How other drivers treat you

I've had my first Porsche ('02 C2 coupe) for about two months now. I've noticed something odd (or at least a little unexpected): Every time I'm out on the highway, people seem to be making a point of trying to pass me or cut me off. I suppose it's jealousy (or a challenge), or an effort to say "my car's as fast as yours right now." Has anyone else experienced this? I'm in the SF Bay Area, by the way. It also seems like there ought to be a clever name for this behavior... Bob

My experience in the New York area has been mainly people just trying to stay on my tail or SUV's refusing to move out of the left lane. (Although, since I traded in my '99 C2 for an '02 with the bi-xenon lights, a lot of SUV's move out of the way voluntarily at night. Maybe, finally, my lights are as disturbing as theirs.) A name for this syndrome? How about "Porsche Envy"?

Same here in Ma. There seems to be a certain class of people that just love to make some sort of point by flying by you. I can't count the number of times this has happened: Minding my own business in the right or middle lane doing 70 or so. Aware of traffic, see Dodge Dakota, Honda Accord, Subura Outback or whatever ~500+ feet behind. Glance back, said Subie is now doing 90. Flys past. I yawn. Subie now 500+ feet ahead. Slows back down to 70. One of the treats of getting older is that I now realize that rather than dump it into third and blow'em off, the thing that pisses 'em off even more is if you just plain ignore them all together. Interestingly, I rarely experience this sort of behaviour when I'm out in my old Ferrari. People tend to pull up side by side, gawk a bit and then just take off. I think that there are enough 911s around that the novelty has worn off in seeing them so the baser human emotions take over. Enjoy the car, pray for mankind.

Robert, I've had my 2000 for for a year and a half. I have noticed the same thing. With the $1000 dollar deductible, I usually just let these idiots have their fun. I'm sure it makes their day. I suspect a lot of these people are taking their agressions out, because they are powerless at work or home and may have not participated in the good times the last few years. Speaking of which, I have noticed this attitude get worse over the last six months as the Bay Area economy has ground to a halt. However, every once in a while I do get a kick out of dropping down into 3rd gear on Hwy 280 and showing one of these guys just how awesome this car is. Just enjoy yourself and be sure to wave to back when another Porsche owner waves at you. (Too many people bought Porsche in the Bay Area just to show they had stock options at a company that was doing well, not because they really love the brand.)

Porsche... It is as common as the VW. Some days I pass more 911's than Golf's. Get near Stuttgart and everyone thinks that they should own a new turbo or RS. Also, everyone passes everyone and everyone rides your tail to make you get over. In Paris the freaks will bump your car to make the parking spot a little bigger. A little paint exchange... oh well.

Guys, I don't even have a new 996, just my 88 S4 with 17 inch turbo twist rims and GTS( twin turbo brakes) and the behaviour you're talking about is constant down here in So Cal. There seems to be no ryhme or reason, no particular vehicle type though big engined SUV's and rice rockets are the more common culprits. If I'm cruising at around 90 or 100mph, suddenly there are cars all around me that are keeping up, or tailgating or staying conveniently in front of me. I slow down, they slow down, I gradually accelerate there they are too. I have found that on my longer roadtrips when I'm steady at 105 or so, these same knuckleheads will lose their stomach for the sustained velocity. (I call it clearing the baffles) I pay them no mind, and unless it's another Porsche owner, no eye contact. (well, maybe a 360 Modena or Diablo) I just keep an eye out for what they're doing in relation to me and that's it. Being ignored does upset the masses indeed. K

I get challenged by SUV or pick-up truck owners all the time on the freeway and street. What's up with that? And when I do drive my SUV or pick-up truck, no one challenges me. Of course, there's one time a mini-van with full load of people wanna race me on the freeway. Peace! Ron

Just wondering, are you all complaining, or just commenting. If you are complaining, you should have noticed in your contract when you bought your Porsche, that the car does draw some attention. Hello. Live with it or sell it, but don't keep yapping about how tough it is and all of the downsides of owning one of the finist automobiles in the world.

If I find someone willing to take the lead (and as a result - the ticket) I'll hang with him...its just a case of safety in numbers as long as everyone knows what they're doing however... I think that the general trend around here is for everyone to drive like an a-hole. I get just as many people tailgating me in my POS as I do in my S or my pop's Carrera. People just don't know how to drive safely, because licenses are treated as a right not a privilege in this country. Until the standards are raised the driving will only get worse.

Once again, people do drive a lot faster here and there is more tail-gating. However, an average drivers liscense cost around $1500+ and takes a few months to get. You also have to be 18... Something to think about.

