did i say anything offensive to p-up owners in general Ballen ???

All I said was that a P-up was tail gating me . It could've been anything. It just so happend to be a pick up truck.

Like you said " As far as safety is concerned, yes its true that they take longer to stop, and don't handle as well in emergency situations" .

Then why in the hell was he right up my A$$. I even tapped my brakes so he'd back off. Instead he got move up more.

He was just being a *****. I can't stand when people try and get brave for no reason at all. I'm not bashing pickup trucks .... this is for all cars, suv's, vans ..... etc in general.

I wouldn't had done anything if he'd back off. I was already going fast enough in the left lane , and was passing cars myself. There was a car in front of me also.

I cut him off becasue I gave him two warnings. He wants to be a ***** ..... I can play his game.

BUT AGAIN .... IT COULD"VE BEEN ANY CAR ...

 

They may not use its performance abilities, and I know just as many by sports cars for the image as those who buy trucks for the image. But, its abilities transfer to daily driving. In an 8 you can stop faster than the average car, turn quicker, accelerate quicker, these all make the car safer and help in many situations you encounter everyday.

If you buy an SUV and dont off road or tow then you aren't using any of the vehicles performance features. In order to get the performance advantages that an SUV offers, you have to trade off for handling, breaking, in some cases acceleration, ride quality, gas mileage etc. All features that are required in daily situation. So, yes it is very stupid to buy a truck if you dont do truck things.

 

I'm sorry it does seem to color your response when it is in a thread full of people complaining about SUVs. However I am still having difficulty understanding how your actions were any better than those of the pickup driver himself. He created a dangerous situation, and you actively tried to make it more dangerous for both him and yourself.
-B

 

I understand were you're coming from Ballen , and I know what I did wasen't the most effective solution , but I just get frustrated because these people keep doing this and others get hurt. I tried to warn him but he kept coming closer. It was becoming a game with him.

I got frustrated and reacted to the sistuation.

Same thing happend last year with a husky kid wanting to show off to his firends and stood in the middle of the road while i was coming at him. I was still a fair distance away. So I dropped it into 2nd and slamed the gas. The kid started to walk to the side of the road. I eventually made it there and got out of my car. Ask the kid why he didn't stay on the road. He said " i was scared you weren't going to stop". I then ask him if it was his intention to try and act cool in front of his friends. He said "yes" .

I saw his friends laughing at him, and I said "look how cool you look now"

It's just that some people try to brave for no particular reason at all. I understand that over-reacting to a lot of these situations isn't the why to go, but sometimes they just ask for it.

 

While Pete's actions were a little dangerous I understand! If a real situation were to arise and the SUV/Pickup remained on his tail then Pete could have ended up severely injured. Hopefully the other guy learned.

While the impression seems to be that all SUV and Pickups do this it's not the case. At the same time there seems to be a trend. From my own experience it seems to be that 75% or more of the times that there is an SUV/Pickup behind me they are not keeping a safe distance. Some SUV drivers I've talked to seem to have superiority complexes. If someone makes comments like "yeah, I could hook up to your car and drag it down the street with my truck!", it definitely makes me think about what their mentality is (It has been said before). I've ridden with a friend in his SUV as he edged up on someone and chuckled (by no means is that all SUV drivers). I've met people who would comment about catching a few of my last cars in their grill on the way to work! What I get out of this is there is some kind of messed up mentality with some of the drivers of those vehicles.

 

I think there are at least three camps to the SUV crazy:

1 - people that need them and intend to use them (towing boats or rec vehicles and equipment, family transportation, slight off-road).

2 - people that should have a mini-van (but minis aren't cool/trendy)

3 - (the worst IMO) people that go with the "at least I'll live mentality". I hate these people. I truly wonder if they are "a-ok" with vehicular manslaughter. These are typically the most inattentive drivers and they need the security that only a 6,000lbs monster can provide.

