TheSamba.com :: View topic - Do people go out of their way to pass you?

Thu Dec 01, 2005 7:06 am

It seems like whenever I drive my Bug, people go out of their way to pass me on the highway. It's like they can't stand to be stuck behind a Beetle (even though I'm going 70+ mph). It's just odd because that doesn't happen when I drive the Accord at the same speed.

Thu Dec 01, 2005 7:11 am

They can only pass me if I let them. :wink:

Thu Dec 01, 2005 7:37 am

on the freeway im always in the right lane so everyone passes me all the time. however on normal streets i do find that when people pull out of driveways and see me coming along they pull out right in front of me even though there really isnt enough room for them....makes for a quick foot on the brakes...a few times i have had to swerve out of the way and lay on the horn. makes for an interesting cruise around town.

Thu Dec 01, 2005 10:49 am

I've had other drivers pull every dumbass stunt you can imagine, and I've pulled quite a few myself, so nothing would surprise me. For some reason, in the 'hood in Detroit, it was customary for the hoodlums, when I was stopped at a traffic light, to pull to the right of me and stop there, when there was no lane, just a little space for them to squeeze into. This happened all the time. The first time it happened, I was stopped at a stoplight where the right most lane continued into an on ramp onto the freeway. The left lane was a left turn only onto a one way street. On the corner on the opposite side, right, there was a gas station. The light was red, and some dude came up and squeezed in on the right. There was clearly no lane there. I figured he must have wanted to turn into the gas station when the light turned green. So, when it did turn, I continued crossing the one way street and onto the on ramp. What I didn't realize was that the guy was trying to beat me across the street, pass me on the right, and get onto the on ramp. I just kept driving straight, and the last second, realized guy was forced up on to the curb and grass to the side, yelling and pounding the steering wheel. Then, he was on my ass the whole way down the ramp, cut around me when we got on the freeway, and then slammed on the brakes until we were stopped. This is right in downtown Detroit with traffic moving 85mph. Then, he took off like a bat out of hell (some sort of '60's Impala or somesuch junk), leaving me trying to accelerate with traffic swerving to get around me. He was clearly very pleased with himself, as he had both hands off of the steering wheel, in a "what, what!", up and down kind of movement, yelling and bobbing his head as he sped off. The only thing I can think of now is that this is standard 'hood protocol to make sure one doesn't get stuck behind another car at a light in case of jacking or drive by... :?

Thu Dec 01, 2005 11:22 am

The smaller the car I drive, the more people cut in front of me or pull out in front of me. Driving the big minivan, it doesn't happen as much but then I have people tailgating me so closely I can't see their headlights. All this happens because I like to drive at the speed limit. Bad Joe! Bad!

Thu Dec 01, 2005 12:27 pm

67jason wrote: on the freeway im always in the right lane so everyone passes me all the time. however on normal streets i do find that when people pull out of driveways and see me coming along they pull out right in front of me even though there really isnt enough room for them....makes for a quick foot on the brakes...a few times i have had to swerve out of the way and lay on the horn. makes for an interesting cruise around town.

I've had that happen to me a few times. I really want a disc brake conversion now for better stopping power when the assholes to stupid stuff like that.

Thu Dec 01, 2005 3:34 pm

what i always think is funny is when they have plenty of room to pass you before it turns to one lane at an on ramp but they would rather ride your ass knowing there is no way in hell you will reach interstate speed by the time you get on the interstate. then they dart around you on the interstate cutting off traffic and giving you the go to hell look. it's a bus what do you expect 0-100 in 2 seconds?

i have also locked them up several times because of folks pulling in front of me. i always figured it was because it is a bit rusty around the edges and they think "it won't hurt that thing if i pull out" well guess what the last time it happend i floored it and the person nearly shit them selves trying to get across the street.

:shock: <--that is what there eyes looked like

Fri Dec 02, 2005 10:39 am

when driving my van people always figured it was slow so they felt the need to pull infront of me on streets, but not at a normal following distance, just at the last minute. which is bad because i always drive faster than the speed limit. what i love is the tailgating, if thats the case i drive slower on perpose, putting it in neutral and slowly crusing. then they pass on the double line. but i always give them the high beams

Fri Dec 02, 2005 10:51 am

[quote="benmac"]but i always give them the high beams[/quote]

yea that is especially fun when you have an h4 conversion with hid's and fog lamps to boot. :twisted:

Tue Dec 06, 2005 12:44 am

What kills me, is when I pull away from a light or stop sign, I usually leave everyone behind through first and second gears. This seems to really piss them off and they end up gunning it to get by me. Seems they hate getting left by a stock 74 fat chick. Cracks me up every time.

Tue Dec 06, 2005 11:27 am

damitboy wrote: What kills me, is when I pull away from a light or stop sign, I usually leave everyone behind through first and second gears. This seems to really piss them off and they end up gunning it to get by me. Seems they hate getting left by a stock 74 fat chick. Cracks me up every time.

