Honk and the finger
 

Boy it's been awhile but I got a honk and the finger the other day. Traveling down a divided street speed limit 40 slowing from 45 when it funnels down to a 90 degree 2 lane road. I hit the turn at about 15 mph, start accelerating and the guy that been on my bumper for the last half mile romps on it, passes me on a blind turn. and gives the bird. 1.5 miles later we are sitting at the same light and I wave and smile where he promptly does a illegal U turn.

I still don't get it. This guy could of killed someone to save 30 seconds not even taking into account the amount of extra fuel that is used in these kind of operations. :( If only we would think of the big picture.

It will be interesting to see as gas prices climb if this behavior becomes less and less. While you're driving out there see if more folks follow you in the slow lane.

*Shrug*

I got the biggest laugh I have had in a long time the other day. I was going down a two lane road P&G between 35 and 25. This car started tailgating me. I do as I usualy do ignore them and then pull over when I can to let them pass. Well the lanes opened up to a 4 lane and the car passed me. As it passed the driver gave me the finger. The only thing was it was a little old lady at least 70 years old driving. I couldn't stop laughing for about 20 minutes.

I haven't even been focusing on efficient driving all that long, and I don't do all of the fancy things either, and I STILL got illegally passed once already. I ended up behind the guy flashing my lights for fun. He came to a complete stop while we laughed at him and then he went on his separate way.

This made me LOL!:D

Gas just hit $3.29 at the local village gas station. I drive 55 all the time on the highway, unless I have to drive fast, then I drive 60. Well last year, and I'm talking only dec. 07, I'd just get passed all the time. They wouldn't even keep behind me for a little bit, or care if a car was coming.

But now, I've noticed a lot of people have just stayed behind me until I parted to a separate way. And it's just not 1 person, it's usually a line of like 5 people. Even if the roads are dead, no one bothers to pass me to drive 60. They just cruise along with me as if we're all going the same place anyway. And the people who do pass me, don't romp on the gas either, it's usually them passing me slowly, some that pass me stay going 60 and pass me doing 60, but most pass doing 65 cause traffic is coming. And a lot of them bide their time, stay behind me for a few miles, realize I'm not turning off and pass me smoothly, no romping needed.

Hope this keeps escalating :thumbup: cause I like it. :D

What is the price of gas in paris?

Not sure of the current price but it was 6 francs a litre last time I was there and some really good local wineries would gladly sell you winde for 8 francs a litre.

I'd expect it to be around 1.50 Euros per litre.

just like WHO said, gas prices arent going to make a lasting affect on peoples driving habits, i dont want to sound pessimistic but its a sad reality, most people dont think about how "gunning it" affects fuel usage, they just piss and moan when they have to fill up. the only people that are going to be concerned about the the link between poor driving habits and poor fuel mileage are those who are honestly concerned about a. the impact on the environment or b. the impact on the wallet. most other people will be blinded by road rage and not even think about fuel mileage or the fact that they probably didnt save any time (ie lazarus' example)
\end rant
john

Aren't euro's like 1.80 per euro?

Yea, a lot of people who pass me, I pass them later at the stoplight cause it turned green as I was coming up to it. Oh yea, they pass me again after that, but then here comes another stop light :rolleyes:

They're actually a lot closer to 1 euro per euro :D

But really.

At current exchange rates, 1 euro = 1.5188 US Dollars.

Finger Vs. Smile
 

I've found that angry gestures responded with kind gestures are fodder for disaster.

I've been in similar situations, and it only makes the angry party that much more PO'd with a smile and wave.

One of the best things to do is to do the "I'm sorry" or "I surrender" with the hands up, gesture. Psychologically, the aggressor feels like they have "won" and violence is less likely to ensue. It's hard to do, but it's all a play on emotions.

I could tell a story of road rage and a Felony conviction, but I'm not at liberty to discuss the case. Let's just say the other party got REALLY upset with the smile and wave...

RH77

AH SNAP!!!! I screwed up :o Yea, I meant 1 euro for every 1.8 us dollars. But Thats what I was just guessing. 1.5 sounds about right. Man is it sure late...

A Tahoe went roaring past me just last week as I was tooling along at 55 (in a 50 zone!), just past the engine's sweet spot, but mostly to keep everyone else from climbing up my tailpipe. My wife and I share the ride in our little car, and the Tahoe had the driver in it, and that was all. We shook our heads as he went by.

Then just two days later, what seemed to be the same guy (probably not, the Tahoe is popular) thundered past while still on the on-ramp, straddling the line! I had to jerk to one side so I didn't get sideswiped. Jeez, people! If you're running late, don't blame me for driving my speed! Leave earlier, drive slower, arrive relaxed!

At least, that's what I shout at the windshield. But I don't go waving any fingers at anybody around here.

O boy, here we go. Time for me to list off the number of things I have gotten in the last 2 months (since I started driving for FE).

