Is it just me? - Page 2 - 986 Forum - The Community for Porsche Boxster & Cayman Owners

steve00s · 01-11-2008, 10:48 AM

To me it seems like guys driving mini-vans are the worst. They are usually two months overdue for their last haircut and have a wife in the passenger seat that is twice his size and girth, throw in three or four dirty faced kids jumping around in the back. Its like life is over for them and they drive in a fantasy world. They do not seem to care if they die or take out the car next to them. When I see one of these guys behind me I just get out of his way and thank my lucky stars.

pbanders · 01-11-2008, 12:22 PM

We have a place in Flagstaff, a 175 mile drive on mostly freeways (Hwy 10 and 17), that gains nearly 6000' in elevation from here in Phoenix. 17 is quite winding, two lanes each way, and has major grades, with a 75 mph speed limit. We have a Toyota Sienna minivan, I set the cruise for 80 mph when I'm on 17 and stay out of the left lane as much as possible. When I drive the Boxster or the M3, when I'm on cruise, I set it for 80 to 85 mph, and will take it up to 100 or slightly over from time to time. I never tailgate, I never race anyone, and I let anyone who comes up behind me past immediately, regardless of if they're acting like a ********************head or not.

I'm regularly blown off the road by large pickup trucks on this road, usually Ford F150/250/350's, Chevy Silverados, and Dodge Rams. Typical speed for these guys is 95 to 110 mph. I regularly notice trucks that pass me with underinflated tires - and don't forget summer temps here are generally 105 deg F and higher. Predictably, you often see these guys on the side of the road with blowouts, or in the ravine with the helicopter nearby to fly them out.

Evolution in action.

Brucelee · 01-11-2008, 02:53 PM

Speaking of evolution in action, there is one school of thought that suggests that overall, governments are working against evolution with their propensity to try to "equalized=" everything and to try and protect everyone and keep everyone safe.

Witness the warning labels on gas cans that tell us that yes, they might contain flammable fluids????????

If we don't allow really dumb folks to take themselves out of the action, they will keep having more dumb kids, etc.

When you drive alot, you see this theory in action.

RandallNeighbour · 01-11-2008, 04:20 PM

I don't have an SUV, but I do have a heavy, massive LS400.

When I drive 80+ in it, the wife doesn't seem to mind. When I drive the same speed with her in the boxster, she complains.

It's all about road feel.

The SUV driver's don't feel the road nearly as much as we do in a Porsche. So, they drive faster.

There you have it in a nutshell.

Fix this problem by driving much faster or stay out of the fast lane I guess.

Pilot2519j · 01-11-2008, 04:54 PM

Why everyone needs an SUV is a mystery. They are pigs when it comes to fuel economy. At today's prices it must cost almost $75 for fill the tank up. Yet you see every morning the parade of single drivers and SUV's. I agree that some of the SUV crowd have a death wish. Once returning from Canada, on an icy road a MB SUV passed us going super fast. Five minutes later he was upside down in the middle of a ditch. The IQ thing could have been a factor.

LoveBunny · 01-11-2008, 11:03 PM

Some of the scariest **************************** drivers I have ever encountered were driving huge trucks. I just don't understand it.

LoveBunny · 01-11-2008, 11:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by steve00s

To me it seems like guys driving mini-vans are the worst. They are usually two months overdue for their last haircut and have a wife in the passenger seat that is twice his size and girth, throw in three or four dirty faced kids jumping around in the back. Its like life is over for them and they drive in a fantasy world. They do not seem to care if they die or take out the car next to them. When I see one of these guys behind me I just get out of his way and thank my lucky stars.

When taking a roadtrip to FL a few years back my friend was taking a turn driving my Audi. He was driving like a maniac, well over 100 MPH (he got two tickets on the trip BTW). Anyway, he passes some dude in a minivan and the guy must have felt has manhood was being insulted because he decided to try to catch up to us in his minivan. Didn't quite work.

Brucelee · 01-12-2008, 07:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LoveBunny

When taking a roadtrip to FL a few years back my friend was taking a turn driving my Audi. He was driving like a maniac, well over 100 MPH (he got two tickets on the trip BTW). Anyway, he passes some dude in a minivan and the guy must have felt has manhood was being insulted because he decided to try to catch up to us in his minivan. Didn't quite work.