Since this is the land of freedom (and I like freedom) I see no need to ban the SUV. I would like to see a new class of license required to drive them (nothing drastic just a special reiteration of safe following distances and the basics of driving top heavy vehicles). I would also like to actually see the so called "smooth operator" program (local commercials, radio and tv, warn that the police are actively searching for aggressive drivers, this is bs as I haven't seen any cops in the last two years doing anything but the standard speed traps which I usually drive by with and SUV up my bum.

 

I found this is the current New Yorker online this week.. sums it up nicely and yes, unfortunately Toronto is as cursed as anywhere with these idiots and their ridiculous suv-asauruses.

DO NOT REMOVE FROM VISOR
by Bruce McCall
Issue of 2004-08-02
Posted 2004-07-26
Your new sport-utility vehicle (S.U.V.) should automatically roll over in sharp turns and in changes of direction. Important: Never open a door during a rollover situation; contact with pavement could cause paint scratches and scrapes, which are not covered under your limited warranty.

You will know that a rollover situation has occurred when all the blood rushes to your head and no sky is visible out the windows.

caution: Driving at low speeds increases the risk of not rolling over. Always drive your new S.U.V. at double the posted speed limit.

Your new S.U.V. is designed to give you the choice of passing over the tops of smaller cars, motorcycles, and bicycles that are blocking your lane. Reminder: A small car may snag on the S.U.V.’s undercarriage during such a maneuver. If scraping noises persist, stop, step out of the vehicle, and examine the undercarriage for damage.

warning: Dragging a small car underneath your new S.U.V. could cause not only irritating noises but also friction between the S.U.V. and the road, which may slow you down. If a small car or other object has entangled itself in the chassis of your S.U.V., press firmly on the accelerator pedal and rapidly shift the transmission between Drive and Reverse to create a rocking motion until the small car is disengaged.

Your new S.U.V. utilizes the smallest possible total braking surface area for slow deceleration. Hard braking on rough or wet road surfaces should produce fishtailing and skidding. Important: In a skid, your S.U.V. will automatically spin in a three-hundred-and-sixty-degree loop or a series of loops. Do not attempt to correct this action by turning the steering wheel in the direction of the skid, as this could interrupt the spinning process and reduce collision risks.

As with any oversized and overweight vehicle, parking your new S.U.V. is easy if you disregard rearview mirrors and conventional “back and fill” strategies. Maneuver strictly by feel and by sound. Resistance encountered when backing into a parking space can be eliminated by your new S.U.V.’s overwhelming mass and engine power. Simply keep the accelerator pedal depressed until you feel no more resistance and all metallic sounds have ceased.

Your new S.U.V. is designed with the minimum number of safety features as standard equipment.

Advisory: There is no need to pick a fight with your spouse or drink three quarts of beer before driving your new S.U.V. Road rage is built in. Your new S.U.V. is designed to give the driver an illusion of supreme potency and invincibility at all times and in all traffic conditions. This can be diminished by courteous or passive driving habits.

Remember: The other driver is the enemy. Always pass on the right, block other vehicles from passing you, tailgate other vehicles until they yield or are pushed aside, avoid using the turn-signal indicator, and never slow down.

Fuel-Saving Warning: Maintaining a steady cruising speed below seventy m.p.h. will result in a higher miles-per-gallon figure than the S.U.V. average. Danger: Conserving fuel risks reducing running costs and maximizing benefits to the environment. If your fuel gauge does not move quickly from Full to Empty, your new S.U.V. is probably not burning fuel fast enough. This can result from persistently smooth, slow, careful driving. If the condition is not corrected by employing sudden stops and starts and by maintaining an average speed of at least one hundred m.p.h., see your authorized dealer

 

I think those are basically the three mentalities. Vanity really fits in under #2.

I would say that unfortunately only 5-10% of people that have SUV's fall into catagory #1. I am happy to say that I do.