Yeah it's like they have to prove that their car is faster. Shit I already know my car is slow.

Thu Dec 08, 2005 12:47 am

itsnot slow, its "speed-challenged"...LOL...i also run the fog lights and a air horn, and if they do decide to pull over, they get a pissed off 6' 3" redneck gettin out of the bus...oops!! ur not a hippy!!...LOL :twisted: :evil: :shock: 8)

Wed Dec 14, 2005 2:17 am

Great thread!

Nothing beats racing two stock dual port bugs through downtown Newberg! :D

Lots of noise and not much speed hehe.

My other car I drive is a 81 w126 300SD benz (one of those BIG ones) and people get the hell out of your way when you come up bombing behind them in a car like that.

The bug, I figure, if need be, my LT tires will get me through the ditch and around them one way or another ;)

As I drive a lot of different cars on various occasions...I have really noticed that some cars demand respect and others do not...I guess aircooled VW's are not seen very high on the list.

Screw em... :D

Thu Jan 05, 2006 11:02 am

When I had my 67 bus it cracked me up...I don't know if because VW's (at least mine) are hella loud, but people always thought that I was going to race them. I would look at them smile (because my bus only went 65mph) and kinda rev a little and when the light turned green I would just cruise chillin style and they would be off in the distance...I guess that is what happens when you live in mira mesa with all the little racers! It just always made me laugh :D

Mon Jan 09, 2006 12:43 am

I had an old guy pass me on the shoulder once while driving my Bus! It was a 2 lane 55mph road, and there was plenty of room to legally pass on the left. My sidestep was left in the outward position, I can't believe it didn't scrape his car since he was so close. It was also very windy and I was going about 60, so being a Bus it was all over the road. I watched him do the same thing up ahead to a semi that wasn't going fast enough, what an idiot! I couldn't catch up to him of course, but I scoured all the gas stations/smoke shops up ahead for his new Impala with a custom fake-convertible top :lol:, so i could let him know he shouldn't have a license. Most people driving that route are stopping there, but no luck :evil:

Mon Jan 09, 2006 6:44 pm

Today I was cruising on the freeway - 5 lanes, and I always stay in the right lane. There wasn't much traffic, people could easily see me and pass me... but I had tailgater after tailgater. They hang on my ass for a couple of minutes before passing and giving me dirty looks. I'm in a bright red and white 66 bus! I had to start brake checking people. They NEVER see that coming... one minute they're 2 feet behind the slow, ugly VW bus, the next, it's slamming on the brakes.

Wed Jan 11, 2006 4:05 pm

I spend a lot of time on and around the express-ways in the Chicago area in both my Range Rover and Ram van.
I generally cruise about 5-10 over the limit which is quicker than most semi's but slower than the suicidal maniacs. It doesn't attract the attention of the troopers so life is good and no-one fucks with me. Buuuuttt, get behind the wheel of the Karmann and the whole world changes. Fucking morons, tailgating, cutting us off, passing on the shoulder and all the while we are travelling at the exact same speed as normal, 5-10 over :roll: It just seems that they have a whole big "my car is faster than yours" attitude when we are in the VW.
IMHO, most of the big rig drivers have a better grasp on the ability (or lack of) of an older vehicle to brake and accelerate out of trouble and give you the courtesy that they themselves require in the similarly challenged vehicles thay drive.
Chris.

Wed Jan 11, 2006 7:23 pm

crtclff wrote: Buuuuttt, get behind the wheel of the Karmann and the whole world changes. Fucking morons, tailgating, cutting us off, passing on the shoulder and all the while we are travelling at the exact same speed as normal, 5-10 over

Maybe if there was some paraphanalia reminding people of your car's heritage and german ancestry...they might back off :)

I've noticed the same thing though...if I am driving our Jeep everyone is racing me and screwing with me...if I drive my 81' 300SD (turbo diesel benz) I usually get left alone.

Personally I love seeing a old VW on the road...always give a thumbs up, wave, or somethin... :)

Wed Jan 18, 2006 11:11 pm

i've found the opposite: people line up in hoards behind me- it's not usually until a turning lane pops up where i count all the cars passing me. We wnt to Penticton, BC last summer and this happened pretty frequently. once, we counted 25 cars passing us. one guy flipped me the bird and was motioning for me to get off the road. I flipped him back though :twisted:

but isn't it great when you can pass someone else???? I love it! I always do it when i can, because when someone is passed by a Volkswagen, that may be an indication to speed up a bit

Thu Jan 19, 2006 12:00 am

iWesty wrote: but isn't it great when you can pass someone else???? I love it! I always do it when i can, because when someone is passed by a Volkswagen, that may be an indication to speed up a bit

Totally agree...I passed a car today in my 240D Diesel (67 stock HP in a heavy benz!) and I felt pretty awesome.

Still can't beat the show factor of a bug though...espically my wrecked bug...people can't beleive their eyes. :D