What Make/Model Car Terrifies You the Most When You’re Riding?

[Alcova cyclist]

@baiskeli 99353 wrote:

Most ridiculous car ad ever, and that’s saying alot. Audi drivers are pinnacles of virtue? Right. At least that ad acknowledges that luxury car drivers in general can be jerks. But it’s like those car ads that argue that a car can make a driver not care about traffic congestion. Car ads are the most transparently desperate ads there are.

Never said Audi drivers were pinnacles of virtue, just thought the ad was funny. Maybe there’s just fewer Audis on the road to be observed being jackasses. And the most ridiculous car ad ever is the one where the commuters jump a ramp and onto the top of a train to avoid being stuck in traffic (Actual disclaimer: “Fantasy. Do not attempt”)

As for BMWs… At some point, a given car develops a reputation, and often people who buy that type of car do so explicitly because that’s the persona they have or wish to project. When that reputation/persona is “entitled asshole who doesn’t give a s*** what anyone else thinks” it isn’t surprising to see drivers of that particular vehicle acting like entitled assholes who don’t give a s*** what anyone else thinks. Which in turn leads to jokes like this:

Q: What’s the difference between a porcupine and a BMW?
A: The porcupine has the pricks on the outside.

Or maybe I just have a chip on my shoulder about BMWs.

[GuyContinental]

On bike or in car I’m terrified of Nissan Altimas with MD tags.

[cyclingfool]

@OneEighth 99364 wrote:

Anything being operated by some NDMF.

Really, though, how many North Dakota hermaphrodites are there?

[Orestes Munn]

@Alcova cyclist 99383 wrote:

Never said Audi drivers were pinnacles of virtue, just thought the ad was funny. Maybe there’s just fewer Audis on the road to be observed being jackasses. And the most ridiculous car ad ever is the one where the commuters jump a ramp and onto the top of a train to avoid being stuck in traffic (Actual disclaimer: “Fantasy. Do not attempt”)

As for BMWs… At some point, a given car develops a reputation, and often people who buy that type of car do so explicitly because that’s the persona they have or wish to project. When that reputation/persona is “entitled asshole who doesn’t give a s*** what anyone else thinks” it isn’t surprising to see drivers of that particular vehicle acting like entitled assholes who don’t give a s*** what anyone else thinks. Which in turn leads to jokes like this:

Q: What’s the difference between a porcupine and a BMW?
A: The porcupine has the pricks on the outside.

Or maybe I just have a chip on my shoulder about BMWs.

The BMW “mystique” obtains even in Germany, but I think Mercedes has surpassed them here adding a certain entitled cluelessness to aggressive arschlochkeit. Recently visited my daughter in Reykjavik (where we rented a diesel RAV4). She’s got a thing about Cayenne drivers up there

[Terpfan]

Prius–can’t hear it and often owner’s seem oblivious to the fact that I can’t hear them.

After that, it varies. Interestingly enough, I’ve found construction type vehicles tended to more observant of me and give me room than not. I do worry about cars with kids in them because I’ve seen plenty of parents (yes, more often women, but also men) texting, driving, and just swerving in the lane. Part of me thinks they would arguably be more responsible knowing a kid could jut out into the road at any moment, but it doesn’t seem to be the care.

Also, delivery trucks are like the bane of my existence sometimes. They never scare me driving wise. It’s just parking-wise they’re in all-out war with me to occupy any space I may wish to occupy, especially if it’s marked bicycle.

[baiskeli]

@Alcova cyclist 99383 wrote:

Never said Audi drivers were pinnacles of virtue, just thought the ad was funny.

No, I mean the ad says they are. It shows an Audi driver looking down on bad behavior by drivers. Makers of car ads have even less shame than others in the business.

Q: What’s the difference between a porcupine and a BMW?
A: The porcupine has the pricks on the outside.

I shall remember that one!

[ShawnoftheDread]

@OneEighth 99364 wrote:

Anything being operated by some NDMF.

Neon Desert Music Festival patron?

[Crickey7]

Any Metrobus with the “Not in Service” sign activated.

[Orestes Munn]

@OneEighth 99364 wrote:

Anything being operated by some NDMF.

