dave@cylixd.UUCP (Dave Kirby) (01/28/86)
In article <780@hou2g.UUCP> scott@hou2g.UUCP (Mr. Berry) writes: >...There are as many Cadilac drivers with no courtesy as there are >inconsiderate small-car drivers. Absolutely. Cadillac drivers are among the worst drivers on the road. This brings me to the subject of my posting: drivers to avoid. This is a list and discussion of what to watch out for in driving, and the kinds of drivers to avoid at all costs. (1) Men in hats. Never follow a man in a hat. They are invariably dull-witted, they consistently go 15 MPH under the speed limit (in a 15 MPH school zone they are typically parked in the middle of the road, waiting for the lights to stop flashing); and they are liable at any minute to pull into your lane and go 15 MPH below what you are going. Hats dull the mind. Avoid at all costs. (2) Little old ladies who are not tall enough to be able to see over the dashboard. These are the type who will pull ahead of you in the right lane just before you reach a red light (where there is a right turn on red law), then signal right whilst waiting for the light to turn green (and stay green for at least 15 seconds) before they finally make their turn. They have an instinct that allows them to sense when you want to make a right turn on red, and they will invariably act in whatever way necessary to block you. (3) Rednecks. Up north you folks may not have them, but Memphis and vicinity is infested with them. You can spot a redneck from afar. Look for a brightly coloured pickup truck with the rear end jacked up, and with the license plate deliberately covered with enough mud to totally obscure the numbers. If you can't watch for them, you can always listen for them, since rednecks have a moral code against mufflers of any kind. You can also listen for Willie Nelson singing at 135 dB on their radios. (4) Trucks. Any big truck. Trucks are bullies. They like to catch you travelling 65 MPH in the left lane, and pull up within 2 1/2 inches of your rear bumper and flash their lights to tell you to get over to the right. At first I wondered why any cretin would would object to passing on the right if he were already intending to speed, but then it occurred to me that these guys do it for the macho thrill, not to obey or disobey any laws. (5) Finally, Cadillac drivers. They have the arrogance of the truck drivers and the brains of men-in-hats. This seems to be limited only to Cadillac drivers; other big car drivers are not like Cadillac drivers. Cadillac drivers never seem to understand the concept that there are other people on the road besides them. This is the way life is on the road near Memphis. exceptions may apply elsewhere; I don't know. ----------------------------------------------------------------- Dave Kirby ( ...!ihnp4!akgub!cylixd!dave)
mrl@drutx.UUCP (LongoMR) (01/29/86)
You have forgotten one very visible group. Drivers of SAAB Turbo's! For some reason, these people think they are driving the most sophisticated machine on the face of the earth, and they must think that everybody wants to look at their ugly car because they are constantly tailgating, cutting off, swapping lanes without going anywhere, and generally acting like yuppie jerks! I can't remember one instance where I spotted a Saab in my rear view mirror that sooner or later the driver didn't live up to my expectations. I have been a car enthusiast for many years and have had several cars that were not the best looking things on the road grow on me, but drivers of Saab Turbo's are making sure that if the car does have any redeeming points, I ain't gonna be interested because of the mentality of the current breed of owners. -- Mark R. Longo ihnp4!drutx!mrl (303) 538-4900
lws@hou2d.UUCP (lwsamocha) (01/29/86)
* Dave Kirby writes: >This brings me to the subject of my posting: drivers to avoid. This >is a list and discussion of what to watch out for in driving, and the >kinds of drivers to avoid at all costs. >(1) Men in hats. Never follow a man in a hat. HEY! Thats my 81 year old father your talking about!!! >(2) Little old ladies who are not tall enough to be able to see over >the dashboard. HEY! Thats my 72 year old mother your talking about!!! >(3) Rednecks. Up north you folks may not have them, but Memphis and vicinity is infested with them. HEY!! Thats my brother-in-law from Atlanta your talking about!!! >(4) Trucks. Any big truck. Trucks are bullies. HEY! Thats my bother-in-law from Atlanta again!!! >(5) Finally, Cadillac drivers. HEY! Thats my father, my mother, and my no-account brother-in-law your talking about!!! LWS hou2d!lws *
