Stupid Driver Stories

I've only honked my horn less than 5 times in my 2 years of driving:
1. Because some kids had run out in front of my car in a busy intersection and I had nearly hit them
2. At an old couple as they were reversing onto a main street and nearly into my car. I do feel guilty about this one, but it was a light tap of the horn to let them know I was there and to stop reversing.
3. At an idiot in a hotted up commondor ute who cut me off by merging illegally.

and I can't remember the last two, but i only honk the horn if somebody does something illegal or soething that could have/is about to damage my car. I have been honked at a few times, but I feel that only a few were justified. One time was when i was on my L's and I stalled at the traffic lights (you think people would be more understanding...)

The first time I got really abused on my P's was a woman in a demo car on a test drive that was going 20-35 in a 60 zone and I was driving a bit too close for her liking (from memory, I counted a 2 second gap). She pulled over and started blaring the horn and flashing her lights. I rather stupidly pulled over to see what her problem was, as did the guy behind me. He started yelling at her to "learn how to drive or fuck off". He took down the demo rego plate and the dealer and contacted them then and there about her lack of driving skills and abuse of the car :)lol:) as the woman screamed at me about how I was "intimidating". Guy told me to get in my car and go, as I had done nothing wrong. So I did.
 
I do remember riding with my fiance's father for the first time though...he is crazy. I remember we were late for school (I am 27 and late for my class to learn Italian and teach English) and we were at a traffic light with about 10 cars infront of us. Her father decides this is not acceptable and starts swearing and yelling, and decides that he is going to drive into oncoming traffic and run the red light to save time. A few lights up the same thing happens again and he decides to use the sidewalk (where people just moved out of the way and had no reaction).

I've only been to Italy for 3 days when I was 17, but this was totally my memory of traffic in the place! Traffic markings were more of a suggestion than anything else, and sidewalks were just more empty spaces to be in. As a pedestrian, there was no need to watch the lights, since no one in cars bothered to either. You just kind of crossed as fast as humanly possible whenever possible.
 
The horn in my Jeep doesn't work except for the 1 time a year it gets inspected, then it magically works.
 
I never got a chance to use my horn in the Sebring because instead of being in the middle of the wheel, it was operated by two buttons under your thumbs... which is great if 1) you are not turning and 2) you don't instinctively pound the center of the wheel anyway.

I did use it once when someone pulled out in front of me when driving my dad's 1988 K5 Blazer... but I bet the other driver was more alarmed at the tire squeal and the giant SUV bearing down on them leaning forward at what felt like a 45 degree angle.
 
Seen today:

Came up behind a classic yellow van man, he was busy doing full throttle.
https://pic.armedcats.net/l/li/lipadier/2009/09/01/1_lader.JPG

Zoomed him in. Look at the crazy angle of his rear wheels. Overloaded with bricks a bit, eh?
https://pic.armedcats.net/l/li/lipadier/2009/09/01/2_lader.JPG

That safety problem didn't seem to stop him from doing the classic tailgating/pushing game
https://pic.armedcats.net/l/li/lipadier/2009/09/01/3_lader.JPG

And he was so busy with tailgating and pedal squashing, he never took a look in his mirrors...
https://pic.armedcats.net/l/li/lipadier/2009/09/01/4_lader.JPG

Only after a few minutes he seemed to realise I was hanging there waiting, and even then he only gave in and went on the right lane after I repeatedly switched lanes back and forth behind him.
https://pic.armedcats.net/l/li/lipadier/2009/09/01/5_lader.JPG

Finally. :rolleyes:
https://pic.armedcats.net/l/li/lipadier/2009/09/01/6_lader.JPG

Greetings, lip

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Edit: Close-up

Those wheels again... ouch. :blink:
https://pic.armedcats.net/l/li/lipadier/2009/09/01/loaded.jpg
 
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He is just running some SICK negative camber, yo! It helps with hard cornering :p
 
I have an entry to make in the stupid driver stories contest.

The idiot was in this case, me, who went from 4th to 3rd when I meant to go 5th.

...Luckily I was going pretty slow, and the ratios were not too far apart, and as a result I was only at just a tad over 3000 in 3rd.
 
I have an entry to make in the stupid driver stories contest.

The idiot was in this case, me, who went from 4th to 3rd when I meant to go 5th.

...Luckily I was going pretty slow, and the ratios were not too far apart, and as a result I was only at just a tad over 3000 in 3rd.

