Why do Porsches (and the ilk) send other drivers into rages??

[particlewave]

He said "right on my ass", Jay.
Tailgaters suck and deserve that treatment. I do the same.
Many times, there isn't anywhere to "move over" to. If you can't pass, get off my ass.
The number of accidents caused by jerkoff tailgaters is staggering.

Always in a hurry? Leave sooner, then you won't be. Your being late is not my problem.

[DWBOX2000]

I've had it happen more frequently in p car as well. People will yell mean stuff from sidewalk some times. I just beep and wave. I think the perception is for many is that if you drive a p car, your a pompous jerk. Though if it's set up as a track car, people tend to think you are not trying to prove anything but just want a real sports car. People are angry these days, better to just smile and proceed forward.

[Anker]

I have been teaching my 18 year old grand son to drive. He works really hard to drive at the speed limit and it is annoying to see how many motorists get right up on his rear bumper. I tell him not to pay any attention to the jerks, but I can tell that it still bothers and distracts him.

[san rensho]

Oh and by the way, to the original poster. It's very easy to not deal with road rage ragers, just go faster than they do, that's what I do.

[Nine8Six]

Originally Posted by san rensho

Oh and by the way, to the original poster. It's very easy to not deal with road rage ragers, just go faster than they do, that's what I do.

Makes perfect sense, hard to achieve when you have a slow-mo in your way though

[PaulE]

For much of the general population, seeing any Porsche in decent condition makes them think the person driving it is an entitled, spoiled jerk compensating for other inadequacies. Same can be said for BMW, Mercedes, Ferrari, Lamborghini, Corvette, etc. On top of that, every car TV commercial shows whatever brand of car cruising on beautiful, empty roads or a luxury SUV effortlessly cruising through deep fresh snow. Much like the theory that Joe Camel could brainwash kids into smoking I think that car advertising leads people to make judgements about cars and the people that are driving them. Then everyone is stuck in bumper to bumper traffic and there are drivers of all kinds of cars behaving badly and making incorrect assumptions about the drivers in other cars. Sometimes it is the driver of the high end car behaving badly and sometimes it is the driver of the clunker who feels that he needs to teach someone a "lesson."

[DaveNW]

Originally Posted by PaulE

For much of the general population, seeing any Porsche in decent condition makes them think the person driving it is an entitled, spoiled jerk compensating for other inadequacies. Same can be said for BMW, Mercedes, Ferrari, Lamborghini, Corvette, etc.

Uh oh. My other car is a bright red, loaded BMW... Oh, wait - my daily driver is a Ford Escape. Does that help equal things out some?


Dave

[Nine8Six]

Originally Posted by PaulE

making incorrect assumptions about the drivers in other cars.

Here they portrait the luxury car owner as a sex symbol who has privileges. Most, not all, of those advertisements you see here includes a half-dressed chick e.g.sitting in the passenger seat trowing those perfect smiles to this sophisticated looking guy etc etc (60frames/sec slow motions and all). Valet service, over speeding, we've seen it all.

Can only imagine what goes in this guy's head as he struggle to drive his green color Cherry QQ 0.8L

Me think you have a good point there Paul. Ads and perception could be relaxed a tad

[mikefocke]

I have to laugh. I drive a Prius station wagon now and over on their forum you hear the same complaint.

In 5-6 years of P-car ownership and maybe 40k of driving I've had no memorable incidents of others being angered and I've driven them and parked them in all sorts of circumstances. Not saying it can't happen.

But then I can say the same thing about a Prius.

Are there jerks, sure are. But they are angered at the world and what I drive hasn't made a bit of difference.

[Paul]

I just move over as soon as possible, then move back and pace them at a distance to allow them to find the speed traps.

[Alfieg23]

Living in South Florida, I encounter some of the worst traffic and bad drivers in the country. I have a 50 mile daily round trip commute for work and my biggest complaint is the number of drivers who insist on tailgating and doing sudden stops right behind my bumper each time traffic comes to a halt. My strategy is to change lanes and let the tailgater tailgate someone else.

[Anker]

Its actually quite funny to appear to accept a challenge to drag race and then let the idiot blast off all by himself.