vuser@druhi.UUCP (GerardenC) (01/29/86)
>Path: druhi!drutx!mrl >From: mrl@drutx.UUCP (LongoMR) >Newsgroups: net.auto >Subject: Re: List of Drivers to Avoid >Date: Wed, 29-Jan-86 09:05:41 MST >You have forgotten one very visible group. Drivers of SAAB Turbo's! >For some reason, these people think they are driving the most >sophisticated machine on the face of the earth, and they must think They look like a boat(the car not the driver). >that everybody wants to look at their ugly car because they >are constantly tailgating, cutting off, swapping lanes without >going anywhere, and generally acting like yuppie jerks! MARK : you have to understand these people think a saab is a sports car even with the velour baby seat in the back. The body style actually remindes me of a VW variant. Or maybe it was a deviant. >I can't remember one instance where I spotted a Saab in my rear view >mirror that sooner or later the driver didn't live up to my >expectations. I have been a The saab drivers never learn, sure they blast around small rabbits, fords, and chevy citations, but let them take on a REAL sports car and they run out of balls. >car enthusiast for many years and have had several cars that were >not the best looking things on the road grow on me, but drivers of >Saab Turbo's are making sure that if the car does have any redeeming >points, I ain't gonna be interested because of the mentality of the >current breed of owners. >-- > Mark R. Longo > ihnp4!drutx!mrl > (303) 538-4900 chuck gerarden ihnp4!drutx!druhi!vuser (303) 538-4369
john@gcc-milo.ARPA (John Allred) (01/30/86)
In article <730@cylixd.UUCP> dave@cylixd.UUCP (Dave Kirby) writes: > >(3) Rednecks. Up north you folks may not have them, but Memphis and >vicinity is infested with them. You can spot a redneck from afar. Look >for a brightly coloured pickup truck with the rear end jacked up, and >with the license plate deliberately covered with enough mud to totally >obscure the numbers. If you can't watch for them, you can always listen >for them, since rednecks have a moral code against mufflers of any kind. >You can also listen for Willie Nelson singing at 135 dB on their radios. A few more identifying features of redneck vehicles: 1) a Confederate flag somewhere on the vehicle 2) the obligatory gun rack in the back window 3) half-empty cans of "Lone Star" beer on the floorboard -- John Allred General Computer Company uucp: seismo!harvard!gcc-milo!john
jhs@druhi.UUCP (ShoreJ) (01/31/86)
Longo et al may be right about the S(l)aab Turbo drivers, but ... My vote is in for VW GTI drivers*: I've seen or been involved with too many unpleasant and dangerous encounters with mental misfits in GTIs (VW's semi-performance answer to the pseudo-driver's demand for cheap thrills) to trust any of them now. Trouble is, these losers actually believe VW's hype. For unprovoked, blatantly agressive, and frequently stupid confrontations, these clowns-impersonating-drivers take the (booby) prize. Gosh, that did feel good. Next? --Jeff Shore at ..!ihnp4!drutx!druhi!jhs ------------------------------------------------------------------ *Disclaimer: I realize that most GTI drivers are just like any other group of drivers; there just seems to be a much higher overall percentage of the GTI loser on the road than in other types of cars--my own highly subjective opinion.
hsu@eneevax.UUCP (Dave Hsu) (01/31/86)
In article <864@hou2d.UUCP> lws@hou2d.UUCP writes: >Dave Kirby writes: > >>This brings me to the subject of my posting: drivers to avoid. This >>is a list and discussion of what to watch out for in driving, and the >>kinds of drivers to avoid at all costs. > > >>(3) Rednecks. Up north you folks may not have them, but Memphis and >vicinity is infested with them. > > HEY!! Thats my brother-in-law from Atlanta your talking about!!! > >>(4) Trucks. Any big truck. Trucks are bullies. > > HEY! Thats my bother-in-law from Atlanta again!!! > >>(5) Finally, Cadillac drivers. > > HEY! Thats my father, my mother, and my no-account > brother-in-law your talking about!!! > >LWS Huh? Cadillac makes pickup trucks? Where'd he mount the gun rack? :-) -dave -- David Hsu Communication & Signal Processing Lab, EE Department <disclaimer> University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742 hsu@eneevax.umd.edu {seismo,allegra}!umcp-cs!eneevax!hsu CF522@UMDD.BITNET "Vern Vern Vern Vern Vern Vern Vern, you've done it now, buddy..." -Ernest P. Worrell
neth@uiucdcsp.CS.UIUC.EDU (01/31/86)
I thought everyone knew that Cadillac drivers buy a piece of the road when they buy the car! They are entitled to hog it then, right? :-)