I've done that. I've also gone for 4th while downshifting and got 2nd.
 
I've done that. I've also gone for 4th while downshifting and got 2nd.

Yeah I did that in driving school during my exam :D It was actually kind of funny, because I knew my instructor usually exploded when anything "bad" happened to his car and would give you at least ten minutes of verbal abuse, but since there was a second instructor in the car he had to hold back and resorted to hard breathing. Still got my license though :rolleyes:
 
^ I've done that too on my L's, dad wasn't too happy....

Another stupid driver today- there is a T-intersection that I go past every day, and it is notorious for drivers who seem to love to pull out from it right in front of oncoming traffic, whether they are turning left or right. Well, young guy in a little white clunker does that, just within the "safe zone" (within 3 seconds of my car) turning right into the lane going the other way. "Geez mate, bit close" is what went through my mind after he did it. Then I see a white commodore that is very similar to the car that just turned out in front of me, driven by a bloke who looks very similar.

"Oh shit..."

Yep, he nearly blows his engine up revving to get out in front of my car to catch up with his mate. Screeching tyres, smoke everywhere, blaring horns.... Surprisingly they all came from him and adrive he nearly hit going the other way. He nearly fishtailed his car trying to turn right waaaaaay too fast and left a thick layer of rubber and the road. Me? I calmly but quickly braked and swerved slightly to the left (one lane road) to avoid him. He came well within one second of hitting me.... needless to say, I said a few unmentionable words under my breath about the idiot.

Good thing is, I anticipated him doing it, covered my brake and avoided an accident like I was taught. Dad thinks I'll be really good on a motorcycle now :D
 
Apologies but we need to remind ourselves of the typical BMW driver.
https://pic.armedcats.net/k/kn/knarkas/2009/09/02/parkering2.jpg
 
Oh good, I've got a nominee for idiot of the day.

He was driving an early Infiniti Q45. Naturally, he'd found two other single-brain cell types to hot rod down in the interstate with in the early morning commute. They were tailgating, or drafting if you prefer. They were also booming along at 85+ MPH, on a narrow two-lane highway full of people doing a mere 70. This meant serious lane changing nonsense. No indicators, just zipping back and forth like a squirrel on speed trying to cross a street. Then they came to me.

I have been tailgated by many, many people who thought doing 80+ a few feet away from my rear bumper would scare me. They've all lost. I let them suffer back there for a bit, then pulled over when I was catching up on someone doing 60 in the left lane. They zipped ahead, with Mr Q45 tailing the draft pack. We fast foward through the next few miles, with me noticing it takes them a lot of effort to move quick. Then I can't see them, so I figure they finally got some clear lane.

So, five minutes later I'm off 220 and on HWY 80, a local road. Guess who I see at the stop light! Two of the draft pack: Green Accord and Mr Q45. I'm in the right lane, at the line. Light turns green and Q45 stomps on it hard, trying to make a break for it. Green Accord moves slower, and I'm not in a big rush. Mr Q45 is weaving to get ahead of both of us before making across the intersection, much less down the highway. Unforunately for him, there's a hitch. There's a couple of marathoners supporting some noble cause by running across the state, and they've made it exactly this far. They have a police escort. Two cars, at least. So Green Accord and I are even, and Mr Q45 has to cool his jets, which by the banging on the wheel I can see isn't quite his taste. We make it past them, and down the hill to another red light. Which he zips up to and has to stop for, before making a left turn.

All that drama and he made it there at the same time I did, and I went a lot slower than Mr F1 wannabee in a souped up Nissan made it. Just goes to show you faster isn't better.
 
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lol, traffic

Alright, my turn again. One time, I was on the highway doing about 80mph. Guy in the slowest lane pulls in front of me maybe a couple of hundred feet ahead, doing 20mph. I get on the brakes immediately (my car has no ABS) and pull up right behind him doing 20mph (and I can smell my brakes at this point - no tyre screech though since I know the threshold point for the car).

I let him have it with my horn - one burst. He gets back into his lane and I carry on.
 
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^ I think I was stuck behind the same guy today.
 
I have the itch to put a train horn in my car. People will really hear me then :thumbsup:
 
I have the itch to put a train horn in my car. People will really hear me then :thumbsup:

I've played with the idea of a police siren (just to chirp at fuckheads) - but I know DAMN WELL I'd get myself in all kinds of trouble with it.
 
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