[Lew]

When I am driving my old Nissan Pickup, vehicles stay way behind me. I guess they think maybe something will fall off and they get hit or run over what ever. In my VW Sportswagen I get tail gaters sometime. I would like to slam on my brakes and get rear ending then fall out like they do in New York and yell "Cash Settlement". As for driving the Boxster, I have problem with the idiots driving their pickup trucks. It does not matter if it's a beat up truck or brand new. It seems they want to play with the Porsche's speed. None would win. It's hard sometime to stay calm. I can say with certainty most people are in to big of a hurry. Like Pweave says, and I agree, If you in such a big hurry, you should have left sooner.

[Xpit77]

It got so bad with my wife and I that I removed the Boxster script from the trunk.It appears to be working.I have a turbo spoiler and a hardtop so the unwashed does`nt know what model it is .
But I do like to sucker them to play on an on ramp to a hwy.The best part is after you blow them off they`ll go like hell to catch up and pass.Too funny.

[cas951]

Originally Posted by Anker

Its actually quite funny to appear to accept a challenge to drag race and then let the idiot blast off all by himself.

Agree with you. I just ignore them and let them be. I'd rather be behind them than in front of them and if they happen to go in the same direction and come up to some twisty roads, well his is where the fun begins.

[stephen wilson]

Originally Posted by Anker

Its actually quite funny to appear to accept a challenge to drag race and then let the idiot blast off all by himself.

Hah, I did that once by accident. A sportbike rider gave me the thumbs-up, so I gave it back, as in " I like your ride too". Yeah.... that's not what he meant !

[CoBeerToad]

I've learned the best way to handle a tailgater is to:
1. Move over
2. If you can't move over, start to pull off the side to allow them to pass
3. If you can't do either of those things, then ignore. It's super, super hard to do, but trying to use your car to force your will, will not 'teach them a lesson" and attempting to brake check or slow down just makes everything worse. Cars are dangerous and while every tailgater needs to die in a fiery hell, you don't want to be the one responsible.

Maybe I've just driven too many miles or maybe I'm just too old now (44 1/2), but ignoring others becomes much easier the more you do it.

On the main subject, I don't see it too often. When I was a kid and saw a flash car, I would rev up the engine on my rusted out POS '77 Lincoln (4 mpg), but all I wanted to see was the other car take off because I thought it was neat.

[DarkStar]

Cruising home yesterday, I almost had to get out of my car at the red light and beat someone bloody. I'm driving normal behind a Jeep Cherokee with a ton of 2x4's on his roof. I'm not tailgating or honking or anything, I'm just cruising as I'm getting closer to home. Guy randomly looses his ****************, starts by sticking half his body out the window to flip me off, pointing at the **************** on his roof and then proceeds to start attempting to brake check me. I'm still a couple cars behind him..... But at one point he does slam on his brakes hard enough that I almost have to come to a complete stop. If I didn't get a phone call at this time, and had to turn, I would have done something. I'm usually the calmest person behind the wheel but when you start endangering peoples lives because your'e a crack head, I will break your jaw.

I don't get some people.

[Nine8Six]

Originally Posted by DarkStar

... at one point he does slam on his brakes hard enough that I almost have to come to a complete stop.

Had that once :/ Not fun... and beyond weird also lolll

The Remedy: light up a fragrant incense stick in ashtray, one fat candle in the passenger's foot-well, two hands on the steering wheel, and practice meditation with this at volume 10

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mSl900ABpjA

[Shawn Stanford]

I went to the movies yesterday in my '05 Cayenne and the closest spot was being encroached by a Ford Explorer. I'm thin enough, so I centered in the spot, opened the door and eased out. It was pretty tight; I doubt the average American would have been able to get into the Explorer without a lot of huffing and puffing, or maybe a hand full of Crisco to ease his passage.

I come out after the show and - as I expected - there's a fingertip-sized dent with a paint nick and a line of door-edge paint on my door. The guy in the Explorer obviously took exception to me correctly occupying the parking spot he'd encroached upon.

Ha ha, buddy! Joke's on you. Your Explorer was newer and the damage you just did is probably the smallest dent I've got.