No offence but why did you allow your "friend" to put your life endanger in your own car?

Just a thought.

Franco · 01-12-2008, 08:52 AM

Hi, It's not our fault we were all created this way by default. :ah:

Yo, Yo, Bling ,Bling, Peace Dudes

From a peacock’s showy plumage to a 20-year-old’s blinged-out SUV, males compete aggressively for female attention. But their aggression comes at a price: males of all mammalian species tend to have shorter lifespans than females.

“The sex difference in lifespan has been recognized since at least the mid-18th century,” says Daniel J. Kruger, a research scientist in the University of Michigan School of Public Health and the Institute for Social Research. “Women live longer in almost every country. It originates from our deep evolutionary history.”

Kruger and co-author Randolph Nesse, a professor of psychology and psychiatry and director of the UM Evolution and Human Adaptation Program, believe the difference in life expectancy stems from the biological imperative of attracting mates. Because females generally produce far fewer offspring than males and invest more in those offspring, males typically compete with one another for female partners—and their competition leads to risky physiology and behavior, such as physical sparring.

Modern lifestyles exacerbate the gap between life expectancies. Shaped by eons of sexual competition, male immune systems are somewhat weaker than their female counterparts, and male bodies are less able to process fat. Men are also more vulnerable to behavioral causes of death—smoking, overeating, reckless driving, violence. Kruger notes that males who have a relatively lower status or who lack a mate engage in a riskier pattern of behaviors in an attempt to get ahead.

Brucelee · 01-12-2008, 09:08 AM

Young men are inherently more reckless and engage in much more risky behavior. They also defend to the death why this is a good thing.

This fact takes some of the sting out of aging, at least for me.

wild1poet2 · 01-12-2008, 09:18 AM

over 50 % of the vehicles on the road are pick ups, mini vans and SUV's. And some of the folks drivin them are better drivers than the folks drivin sport cars.... and of course vice versa

I also ride a motorcycle and in general pick up drivers as a whole are better drivers. Volvo drivers in the upscale burbs the worse. There are two types of SUV drivers. The timid type who bought it for security and traction in snow. They go too slow and eben slower in the snow and can't park the thing. The second type is the road warrior who bought it for it's rugged aggressive image and drives it that way. The BMW's, Volvos, Saabs, Audi's and for some reason Maxima's got their fair share of idiots drivin them. If I had to generalize, it's a lack of respect and sense of entitlement. Of course, they say the same thing about us when we go by in a pack of harleys. LOL

when I drive my porsche, i notice that folks try harder to just pass me. I don't know if it's subconscious but there must be an unseen tally sheet around and you get points for passing a porsche.

LoveBunny · 01-12-2008, 05:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Brucelee

No offence but why did you allow your "friend" to put your life endanger in your own car?

Just a thought.

Well, for one thing it was several years ago, so I guess I had a little less sense than I do now. And one of the times he got pulled over I was asleep and didn't know how fast he was going. I don't know if it was as a direct result, but I had to replace the oxygen sensors in this car right after he drove it. I haven't let him drive my car since.

btw, he never paid the tickets and ended up getting arrested and spending two days in jail the next time he was pulled over.

Brucelee · 01-12-2008, 05:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LoveBunny

Well, for one thing it was several years ago, so I guess I had a little less sense than I do now. And one of the times he got pulled over I was asleep and didn't know how fast he was going. I don't know if it was as a direct result, but I had to replace the oxygen sensors in this car right after he drove it. I haven't let him drive my car since.

btw, he never paid the tickets and ended up getting arrested and spending two days in jail the next time he was pulled over.

He didn't pay the tix. Suprise, suprise.

Glad you are OK. I doubt you would let that happen again.

LoveBunny · 01-12-2008, 05:56 PM

yeah, live and learn. And the oxygen sensors ended up costing around $2k I believe and my car ran like crap until I replaced them. I never had proof that his driving my car so fast was what caused them to go bad, but it was certainly suspicious that it started to happen on this trip. And one of the cops who pulled him over said smoke was coming out of the back of my car. So I ended up paying the $2k for the oxygen sensors but he spent 2 days in jail and his court costs were about the same.

Now he rides a bike. He's been hit on his bike at least 5 times. The first couple times I felt sorry for him, but then I saw how he rides his bike, which is downright scary.