smart hate?

[yolanda 0]

Yolanda, you are a braver woman than I am !I confront no one, I mean no one directly if I am alone. I once flipped a fellow driver the "bird" for something and he got out of his vehicle and started screaming and yelling at me and pounding his fist on the roof of my old 1980 Chevette. I had my young son in the back in his carseat but that did not deter him. I ignored him and waited for a chance to pull onto the busy street I had been trying to enter (had had one pull into my lane - a must turn for them at the last moment and stopped mid-entering and that prompted his initial blast of the horn and my flip of the "bird"). Also saw another driver do a similar thing when a Caddy rear-ended a Triumph in rush hour traffic while I was a bus stop waiting. Road Rage is too real for me.

I don't confront often but yes I am brave that way. But then I used to be suicidal, LOL. After that a mere risk of pain seems tolerable. Well in truth nobody's ever hit me so it could be ignorance too. I don't know what it would feel like to be punched in the face. I've been caused pain elsehow and I do know I become madly enraged and mindless so it wouldn't go well at that point. I just don't believe a man would get out of his truck and punch a 5'4" blonde (with pink hair and attitude) for scolding him. BTW, I don't scold with insults, I usually scold like a mother to a child, with specific words rather than just name calling. Well anyway, I don't do it much because it is very intimidating but every now and then my anger gets the better of my fear and I take action in my own defense.I wanted so badly last night to call out the drivers of the Sebring that pulled across my tail and parked crooked and close next to my car in the garage. I was able to restrain myself only because we'd moved the car to a new spot so we could get the hubcaps installed. (we got a replacement for the lost one, washed and dried and warmed the car, and used 2sided tape)

[yolanda 0]

Man, it's getting worse, isn't it? There was a recent assault by one woman on another woman, who punched the 2nd driver in the face for "cutting her off" (allegedly) right here in little old Saskatoon and it sounds like Ontario is getting as nasty as any big america city! I suppose a day will come when I too will shrink in fear from trying to keep my fellow man tuned. My name translates as Violet. Will I become a shrinking violet one day? I keep trying to stand up to people because I fear that if I don't, I'll get more scared till I'm letting people abuse me. The cops aren't enough of a deterrent, but if your victim gives as good as she gets, you'll reconsider the attack.

[David_18 13]

This summer, I write something on my bumper about the price of fuel.

One day, i have found this :

[Dennis M 1]

We get the same thing here in the states, I call it "little car syndrome".Not as bad as your experience, but when I am driving on the expressways I usually pick up at least one every trip. I'll go by them going about 75 mph, next thing I know they speed up and pass me, then slow back down. Eventually I go by them again and then here they come.....on Thanksgiving I had one fool speed up and pass me 5 times in 25 miles! I never varied my speed.I think it's a combination of like parts of envy, insecurity and stupidity! "OH! I must have slowed down, no way that tiny little car is going faster than I am!"On the rare occasions that one of the idiots gets too close behind me I just slow down to the speed limit (which No ONE does on the expressways around Chicago!) and let them go.

[MikeT 744]

@David: Putting stuff on the car that gloats about its fuel economy is asking for trouble.....

[Nextourer 1]

This summer, I write something on my bumper about the price of fuel.

One day, i have found this :

Cool... that "R" is from a Prius!

[Duck 16]

I'm trying to figure out what that says, but come up with nothing....And in Quebec I think the word "respect" simply does not exist. I'm glad the "smart centre" plate covers I have on my car cover the word "Ontario" on my plates every time I'm in Quebec.-Iain

[MikeT 744]

Something like "the price of gas is rising, TFB".

[Peter 0]

I am getting used to a certain amount of abuse since I got my lovely smart car. An amazing number of people simply start to pull into me after an intersection, I can only assume because I am not supposed to be able to keep up. I am an old biker and I am finding myself reverting to some of my old survival tricks. I assume that they either can't or won't see me. So I keep up or fade back, no coasting just behind on the blind side! I never occupy less than the full lane. I try to be assertive, not aggresive, so that there is no doubt as to my intentions. The first thing I do when the light turns green, is sit there and let the fools rush in through the red light.(A Vancouver special)Not long ago in California I flipped the bird to a large BMW with tinted windows that cut me off as I was cruising on my motorbike. Not so smart as it turns out as the next thing I knew a very large hand gun was beeing leveled at me! It is amazing just how fast you can drive when truly inspired.I am a building contractor and also have a very large, very old Ford van. Funny thing is no one comes near me when I am in that! I cannot remember having so much fun in a car and I will not let the a----holes take that away!Peter

[smart142 605]

''I cannot remember having so much fun in a car and I will not let the a----holes take that away! Peter''Well said!!!

