Why do many of the British hate flash cars?
Discussion
Its sad these days, if you have a flash car, you seem to upset a conspicuous number of road users in the UK.
Biggest pain in the ass - guys in repmobiles, usually vectra diesels who somehow think that because they once heard in a pub that a diesel has lots of 'torque', that it can ourtrun a petrol car. They try and race, usually on roundabouts/ intersections and take silly risks with approaching traffic, just so they can get their nose ahead, then quickly cut you up as if that means they've "won" or something. Some idiot "tried" this today but lost, he needs to check in Autocar and realise that his car does 0-100 in 36 secs (LOL).
Men in people carriers - big chip on the shoulder when you approach in your nice sportscar. Will swerve in front of you or just hold you up. Had one idiot in one of these right up my bum in a 30 zone(I mean right up, my exhaust pipe was sore afterwards), it went into a 40,it was up a hill, so I had an even bigger advantage, I floored it to show him who's boss. At the top of the hill were traffic lights, I was going straight ahead, he wanted to turn left, so in his anger and frustration, he drove over the pavement to get ahead of me (again what a big loser guy he is). With the people carrier guys, I also wonder if it is anger that they know YOU are wearing the trousers in the house, and didn't let your wife bully you into buying a silly people carrier with a zillion cup holders.
- Lane blockers, these are people who drive at 65-70mph in the fast lane, usually pacing traffic in the middle lane so nobody can make progress. Even with a bit of polite light flashing they won't move over, so you have to undertake. Maybe it makes them feel powerful holding everybody else up?
- The "your don't changing lane mate, this is MY lane!" types are also a pain. You are passing through a complex set of junctions/roundabouts, but somebody continually paces you in your rear 1/4 so you can't move to the other lane, had an idiot truck driver do this today. In the end I had to really slow down to get him out of the way, however a nice steep hill with a long straight came after :-)
I guess there are lots of other idiots on our roads we could classifiy, but it seems over the last few years that the number of drivers with a chip on their shoulders has increased greatly.
What highlights this is when you race with other performance cars on the road, they give each other space and don't take silly risks. On some occasions you get a friendly flash of the hazards before one has to peel off another way.
Am I the only one to think this way?
Biggest pain in the ass - guys in repmobiles, usually vectra diesels who somehow think that because they once heard in a pub that a diesel has lots of 'torque', that it can ourtrun a petrol car. They try and race, usually on roundabouts/ intersections and take silly risks with approaching traffic, just so they can get their nose ahead, then quickly cut you up as if that means they've "won" or something. Some idiot "tried" this today but lost, he needs to check in Autocar and realise that his car does 0-100 in 36 secs (LOL).
Men in people carriers - big chip on the shoulder when you approach in your nice sportscar. Will swerve in front of you or just hold you up. Had one idiot in one of these right up my bum in a 30 zone(I mean right up, my exhaust pipe was sore afterwards), it went into a 40,it was up a hill, so I had an even bigger advantage, I floored it to show him who's boss. At the top of the hill were traffic lights, I was going straight ahead, he wanted to turn left, so in his anger and frustration, he drove over the pavement to get ahead of me (again what a big loser guy he is). With the people carrier guys, I also wonder if it is anger that they know YOU are wearing the trousers in the house, and didn't let your wife bully you into buying a silly people carrier with a zillion cup holders.
- Lane blockers, these are people who drive at 65-70mph in the fast lane, usually pacing traffic in the middle lane so nobody can make progress. Even with a bit of polite light flashing they won't move over, so you have to undertake. Maybe it makes them feel powerful holding everybody else up?
- The "your don't changing lane mate, this is MY lane!" types are also a pain. You are passing through a complex set of junctions/roundabouts, but somebody continually paces you in your rear 1/4 so you can't move to the other lane, had an idiot truck driver do this today. In the end I had to really slow down to get him out of the way, however a nice steep hill with a long straight came after :-)
I guess there are lots of other idiots on our roads we could classifiy, but it seems over the last few years that the number of drivers with a chip on their shoulders has increased greatly.
What highlights this is when you race with other performance cars on the road, they give each other space and don't take silly risks. On some occasions you get a friendly flash of the hazards before one has to peel off another way.
Am I the only one to think this way?
I get a completely different attitude when I'm in the V8S, people respond very positively. I find people go out of their way to let me pull out in front of them, merge lanes etc. I usually exchange a friendly wave with these people and do my best to return the favour when somebody else around me needs to encroach on 'my' road space. Maybe it's because I enjoy driving it so I'm more chilled out and don't get wound up as easily, maybe because my 'body language' on the road is less aggressive (I mean in terms of vehicle separation, relative speeds, pushing into gaps and so on). But whatever the reason, its not all as bad as you seem to find it.
