Harrassed because I drive a BMW?

[Savageenterprise]

I'm a young guy, 29 y/o and I get looks all the time. I do well for myself so it's not like the car is out of my means or that I'm living paycheck to paycheck to have this car...

One time in particular stands out. I was driving on the parkway, regular cruise speed in the middle lane and I pass some guy in a 90's mercury who was in the right lane. As everyone does in driving you regularly check your mirrors right?

So I look in the mirror and the guy driving that 90's mercury literally was making the handjob motion and flipped me off before he exited. Literally because I was on the road. IDK if it had to do with my age, the car I was driving or the combo of the two but you could see the hate in this guys face.

Like what did I even do to deserve that? I wasn't going 100 MPH, I was like 5 car lengths behind the car in front of me just cruising

[BadContrakt]

Originally Posted by Savageenterprise

I'm a young guy, 29 y/o and I get looks all the time. I do well for myself so it's not like the car is out of my means or that I'm living paycheck to paycheck to have this car...

One time in particular stands out. I was driving on the parkway, regular cruise speed in the middle lane and I pass some guy in a 90's mercury who was in the right lane. As everyone does in driving you regularly check your mirrors right?

So I look in the mirror and the guy driving that 90's mercury literally was making the handjob motion and flipped me off before he exited. Literally because I was on the road. IDK if it had to do with my age, the car I was driving or the combo of the two but you could see the hate in this guys face.

Like what did I even do to deserve that? I wasn't going 100 MPH, I was like 5 car lengths behind the car in front of me just cruising

Yeah that sounds about right. Lmao the handjob part got me laughing.

[Germanauto]

Nobody will know the exact reason.

I spent 4 yrs in metro Detroit and never felt any animosity, but I hung around the educated and wealthier areas where you'd see non-American cars with some regularity. I drove like a major douche too.

Pro tip: don't engage with angry drivers. You never know who's got a gun and/or has absolutely just lost their marbles. Don't give the finger, don't make eye contact, just go about your own business.

[rlmesq]

Some people are just provoked by nice cars that threaten their fragile egos.

Years ago, I had a Mustang GT convertible and every idiot on the road wanted to pass me, race me, or do something stupid... even if I was just going with the flow of traffic in the right lane. I don't notice the same thing with my BMW, but there are still occasional idiots.

[rlmesq]

Originally Posted by BadContrakt

What's this animosity all about? Does anyone notice this? Is it because I'm in a BMW or do they do this to anyone in any brand vehicle?

Maybe they think you're some kind of homa-sex-shul because you drive one of them commie cars.

[dtla1]

Not any type of harassment here but; Drivers on my daily commute in Silicon Valley just plain suck at driving.

I've only been up here for about 3 months but everyday I see people wandering out of their lanes, sitting at a light that has turned green for 5+ seconds before I have to honk at them (avg perception-reaction time is 2 seconds, 1.5 seconds really but lets be a little lenient), when approaching an intersection with a green light they'll brake as if deciding whether they might need to continue straight or make a turn, etc.

I see this everyday!!! I don't know if it's driver age, people's general knowledge of driving, or what the hell contributes to this but it's obnoxious.

My biggest pet peeve recently is when a light turns green, and the cars in front of me (let's say I'm the second in line for easy visualization, I understand long lines of cars make it so that it takes longer for everyone to get up to speed because of their shitty perception-reaction times) take easily a mile to get up to the speed limit. It's outrageous that a civic apparently can't do 0-45 mph in less than a mile.

[natahoa]

Originally Posted by Savageenterprise

So I look in the mirror and the guy driving that 90's mercury literally was making the handjob motion and flipped me off before he exited. Literally because I was on the road. IDK if it had to do with my age, the car I was driving or the combo of the two but you could see the hate in this guys face.

Like what did I even do to deserve that? I wasn't going 100 MPH, I was like 5 car lengths behind the car in front of me just cruising

He is old, driving a junker, and probably has no life, or money. He probably has never made a good decision in his life and can’t figure out why life is hard.

Of course he hates you. He hates everyone.

These are the kinds of people who scare me. He probably has a gun in the seat next to him. And a bottle of bourbon.

I keep a VERY close eye on wack jobs like that. Make SURE he doesn’t follow you anywhere.

If I even suspect someone might be be following me, I make a few turns away from my destination. I’ll never stop or get out of the car until that person is LONG gone. And I never pull into my driveway either.

Usually I’m just being paranoid. It’s worth a trip around the block. Better safe than sorry.

[JM98]

this is actually a real thing.... didn't experience it until I relocated from Southern California to TX

[natahoa]

Originally Posted by JM98

this is actually a real thing.... didn't experience it until I relocated from Southern California to TX

Very real. Might be worse in Texas (everything bigger, including ‘tude) but trust me, those dudes are everywhere.

