Do people in big cars try to boss aboutpeople in small cars?
Discussion
WhoseGeneration said:
Oh well, it's about ascribed status then?.
Rather than achieved?.
Then, we don't know the standing of another in their car.
We are, in many ways, simple animals.
Symbols rule.
How is somebody to know the achieved status of the person in the car next to them? Somebody in a brand new Porsche 997 may be up to their eyeballs in debt to own it, where someone in a Ford Sierra may have huge amounts of money tucked away or invested in less trivial things.Rather than achieved?.
Then, we don't know the standing of another in their car.
We are, in many ways, simple animals.
Symbols rule.
I used to have a Cinquecento and got bullied at lot by drivers in larger cars (generally SUVs). I quickly realised the only way to stop it was to drive it like you honestly didn't care. Subsequently, nobody in anything less sturdy that a Landie would come anywhere near you for fear that you would quite simply drive into them.Roop said:
I quickly realised the only way to stop it was to drive it like you honestly didn't care. Subsequently, nobody in anything less sturdy that a Landie would come anywhere near you for fear that you would quite simply drive into them.
I wanted to say that about driving my Rover, but I couldn't put it into words quite as well as you have.Thanks!
AdamT5 said:
Roop said:
I quickly realised the only way to stop it was to drive it like you honestly didn't care. Subsequently, nobody in anything less sturdy that a Landie would come anywhere near you for fear that you would quite simply drive into them.
I wanted to say that about driving my Rover, but I couldn't put it into words quite as well as you have.Thanks!
ph123 said:
A very excellent idea. Well done you.
Not entirely practicable, but you’re halfway there. Like it.
Everybody doing 120 I would suggest ,is not safe though, I’m sure you’ll agree as not many cars actually do 120 competently, and more importantly, most drivers appear overly stressed above 60 in any case. Something to do with education might solve that one.
Certainly ban all cars from the ‘overtaking lane’ unless they are actually ‘overtaking’.
Certainly low-powered cars should be kept out of it, as I suggested.
Certainly ban white vans (or black, or that bluey-grey) from the ‘overtaking’ lane. Fit them with 56-mph-regulators, that’ll cure their jolly overtaking lane japes.
Certainly ban all the above when they pull into the overtaking lane UPHILL. Their stuff simply doesn't accelerate under those circumstances, their drivers oblivious of this completely it seems.
Also ban bikes from the ‘overtaking’ lane because you can’t tailgate them without them getting all uppity and ‘holier-than-thou’. We know don’t we, that they cannot ride at a steady 100 mph for long, chewing their full-face face guards; unless they have a very efficient fairing of course.
I do think you are on to something. Maybe we should have a rule about ‘if someone is tailgating you, get out of the f
king way’ sort of theme. Certainly, give it some more thought; we do need to get rid of shrapnel, particularly when it clutters the motorway ‘overtaking lane’ up and cannot ‘get on’, even more especially when in front of me.
Well in front of me in particular; but as a general courtesy to the congested, dirty, unkempt, overcrowded motorways and their fellow road users.
(Why can’t they use the congested, dirty, unkempt, overcrowded trains instead; they’d be far happier, with their grubby offspring, and sandwiches and mobile phones and jeans and loud music! Perfect. You should contribute more.)
You should perhaps engage your brain more often. Ban anything below a 1.6 because they can't overtake? So a 1.6 Astra/Focus loaded with 5 people can overtake faster and more safely than a 1.4 Caterham or numerous other small cars on the road? Perhaps you should just buy yourself large sections of the road network, so you can have them all to yourself? No need to worry about any other vehicles getting in your way then eh?Not entirely practicable, but you’re halfway there. Like it.
Everybody doing 120 I would suggest ,is not safe though, I’m sure you’ll agree as not many cars actually do 120 competently, and more importantly, most drivers appear overly stressed above 60 in any case. Something to do with education might solve that one.
Certainly ban all cars from the ‘overtaking lane’ unless they are actually ‘overtaking’.
Certainly low-powered cars should be kept out of it, as I suggested.
Certainly ban white vans (or black, or that bluey-grey) from the ‘overtaking’ lane. Fit them with 56-mph-regulators, that’ll cure their jolly overtaking lane japes.
Certainly ban all the above when they pull into the overtaking lane UPHILL. Their stuff simply doesn't accelerate under those circumstances, their drivers oblivious of this completely it seems.
Also ban bikes from the ‘overtaking’ lane because you can’t tailgate them without them getting all uppity and ‘holier-than-thou’. We know don’t we, that they cannot ride at a steady 100 mph for long, chewing their full-face face guards; unless they have a very efficient fairing of course.
I do think you are on to something. Maybe we should have a rule about ‘if someone is tailgating you, get out of the f
king way’ sort of theme. Certainly, give it some more thought; we do need to get rid of shrapnel, particularly when it clutters the motorway ‘overtaking lane’ up and cannot ‘get on’, even more especially when in front of me.Well in front of me in particular; but as a general courtesy to the congested, dirty, unkempt, overcrowded motorways and their fellow road users.
(Why can’t they use the congested, dirty, unkempt, overcrowded trains instead; they’d be far happier, with their grubby offspring, and sandwiches and mobile phones and jeans and loud music! Perfect. You should contribute more.)
You might as well just say narrow minded people should all be deported. But then you'd probably have to leave your car behind :-(
AdamT5 said:
WhoseGeneration said:
Oh well, it's about ascribed status then?.
Rather than achieved?.
Then, we don't know the standing of another in their car.