I hate people from North Dakota, too. They’re so…so straightforward and punctual!

[KWL]

@Alcova cyclist 99383 wrote:

Or maybe I just have a chip on my shoulder about BMWs.

And Foresters apparently.

[AFHokie]

@Terpfan 99391 wrote:

Prius–can’t hear it and often owner’s seem oblivious to the fact that I can’t hear them

“The Prius is silent if he keeps it under 5 miles per hour. He deserves the win.”

[worktheweb]

BMWs take the top spot, then Mercedes, and then luxury and sports cars in the >40k bracket. It was a sports car that hit me recently while in a bike lane (he was at fault). Thankfully he stayed at the scene and I had an eyewitness who corroborated my story — still got pretty banged up though.

[Orestes Munn]

Anyone remember the AMC pacer?

[ATTACH=CONFIG]7008[/ATTACH]

The body panels must have projected 8″ from the wheels and, in my opinion, you sort-of had to be an idiot to own one. Anyway, I got clipped by one once, at speed, on a road outside Boston. Got a ride home with my broken bike from the mortified lady.

I was also once taken down by a nun (interesting) in a Subaru Legacy wagon (not interesting) who failed to give room on a right turn (par for the course). She was barely apologetic.

[wheelswings]

A Subaru Legacy? Sorry to hear. That’s what I drive (sedan version), but I promise I’m not a nun. I bought the car four years ago when a judge told me I wouldn’t get custody without it. “A suburban mom needs a car, not a stroller hitched to the back of her bicycle.” So much for my $500 double Burley.

As for scary cars, I’d put large white SUVs at the top of my list. I haven’t noticed the makes/models… I’m still not a “car person,” but three of my worst encounters were with such vehicles. The most memorable was on Valentine’s Day of this year. There was a huge snowstorm the night before. There was no shoulder on the roads — I took the full lanes. I was waiting at the red light to cross Connecticut at Florida, and this giant SUV pulled up, wanting to take an illegal right turn, yelling at me “fxxx’in bxxxx—get off the road!….” I think he was having a bad Valentine’s Day.

I see that some of us list pick-up trucks among our scariest vehicles. On-the-whole, I’ve found pick-up drivers to be patient and good-natured. I think there may be a gender dimension here… perhaps an element of chivalry as these guys are often from more traditional cultures. Or sometimes they just seem to enjoy watching a scrawny female in tights sweating up a storm. The reason doesn’t much matter so long as I get space on the road.

[Orestes Munn]

@wheels&wings 99614 wrote:

A Subaru Legacy? Sorry to hear. That’s what I drive (sedan version), but I promise I’m not a nun. I bought the car four years ago when a judge told me I wouldn’t get custody without it. “A suburban mom needs a car, not a stroller hitched to the back of her bicycle.” So much for my $500 double Burley.

As for scary cars, I’d put large white SUVs at the top of my list. I haven’t noticed the makes/models… I’m still not a “car person,” but three of my worst encounters were with such vehicles. The most memorable was on Valentine’s Day of this year. There was a huge snowstorm the night before. There was no shoulder on the roads — I took the full lanes. I was waiting at the red light to cross Connecticut at Florida, and this giant SUV pulled up, wanting to take an illegal right turn, yelling at me “fxxx’in bxxxx—get off the road!….” I think he was having a bad Valentine’s Day.

I see that some of us list pick-up trucks among our scariest vehicles. On-the-whole, I’ve found pick-up drivers to be patient and good-natured. I think there may be a gender dimension here… perhaps an element of chivalry as these guys are often from more traditional cultures. Or sometimes they just seem to enjoy watching a scrawny female in tights sweating up a storm. The reason doesn’t much matter so long as I get space on the road.

The nun in the Suby event must have been 30 years ago and I hold no generic grudge against either species. As to pickup trucks, working ones, at least, not the monster tire variety with the chrome stacks and unscuffed liner, my experience largely matches yours. This argues against a purely gender-related cause, but you may take it from a long-time member of the privileged gender that one needn’t be from a traditional culture to enjoy watching a scrawny female in tights sweating up a storm. In fact…Well, never mind about that.

A bad Valentine’s Day will do it to you. Ride safe.

[Author]

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