david@mp-dixie.UUCP (David Taylor) (02/01/86)
> You have forgotten one very visible group. Drivers of SAAB Turbo's! > For some reason, these people think they are driving the most > sophisticated machine on the face of the earth, and they must think > that everybody wants to look at their ugly car because they > are constantly tailgating, cutting off, swapping lanes without > going anywhere, and generally acting like yuppie jerks! > I can't remember one instance where I spotted a Saab in my rear view > mirror that sooner or later the driver didn't live up to my > expectations. I have been a > car enthusiast for many years and have had several cars that were > not the best looking things on the road grow on me, but drivers of > Saab Turbo's are making sure that if the car does have any redeeming > points, I ain't gonna be interested because of the mentality of the > current breed of owners. > -- > Mark R. Longo > ihnp4!drutx!mrl > (303) 538-4900 Do I hear a hint of jealousy here? Seriously, just because you saw 2 idiot SAAB owners doesn't mean we are all like that! Yes, I admit it. I own a 1985 SAAB Turbo with everything on it and now and again it feels good to go fast, but > "constantly tailgating, cutting off, swapping lanes without > going anywhere, and generally acting like yuppie jerks!" sounds like a lot of non-SAAB drivers to me. Your lack of IQ is showing Mark! To enter the fray a little, a pal of mine recently posed this to me : "Did you ever notice that there is always a VOLVO around the scene of an accident? It seems to me they are probably the worst drivers on the road. They think that since they bought a SAFE car that God will now allow them to drive in their sleep! Nothing will ever happen to them in their huge block of steel.." Ever since then I have been REAL wary of VOLVO's because he is not far wrong. The only drivers I have ever met as a group, who are worse are Irish Nuns. THEY REALLY DO HAVE GOD ON THEIR SIDE! As a Scot raised as a Protestant, I was probably the only person in the South, who didn't automatically give way to them. Nearly got killed before I noticed! They simply didn't look. Their Faith was complete!
halb@tekig5.UUCP (Hal Bates) (02/02/86)
In article <400@drutx.UUCP> mrl@drutx.UUCP (LongoMR) writes: >You have forgotten one very visible group. Drivers of SAAB Turbo's! >For some reason, these people think they are driving the most >sophisticated machine on the face of the earth, and they must think >that everybody wants to look at their ugly car because they >are constantly tailgating, cutting off, swapping lanes without >going anywhere, and generally acting like yuppie jerks! >I can't remember one instance where I spotted a Saab in my rear view >mirror that sooner or later the driver didn't live up to my >expectations. And the funny thing is -- they think the ugly slug is fast! halb
tjsmedley@watmum.UUCP (Trevor J. Smedley) (02/03/86)
Well, if you want my opinon (and nobody ever does :-) I think the pepole who are the *worst* drivers are the ones who drive cars with Goodyear tires. or... people who drive red cars or... people who drive cars with no cassette player (the list goes on... and on...) Do you people have any idea how silly you sound? Disclaimer: I have nothing against, nor anything to do with any particular brand of tire. Goodyear was the first one to come to mind.
jhs@druhi.UUCP (ShoreJ) (02/03/86)
Trevor Smedley writes: > Well, if you want my opinon (and nobody ever does :-) I think the > pepole who are the *worst* drivers are the ones who drive cars with > Goodyear tires. > or... people who drive red cars > or... people who drive cars with no cassette player > (the list goes on... and on...) > > Do you people have any idea how silly you sound? Yes, Trevor. At least I hope we all know how silly....and sometimes it is great fun! A little (relatively harmless) spleen venting makes you feel better, and lessens the likelihood of the all-too-human tendency to respond in kind. We can't feel quite as superior if we do. Fortunately, I'm above that sort of thing; I just get even! :-) --Jeff Shore, crusader at large in defense of all us sillies!
paul@pilchuckDataio.UUCP (Paul Brownlow in the rain forest) (02/04/86)
I don't know if this is coincidence, but I have encountered several drivers with the license number IRK xxx that have been worthy of avoiding. Do they apply for these plates to justify their poor driving abilities? -- ------- Paul Brownlow Data I/O Corp. Redmond, WA ..uw-beaver!teltone!dataio!pilchuck!paul "You've got to ask yourself one question: 'do I feel lucky?' Well, do ya punk?"