Some folk who have yet to get their hands on a decent car resent everybody else who has, particularly the middle finger stereotypes like BMW and Porsche. Others with the same ambitions enjoy seeing such cars and get very enthusiastic when they encounter something 'flash'. Pot luck who you get on any drive, no point in getting twitter and bisted over some @rse with 5h1t for brains.
GreenV8S said:
I get a completely different attitude when I'm in the V8S, people respond very positively. I find people go out of their way to let me pull out in front of them, merge lanes etc. I usually exchange a friendly wave with these people and do my best to return the favour when somebody else around me needs to encroach on 'my' road space. Maybe it's because I enjoy driving it so I'm more chilled out and don't get wound up as easily, maybe because my 'body language' on the road is less aggressive (I mean in terms of vehicle separation, relative speeds, pushing into gaps and so on). But whatever the reason, its not all as bad as you seem to find it.
Older TVRs IMO dont seem to generate as much jealousy as they do admiration as you say, probably because there is'nt as much 'Badge Snobbery' with TVR, the fact that (the older ones anyway) look more of a classic, dont cost as much etc, duno, I get the same animosity as is described above when i'm driving the M5, I would imagine its even worse driving a nearly new Ferrari or equivilent, I would'nt actually buy one for this very reason, sad, as you say.
Interestingly the newer TVRs like the Tuscans / T350s etc that I have driven, suffered the same negative response from other road users? all be it to a lesser degree than more exotic supercars, I think its peoples perception of how you've spent your money ie something flash, in comparison to someone who has spent the same money on something a little more descreet but with more style, like maybe an Aston which I font think would generate the same reaction.
Easier to say than do but, just try to ignore them I guess, rise above their petiness & understand it's their problem, your the one sitting snug and smugg in the car you've always dreamed of.
Me, I'll stick with the TVR a people moving over to have a look
Good luck out there...............
>> Edited by pvapour on Sunday 26th September 12:45
This is why I'll probably never get a convertible, even though I would like one.
Heard too many stories of people spitting and throwing drinks in and me being Asian probably won't help.
I remember once walking to my car which happened to be a Rolls Royce (a used one that was cheaper than an S class merc I hasten to add) and I overheard a couple of builders/workmen saying to each other:
"Paki's got a roller!"
Heard too many stories of people spitting and throwing drinks in and me being Asian probably won't help.
I remember once walking to my car which happened to be a Rolls Royce (a used one that was cheaper than an S class merc I hasten to add) and I overheard a couple of builders/workmen saying to each other:
"Paki's got a roller!"
Angelis said:I think you should get one if that's your preference, ignore the bigots. Jeremy Clarkson - no connection gordblessim - didn't he have a 355 Spyder? And didn't he report having assorted drinks / litter / stomach contents depositied in it when he took it on social outings and left it for a bit too long? And anything with a soft top will eventually get the Stanley treatment. Charming folk we have in Bliar's Britain.
This is why I'll probably never get a convertible, even though I would like one.
I think a major part of it is status anxiety. Too many people have idea's way above their station, thats why service is so bad in our shops etc. I think some people believe they live in the "fast lane", if you catch them up, then they are not as fast as they thought.
If these people see an older car, they think, well its only worth as much as mine anyway or maybe less. The real wrinkle with these idiots is when they see somebody younger than themselves driving a flash motor. For instance, if the other driver is 10 years older, then can say in their little minds, "hey, in 10 years I'll have one of those", however if the other driver is younger their mind says" hey whats up, this other guys 10 years younger and already got a lot more success/money than you, what have you been doing with your life".
Successful people look for inspiration when they see people up the ladder, losers just spit and curse (eg I bet its his dads car).
If these people see an older car, they think, well its only worth as much as mine anyway or maybe less. The real wrinkle with these idiots is when they see somebody younger than themselves driving a flash motor. For instance, if the other driver is 10 years older, then can say in their little minds, "hey, in 10 years I'll have one of those", however if the other driver is younger their mind says" hey whats up, this other guys 10 years younger and already got a lot more success/money than you, what have you been doing with your life".
Successful people look for inspiration when they see people up the ladder, losers just spit and curse (eg I bet its his dads car).
turbobloke said:
Successful people look for inspiration when they see people up the ladder, losers just spit and curse (eg I bet its his dads car).
Some times i get very annoyed with this country. I work very hard for my Toys. You can get anything if you work hard/smart enough. It's all about he who dares, "Rodney
". I've only had the one idiot so far - last week when a guy in a p reg Mondeo pulled in on my inside as I left a gap for a white van man to pull into.
He must've missed me by about half an inch.