1. Tailgated by SUV when I was doing 35 in a 35...heaven forbid I abide the speed limit.
2. Passed illegally while merging onto the highway, passed me on the separation lane between the merging traffic and highway traffic.
3. Passed illegally in a two way turn lane.
4. Cut off by someone who wanted to be in front of me in a turn lane, almost causing me to rear end him and the guy behind me to rear end me.


My favorite so far was the guy just 2 nights ago that passed me illegally. It's one of those double turn lanes where you can turn either way depending on the direction you're going and it eventually leads into a turn lane at a light (which is always red when you get to it). I'm using the hill to slow me down so when I get there I don't have to brake so much and the guy puts on his blinker to pass me in the double turn lane. So I do the same thing to keep him from doing it (I had had it by this point with people passing me illegally). He juts back over to the right lane out of frustration and passes me and then flies in front of me to cut me off but when he hits the brakes he hits a puddle, spins out into the intersection of traffic and ends up bottomed out in the median....I was laughing so hard I almost missed the light when it changed for me.

I really need a video camera in my car so I can submit some of this stuff to the cops.

I play a different psychological game (at least when it's a guy causing trouble)... I blow them a big kiss. So many people (at least where I currently live) are quite homophobic - so much so that they are at a loss on how to react. I'll get a disgusted look and they get away as quickly as they can...

Tailgaters that are too close - bring on the washer fluid. Gotta keep the windscreen clean for safe driving :p

----
I'm typically more concerned about road rage on my bike while doing turns. People have this mentality that they just can't approach a red light behind a bike - the MUST be in front. They do some rather dangerous maneuvers attempting to do so...

you know that is one of the biggest reasons ive never gotten a motorcycle, i have always been concerned with how people drive when they are around them.... thats for another thread though

I'm always a little bit nervous when I am behind a bike, it just wouldn't be the same as rear ending a car. So I am more careful, especially bikers in this area are kinda stupid and do tricks on the road, if they fall then I would end up running them over.

But onto my experience yesterday.....

I was merging onto a highway with a SL of 65 MPH and there were 3 cars in front of me. Well the first car's driver must have gotten confused and kept driving in the shoulder instead of merging. Then all of a sudden she got onto the highway but didn't speed up while the rest of us were going 55+. So everyone had to brake hard and I switched into the left lane avoiding a collision (rear ending a car while going 55+ would not be fun).

So, my teenager driver within came out and then I waved my hands in fury but didnt give the finger. I might have also cut her off short. I know, its not very hypermiler like.

Cliffs:I was the guy that you are all taking about in this thread, but I feel I had a real reason to be angry.

Okay the biggest coincidence...
(happened 3 minutes ago)
I was waiting at a redlight to turn right (there is an arrow) and some old woman behind my in a Sienna honks. There were cars coming and I had a red arrow. Then it turned green and not one second later she honked again (it was one of those rude long ones). So I turned at my normal slow rate and she honked again so I went slower than usual. She tried to cut me off by going in another lane and it didn't work out. Then I had to turn left and she got stuck behind me. GAVE ME THE FINGER AS I TURNED.

I laughed at the situation and the coincidence of me looking at this thread right before I left.

:D

On my ride home today... some ass decided to floor it for a few second as he passed me... in a diesel pickup - exhaust pointed my direction... There was a wee bit of black exhaust in my way for a few moments....

Close to 20 years years, an impatient Toronto cabbie behind me honked the instant the light turned green. Instinctively I saluted. Within 2 minutes he cut me off on an angle from in front side forcing me to stop to avoid hitting him or the curb. Then he rolled down the passenger side window and screamed across in total anger with a thick Italian accent "You say-vah that-uh finger for your wife". And then he drove off, just like that.

Well, I'm happy to say that I live in DPoV's world, apparently.

I can think of one incident - ever - where the driver behind me turned purple with rage that I was coasting leisurely up to a red light (and he had nowhere else he could have gone). Screaming - arms flailing - the whole bit.

But that was in Toronto.

In and around the small city I live in now, I've never had any negative reactions.

Consider that I also drive the ForkenSwift, which does 0-50 km/h in 36 seconds. In 800 km of driving... nada. Been passed once in a residential area where I wouldn't have expected it, but no histrionics.

That said, I'm also very attuned to the traffic behind, and I accomodate them as much as possible when I'm going slower than they want to be. (E.g. pull over to the side, or do "fake" turn setups, etc.

It seems that people in big city's are big rude idiots. Anytime I go into a big city, i get some rude gestures, comments, honkings, cut offs, near sideswipes and anything from these crazy city drivers, and as soon as rain hits the ground everyone starts freaking out, people slamming on brakes, skidding, speeding up, people in ditches. It's like they're 12 trying to drive stick for the first time with no wiper blades.

and in my small town (village) everyone drives faster than normal, but there's no rude gestures, comments, honkings, cut offs, near sideswipes, or anything else like that, although there is a lot of people slamming on brakes, skidding, speeding up, people in ditches, but that's only when it snows :rolleyes:

The reason I say village is... well 528 isn't really comparable to a town...