1 Series dissing on the highway

[MikeinAlexandria]

Is it just BMWs in general now or specifically the One Series that seems to entice folks to do nasty things. Several times in the last few weeks, I have been on two lane or four lane super highways following the cars in front of me at elevated speeds over the limited, maintaining a safe three second distance from the car in front. A grubby car or van will approach from my right, and quite literally ram it's way between me and the car in front. No signal, just carreens right over while I hit the brakes to avoid getting smushed. If there wasn't a missile law in Virginia, I would fire paint balls at their side mirrors till they pulled out of the way. What is really annoying is these folks who were so eager to get around me, slow down to about five to ten miles over the limit and we don't even continue to keep up with the flow of traffic! What the heck is with this?? Just idiots, or folks with a genuine beef with Bimmers, or cabrios? It is obnoxious. Getting ready to carry an slr in the car all the time to take photos for the state police...

[KingOfJericho]

What exactly would you take a photo of?

In reality, it's just luck. I've been cut off at some point in every car I've owned.

[Feyd]

This will happen when you drive any car. People are stupid... this should be nothing new.


And good luck taking pictures and getting convictions. Remember this is America, where the criminals are protected and the law abiding/tax paying citizens get the shaft. You'll end up with a ticket for reckless driving (taking a picture while operating a motor vehicle) and they won't get shit.

Truth.

[MikeinAlexandria]

LOL. Yeah. My thought is actually to set up a DSLR on long drives on some sort of mount. I have a remote for it that could easily be activated in a moment's notice. Would be fun for rallys as well.

But yeah, it would be kind of American-Cop-like to give me a ticket for distracted driving while using a camera... even if it was a fully automatic system.

I don't really get cut off in the Lotus, people just want to tailgate. In the One, people cut me off AND tailgate. It is why I want some rear foglights too!

[JimD]

I agree that it's just bad luck of being in the wrong place at the wrong time. It probably had little if anything to do with driving a BMW. When I forget to be rational, sometimes I do it back but that isn't really rational.

When I used to ride motorcycles - many years ago - I did an even less rational thing. I was riding with a friend in both lanes of a 4 lane divided city street. The speed limit was 45 if I remember correctly and we were comfortably over the limit. A silly AMC of some type comes up behind me and starts blowing its horn and flashing its lights to get around. I pull in the lane with my buddy and let it past. Instantly he is going under the speed limit. So I pass and the AMC then repeats the horn blowing/light flashing. So again I move over and again he passes and slows down. This time as I went past him I put my foot in his open window narrowly missing his face. He dived over into the lap of the girl he was with. My buddy saw me do this so he figured we needed to stay in front of the AMC. So we rolled on throttle to let him stay behind us and unable to pass. We came to a light. It was green in our lanes but red in the left turn lane. Mr. AMC decides to jump into the left turn lane to pass us. He couldn't but didn't give up until the very last second. We look behind to see his tires literally smoking and he and his girl up over the dash as the AMC slid to a stop.

Don't imitate this, please, but I thought you might find this old story interesting. Only rational thing to do when people around you drive like idiots is to let them be idiots and to refuse to do the same.

Jim

[gnat]

Have you not lived in NoVA long? That is just the way of life on the roads around here. And using the 3 second rule is just inviting people to cut you off.

Not saying it's right, just the way it is.

[ChrisK]

Between four wheel disc brakes and ABS, everyone thinks they are a Nascar driver on the roads in Illinois. I see cars going 70+ just a few feet from each other in the left lane - we have cars drafting each other.

I keep my distance from other cars because I don't want debris hitting my car, so the end result is every smuck cuts me off.

[gavolant]

Originally Posted by gnat

Have you not lived in NoVA long? That is just the way of life on the roads around here. And using the 3 second rule is just inviting people to cut you off.

Not saying it's right, just the way it is.

+1


I've noticed this happens alot on 66, not to mention the terrible potholes in the concrete as you get closer to 495. Has anyone taken the exit off 50W onto 66W, the merge lane as you're getting onto 66 is BARELY a cars width. not cool

[Bimmer-Bob]

Originally Posted by ChrisK

I keep my distance from other cars because I don't want debris hitting my car, so the end result is every smuck cuts me off.

