundabouts in the same way as described above. Annoying as it meant carrying momentum was that much harder. I really had to just turn the radio up and not think about it too much with that car. Otherwise it was just plain annoying.
It either attracted racers, who knew what it was and wanted to have a play.
Or it got bullied by everyone who assumed it was just a clio.
I have fond memories of approaching a roundabout with a rep in a mondeo close behind. It broke into dual carriageway after the roundabout. He took the inside, which was annoying as i then had to give him room. We pulled onto the dual carriageway with him alongside me. He was thrashing his rep-mobile.
I buried the throttle in the clio and disappeared off. That felt good!
On the flip side, my wife's C1 that she had a few years ago used to get bullied quite a lot. Particularly when approaching roundabouts in the same way as described above. Annoying as it meant carrying momentum was that much harder. I really had to just turn the radio up and not think about it too much with that car. Otherwise it was just plain annoying.
When I had my Jaguar people used to positively let me out at junctions, act courtesyly and be lovely.
When I had my Z4 people used to go out of their way to lean out of the windows of their cars to shout at me.
I think there is some truth in the matter although the only people who get upset at me in the OHs Fiat 500 are people in st cars (p reg Mazda 323 etc)
When I had my Z4 people used to go out of their way to lean out of the windows of their cars to shout at me.
I think there is some truth in the matter although the only people who get upset at me in the OHs Fiat 500 are people in s
t cars (p reg Mazda 323 etc)Daily driver at the moment is a Smart - getting seriously pissed off with the number of drivers who either need a trip to Specsavers, or who think it's ok to cut me up because I'm in a smaller car 
Funnily enough, I came to work in the 750 this morning and no one had any problem trying to put their car where mine already was...
Funnily enough, I came to work in the 750 this morning and no one had any problem trying to put their car where mine already was...
Cotty said:
Can you re-word that, I am not sure what you are getting at.
I was being sarcastic Paul, usually when a thread like this is posted the responses are 'it must be you as I've never had this happen'. Why I used the overtaking as an example because the majority would blame the OP as he 'must' have done something wrong to have provoked it. Cotty said:
Gotch, however I think tailgating is proabably 50% somone trying to bully their way part and 50% crap drivers who don't realise how close they are.
Very often it's young women who drive ridiculously close, not because they are being aggressive but simply because they have the driving ability of a baboon.judas said:
Daily driver at the moment is a Smart - getting seriously pissed off with the number of drivers who either need a trip to Specsavers, or who think it's ok to cut me up because I'm in a smaller car
Funnily enough, I came to work in the 750 this morning and no one had any problem trying to put their car where mine already was...
We used to get this all the time when we had a Smart... Funnily enough, I came to work in the 750 this morning and no one had any problem trying to put their car where mine already was...
Other drivers used to see you coming and just pull straight out in front of you, even in a NSL. I was always having to brake and then getting held up by drivers pulling out and then bimbling along at 45mph.
Somebody did jokingly suggest it's because a Smart isn't very wide so it looks further away. "These cars are small and these cars are far away" (To be said in a Father Ted voice).
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