We are, in many ways, simple animals.
Symbols rule.
How is somebody to know the achieved status of the person in the car next to them? Somebody in a brand new Porsche 997 may be up to their eyeballs in debt to own it, where someone in a Ford Sierra may have huge amounts of money tucked away or invested in less trivial things.Rather than achieved?.
Then, we don't know the standing of another in their car.
We are, in many ways, simple animals.
Symbols rule.
Of power.
Often, all we have available to respond to.
Or, that some, afforded by whatever means, like to demonstrate their "status" and, in their view, power.
All interesting and well, whatever floats their boats.
Just remember, we are a society very much based upon symbols of power.
I have a classic mini and i find that i get alot of hassle from most other drivers (even in medium sized cars), but the worst culprits (im going to get flamed for this) are Mercs, BMWs and Most 4x4 Softroaders driven by excecutive types or "yummy mummys". I tend to stick to the speed limits around town, wich seems to really annoy people, but its great being out on some twisties and leaving them behind because your taking corners at full pelt.
jimbo_m said:
I have a classic mini and i find that i get alot of hassle from most other drivers (even in medium sized cars), but the worst culprits (im going to get flamed for this) are Mercs, BMWs and Most 4x4 Softroaders driven by excecutive types or "yummy mummys". I tend to stick to the speed limits around town, wich seems to really annoy people, but its great being out on some twisties and leaving them behind because your taking corners at full pelt.
I've got so sick of being tailgated in 30mph that sometimes I now just come off the gas completely and coast down until they get the message. I've never once come across any doing that who actually made a serious attempt to keep up one the road went to NSL.
My car seems to be especially villified because of it's "old lady" car stickers in the back. I would take them out, but it's far more fun dissapearing off when the road opens out when you have "A dog is for life, not just or Christmas" plastered over the back. I might even treat it to an engine transplant (with standard cosmetics) at some stage for added irony.
In the Charade tonight and some fat bint in a Mk1 Focus decided t hog the middle of the 3 lane Desborough bypass. After she brake tested me I simply dropped it a cog and booted it down the inside. She was left red faced and waving fingers at me as I disapeared into the distance.
I really enjoyed making her cringe but the rev limiter kept cutting in until I told her to shut up or get out and walk
I really enjoyed making her cringe but the rev limiter kept cutting in until I told her to shut up or get out and walk
Not something I notice often but then I have a big old Passat.
I did however get some chap in a nissan micra come flying up behind me in a 30mph stretch sat right on my bumper flashing his lights and waving his arms about getting very red in the face. I ignored him happy in the fact that I had a lot of boot behind me to soften the impact if he did decide to drive into me. So when the 30 stretch ended I casually start speeding up to 60 and leave him behind, when I reach 60 he finally starts catching up and then decides to overtake me barely driving any faster than I am with a car coming the other way.
Well I understand what was said about larger cars being less intimidated by smaller ones but I don't really see the point in a larger car bullying a smaller one as quite often the larger car is more capable of overtaking sensibly when the time is right. I'll stick to my big cars.
I did however get some chap in a nissan micra come flying up behind me in a 30mph stretch sat right on my bumper flashing his lights and waving his arms about getting very red in the face. I ignored him happy in the fact that I had a lot of boot behind me to soften the impact if he did decide to drive into me. So when the 30 stretch ended I casually start speeding up to 60 and leave him behind, when I reach 60 he finally starts catching up and then decides to overtake me barely driving any faster than I am with a car coming the other way.
Well I understand what was said about larger cars being less intimidated by smaller ones but I don't really see the point in a larger car bullying a smaller one as quite often the larger car is more capable of overtaking sensibly when the time is right. I'll stick to my big cars.
i noticed that people act different towards me loads, especially in the works vans, a nice tidy new vw van in blue, people let you out, scruffy white vans, not a chance...
also, i always expected to get a bmw, and people use me as a target, not so! However, that car broke, now i'm using an N reg escort, and thats worse than being in a white van! That said, i'm a van driver, and i probably do it without relalising.
also, i always expected to get a bmw, and people use me as a target, not so! However, that car broke, now i'm using an N reg escort, and thats worse than being in a white van! That said, i'm a van driver, and i probably do it without relalising.
Answer to the OQ:
Not in my experience, but it's not something I've studied so I might be wrong.
In any case, as the driver of a smart medium sized prestige car, people don't seem to give me any trouble, so I've no complaints.
....well I do, but I'm getting treatment for those. The chaps in white coats will be along again any minute.
Best wishes all,
Dave.
Not in my experience, but it's not something I've studied so I might be wrong.
In any case, as the driver of a smart medium sized prestige car, people don't seem to give me any trouble, so I've no complaints.
....well I do, but I'm getting treatment for those. The chaps in white coats will be along again any minute.
Best wishes all,
Dave.
i drive a vauxhall nova 1.2 merit.
its standard.
I find that people pull out on me all the time regardless of how fast I am going. This is particularly common on roundabouts where for some reason people don't expect me to be travelling as fast as I am.
I think people will often notice the presence of vehicles (i.e. distance from where they are) and not notice their speed. They form their impression of speed based on what the car looks like. So if it looks like you are in a slow car you get pulled out on...
its standard.
I find that people pull out on me all the time regardless of how fast I am going. This is particularly common on roundabouts where for some reason people don't expect me to be travelling as fast as I am.
I think people will often notice the presence of vehicles (i.e. distance from where they are) and not notice their speed. They form their impression of speed based on what the car looks like. So if it looks like you are in a slow car you get pulled out on...
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