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aggression, dominance or height?

blesk

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Joined
Oct 22, 2007
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Location
Phoenix
Given the storms on early this week, I took the little blue sports car to work. I was cut off, pushed and tailed. Is it:

  • my car inviting aggression because it's a sports car
  • it looks like a pushover and people are taking advantage
  • it's so low to the ground (roof is lower than the windows on most SUVs and trucks) that people run over me because they don't see me?

My 1200GS and I don't have that trouble. They move out of the way to let me by.
---working up the courage to get in my car again
 
Not to start a flame war, but do you have a Obama/Change type bumper sticker on your car? My wife has one on HER car and has been cut off and sworn at more in the past couple of weeks than she is probably saying.
 
no signs, stickers, or insignia... Stanford license plate frame? Good point, actually, hadn't thought of that.
 
it's so low to the ground (roof is lower than the windows on most SUVs and trucks) that people run over me because they don't see me?

I vote this one... I was backing out of my drive the other day... when I do this I have to look back real good because I have to see past my truck bed and Loyeds too... I looked real good (so I thought) and once I got my trucks tail end in the street and could see past Loyed's bumper there sat a little sporty car..:doh:... I ALWAYS look real good because there is a herd of us that head out on my street all at the same time each morning. Still, I had never seen that little bugger before... he waited for me to get out of his way with a really puckered look on his face.. aah well, what can ya do.. I simply added him to the list of people I would piss off that day and went about my way :giveup:.. either way it is hard for us taller vehicles to see the shorter ones... or it could be everybody's reaction to the lack of natural sun light lately..:sun:


either way I may start backing in when I get home lol
 
I have an S2000, and I feel your pain. I put up with tailgaters by slowing down and allowing double room to stop in front of me, because I know I can stop in an emergency with my big sticky tires, but the tailgater may not be able to. Of course, that pisses the tailgater off even more. But what can you do if you can't get out of their way? Sometimes I'll just hit the gas and run it up to 85 or 90 for a few miles to get away from the problem.

If there's a car on a side road, I just assume they're going to come out and cut me off, so I try to leave myself an escape route.

A lot of drivers are just rude, or stupid, or both. Then there are those that are on the phone.
 
Try driving a Prius up and down I-35 in Austin during rush-hour. :giveup:

Was that you? :-P No one misses me in the Tundra extended cab truck. Either of the Mustangs are a different story. I think a variety of factors come into play including size, color, height and lighting.
 
Was that you? :-P No one misses me in the Tundra extended cab truck. Either of the Mustangs are a different story. I think a variety of factors come into play including size, color, height and lighting.

My primary mode of transportation is an 06 Tundra (and I drool over the newer body style) and don't typically get messed with but when I'm driving the wife's Prius, it's tail-gaters, lane cut-offs and general horse pucky wherever we go. :zen:
 
I get to occasionally drive my wifes S2000 and I have noticed that the trucks with large black cow catchers on them seem to bully their way around traffic. They frequently tailgate, push their way through and drive like idots. Now the larger SUVs just don't seem to be able to see smaller cars. Luckily the car has plenty of power up to 9,000rpm :lol2: and it's real easy to out run them if needed.
 
A couple of things that might help the next time you're in the coupe....

- Run with the headlights on. It works for motorcycles (to some extent), it works for cars too.
- Mimic lane position. Vehicles behind you that can see past you will drive on your bumper. So mimicking their lane position to obscure their view makes them back off.
- Be ready on the horn. Most drivers never turn their head before making a lane change, relying on their improperly positioned mirrors.
- And drive like you ride. Use all the defensive techniques you use when riding. Well, except for lane splitting. ;-)
 
My car, with the top up is just barely chest high (lower chest) and with the top down it is about waist high (Pontiac Solstice) and I do not generally have any problems.

I have two weapons.

One, a generally heavy lead foot and am usually moving faster than most of the other traffic.

Two, when traffic is to heavy to get anywhere in a hurry I have books on CD and just listen to my book and let the rest of those people do whatever they want.

-
 
I think it's the size/height. The couple of times that I've been in a rental truck, I've had several double takes because I didn't (couldn't) see a small car near/behind me. Maybe part of it is getting used to where to look?
 
When we bought the Prius, it amazed me how many more tail-gaters we had! I even checked out a Prius forum and everyone was talking about it. One theory was the back is kinda snipped at the end and there's a fairly good-sized port to look out of under the actual deck lid. They say it makes everyone LOOK like they're right on your back bumper.

My theory was they were trying to see the MFD on the dash to see what our MPGs were (49.1 right now, by the way).

Back to the original thoughts........I think they're right........size does matter. If you're not used to driving a larger vehicle on the road (which so many soccer mom's and dad's obviously aren't), it's hard to judge how close you are to some of the more compact cars.
 
........size does matter.

Should I be worried?


Solstice4.jpg
 
If the driver behind can see over the smaller car I bet that they are more likely to drive as though it is not even there, right on its bumper and watching ahead.

(short answer... main contributor is probably the size difference) While the GS is smaller, it is taller with you aboard, thus staying more in the following drivers attention focus.
 
Was that you? :-P No one misses me in the Tundra extended cab truck. Either of the Mustangs are a different story. I think a variety of factors come into play including size, color, height and lighting.

no problems in my tundra either :thumb:
 
I have a 1996 Miata that has had some suspension upgrades (read lowered), which makes it virtually stealthy, but I have learned, through the many minuscule vehicles I have owned that the amount of offensive driving (screw defensive) you display makes people wary to get too close. I have also installed dual tone air horns as I could not even hear the stock ones. I made some old lady poo her depends one day when she tried to change lanes when she was not looking. My horns were even with her closed window :trust:

I tend to drive the motorcycle the way I have always driven my small cars, now I just need a train horn.
 
My old crew cab truck had custom built steel bumpers and crash bars on front and back , people were real curteous around me . SEYA
 
Should I be worried?


Solstice4.jpg

Cute car, Bill! Maybe add red flames??? :lol2:

I tend to drive the motorcycle the way I have always driven my small cars, now I just need a train horn.

There's a truck customizing place nearby - they put those train horns in the jacked up pickups that kids in their early 20's ride around here in the burbs. I say kids because I don't know what the truck squid equivalent is... :doh:
 
There is a guy in Houston with an older Wing, he has one of those chrome semi horns protruding to his forks, that sucker CAN be heard
 
So the verdict is in, Blesk. I vote you get a train horn for your little car and then you should be golden when you use it copiously! :lol2:
 
It's the color. People hate blue. I have a full-size blue Dodge pickup with a camper shell, and I've been hit twice in it.

Actually, I'm going with the height, although my experience shows that doesn't always help. I used to have a big red van and a little GTI, and people just didn't give me as much room when I was in the GTI. Go figure.

Wait! The GTI was blue, too! :lol2:
 
My other car is a Jeep Wrangler Rubicon, I am pretty sure half of Houston is trying to read the manufacture date on my spare.... Just wait until I get my recovery/radiator hook.
 
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