tjsmedley@watmum.UUCP (Trevor J. Smedley) (02/04/86)
In article <206@druhi.UUCP> jhs@druhi.UUCP (ShoreJ) writes: >Trevor Smedley writes: >> Well, if you want my opinon (and nobody ever does :-) I think the >> pepole who are the *worst* drivers are the ones who drive cars with >> Goodyear tires. >> or... people who drive red cars >> or... people who drive cars with no cassette player >> (the list goes on... and on...) >> >> Do you people have any idea how silly you sound? > >Yes, Trevor. At least I hope we all know how silly....and sometimes >it is great fun! A little (relatively harmless) spleen venting >makes you feel better, and lessens the likelihood of the all-too-human >tendency to respond in kind. We can't feel quite as superior if we do. >Fortunately, I'm above that sort of thing; I just get even! :-) > >--Jeff Shore, crusader at large in defense of all us sillies! What I meant was, the type of car is not as good an indication of the personality as the little things about the car. I mean, anyone can go out and buy a Saab, or a BMW or whatever, but only a particular type of person will buy a $20k+ car, and ask the dealer to get one without a decent stereo (and leave it without one). These are the same people who don't make shoulder checks. And everyone knows that red cars go faster, so look out when you see a bit of red in your rearview. Other examples are cars with dents. Never, absolutely *NEVER* trust someone driving a car with a dent in it. If he can make you hit him, and make it look like your fault, then he'll get the dent fixed for free!!!! So, you see, we should be discussing drivers of cars with such-and-such an option, or a particular defect (people with burnt out headlights are particularly dangerous), and not just drivers of particular cars. Anyway, everyone knows that the worst drivers are invariably found in cars which belong to someone else :-). Trevor J. Smedley University of Waterloo {decvax,allegra,ihnp4,clyde,utzoo}!watmum!tjsmedley
burd@unmc.UUCP (burd) (02/04/86)
Forget all of the Saab, VW GTI, ..... drivers. My class of drivers to avoid is those on motorcycles. I can't remember the last time that I saw a motorcycle in heavy traffic that wasn't taking advantage of miniscule gaps between cars to advance his/her position.
brian@sdcsvax.UUCP (Brian Kantor) (02/04/86)
My nomination for drivers to avoid is those attempting to pilot a VOLVO. Whenever there is a line of cars poking along in the faster lanes, the head of the column will be a VOLVO. Whenever there is a car waiting for the stop sign to turn green, that car will be VOLVO. Whenever you see a car slowing down at every intersection, its a VOLVO. And why, do you ask, is this so often true? Well, its because VOLVO has for years advertised their car for safety. Not performance, not beauty, not elegence nor refinement. Safety. And so the great number of purchasers of Volvos are those people who feel unsafe when they are driving. These are the people who would be much better off, and far more at ease, on public transportation (if there WERE any public transporation in the USA, but that's another flame). So who is at the wheel of that Volvo? Someone who doesn't want to be there. Someone who is afraid to be there. Someone who really doesn't BELONG there. They bought a Volvo because they thought they'd be safer that way, and just to make sure, they're going to drive super-cautiously. They're going to go 5 to 15 miles per hour BELOW the speed limit, even on clear sunny days with no other traffic nearby. They're going to wait extra long at lights that turn green just in case the light isn't sure and might change back. They're going to stop at all railroad crossings and put their ear to the track to make sure that there isn't a train coming. And they're going to be so cautious about themselves that they endanger everyone else around them by their unpredictable behaviour. Volvos, as cars, aren't bad. Mechanically, and in performance, they're not bad. But no one who wants one should be allowed to drive one. And if you took any of this seriously, I've got some swampland in Honduras I'd like you to invest in.... Brian Kantor UC San Diego decvax\ brian@sdcsvax.ucsd.edu ihnp4 >--- sdcsvax --- brian ucbvax/ Kantor@Nosc "There is more harmony in films than in life." - Francois Truffaut
jrm1@pyuxh.UUCP (J McKeel) (02/05/86)
Let's not forget about the dreaded:
CHEVY IMPALA WAGON
...or any other wagon that may come in the color of "Puke-Green"
These cars, for sure, are ones to look out for. They simply cannot
go faster than 45 MPH. Never stop behind one at a red light
(especially the ones with the "flat" rear shocks.) if can avoid it.
These cars smoke and cough. I think they all have TB.
But never forget, stay away from the wagons with the CB antenna. These
guys are on the ball. They got the CB and the Fuzzbuster so smokey
won't get them!????
--
"New wave, old wave, yellow wave...
the water doesn't come and go, the waves do"
G. Lee
RUSH
==========================================================================
U. S. Mail: John McKeel
Bell Communications Research
444 Hoes Lane
Room 1N-257
Piscataway, NJ 08854
UUCP: ..!{ihnp4,allegra}!pyuxh!jrm1
Voice: (201) 699-3820
==========================================================================bellas@ttidcb.UUCP (Pete Bellas) (02/06/86)
All this talk about avoiding cars that are driven by red-necks or
men with hats is fine, but the type of car alone is often enough
to determine the driving technique. A list of the most obvious ones
follows, feel free to add your own observations.
BMWs - This is the easiest to spot and best to avoid. These are
people that for most part could not afford BMWs so they put
off buying a house. Because of this driving is the only thing
they can do. They generally change lanes a lot and want to
demonstrate their cars excellent stopping system by cutting in
front of you and applying the brakes "fully". Note: owners of
the outragously priced 6 and 7 series rarely display the above
actions as they also have a house in addition to a car.
