Do other drivers ever get pissed off at you?

[The Toecutter]

about profit margins and prison jobs, the margins are ****ing huge! we're talking 25-30% margin, and prisons are not cheap! it's almost sickening how bad i'm getting indirectly screwed(tax payer) by my own company.

Prison industrial complex = $40 billion/year
War on Marijuana Users(people like myself) = $30 billion/year

Joe Taxpayer picks up the tab. Johnny Corporate gets your money. We have a prison population, both total and per capita, higher than that of Russia.

I've always pondered what kind of reactions I'd get from other drivers if I painted my Triumph with a Rastafarian Flag paint scheme, with a big phat potleaf on the bonnet. Being electric and fast would get it enough attention as it is, but THAT, would be the ultimate in political incorrectness and attracting even more scorn among all of those angry SUV drivers that are getting ever more irratable as a function of increasing gas prices.

[philmcneal]

^^ plus being where you'd live, I'd be more cautious to who I'm advertising my pothead stance towards, don't want to be pulled over and put another bad example towards the cause of green freedom!!!

[The Toecutter]

I never carry ganja in a car. That would be the height of stupidity and a garunteed way to get charged with possession if you let the cop search the car or the cop has a warrant.

I do have friends that smoke in their car. I only shake my head at them and wonder how long it will be. Needless to say, when they do that, I refuse to ride with them. When they drive while intoxicated, that's even worse: it's putting others at risk(albeit nowhere near as bad as even the legal limit for alcohol).

[kwtorbe]

I recently moved to Houston, Texas for my co-op (academic internship for 2 terms) from Tulsa, Oklahoma. I've been honked and flipped off for going to slow (10 over the speed limit!) in the middle-lane on the way to work. Be careful guys, recently a van was fired upon by a tailgater in Houston probably because it was going to slow.....I fear road rage.

[Brian D.]

Hell of a thread you've got here. Well, I have to agree with many that I've read. I absolutely love it when they floor the accelerator while passing me, only to have me creep up next to them (sometimes going faster) when I finally meet up with them at the red light which just turned green as I was approaching. I don't believe "they" ever will understand.

[rh77]

Originally Posted by Brian D.

Hell of a thread you've got here. Well, I have to agree with many that I've read. I absolutely love it when they floor the accelerator while passing me, only to have me creep up next to them (sometimes going faster) when I finally meet up with them at the red light which just turned green as I was approaching. I don't believe "they" ever will understand.

I used to be one of those people, to be honest. I chalked it up to "driving faster was fun", but it later sunk-in that it wasn't all that responsible.

People get irritated with any driving style: too fast, too slow. I try to stay diplomatic on 2-lane roads and compromise between FE and not angering other drivers. On multi-lane roads, people just pass and forget about you almost instantly (unless you're going much slower in a high-speed 4-lane rural situation -- learned my lesson on I-70 with some mean drivers with my "55 in a 70 "experiment ) IIRC, I got like 37 mpg over 150 miles with the cruise (that was long before I knew of loading on hills). Semi drivers were the most irritated and often blew the horn. Geez.

EDIT: BTW, the gassavers.org sticker helps!

RH77

[civicduty_]

Originally Posted by rh77

I used to be one of those people, to be honest. I chalked it up to "driving faster was fun", but it later sunk-in that it wasn't all that responsible.People get irritated with any driving style: too fast, too slow.

I agree and find it reasonable not to assume ppl are simply speeding for no apparent reason. I repeatedly find myself thinking that perhaps there is a life threatening reason to which they are in such a rush. Who am I to hinder or prevent these ppl from reaching their destinations if I were to act against their driving habits? There are times where drivers will switch lanes, overtake, then resume nearly identical acceleration to mine which I find strange but I encourage you gassavers not to lose focus to your long term goal(s), maximizing fuel efficiency while decreasing emissions.

[Silveredwings]

Originally Posted by rh77

People get irritated with any driving style: too fast, too slow.

It seems to be human nature that "we think of faster drivers as maniacs and slower drivers as idiots."

[skewbe]

Originally Posted by Silveredwings

It seems to be human nature that "we think of faster drivers as maniacs and slower drivers as idiots."

Ohh, I've been called an idiot *plenty* of times when I used to go fast. Course I didn't always limit myself to the narrow constraints of marked lanes either

[brelandt]

The main highway leading out of my back woods neighborhood is posted at 50. I drive 55 and still get run down.

The very narrow and dangers road leading to my house however is posted at 55 and is lined with houses. At 45 it feels dangerous and IS unsafe. Can't figure out why it's posted 5 mph faster than the main drag which is much smoother and wider? Retarded is all I can think of.

Anyhow, I don't get too many people disrespecting me anymore. Not like when I first moved there. Everyone has seen me and my largely piece of crap anough times to either know who I am or understands that my POS can't go much faster.

The newer your car the more people tend to get upset at you when driving at or under the speed limit.

My biggest gripe is with the idiots who insist on riding everyones bumper and pass them by cutting off the guy in the left lane by mear inches only to be stuck again by another vehicle before cutting back across to the right lane. hey idiot it's 5pm!!!!! The road is conjested!!!!! get a clue and go with the rythem!!!! Most times the guy doing this only gets about 2 cars ahead of me before hitting a redlight and about the time they are getting off on an exit I'm already caught back up to them!

This has been a real sore spot for me as I tend to get angry when I witness this sort of behavior and since I live in Boondock, LA the driver is usually in a 4 door dually pick-up with white rubber boots shoved between the cab and bed with empty beer cans floating around in the air of the bed!