I have problems often where SUVs and small trucks almost run me off the road. So I understand the whole slamming the brakes hard thing.

 

A blowout at 80 on that minivan would be just perfect. People like this I have absolutely no respect for, and if their actions caused them to suffer some horrible fate, so be it. Kids or no kids. Can you smell what Darwin has cooking?

 

Not sure I would have been to restrain myself on that one.

 

Things are getting bad every where. I used to drive a BIG YELLOW Dodge Ram 4x4 (See gallery). People here in Jacksonville constantly cut me off and braked hard in front of me. One lady cut me off, my passenger thought I had hit her she was so close, then slammed on the brakes w/ 5 very small children in the back seat. I only missed hitting her because I anticipated her move after seeing her to it to 2 others on the same road. Most people have the attitude that if I hit them they could sue me. I always figured what a bargain, you lose your kids and I get a ticket. Sound great to me. Now that I have the MINI, my wife is constantly grabbing the dash and pushing the imaginary passenger brake pedal but I just tell her that I can dodge the idiots now instead of running over them.

Just a note for Floridians - An undisclosed corporation gave the FHP 20 Mercury Mauraders, they are outfitted w/ hidden lights, window tint and have several high def digital still and motion camera systems in them. They are being used to document aggresive driving and we know Duval County in NE FL got at least 2 of them.

 

Now that I have the MINI, my wife is constantly grabbing the dash and pushing the imaginary passenger brake pedal but I just tell her that I can dodge the idiots now instead of running over them


There is a easy solution for this ... buy her a Mini

 

What bothers me the most is the tailgaiters! Why do they have to ride my back bumper? I guess the speed limit is too slow for most. Then they pass you and flip you off like it is your fault for going the speed limit.

 

Tailgaters suck. But I also hate drivers that occupy the left lane of a freeway, drive the speed limit, and act as a rolling roadblock. Here in California the concept of the left lane for passing only has gone out the window. If you want to go the speed limit, great, but don't try to police the rest of us. In my experience Texas has the most courteous drivers, they know to keep right except to pass.

 

See my post in the thread about Mini's horn

 

I live along I-75 in OH and as a major north to south artery for the country, we see lots of folks from different states. The ones that annoy me the most are the Michiganers. Twice a year there is what I refer to as the Great Exodus from MI in the fall and the Great Ingress in the spring. I think most of these people are retired folks going to FL for the winter. When they are in the right hand lane, they drive like a bat out of hell, but once they get in the "fast" lane, they never fail to slow down to 10mph below the speed limit

 

Going the speed limit around here is not really that easy of an option, particularly on the highways, and definitely not on the Beltway. Cruising speed on DC Beltway is closer to 70, and the Semi's push folks along even faster. So you have to roll with the flow. Like I said before, I'm no slow poke by any means (I'm trying to represent when I can ), but tailgating is common too. With my MINI, frequently folks are so close, I can only see a headlight assembly in my rearview mirror. They sure as heck can't stop faster than me if needed. Either they dive in front of you, or they duck behind you with a few inches to spare. Folks say to just stay calm, and they are right so I will and do, but man o'day does it get me hot.

 

I found that my speedo in my MINI was off. When I first got it, I tried driving the speed limit and others were flying by me! So I fired up my handheld GPS and I found that I was going at least 5 MPH slower than the speedo indicated. I've since read that this is by design, something required by the EU. I think its so if you change tire sizes, you will never be driving faster than indicated.

I had to memorize where the common speeds were. For example, if the speedo needle just touches the "7" for 70, then I'm going about 61-62 MPH. Once I stopped driving 5 MPH under the limit (inadvertantly), then I didn't have as many problems.

-Randy

 

I too, was picturing the next "Darwin Award" recipient, on reading Manda's story - sheesh!

 

I couldn't agree more.

I recently took a defensive driving course given by the Tennessee Highway Patrol. The instructor was a patrol officer. He said that if you are in the passing lane (far left) and you were holding up people that wanted to pass, you are the aggressive driver, not the person on your bumper that only wants to get by. He also said that it leads to road rage more than anything you can do on the interstate. So, if you are approached from behind and your in the passing lane it is up to you to move to the right no matter how fast you are going. I live near Knoxville, TN and the biggest intersection in the country. (I-40 and I-75) I can't say that one state is worse that any other but I do notice that Cadillac's almost always go straight to the passing lane and "park it." I think it's in the owners manual or something.

 

I don't have this problem. People only drive that way because other people let them in. I simply don't let them in. Unless there's a space in front of your car large enough for them to turn into, they can't get in front of you. I honk at the people who slow down to let people in; they upset me more than the morons pulling the last-minute merge move. If I see someone even start to try to cut me off, the horn goes on, and it doesn't go off until I'm past them. Seems to work.

Of course, I'm not talking about someone literally trying to force their way THROUGH your car into your lane; I've never had that happen to me, and never seen it happen to anyone else, either. And I live in Boston, which is nationally known for aggressive driving.

And while we're generalizing, I find that Jeep Grand Cherokees tend to contain the most aggressive and least considerate drivers on the road.

 

Amen chrisnl....Jeep Cherokees and whatever that other 4-door box they make are cars I watch out for. This AM in driving rain I was behind a guy going 65 in the fast lane passing a semi, I was waiting patiently but this Grand Cherokee crawls up my butt in near zero visibility what with the spray from the semi. Where did he think I was going to go?

 

Whoa! I own a Mini S and a Jeep Grand Cherokee. I'm more aggressive in the Mini by any means. Pr'ly because I think and feel faster then those kid-yelling, phone-yapping, soccer Moms in van's/SUV's who continuously cut me off in the Mini.

If you want to know how really scary it is to be on any road in the states, buy a bike, any kind. You learn real fast why all cagers are feared.

 

Not ALL Cherokee drivers Shazam. They're just one of the vehicles I keep an eye on until I determine if they are a threat or not because I've seen a LOT of idiots in them. On the other hand, some of my best friends drive Cherokees!

 

No Prob. My nemesis usually involve Honda Accords and all illegals w/o insurance. Go figure


Some drivers should just buy bus passes & come to terms with the agreement it isn't meant to be

 

Don't take it personally...you or your Mini. These type of drivers behave that way no matter if it's a 20 ton big rig...I use to drive one. They're the pit of the our specises and through "Darwinism", they will off themselves quick enough. The road ragers are out there too and sooner or later, these idiot drivers will cut one of them off and then...well, two for the price of one...priceless I just stay clear and use my "little" horn

Or you could mod the hell out of your Mini so they simply cannot pull ahead of you...problem solved

 

My simple passive solution:

Always leave enough space between you and the car in front to allow someone to merge because they are going to take that place whether you give it to them or not.