Bullies and Bullied on the roads?

Question

I'm intrigued by behaviour on the roads, especially bullying! I seem to find that people are worse drivers on the way home from work rather than on the way to work (I'm usually more leisurely driving home).

Are you a bully on the roads? If so,

- what cars do you bully - make/model - little ones, ugly ones.

- do you bully cars just because of their make and model, or the way they drive? eg if a small car was driving fast, would you bully it anyway, and if a BMW was driving slow would you leave it alone?

- why do you bully? Are you in a rush, or is it just a sport?

Are you bullied?

- What car do you drive? Do you think it's because of your make/model of car, or cos you're female, or any other reason?

- If a car is up your backside on the motorway, do you pull out of his way into another lane, or stubbornly stick with it?

- what makes/models of cars tend to bully you?

I drive a little Matiz, and find Audi (the big A4s rather than the sporty ones) + BMWs bad!

Answer 1

I'm a lorry driver i have to drive defensively. otherwise I'd get nowhere in traffic as everyone will just drive around me.

this can annoy people and i appreciate it can also be intimidating too!

one thing that does get on my nerves is the wife of the rich man in the flash car / or the power mad independent woman in the BMW/merc tailgating me whilst I'm doing 40mph on a single carriageway,

when driving  on the motorway and need to overtake a vehicle moving slower than me in the middle lane and the 1st lane is free  I will  flash my lights repeatedly  until the vehicle moves out of my way ,

it takes a long time to get a truck up-to motorway speeds usually changing through 8-16 gears only to have to change back down again  for the sake of some time waster doing 45mph in the middle lane.

i drive to the rules of the road and the highway code is  my bible

if everyone did this it would be a much more pleasant experience on our roads

my personal car is a 1996 renault clio and i drive it the same as i would any car . by the rules

Answer 2

I don't see why anyone would engage in this type of behavior.  Why would you endanger people's lives, your life, damage your car?  When I drive the most important thing to me is NOT get into an accident.  Not damage my car.  Not get a ticket.  When I see something crazy in front of me or behind me I slow down and let it go pass me.  Then I keep going very slow so it will be as far away from me as possible.  20 years and no accidents.  GOD's mercy and my strategy have worked out well.

Answer 3

I am BULLIED by motorists EVERY day - vehicles of all sizes.

I am a pedestrian, and I have to walk down country/rural roads to get to the nearest Bus Stop.  Two thirds of this journey, involves walking in the road as there is NO pavement.  Vehicles rush up behind me, going well in excess of the speed limit, and start sounding the horn at me or swearing out the window to get me to move out of the way, there is NO where for me to go.

Answer 4

i used to drive a corsa B 1.2 was my first car and i did it up alloys, windows, sound system, exhaust, lowerd it, i got bullied a h**l of alot bearing in mind i had no badges on my car for all they no i coulod of dropped a 2ltr in it but i didnt, i would get all the usual boy racers wanting a race and the flash cars, the same when i had my saxo VTR except normally i would pull off and leave them way behind, now i drive a corsa 1.3 corsa cdti standard, i get all sorts up my bum becuase they see im a girl and think i cant drive i had one guys in a van/lorry thingup my bum all the way to nottingham so i slowed right down and did 10mph in a 30 and stuck it in reverse at traffic lights, not the best idea but it annoys the heck out of me when men get up my bum because they think i cant drive, i drive by the rules, dont tailgate etc but sometimes i think why should i bother!

Answer 5

I drive a Honda Jazz and I note that if I try to keep to the speeed limit I'm more than likely to have a very large lorry driving close to my rear end. I hate coat hanger men in large cars, it's not aallways there fault because employers often give tyhem impossible time tables to follow

Answer 6

I live next door to a private school, when the parents come out of the school in their big flash cars, they try to intimidate you by not stopping and giving way, drive up your ....

I found it very intimidating but now I play them at their own game drive slowly, don't give way to them, glare at them its great fun to see their frustrated faces

I drive a ford focus

Answer 7

BMW's, Vauxhall Astra and the ubiquitous white van man are possibly the worst bullies.  I do think with men it is because we're woman they try to jockey you to go faster it just makes me stubborn and drive slower until they back off.  

I'm also more leisurely on the  way home as well, I hope I don't bully anyone but old people who don't know what national speed limit signs mean wind me up.

And if we want to name and shame areas I avoid Warrington and Northwich areas at peak times, they are very unforgiving people.

Answer 8

i drive an audi TT and find it hilarious to bully small insignificant cars such as vauxhall astras lol... i used to have one and got bullied in it thats the reason i do it now.

Answer 9

I often feel bullied by these people that drive these big full size trucks. They pull up behind me at a stop light and when I start to take off I look in my mirror and they are still right on my bumper. I drive a mid size car. I guess they think since they drive a big truck that they own the road.

Answer 10

I sympathise most with the pedestrian - I'm on a bicycle and I pretty much comport myself as if every driver of a motor vehicle is trying to kill me -either intentionally or unintentionally.

The biggest bullies for me seem to be male and driving large SUV's or jacked up pickup trucks.  The classic bully tactic is to rev the engine and roar by me as close as possible whether I am on the shoulder of the road, in the bike lane or on a neighborhood street.  Doesn't matter.

This type of bully also loves the "right hook" - race by me and then turn in front of me at the intersection, making sure to crowd as close to the curb as they can.  They're generally kinda stupid cuz I can see them looking at me in the mirror... duh jerk I just memorized your license plate.

The other vehicles that tend to do this are driven by women actually - just generalizing here, and they just don't see me... they're typically on the cell phone.

But I also bully - sorry - when I do drive it's mostly longer trips on the freeway - I simply cannot tolerate people who insist on driving in the left lane slower than the traffic behind them.  I don't care if you're going 15-20 mph over the posted speed limit, if someone comes up on you in the left lane, please move over when safe and let them by.  Passing on the right is dangerous and annoying.  

I turn on the "rally lights" in my Subaru Forrester and that seems to alert most drivers to get right.

Yes!  All mini-vans tailgate for some reason!  Sports cars don't bother me much on the bike or driving - I just get out of their way while driving and most seem to be driven by folks with some shred of respect for me on the bike.

Answer 11

nissan micras GRRRRRR.....

Answer 12

I used to kind of get messed with by small zippy cars when I had my big old truck, but now I have a modded civic, a lot of older people seem to have a problem with me, especially on the freeway....  But, now I have no problem getting away haha :)  When somebody is riding my a-ss i just slow down hella bad or brake check them...it pisses them off and they usually back off.  Then I just speed up again lol.