People that have them for reason #2 are pretty pathetic, personally I would rather drive a wagon than an SUV, but I'm not stupid.

As for number #3, I hate this mentality. first of all, if you think this your selfish. Second, if one more perons says "well I can roll over you" I will freak out!! Third, the majority of accidents are single car accidents. People dont seem to understand this. Yes, if you hit a car in your SUV you are likely safer if there is a big difference in your momentum vs theirs. If you hit a wall, guard rail etc you arent. Trucks dont have the same safety standards, and dont require the same crumple zones that cars do. A crumple zone is supposed to absorb energy so if you drive you 6000 lb truck into a wall, your gonna get hit harder.

 

I am sorry that you guys hate SUVs. Not all of us are bad, remember: don't blame the equipment blame the idiot operating it. I have a red RX8 and one of those "ugly" H2's. I like both of them. The RX8 is great fun on the road, the H2 is great fun going hunting and hauling stuff

 

I think for most of us we're bothered most by the driving mentality SUVs seem to foster.

These days when I'm being tailgated on the freeway during heavy traffic, it's by an SUV.
The dolt that just about hit me when changing lanes and not bothering to look or check any mirrors? An SUV.
The person that just decided that yield or stop no longer applies to them at an intersection and pulls in front of me or others cause them to break, and SUV driver.
That idiot bobbing down the road and can barely stay in their own lane while yacking on the cell phone, you guessed it, SUV.

It used to be 1/2 the time, then 3 quarters of the time now it's like 95%.
I know at the end of the day this is mostly empirical evidence, but it's killing me.
It seems like sports car drivers are the most thoughtful now. I haven't been run off the road by any 350z or s2k's lately.

Just the other day I saw an SUV blow out a tire while accelerating up to freeway speed on an on ramp. It then started to fish-tail a bit and finally started rolling sideways towards the concrete center barrier. Despite rolling across 4 lanes of traffic it was still only a 1 car accident (miracle). It sure didn't look pleasant for the driver either.

 

Thats too bad. The SUV drivers are all Supermen till they get the Kryptonite an blow a tire.

 

Is everyone on this forum the same person?? No one can seem to differentiate between the words An/And.

 

I have also notice this phenomon. But it's not unique to 8s. They seem to like to menace anything that's small and nifty looking - especially if it's red. I've been told this by friends who own Mustangs and Porches, too. It's obviously a psychological issue, and I'd figure that it was just their problem, except, as someone else mentioned, I would like be able to brake once in a while without wondering if I'm going to find out if a full-sized pickup truck will fit in my trunk.

 

I occassionally post on the RX7.com side of the house, but I happened to read this and had to post this website.

http://www.fuh2.com/

Everytime I see an H2 on the road, I can't help but laugh. 100 pages of photos and still growing.

My advice to the people who think SUV drivers drive like crap is to never visit Germany. You can see that they actually take drivers education seriously. You will only be even more frustrated when you come back home. Just drive once in the middle east, and it will put things back in perspective. Have a driver's license? Nahhh!
Dan

 

I agree with your sentiments completely re: H2.

In reply to clark ,'amen', although I have had fewer near rear enders with the 8 than with my Miata. In one of three incidents, a woman 'slammed' (about 20 mph in morning stop and go) into the MX-5 in a massive Lexus SUV on the main E-W southern Ontario highway (401), explaining to the cop and myself that it was her first day on a new job, she was late and that I should have realized that she was in a hurry.. Man was she pretty! Obviously the cop thought so, too. No charges laid....you should excuse the pun.. . she didn't even have her insurance certificate...[he did write her up.. I received a copy.. but said charges would be pending depending upon me]
I did not pursue it as neither my son nor I had any injuries..except my right knee for a day or two from standing on the brake to avoid shunting the guy in front. Amazingly, the Miata didn't have so much as a crimp in the rear 'bumper' and no frame damage.. none.