Porshes - If ever there was a stereotype for obnoxious drivers, this
is it. They feel that onramps and emergency parking lanes are
made for passing. They take pride in the fact that there cars
need to be tuned bi-weekly and do not run well below 4,000 rpms
(this explains why they always drive in first gear). This applys
to ordinary Porshes, 911, 912, 924, 944 and 928 (the 928 should
be out of the ordinary class due to shear price, but shear ugliness
dropped it back).
Yuppie-mobiles - You know these, Saabs, Volvos and Puegoets (plus many
others of equal obscurity). These are the people that believe
all the advertising hype about prestige and performance (they
obviously believed it, they bought the car) and spend their time
parading around the roads trying to impress others with their
prestige, or careening around the roads trying to impress other
with non-existent performance.
Land-Yachts - Sedan deVilles, Chrysler Imperials, Buick Electras, etc.
These are the cars that come with a pink-slip and a right-of-way
card. The owners remove the mirrors because they only need to look
forward and the turn signal lever because it makes the car go neither
faster nor slower (an obviously unnecessary apendage). These are
the hardest because you really should avoid them regardless of
where they are.
Exotics - Ferraris, Lamborghinis, Turbo Carreras, etc. You can't miss
these ones, they won't let you. These people spent so much money
on their cars that they feel cheated if less that 50% of the pop-
ulation has seen them. To this end they are constantly passing,
changing lanes (to the wrong one), brakeing violently and accelerating
wildly. As a result you usually get to see them at least 3 or 4 times
on any given commute. As a side note on the open road you rarely see
more than their tail lights unless you monitor your mirrors (after all
these are actually performance cars).
Pseudo Sports Cars - 300zx, RX7, Supra, etc. These are people that
have really fooled themselves. They have a lot in common with the
yuppie-mobiles, yet they rarely display the antics usually
associated with sports cars. They think of their cars as "awesome"
and "incredible" driving machines (and often tell you so), but in
reallity they prefer to park them (always taking two spaces) and
let juviniles drool over them.
Muscle Cars - Late 60's, early 70's Cameros, Mustangs, Chargers, etc.
These people are usually not too bad, having burned out their
obnoxious driving habits some 15 years ago. However they have
been known to revert when provoked. Provocation comes for the
most part from the catagory of Psuedo Sports Cars and the results
can be devastating. If you see a provoked Muscle Car driver, get off
the road immediately, their idea of high performance driving
came from watching movies like Bullet and The French Connection.
Micro Cars - Small Datsuns, Toyotas, Hondas, etc. These people have
the incredible notion that their cars are only two dimensional,
thereby allowing them to fit into any space, both when changing
lanes and parking. Since they are economy minded they alway
perform lane changes two or three at a time. They love to travel
the speed limit in the left hand lane ("If they want to break the
law they will have to pass me on the right") and alway brake for
animals (the bumper stickers will confirm this).
Dull-mobiles - Larger Datsuns, Toyotas, etc. and mid sized American cars.
These people are the filler material of the morning commute, kind
of like the styrofoam stars (smagmumps (n.)) that you get in a shipping
carton. They do not cause problems other than failing to realize that
the car in front of them has moved, and therefore so should they.
They do provide an infinite amount of reading material as they
always want to tell you "What they (heart)", "What they would rather
be doing", "What their other car is" (it never is!) and "Who does IT
better".
Pickup Trucks - Here there are two kinds, which are very different.
Full size (also dually and 4X4) - Often rednecks and macho guys,
they believe themselves reincarnated 18 wheelers. They love to eat
at truck stops and their favorite sport is "punting" small cars.
If you see one in your mirror, change lanes fast.
Mini - The half of these that have been designated "work trucks" cause
no problem (other that things falling out in front of you), but the
ones that have been elevated to the status of "sports truck" are
a menace. They have the worst traits of both Micro cars and
Pseudo Sports Cars. This later variety has a tendency to congregate
at fast food drive-ins and therefore made entering the parking
lots of such a risky business.
Motorhomes - These people failed to readjust their concept of vehicle
size when they traded in their Oldsmobile for the Rolling Home.
They travel at 15 mph below the speed limit (just to be safe) and
often take their half of the road out of the middle. Never get behind
one going uphill, or in front of one going down! Exception: If the
motorhome is towing a race car get out of the way no matter what.
Motorcycles - These are broken down into 5 main groups.
Bikers - They are always Harleys (although some are now
Harley-Clones). Usually not a problem unless encountered
in large numbers. Never stop at a Cafe where more than
three are parked.
Canyon Crashers - These are they people that ride motorcycles
that look like they were taken off the Star Wars set.