By no means am I complaining EC. When a similar car wants to run with me (not race) and takes lead or falls in behind, I'm fine with that. Long as he/she knows what they're doing. It's when some yahoo in an ill equipped car decides to run with me that problems abound. Usually they have to take all kinds of crazy risks to do things that are for me and my car, like turning left out of driveway. Case in point was last Friday on a trip to Santa Barbara from Los Angeles. I was running with one of those new Triumph motorbikes. This person and I fell into a nice rythym, where if I was in front he stayed behind me where I could see him and not in my blind spot and when he took the lead, I gave him room for any mishaps if he started sliding without his bike. Then here comes this Honda Accord. Not even a "Fast and Furious" Honda Accord. Just a indescript, missing hubcaps on the stock steel rims Honda Accord. He gets near us and is just all over the place. Weaving but not overtaking anything to get clear of us and go on his way. No capability to brake hard or accelerate hard when necessary but boy was he trying. More importantly he was always trying within 3 or 4 car lengths of me. Now of course I can drop this car in a heart beat, but he's not running with me, he's not racing against me, he's just close to wrecking. I have no particular problem with that unless there's a shot you'll take me with you or I have to do all kinds of fancy stuff to avoid you taking me with you. So, now fun is over and I run at 65mph or so while he pulls along side as if I'm supposed to acknowledge how cool he is. Thing is, he doens't get tired of me. Noooo. He runs right in front of me to my left, and keeps me in his blind spot. Lovely. All I was trying to do was get to my meeting at the Four Seasons Biltmore. Anyway, there is no downside to running around in a nice car, the downside would've been to any unfortunate individuals clowns like this wipe out. Oh, and the Triumph motorbike? Well he did drop the hammer when this idiot tailgated about a foot off his back tire. K

I guess ALL states have their share of these people. I have alos noticed it tends to be certain kinds of car owners. Top of the list seems to be SATURNS (yea, I can't explain it but they stand out the most to me for this type of behavior.) Then Vetts then all the US type "Pony" cars. No joke, I have had (2) cars pull John Deere's on me as a result of trying to tail gate me through a very long decreasing radius sweeper on ramp to I-4 (Same ramp both times). And yes, the first one was a Saturn the other was a Vette. Also get the low riders trying to drag at lights.....I don't bother with that any more...but when they ask me why I won't, all I say is..."My clutch cost more than your whole car" I many cases that puts things into context for Pancho (I'm hispanic so no crap about me using Pancho :-) ) I only take some of these clowns on when they are with there girlfriends.....then wait for them up ahead after you smoke'm and wink at her and blow her a kiss. Makes her whole day and she will continue to add insult to injury for the rest of the day and you don't even have to hang around.

It is called the " Porsche Effect "

Drop it into third for ME

remember what it was like when you didn't own one yourself and saw one on the road....tailgater! but seriously, the bay area is nothing like driving on the autobahn (I worked in Germany for a year).....if you drive a Porsche or BMW over there you're expected to drive aggressively and fast and if you don't people get on your tail. Spend a week in Munich with a local license plate and drivers here in comparison won't bother you any more Folks here are just looking. If you like it cruise along and enjoy the stares, if not that's why you paid the cash....drop a gear and take off........ ....if you're crawling in your 996 in the fast lane and you see a blue cab bombing down on you......let me pass please :0) ex-autobahner

Armando, funny should mention Saturns. A few days ago heading south to San Diego I netted me a Saturn that wanted to run with me. I remember way back in 1989 when I had a Mustang GT, I was driving on 495, a beltway around Wash DC. when this gentleman in a very, very nice black 911 Turbo slant nose pulled up behind me. Now I was 18 and as red blooded and ready to race anything as they come but I wasn't stupid. I politely moved over and let him by with no intention of downshifting. When he got along side me, I looked over, and he gave me a sign to follow along, which I did. He, for the most part, allowed me to keep up with him and believe me, even with my modified 5.0L it was a chore to stay within 10 car lenghts but we had a lot of fun. We crossed over from Virginia into the Marlyand side, he waved, I waved and that was it. See, now that's fun, it's not a problem and everyone was on the same page. K

Mankind has lost the battle. Enjoy the car.

How odd and re-assuring to hear that there are amany other prople who experience this amazing phenomina. In the UK I get this all the time. It got worst a couple of days ago when a driver infront refused to move over. Instead he applied his barkes hard from 100mph down to 60mph. I was fortunate to be alert at the moment and so overtook him using the slow lane and gave him a taste of his medicine by braking from 70mph down to 20mph!. Poor lad was so shaken he came off next junction. My take on life is simple, "do to others what you would like done to you". I always punish anyone who treats me mean on the road. Careless drivers can kill and often do however they never seem to feel they need educating. I always educate them, the easy or hard way. Have nice day you all!