He then went on to travel at 28 mph in a 40 zone with no opportunities (at least, no safe ones) to overtake him.
Eventually I saw him pull into his drive, which almost brought out the "Road-Rage-Revenge-Man" side of me (where I turn into a sort of superhero who melts the cars of drivers like this and turns them into Raleigh Choppers).
Sorry, it's the pills.
>> Edited by bad loser on Monday 27th September 08:47
He must've missed me by about half an inch.
He then went on to travel at 28 mph in a 40 zone with no opportunities (at least, no safe ones) to overtake him.
Eventually I saw him pull into his drive, which almost brought out the "Road-Rage-Revenge-Man" side of me (where I turn into a sort of superhero who melts the cars of drivers like this and turns them into Raleigh Choppers).
Sorry, it's the pills.
>> Edited by bad loser on Monday 27th September 08:47
Some of us don't
Flashed in a gorgeous grey 360 the other day whilst driving the wife's car, chap gave me a quick thank-you and I just had time to roll the window down before he flooooored it
If you own a nice car you have to expect a certain amount of jealous tossers, just as you have to expect proposals of marriage from previously sensible, straight married men who realise that's the only way they're going to get their hands on a set of Ferrari keys!
Flashed in a gorgeous grey 360 the other day whilst driving the wife's car, chap gave me a quick thank-you and I just had time to roll the window down before he flooooored it
If you own a nice car you have to expect a certain amount of jealous tossers, just as you have to expect proposals of marriage from previously sensible, straight married men who realise that's the only way they're going to get their hands on a set of Ferrari keys!
HAve very few issues in the masser, fellow motorists ahve never been so polite - (but then I used to drive a drug dealer merc which caused far more aggro for me despite costing a 1/4 of the masser...)
I usually find on the road that if someone wants to race I just let em go - it's far more annoying for them that I don't think they're worth bothering with
You usually cruise past thme later anyway when they're struggling up a hill...
I usually find on the road that if someone wants to race I just let em go - it's far more annoying for them that I don't think they're worth bothering with
You usually cruise past thme later anyway when they're struggling up a hill...
have to admit Ive had very few problems in many years of sily ownership....used to be paranoid and now I elave em pretty much anywhere.
Last week, for first time ever, camee back to elise and found someone had thrown some beer/cider on the roof....hardly a big deal though and it jetwashed away.
never had anything else done though, thank god. Had a fair number of coffee bean gestures for just driving something expensive, but I just completely ignore them - or grin broadly - nothing seems to piss off a fat, blading, red-faced middle-aged bloke hunched over his 316 steering wheel than some smug-looking tw@t in a diablo! So i ensure I look as smug as humanly possible in those situations.
On the whole though - people cant get out of the way fast enough and I get many, many more grins and waves than frowns and v-signs...
Night
Last week, for first time ever, camee back to elise and found someone had thrown some beer/cider on the roof....hardly a big deal though and it jetwashed away.
never had anything else done though, thank god. Had a fair number of coffee bean gestures for just driving something expensive, but I just completely ignore them - or grin broadly - nothing seems to piss off a fat, blading, red-faced middle-aged bloke hunched over his 316 steering wheel than some smug-looking tw@t in a diablo! So i ensure I look as smug as humanly possible in those situations.
On the whole though - people cant get out of the way fast enough and I get many, many more grins and waves than frowns and v-signs...
Night
sjn2004 said:
I think a major part of it is status anxiety. Too many people have idea's way above their station, thats why service is so bad in our shops etc. I think some people believe they live in the "fast lane", if you catch them up, then they are not as fast as they thought.
If these people see an older car, they think, well its only worth as much as mine anyway or maybe less. The real wrinkle with these idiots is when they see somebody younger than themselves driving a flash motor. For instance, if the other driver is 10 years older, then can say in their little minds, "hey, in 10 years I'll have one of those", however if the other driver is younger their mind says" hey whats up, this other guys 10 years younger and already got a lot more success/money than you, what have you been doing with your life".
Successful people look for inspiration when they see people up the ladder, losers just spit and curse (eg I bet its his dads car).
The scenario you've described holds true for me. Whenever they see the driver they become even more of an arse. I've actually been reported by a member of the public before
I've had w*nkers in taxis and lorries swerve to block me, no reason at all, just suddenly move over from the left lane, and slow right down.
We even had that happen on the London run we went on (with several other PHers). One point a freaking taxi pulls out to block us all. I think one of the lads just belted it through the middle, so I and a few others followed suit.
I loved the 355 for pissing people off, especially the older crowd. Tubi+decat+7-8500rpm in their ear as you go past.
loud and funny. Seems to be mostly in London though?
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