They only run well at 12,000 rpms and will pass anything
at anytime, anywhere. You can't avoid them, you can only
hope that they avoid you.
Winnebagos (two wheeled) - You some times wonder if there is
a motorcycle under all that stuff, and what would happen
if it fell over! They often tow trailers filled with all
the stuff they couldn't fit on their bike. For the rest
they follow the motorhome description (though they rarely
tow race cars).
Econo-bikers - Any bike that is not high-tech or a Harley.
These people ride motorcycles because they cannot afford
a car. They are most often seen splitting the lanes of
traffic during the morning commute. They are the most
obnoxious, but due to their driving habits they are self
limiting.
Scooters - These are yuppie-preppie-punk kind of people. They
are obviously low on intelligence or they wouldn't be riding
scooters, self limiting to a high degree. Look for them
to do the "unexpected".
Disclaimer: I have tried to insult all cars here seperately but equally,
but as in every endeavor, total equality does not always, in the end, result.
If you feel that I have failed to insult a particular vehicle or type of
driver feel free to mail me you additions.
Pete Bellas co: /dev/null
But seriously folks
/<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>\
^ ^
v Pete Bellas "When it is not necessary to make a decision, v
^ Citicorp TTI it is necessary to not make a decision." ^
v Santa Monica, CA Lord Faukland (Island) v
^ ^
v Path: ...!{randvax | trwrb | philabs | vortex}!ttidca!ttidcb!bellas v
\<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>/hsu@eneevax.UUCP (02/06/86)
In article <673@ttidcb.UUCP> bellas@ttidcb.UUCP (Pete Bellas) writes: >BMWs - This is the easiest to spot and best to avoid. These are > people that for most part could not afford BMWs so they put > off buying a house. Because of this driving is the only thing > they can do... Ah, but you see, out in Santa Monica you've managed to draw away all the weirder types from us Out East. And all the mellow BMW drivers you've left behind in their 6's and 7's turn out to be...senators, power brokers, and general Beltway Bandits. And they all brake early, because when they were little kids in their 318 and 325's, they discovered just how much BMW brakes fade. If they don't first migrate out your way. >Porshes - If ever there was a stereotype for obnoxious drivers, this > is it. They feel that onramps and emergency parking lanes are > made for passing. They take pride in the fact that there cars > need to be tuned bi-weekly and do not run well below 4,000 rpms Only true here for 944 and rusted-to-hell 914's. All but a handful of the 911 and 928 owners here are mid-50's business types, on their way to the supermarket. >Yuppie-mobiles - You know these, Saabs, Volvos and Puegoets (plus many >Land-Yachts - Sedan deVilles, Chrysler Imperials, Buick Electras, etc. ^^^These are the same all around the world. Except, maybe, in West Va. >Exotics - Ferraris, Lamborghinis, Turbo Carreras, etc. You can't miss > these ones, they won't let you... For the most part, the neighborhood Ferraris restrict themselves to passing people between red lights. The rest of the time, they do their best to slow down traffic on the beltway. Same with the Lotus owners. 'fraid I haven't seen a Countach on the street yet, maybe never will. >Pseudo Sports Cars - 300zx, RX7, Supra, etc. These are people that > have really fooled themselves. They have a lot in common with the > yuppie-mobiles, yet they rarely display the antics usually > associated with sports cars. They think of their cars as "awesome" > and "incredible" driving machines (and often tell you so), but in > reallity they prefer to park them (always taking two spaces) and > let juviniles drool over them. Have you considered the fact that the ones that do are almost exclusively college and high-school students? I can gauge my distance from school by watching the density change...first a gradual decrease as I leave school, then a sudden leap as I go past my old HS. The police know this too; their density matches this pattern between 2:00 and 3:30. >Muscle Cars - Late 60's, early 70's Cameros, Mustangs, Chargers, etc. How dare you impinge on muscle cars :-! The next time you see rust flying, you'd better remember that they guy inside has twice your displacement. > [more classifications here] >Disclaimer: I have tried to insult all cars here seperately but equally, >but as in every endeavor, total equality does not always, in the end, result. >If you feel that I have failed to insult a particular vehicle or type of >driver feel free to mail me you additions. > > Pete Bellas co: /dev/null You left out fiberglass-bodied Beetles :-) -dave -- David Hsu Communication & Signal Processing Lab, EE Department <disclaimer> University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742 hsu@eneevax.umd.edu {seismo,allegra}!umcp-cs!eneevax!hsu "They were the elite, the vanguard of progress. They would take mankind to the heights...and perhaps beyond." -Arthur C. Clarke, Childhood's End