I understand your 'rage' in this situation, but having been there, done that, got the t-shirt, I'd say that this IS CARELESS driving! In the UK you get away with a bit of road-rage - in the US someone will take a shot at you. Also, in the eyes of the law, you would probably get treated far more harshly than the perp... Now consider this, what would you have done if the guy couldn't stop and you caused a huge accident? Not so clever then is it? I personally prefer the get past and leave them in the dust approach or better still, just roll off the accelerator and become annoyingly slow as soon as they decide to glue themselves to my tail again. (The other approach, not that I condone it, is to keep your foot on the accelerator and brush the brakes with the other ... just enough to put the lights on. You'll see the guy hit the brakes ... you just won't have to worry about being hit up the rear or being classed as totally reckless.) Road-rage - just try to be big about it and ignore it... Graham (from the UK ...)

I suppose the line between road rage and having a little fun at a hapless drivers expense is a thin one. My strategy is usually to be there and gone before a driver can even react but on those occasions where I do get hung up, I certainly avoid expressing rage from the rear. I get up in front and just make my Porsche really, really wide in an oh so casual kind of way. Kind of like a big game of Tetris where they never get clear, until I decide to move on. Childish I know. K

I understand your 'rage' in this situation, but having been there, done that, got the T-shirt, I'd say that this IS CARELESS driving! In the UK you get away with a bit of road-rage - in the US someone will take a shot at you... Graham, Offcourse you are right and in the eyes of the law I certainly would get the harsher treatment. We all live in societies where does who do well in life are seen as easy targets from those who just refuse to be ambitious enough to achieve the same as 'those doing well enough to drive a nice car'. You are right again about the US, however I do believe one adapts to ones environment and therefore I would probably take your approach in the US. In the UK, we British are very good at begrudging those who do well as if they had input in our doing well. The point I am making is, 'that lad' had no reason to give me a hard time other than the fact that I was a sports car driver and in his eyes it was fair to put my life and his at risk. Had I been driving a lorry or van, I suspect he would have moved over, no probs. I do however believe that the next encounter with 'that lad' would result in him thinking twice about putting others and his life at risk. No need to be a victim ALL THE TIME. Life really, is too short!

I'm in the SF Bay area and I travel across a bridge every day. Standard driving behaviour here seems to be to tail-gate you in 70 mile an hour traffic when its clear to the idiot tail gating that theres no where for me to go in front. At first I tried lightly tapping my brakes but I had some seriously pissed off drivers (one guy even tried to run me out of my lane later). I've found a much better option is to do what I call the "tourist driver" routine. Just casually slow down and look around me with a confused look on my face like I dont recognize the place. People just don't know how to react to this cause they can't figure out whether or not your doing it on purpose. It works every time.

Great topic Robert! I suppose that the name for the behavior that you are describing would be "immaturity". I would venture to say that most (if not all) of the posters on this board have a degree of immaturity (channeled differently than these "other drivers"...perhaps). It's that same immaturity that makes us slow down in front of tailgaters, drive faster than the legal limit, play "tetris" with the other cars (which I too can be very good at - my OWN immaturity). Bottom line is, it's tough to take the moral high ground on this one unless you're perfect. That said, I think it could be that many of the "dislikeable" driver actions you see are people that 1.) Like your car and 2.)Want to be recognized. I've found that making eye contact (yes, actually NOT pretending I don't see them), smiling and giving a friendly wave actually stops nearly all of the behavior. I'm sure each has had his or her own experience that will contradict this method, but its worked for me. Just my opinion of course - happy motoring.

This is the crux of road-rage ... when people are in their cars they possess a level of anonymity that permits them to exhibit behavior that they would never dare to do in a face to face situation. Once you've broken the barrier and become a 'real' person, rather than just a car/idiot/guy who can't drive/yuppie/porsche driver with some form of inadequacy etc, then people start to react more sanely. Eyeball contact, or when stopped, actually speaking to the person (freaks 'em right out - especially when you're able to bite your lip and stay civil), normally destroys this anonymity barrier. Mostly. Then again, there are those idiots for whom a slow painful death would be too good... (In WA they're the ones in the '75 truck, mad at the world so that symbolically includes you - they'll run you off the road and shout abuse to your face ... in the UK, it's White Van man.) When forced to react, and I try REALLY REALLY hard to ignore it and not to, then it's time to drive at exactly the posted speed limit. This pisses them right off and I can usually feel the frustration from behind, but hey, that's the legal limit etc.

Usually at the highway speeds it's hard to make the eye contact as the speed differential is to great. I'm really just trying to be there and gone before they know it. In traffic situations though I do use the eye contact method and it does indeed work. Sometimes I do the friendly eye contact thing but when someone is just getting annoyed with me because of my inability to monster truck my way over the traffic ahead of me, I will simply turn towards them, (or around if they're behind me) and look at them with absolutely no gestures and no expression on my face. I will just look at them. No matter how excited or agitated they get, I maintain the eye contact and the blank look. They ALWAYS settle down then. K