+1

[Itanius]

Sounds like everyday driving in Arizona as well. Drive defensively!

[BrokenVert]

Originally Posted by Itanius

Sounds like everyday driving in Arizona as well. Drive defensively!

No drive offensively. By which I mean predict what people around you will do and make descisions. I that desicion was wrong make another descision. You need to have a fighter pilot mentality while driving.

The last thing you want to be is a reactionary driver

[MikeinAlexandria]

Actually, I grew up driving here. It is just that in the last few weeks since I bought the car, I have been zipping around long distances, VA Beach, Lake Anna, Bethany Beach, Annapolis, DC, etc. So driving more than I usually do. It is just amazing the number of inconsiderate drivers, cruising in crap cars with tires that look like they will fly apart in moment.

Near Richmond on Friday, the highway was littered with large hunks of rubber from a truck tire. Luckily I was in the other lane as I passed by.

Originally Posted by gnat

Have you not lived in NoVA long? That is just the way of life on the roads around here. And using the 3 second rule is just inviting people to cut you off.

Not saying it's right, just the way it is.

[KingOfJericho]

Originally Posted by MikeinAlexandria

I don't really get cut off in the Lotus, people just want to tailgate. In the One, people cut me off AND tailgate. It is why I want some rear foglights too!

That's a whole different story... I used to *almost* get run over almost every time I took the car out. I live in the land of SUVs and they never check when changing lanes. I was pushed into the median more times in the Exige than in any other car I've had. Nothing is scarier than looking out your window and seeing the underside of the running boards on an SUV being driven by a lady who can barely see over the wheel.

It was terrifying!

[IDBMW]

I get cut off almost daily in the 135i but I use the 3 second rule so there is a good sized gap. And most of the time I get cut off the person slows down after they cut me off. It seems when I drive my truck I do not get cut off as much.

Another senario I see on a regular basis is someone going way under the speed limit usually on a phone or eating and you pass them, look in the rear view mirror and they are on you’re ass. What is up with that?

Or what happened to me a few weeks ago. On the freeway being tailgated by a truck in heavy traffic. All the sudden people in front hit the breaks and I see in my rear view mirror the guy behind me swerve to the left and goes by me with breaks locked in the median dust flying everywhere. I guess the guy in the truck thinks he can stop faster than my 135i. Then he flips me off when I go by.

You just have to let it all go.

[Trojan4evr]

I get cut of every day man. just the way of stupid arrogant people that dont have any respect for other people's rights and properties.

[spellbmw]

Don't take it personally; there are just a lot of bad, inattentive drivers, some that are literally crazy. I'd prefer to follow the 3 second rule and get cut off than end up in a pile-up, which we've all seen too often. As a motorcyclist, we're taught: S-I-P-D-E - Scan for hazards, Identify them, Predict their behavior, Decide your course of action and Execute your action....and it's still a crapshoot --

[MadMan77]

Originally Posted by BrokenVert

No drive offensively. By which I mean predict what people around you will do and make descisions. I that desicion was wrong make another descision. You need to have a fighter pilot mentality while driving.

The last thing you want to be is a reactionary driver

My thoughts exactly.

[Atropos]

Until it's legal to drag folks out of their cars and pummel them for doing stupid things, you're going to run into this no matter what you drive.

[SlicktopTTZ]

I ride windows down and carry a Glock 18. They usually slow down pretty quick when thirty-three 9X19mm rounds tear apart their vehicle in one and a half seconds.

[Raine]

i actually don't remember a time when i've gotten cut off when driving, i've actually done a few cutting myself (yes i'm wrong, it's a bad thing to do)

then again i live in Canada, but tailgating is pretty rampant here

[SchlauCow]

is 1 series dissing like getting served.

[Atropos]

Originally Posted by maxnix

Here they are driven by trophy wives who are drying their nails and talking on the cell phone and change lanes by eminent domain, signals be damned.

They're in large numbers here too. Fortunately, it's rather easy to be a headache to them, if you're the type to be that much of an a@@hole behind the wheel.