tjsmedley@watmum.UUCP (Trevor J. Smedley) (02/07/86)
In article <10@unmc.UUCP> burd@unmc.UUCP () writes: > > I can't remember the last time >that I saw a motorcycle in heavy traffic that wasn't taking >advantage of miniscule gaps between cars to advance his/her position. That's only because you don't notice the ten motorcyclists driving properly for every one that has a death wish. If you had ever driven a motorcycle you would know that the *worst* drivers are those in cars. I don't know how many times I have had someone cut me off, try to drive beside me, or just simply pretend I wasn't there. Certainly, there are idiots on motorcycles, but the are a very small, and unfortunately very visible minority. Trevor J. Smedley University of Waterloo {decvax,allegra,ihnp4,clyde,utzoo}!watmum!tjsmedley
darryl@ism780c.UUCP (Darryl Richman) (02/07/86)
In article <10@unmc.UUCP> burd@unmc.UUCP () writes: > >Forget all of the Saab, VW GTI, ..... drivers. My class of drivers >to avoid is those on motorcycles. I can't remember the last time >that I saw a motorcycle in heavy traffic that wasn't taking >advantage of miniscule gaps between cars to advance his/her position. Then you haven't seen ME! And since I'm not splitting lanes with YOU, I'd appreciate it if you didn't try it with ME! (This is, of course, not directed personally at burd@unmc, but is rather just me venting my rage). --Darryl Richman, INTERACTIVE Systems Corp. ...!cca!ima!ism780!darryl The views expressed above are my opinions only. P.S. I know that I'm unusual, but I don't ride because I want to "cheat" on the traffic, I just like to ride!
muth@amdahl.UUCP (John A. Muth) (02/08/86)
The number 1 entry on my list of drivers to avoid would be anyone
driving a Van. Why don't they get off the road and give everyone else a
chance to see what's in front of them! You can see around a car (even
the olive green, mid-70's Plymouth Duster driven at 5 miles and hour,
and breaked around corners by the 4.5 ft tall 85 year old wonam).
But not a van.
In the same class would be pickup trucks with campers.
No. wait. I forgot the RV's....
--
John A. Muth ...!{ihnp4,hplabs,sun,nsc}!amdahl!muthjsl@osiris.UUCP (Jeffrey S. Levine) (02/10/86)
First, I must wonder what kind of car YOU drive. You have commented on every type of driver except probably yourself. Your choice of words and your poor grammar leads me to wonder about your level of education as well as your know- ledge on cars. The first article on "drivers to avoid" was very humorous in nature. Your response was obnoxious. Jeff Levine @ The Johns Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore, Maryland
man@bocar.UUCP (M Nevar) (02/10/86)
< came from watching movies like Bullet and The French Connection. I believe the movie was Bullit.
fbr@utastro.UUCP (Frank Ray) (02/12/86)
In article <675@osiris.UUCP>, jsl@osiris.UUCP (Jeffrey S. Levine) writes: > First, I must wonder what kind of car YOU drive. You have commented on every > type of driver except probably yourself. Your choice of words and your poor > grammar leads me to wonder about your level of education as well as your know- > ledge on cars. The first article on "drivers to avoid" was very humorous in > nature. Your response was obnoxious. > > Jeff Levine @ The Johns Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore, Maryland Quaker version: Avoid all drivers except me and thee, and even then I'm not too certain about thee. fbr
jimd@hp-pcd.UUCP (jimd) (02/12/86)
Lovely job! Some suggestions for further research: 1) Construction vehicles - dump trucks, backhoes (with the back half sticking out in your lane), etc. 2) Municipal utility vehicles - street sweepers, water trucks, electric company cherry-pickers. Jim "never argue with a water truck - you lose" Donnelly hplabs!hp-pcd!jimd
grampa@gitpyr.UUCP (Mark W Fouraker) (02/13/86)
If your a George Carlin fan you'll remember one of his dialogs that went
something like this: (And I apoligize for trashing his script, it's been
a long time since I heard it!)
Did you ever notice that the guy in front of you going slower than you want
is an idiot, and then a guy passes and he's a fool.
--
"Never try to teach a pig to sing. It's a waste of time and annoys the pig."