[yolanda 0]

This summer, I write something on my bumper about the price of fuel.One day, i have found this :image from above ^^^

What's that translate to? I can sometimes puzzle out french but this is too colloquial for me.It's kind of a funny vandalism. Not too destructive either. Still, it'd make you mad!

[yolanda 0]

I am an old biker and I am finding myself reverting to some of my old survival tricks. I assume that they either can't or won't see me. So I keep up or fade back, no coasting just behind on the blind side! I never occupy less than the full lane. I try to be assertive, not aggresive, so that there is no doubt as to my intentions. The first thing I do when the light turns green, is sit there and let the fools rush in through the red light.(A Vancouver special)<snip>I cannot remember having so much fun in a car and I will not let the a----holes take that away!Peter

I have to remember that more deeply when they're out there being jerks. I can usually shake them by the various methods outlined in this thread and will rather pull over and out again to let someone pass when conditions allow. I really would rather spend my drive enjoying it than jockeying for status with someone else. Like you, I am a biker from way back. I ride bicycles all year, have since '82, and lately have gotten into motorcycling (scooter actually, but 200cc). I'm starting to engage some more of the safety habits that go with things I learned specific to motorcycles, as well as having stayed tuned in to bike habits. One thing, for instance, is letting my brake lights flash to indicate slowing down or when I'm the last car at a stop light and someone's coming up behind. It helps me be more visible.Now that the weather is getting colder I'm staying home a lot more, and my driving gets less frequent. I am less often driving with a lot of other drivers as well, so it takes more remembering when I do run into numbnuts.

[Tan 0]

Hi Yolanda, that is one scary story! I don't know what I would have done. It is very maddening. Bubba the Bully! I think you did the best thing. I think those people resent us smarties because of the gas mileage we get and they don't! - and maybe because we always look like we're having fun!

[Nextourer 1]

What's that translate to? I can sometimes puzzle out french but this is too colloquial for me.It's kind of a funny vandalism. Not too destructive either. Still, it'd make you mad!

Mike's got it a few posts above you

Hi Yolanda, that is one scary story! I don't know what I would have done. It is very maddening. Bubba the Bully! I think you did the best thing. I think those people resent us smarties because of the gas mileage we get and they don't! - and maybe because we always look like we're having fun!

Yeah it's amazing. I mean, if you want to dive your vehicle, then do it. Why are you so concerned about making a statement about how stupid we look (either for buying one or just how we look inside the vehicle) or how "macho" your vehicle is? I'm pretty sure if we pulled up in a jacked up Hummer, they'll run and hide with their tails between their legs.

[chris08-42 0]

Scary story indeed! As a biker, have you ever heard of the ball bearing trick? A fellow I used to work with in Ontario rode his Yamaha as much as he could all summer. He has had his share of close encounters with the bubba kind too. He finally resorted to keeping a handful of ball bearings the size of marbles in his pocket. If he felt threatened by a persistent tailgater, he would take the bearings in his left hand, move over to the right of the lane, and drop the bearings on the road. He says they will bounce back into the air and take out the moron's rad, oil cooler, air conditioning and usually the windshield too.Note: I am in no way endorsing this method of dealing with highway morons...however, you can imagine the joy on his face when he looked back and saw steam billowing from the tailgater's rad, especially knowing that he can't chase you down!

[Coast Steve 1]

It's not about hate; it's about fear. Let the rest of the world go by...B

Very well spoken my wise friend, Bill.But it would just be nice to sometimes , "smack em in the mouth with a stick", eh?

[Coast Steve 1]

In Van it's just so populated and hey look what happens to to many rats in a cage!In all seriousness, this is one of the main reasons we left the "big city" it's just to stressfull and aggresive.

[Speedie 4]

Yep - not the truck - it is the content - heck I own 2 big god awful trucks now (long story - I bought another truck on the weekend) - and I won't think of tailgating a smart even if I didn't have one. I think you will find that some people purchase large trucks due to personal insecurity issues - by passing said bubba you probably gave him a very large fear that his ding dong was going to fall off or something and the only way he could make sure all 2" of it stayed put was to intimidate the lady in the small car. That and the fact that some freaks like to be bullies - somewhat reinforced in red neck culture sadly - unfortunately the freeway is no place to stand up to a bully. Best thing is to try and get the license number - or pull in to an area under video - like a bank drive through. Or drive to the police station - that tends to loose a tail pretty quick.I have considered putting a camera in the car - but that is more for amusement purposes when people do really silly things.Hopefully you will not have the displeasure of seeing this freak again - and hopefully if you do - it will be where you can observe and record with out him seeing you. Given the behaviour I am sure the local police already are aware of him - some extra ammo never hurts.Cheers,Cameron

[bilgladstone 13]

Gee Cameron, maybe we just need one of those retail stores' "Smile you're on camera" signs in the back window!