[McLarenBMW]

I was outside working my shift one day and I noticed an E60 5 series parked outside while I was walking around. I stopped to admire it for a few minutes and I saw a black woman leave her house to walk to her shitbox SUV but along the way she stopped at the E60 and it looked like she swiped her hand across the rear passenger side door. I think she may have keyed the car

[sean2648]

should have grabbed a pic of her and left your number on that persons car. stupid woman.

[Germanauto]

Originally Posted by McLarenBMW

I was outside working my shift one day and I noticed an E60 5 series parked outside while I was walking around. I stopped to admire it for a few minutes and I saw a black woman leave her house to walk to her shitbox SUV but along the way she stopped at the E60 and it looked like she swiped her hand across the rear passenger side door. I think she may have keyed the car

What a loser.

[Efthreeoh]

Originally Posted by Run Silent

Sure, let's go with that.

He tried that one on me too, about a year ago...

[McLarenBMW]

Originally Posted by sean2648

should have grabbed a pic of her and left your number on that persons car. stupid woman.

I was watching from across the street at about 40ft away, I have less than perfect eyesight so I couldn't even see her face. I also couldn't pull out my phone and take a picture in 2 seconds

[NYG]

This is what happens every time I'm in upstate New York.

White trash gonna white trash. They think their American cars made in Mexico and Canada are American.

People are envious no matter which way you want to spin it.

[ferizzo]

This is true and not BMW related. I've had two incidents where some asshat had roadrage...

1) guy followed me home and we had a healthy discussion. I was scared he might have a gun but I think once I got out he was scared too because I was not what he expected. I was in college at the time and not small. I was too naive to drive around the block a few times like someone advised earlier.

2) some dude didn't like that I passed him and he tried to return the favor and I didn't let him. Mind you, I didn't pass him aggressively (IMHO). So the next chance he had he just side swiped me. I was so pissed but luckily pulled over like a half mile further from him and called the cops to report the accident. He was found at fault and luckily nothing more happened. This was a Canadian but happened in CT. Guess that's how hey drive up there, eh.

Watch out for the crazies!

Originally Posted by Germanauto

Pro tip: don't engage with angry drivers. You never know who's got a gun and/or has absolutely just lost their marbles. Don't give the finger, don't make eye contact, just go about your own business.

[E90SLAM]

Originally Posted by danchee

Wait till you experience the passive aggressive Seattle drivers. They leave space that's just a little bit smaller than your car can fit in. You signal and they either keep that space or speeds up just a tad to make the hole smaller, then hold that space. You slow down to try to get behind? They slow down.

Sounds like SoCal Prius drivers....

[tracer bullet]

Originally Posted by BadContrakt

I think your jealousy conclusion makes a lot of sense.

I doubt it. Here's what I think - you have a BMW, and what that leads to is that you are a snob, you are from the Twin Cities, you are a commie leftie, and you are personally responsible for whatever it is that is keeping their lives from being awesome on any particular day. The more they hate something in their life the more they hate you.

[Germanauto]

Originally Posted by danchee

Wait till you experience the passive aggressive Seattle drivers. They leave space that's just a little bit smaller than your car can fit in. You signal and they either keep that space or speeds up just a tad to make the hole smaller, then hold that space. You slow down to try to get behind? They slow down.

Prius and Subaru Outback drivers are a menace here. Self-righteous hippies if you ask me.

The amount of left lane camping here is insane. Combine that with the low speed limits EVERYWHERE and narrow roads and you have a place with the slowest drivers in the nation.

[Savageenterprise]

Originally Posted by BadContrakt

Yeah that sounds about right. Lmao the handjob part got me laughing.

Honestly the only thing to do is laugh about it ha

[Savageenterprise]

Originally Posted by natahoa

He is old, driving a junker, and probably has no life, or money. He probably has never made a good decision in his life and can’t figure out why life is hard.

Of course he hates you. He hates everyone.

These are the kinds of people who scare me. He probably has a gun in the seat next to him. And a bottle of bourbon.

I keep a VERY close eye on wack jobs like that. Make SURE he doesn’t follow you anywhere.

If I even suspect someone might be be following me, I make a few turns away from my destination. I’ll never stop or get out of the car until that person is LONG gone. And I never pull into my driveway either.

Usually I’m just being paranoid. It’s worth a trip around the block. Better safe than sorry.

Facts. I always am checking my mirrors and I would notice if someone is following me. Definitely the steps to take for sure

[Keyser Soze]

I definitely get a different set of angry drivers around me when I switch back and forth from my 535 to my Silverado.

Everyone hates me in the BMW (any BMW will do) and there is a definite feel of "you think yer better than me, boy!" vibe going on while it appears only small cars hate me in the truck and they flip out if they are behind me for even 5 seconds. I do definitely try to drive the truck much more responsibly than other pickup truck drivers I am surrounded with (by pulling over for faster/smaller cars, not force merging, not tailgating or being a bro-truck esque' aggressive douche, etc).