Mark W Fouraker
Budget Office - 209 Knowles Building
Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta Georgia, 30332
Office phone: (404) 894-5558
...!{akgua,allegra,amd,hplabs,ihnp4,seismo,ut-ngp}!gatech!gitpyr!grampama168abh@sdcc7.UUCP (Ed Joseph..) (02/14/86)
Path : ( The Motorcycles' Liberation Republic ) References: <730@cylixd.UUCP> <400@drutx.UUCP> <864@hou2d.UUCP> <10@unmc.UUCP> In article <10@unmc.UUCP>, burd@unmc.UUCP (burd) writes: > > Forget all of the Saab, VW GTI, ..... drivers. My class of drivers > to avoid is those on motorcycles. I can't remember the last time > that I saw a motorcycle in heavy traffic that wasn't taking > advantage of miniscule gaps between cars to advance his/her position. Avoiding the motorcycles is not the problem they are so quick anyways that, if they didn't want it they'll ride with you all the way. They'll avoid YOU they can't afford a crash, life in- surance is too expensive. The problem is people like you that try to avoid the motorcycles and end up on someone's passenger seat.
man@bocar.UUCP (M Nevar) (02/14/86)
About the George Carlin line. A minor correction and an addition: Did you ever notice that everyone going slower than you is an idiot, and every- one going faster than you is a maniac. It's amazing we get anywhere at all with all the idiots and maniacs there are on the road.
bellas@ttidcb.UUCP (Pete Bellas) (02/14/86)
In article <675@osiris.UUCP> jsl@osiris.UUCP (Jeffrey S. Levine) writes: >First, I must wonder what kind of car YOU drive. You have commented on every >type of driver except probably yourself. Your choice of words and your poor >grammar leads me to wonder about your level of education as well as your know- >ledge on cars. The first article on "drivers to avoid" was very humorous in >nature. Your response was obnoxious. > >Jeff Levine @ The Johns Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore, Maryland Did I hit a sore spot with your driving habits? I tried to point out some stereotype drivers by associating them with the cars they drive. If it failed to amuse you I am sorry and I hope you are in the minority. The majority of mail I recieved indicated that they had observed the correlation of car to driving technique I mentioned. I did get a few letters (from Porshe and BMW owners) that were quite indignant, and chastised me for casting aspersions on fine german automobiles. For the record I drive the following: 70 Mustang (late 60's early 70's Muscle Car catagory) 72 Van (full size truck catagory) 73 Pinto (micro car catagory) 84 Winnebago (Motorhome catagory) I was poking fun at my own driving habits as well, especially when I drive my Mustang (don't provoke me, please, I just got it painted!) -Pete- ps: You didn't mention what kind of car YOU drive (see I can use the caps key too). -pab-
ben@catnip.UUCP (Bennett Broder) (02/15/86)
In article <1397@gitpyr.UUCP>, grampa@gitpyr.UUCP writes: > If your a George Carlin fan you'll remember one of his dialogs that went > something like this: (And I apoligize for trashing his script, it's been > a long time since I heard it!) > > Did you ever notice that the guy in front of you going slower than you want > is an idiot, and then a guy passes and he's a fool. No, the guy who whizzes past you is a MANIAC. (a devoted Carlin fan) -- Ben Broder {ihnp4,decvax} !hjuxa!catnip!ben
mikey@pathfinder.UUCP (Mike Fields) (02/20/86)
> There's a discussion about bad drivers going on in net.auto. I thought > that this might spark some discussion here. I have set Followups to go > to both net.cycle and net.auto. Remember, I didn't write it, I just > thought you should be informed. > > In article <10@unmc.UUCP> burd@unmc.UUCP () writes: > > > >Forget all of the Saab, VW GTI, ..... drivers. My class of drivers > >to avoid is those on motorcycles. I can't remember the last time > >that I saw a motorcycle in heavy traffic that wasn't taking > >advantage of miniscule gaps between cars to advance his/her position. > > Trevor J. Smedley University of Waterloo > > {decvax,allegra,ihnp4,clyde,utzoo}!watmum!tjsmedley Up here in the green/wet state of Washington, most of the riders (myself included) seem to be reasonable - we just try to stay with the traffic and stay out of the blind spots - HOWEVER, there are some crazies who insist on doing strange things ie: riding the sholder at 30 mph faster than traffic (that will get you a ticket), following 3 feet behind the car in front of you and riding between two cars. UNFORTUNATELY, this pisses off some drivers to the point of attempting to run ANY motorcycle off the road. This can ruin your whole day! I personally work on the philosophy of riding in such a manner as to not have any affect on the traffic - merg with traffic, stay with everyone else and stay out of blind spots. One item which I have found which could save your life -- if you are riding in heavy traffic (ie: morning or evening rush hour traffic) and you are in a lane which has traffic on your right, ride the right hand side of the lane -- drivers in the right lane watch their side mirrors for a slot to move left to come up. If you are in the right side of the lane, they will see a "space" show up and move into you as you come along side (this is especially true during the dark hours (early mornings in the winter). Just thought I'd pass this along (basic laws of physics sez two vehicles can not occupy one spot (unless they are very small!)) Mikey