 

I just hate how alot of early morning suv drivers think that the 6000 pound of metal behind them is somehow also the kitchen, bathroom, bedroom, and sometimes even vehicle on the move. I don't know why but shaving, getting dressed, eating, talking on cell phone, putting on makeup, and a distant last, driving all happen inside one. I'm guilty of doing some of these things from time to time, but when I see a girl putting on makeup using 3 mirrors, eating, and talking on the phone, I just pray for a cop. It seems common sense is in short supply all around these days, but suv drivers get me the most. Last year I was hit my a yukon drivin by a 60 year old guy. He said he couldnt see my protege cuz it was too small. And yet his illegally tinted windows, and lack of experience with an earthf*cker hit me. Not even my blairing horn stopped him. If only he learned how to drive it might have saved him 800 bux. I never wouldve been so mad if instead of making excuses he just apologized and owned up to it. [/vent]

 

In kansas it's all pickups and SUV's. Only accident I've ever been in? Was driving my 99 protege daily driver, when a cute little number in a denali is riding my ***. Left lane is completely open and I'm the only other car on the road. I come up to a stop light, she keeps going and runs right into my ***. Did get her phone number and went on a few dates after lol. just glad I wasn't in the 93 rx7 TT when she hit me. People love to ride my *** and/or stare at it when I'm driving the 7, just hope I can keep it from getting raped.

 

I know this sounds as if I'm making it up after the fact, but the Lexus SUV driver actually told the cop that she was putting on her lipstick while she was stopped in the heavy traffic, then accelerated and was 'momentarily distracted'. I guess as long as she wasn't on a cell, under the Ontario Highway Traffic Act, that's okay if you're a babe and charmer...

 

8/5/2004
I think there is a certain breed (mutation) of males that believe that a huge SUV will add inches to their 3rd member.

I find it ironic that SUV stands for Sport Utility Vehicle. WTF is sporting about a H2? What a crock of cr@p. We need a new acronym.

Stupid
Ugly (A$$)
Vehicle

 

I dont ged mad about this anymore. I'ts not worth it. Here's what I do that I quite enjoy. If theres a tailgater on me I put on cruise control & set it to the speed limit. If gater stays there I'll slow down 5 mph lower than limit. Usually after a mile or so most peeps backoff then I resume my previous speed. Most drivers get it course theres plenty o idiots out there. Dont get mad or frustrated. It's an intimidation tactic & if it bothers you then it works. Pop in your favorite CD, set the cruise control & enjoy the ride. Look in the mirror & smile: then say to yerself...what a nice day..I love my car..could be the crapiest weather outside but every mile I put on this ride is wonderful...after all I could be driving a piece of $hit like the dude behind me

 

an [ ən ]adjective a form of “a”: used instead of “a,” the indefinite article, in front of words with an initial vowel sound

[Old English, a stressless form of the numeral ān “one” (source also of English a)]


I use an for and. But thats just me. As long as you know I'm saying SUV's suck then its all good .

 

Ever hear of road rage?

Do that enough and one of those tailgaters will bump you either accidentally because they decided to turn up the intimidation factor just a bit or on purpose just because they reached their breaking point. It's not worth it.

Just put on your directional and slowly and carefully give them the lane. Then when they pass, get their plate number and dial the highway patrol and report their agressive behavior. If that is their driving habit, they will move on and tailgate every car they encounter in their path and the police won't have any trouble finding him. Might not work every time, but it does work.

 

Darnit.. everyone should carry a hand gun. When they do reach that breaking point, they should just go ahead and kill each other. Might be a good way to control the human population. :D

Seriously though, just ignore them, and move onto the other lane if traffic permits. If not, then cruise at the speed that you normally do. If the car behind you still isn't letting up. Then call the cops and yell for help. They usually come by really quick if you start crying hysterically.

 

It's not wasted if the owner/driver enjoys it.

 

And what good would that do? When was the last time you saw a semi doing 55 or less? They pass me doing 65!