I've ranted plenty of times about guys that drive monster-sized vehicle to pamper their ego.
Last night at church, a message got me to think of a different reason people drive and act the way they do on the freeways. I'm definitely one of those people that don't take well to agressive drivers flying by me and nearly running me off the road - many do. Since around 1990, trafic has far exceeded the new highways built, leading to more gridlock and frustration. A tactless highway manuver might just be thoughless, but it often escalates aggressive driving and even road rage. There was a very active thread months ago about pack speeds over the freeway limit being OK. One of my responses was I often find my self driving slower in light traffic since there is no need to compete.
The faster and heavier traffic in recent years has resulted in an arms race of sorts. It's made higher performing and larger vehicles more attractive to "get respect" Some of you might have seen this Looney Toones episode betweent Buggs Bunny and Yosemite Sam:
Yosemite Sam chases with a pistol
Buggs chases with two pistols
Yosemite Sam chases with a rifle
Buggs chases with a cannon
Yosemite Sam chases with a rail-mounted gun
....in that context, that's why some people buy a Hummer or Dodge Ram.
The sad thing is large vehicles just add to the congestion and create other problems....
I've ranted plenty of times about guys that drive monster-sized vehicle to pamper their ego.
. . .
The sad thing is large vehicles just add to the congestion and create other problems....
This makes sense. When I drive my Xterra I have no problem switching lanes. When I am driving my HCH it is very difficult to switch lanes. Place your lane change signal on and people part the way with an SUV, in a small sedan they don't even notice.
Interesting point you make. I think our American culture/economy brainwashes us into believing that we are entitled to bigger, faster, better, even if we don't need it. Funny, church this morning for us was on the love of money. Our pastor used an interesting quote (but I forget from who), that essentially said that those who love money will never have enough of it, and will never be content with what they have. I think our society sells us this very idea. Why be content with a small truck, when you can have the 1/4 ton. Why settle for that, when you can have the 3/4 ton, or the Escalade, or the Hummer.... Can't afford it? We have 1.9% financing and 96 month loans so you can. Folks wind up as slaves to their stuff - they have to work twice as hard to pay for it all. Then, because they're working so hard, here comes our culture saying they deserve a reward for working so hard, and a new boat would do nicely. Why not, they have the truck? And at 3.9% over 120 months it's a steal. But it doesn't fit in the garage - but that new house down street has room...
Interesting point you make. I think our American culture/economy brainwashes us into believing that we are entitled to bigger, faster, better, even if we don't need it. Funny, church this morning for us was on the love of money. Our pastor used an interesting quote (but I forget from who), that essentially said that those who love money will never have enough of it, and will never be content with what they have. I think our society sells us this very idea. Why be content with a small truck, when you can have the 1/4 ton. Why settle for that, when you can have the 3/4 ton, or the Escalade, or the Hummer.... Can't afford it? We have 1.9% financing and 96 month loans so you can. Folks wind up as slaves to their stuff - they have to work twice as hard to pay for it all. Then, because they're working so hard, here comes our culture saying they deserve a reward for working so hard, and a new boat would do nicely. Why not, they have the truck? And at 3.9% over 120 months it's a steal. But it doesn't fit in the garage - but that new house down street has room...
LOL, Very true It all boils down GREED.....
I can remember the days of driving my beat up & dented toyota corona you take the lane like it was anther dent they'd let you in for fear you'd scratch thier nice suv..
04' # 5, W/leather & JBL omitted. "Prius, Just ask the person that drives one" 04' Tundra, 18mpg city & 22mpg hwy. 04' Prius, 60mpg city & 53mpg hwy.
Kenstyle NHW20 AERO Kit
Last edited by PriusGuy04; 02-12-2006 at 01:39 PM.
Being of some vintage, I can remember when the VW bug first came out. Its drivers complained bitterly that they were not given the respect of other vehicles.
A case in point - I was driving a VW bug on an open highway. Another car coming toward me made a sharp left right in front of me. I had to hard right to avoid plowing into him. As it was, my left front fender caught his side door. Some damage to the vehicles. My passenger was thrown and hit his head on the rearview mirror. It required some stitches, but was not serious. (This was before cars came with seatbelts.)
The other driver wasn't clear about why he turned in front of me. He seemed at firstm to be saying that he didn't see me, and then later that he thought I was further down the highway than he was. I think he was honestly confused about what he saw.
The point is that we may be seeing an overreaction to this. While we are more used to seeing smaller vehicles than previously, we are also likely more focused on the larger ones
----------------
Another driving behavior which rankles me is the attitude, among both SUV and small car drivers, that signaling their intention to change lanes entitles them to change lanes whether it is feasible or not. Some drivers signal a lane change and immediate move into a new lane without even looking.
My daughter, driving the Mazda clone of the Ranger, was cut off by a driver doing exactly that. My daughter rear-ended the swerver since there was no room to go anywhere else. Again, the collision did reparable damage to the vehicles, but no injuries. The driver of the other car complained that this was the second time in a month this had happened.
It didnt seem to occur to the other driver that this kind of driving habit was an invitation to this kind of thing.
. . .
The other driver wasn't clear about why he turned in front of me. He seemed at first to be saying that he didn't see me, and then later that he thought I was further down the highway than he was. I think he was honestly confused about what he saw. . . .
Like I said, it is a way to identify drivers with low IQ. Just assume the 'tank' drivers are deaf, dumb and blind and you'll be OK. Assume we are as invisible as motorcyle and a bicyclists and you'll be OK. Anything else puts you, your passengers and property at risk.
I noticed years back on my very early morning commutes that most of the vehicles on the highway were tradesfolk with pick-ups, vans etc going to the work sites with ladders, tools, etc. But then I began to notice that gradually almost 3 out of 5 vehicles were the monster urban assault vehicles driven by joe/mary worker going to the office.
Delta_flyer hits it on the head. They are now adding to the bulk of the congestion on the roadways. The number one reason is because they are a "hazard to navigation". You can't see around them and when you are in a long line at a light making a left turn with one of them in front, you have to wait in order to get a clear view of the road ahead, which slows down the gridlock even more. Sometimes, they are the only ones that make the turn and you get stuck sitting thru another light change.....Yeeesh.. I think the trend will slowly reverse as energy costs soar and we will see a return to more civility on the roadways when most will be driving normal vehicles again.
I have to confess to an earlier post that sometimes I'd squeeze my CRX or Insight in patently tacky ways in freeway traffic....
Part of the reason I'd salivate seeing the Honda IMAS concept car (also known as the "Insight II") is it would be possible to hypermile and speed. If a monster truck blasted by me at 85mph, I could pass him up and still get at least 60mpg while he frantically searches for his *****. OK, that was bad, but a confession....
Anyone notice more concrete barriers on the freeway and rocks in residential areas? I attribute that to trucks and SUVs that cut corners and jump medians.
This makes sense. When I drive my Xterra I have no problem switching lanes. When I am driving my HCH it is very difficult to switch lanes. Place your lane change signal on and people part the way with an SUV, in a small sedan they don't even notice.
I just start changing lanes anyway. Sure they might honk at me, but then they notice I already have body damage to my car and could not care less if I hit them. Then they start to wonder if I even have insurance at all and they get on the brakes and give me some room. Works every time.
Highway Arms Race
Re: Highway Arms Race
Re: Highway Arms Race
I think the trend will slowly reverse as energy costs soar and we will see a return to more civility on the roadways when most will be driving normal vehicles again.
OK, that was bad, but a confession....
