Harrassed because I drive a BMW?

[BadContrakt]

I recently moved to a pretty rural area in Minnesota (I used to live in SWFlorida and every other vehicle was a BMW or Mercedes or whatever) but around here it's nothing but GM products. I'm not kidding. That's what everyone in a 60 mile radius drives. Pontiacs. Buicks. Chevys. Saturns. Whatever....

I've noticed that when I go to pass (most roads around here are single lane county roads) often times, the person either:

Gets super pissed and gives me a dirty look or gives me the finger
Speeds up to make passing harder (even though I'm in a bolt on 335 lmao)
After I pass they speed up and tailgate really hard

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? I'm not being aggressive or doing sketchy passes (shit, I don't even have to leave 6th gear, I just get into a little bit of boost and overtake them nice and smooth). Does anyone experience this or what?

[cmyx6go]

I'm thinking it's because of where you are and just stupid drivers. As you said, it's GM country, it's buy American country. Your BMW sticks out like a sore thumb, but so would any other German badge. It happens to me all the time but it's due to stupid drivers and not what I drive. Do you still have FL plates?

Just take a deep breath and enjoy those two lane highways.

On a side note - what were you thinking going from FL to MN? BRRRRRRRRR.

[BadContrakt]

Originally Posted by cmyx6go

I'm thinking it's because of where you are and just stupid drivers. As you said, it's GM country, it's buy American country. Your BMW sticks out like a sore thumb, but so would any other German badge. It happens to me all the time but it's due to stupid drivers and not what I drive. Do you still have FL plates?

Just take a deep breath and enjoy those two lane highways.

On a side note - what were you thinking going from FL to MN? BRRRRRRRRR.

Yeah I still have a single Florida plate on my rear end and dark tint. Car isn't riced out or anything though. Just blacked out chrome and black grille. The wheels are even stock color style 285s. Nothing special just a clean black car.

Yeah... What WAS I thinking coming here? Lmao

Like I'm sorry you're doing 52 in a 60 sir but I'd like to at least be going the speed limit. I think a big problem is this highway changed from 55 to 60 speed limit like 5 or so years ago I guess. All the old timers around here haven't adjusted I guess and likely never will.

[Run Silent]

When you meet an asshole who is a terrible driver, then congrats, you met an asshole today. When everyone you meet is an asshole and a terrible driver, then perhaps it's time to start looking in a mirror?

I am 40+ years old. I've never had an instance where I did a non-aggressive pass on a dotted yellow line where someone did what you are explaining happens to you all the time. Not once. Ever.

I also moved from a large city to a rural part of the country where everyone drives American. Still never had this happen.

So.......thoughts?

[GenXer]

That's why I have a crew cab pickup truck if I need to drive in rural highways and farming communities. My BMW is for driving around the suburb. Oddly enough my 'merican pickup truck was made in Mexico.

[cmyx6go]

Originally Posted by Run Silent

When you meet an asshole who is a terrible driver, then congrats, you met an asshole today. When everyone you meet is an asshole and a terrible driver, then perhaps it's time to start looking in a mirror?

I am 42 years old. I've never had an instance where I did a non-aggressive pass on a dotted yellow line where someone did what you are explaining happens to you all the time. Not once. Ever.

I also moved from Florida to a rural part of the country where everyone drives American. Still never had this happen.

So.......thoughts?

Seriously? I am the most considerate, polite driver. I don't do aggressive stupid moves. My blinker is hard wired, I don't even have to think about it. 3 clicks. I experience the OP's situation EVERY SINGLE DAY. Just yesterday, I merged onto the highway and was in the right lane waiting for a break to move to the middle. I see my hole, it's wide open for 5 car lengths. I put on my blinker, move over and soon as the car in the middle lane saw said blinker she jumped on the gas pedal and is now up my ass.

I don't have the time to explain this mornings shenanigans. So many morons today. Is it a full moon?

[Run Silent]

Originally Posted by cmyx6go

Seriously? I am the most considerate, polite driver. I don't do aggressive stupid moves. My blinker is hard wired, I don't even have to think about it. 3 clicks. I experience the OP's situation EVERY SINGLE DAY. Just yesterday, I merged onto the highway and was in the right lane waiting for a break to move to the middle. I see my hole, it's wide open for 5 car lengths. I put on my blinker, move over and soon as the car in the middle lane saw said blinker she jumped on the gas pedal and is now up my ass.

I don't have the time to explain this mornings shenanigans. So many morons today. Is it a full moon?

That is insane. I am serious, though, I've certainly observed my share of aggressive drivers - those weaving in and out of traffic, those coming up on my ass at high rates of speed, so on and so forth, but never anyone who actively tried to be a dick, such as not letting me in, giving me the finger, tailgating me after I passed them, et al.

Perhaps I've just been lucky? But I've driven in many states and all over the world, including some places that have notoriously aggressive drivers and not experienced what the OP is stating.



Heck, even living near you (in Connecticut), I didn't experience anything and actually had a better driving experience up there since everyone is moving pretty quick and is paying attention more than the country yahoos do where I live now.

[BadContrakt]

Originally Posted by Run Silent

That is insane. I am serious, though, I've certainly observed my share of aggressive drivers - those weaving in and out of traffic, those coming up on my ass at high rates of speed, so on and so forth, but never anyone who actively tried to be a dick, such as not letting me in, giving me the finger, tailgating me after I passed them, et al.

Perhaps I've just been lucky? But I've driven in many states and all over the world, including some places that have notoriously aggressive drivers and not experienced what the OP is stating.



Heck, even living near you (in Connecticut), I didn't experience anything and actually had a better driving experience up there since everyone is moving pretty quick and is paying attention more than the country yahoos do where I live now.

I mean let's be real, when I do an asshole move I know it's an asshole move and I wouldn't go making a thread about it. I can be aggressive when I want to be and if I do something dumb or dangerous I'm very aware of it. I've been flipped off before for good reason. Everyone has.

It's also not EVERY time. But it's often. At least a couple times in a week I'll get a dirty look or I'll get someone changing their speed on me during a pass or whatever. I set my cruise every day, to and from work (at the chevy dealership ) at 70mph in a 60mph zone. I've clocked it a few different times and my cruise at 70mph is 66mph in real life. So I'm only going 6 over. I mean if I'm going 80 in a 60 and passing people that's understandable maybe they think I'm an asshole cause I drive so fast but it's not even the case. I go 66 in a 60. Come on!

My wife has noticed this too and she drives a 2001 E46 325xi in a cute little blue color with a cat sticker on her window and no mods what-so-ever and when she gets fed up being stuck behind a farmer going 52 in a 60 she'll finally convince herself to pass (because she's not a fan of speed and not a fan of danger and not a fan of passing) she gets the same look! How you gonna be mad at my 100 pound wife in her basic ass little slow E46 for passing you doing 8 under the speed limit?

I just don't think this is a case of "the common denominator so I must be an asshole" I think it's more-so the badge making people assume I'm a typical BMW driver so they're immediately subconsciously mad at me for even existing. BMW has a proven history of having ethical and mannerly drivers remember.

[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.

[G35POPPEDMYCHERRY]

OP easy fix, try not to apply logic/reason to the intelligent people of the USA.

[Alpine_F82]

Tennessee is the same way as Minnesota they flip me off driving down the road just because I drive a m4. People will brake check and do the same thing as up there. I remember I was driving through my neighborhood once at a stop sign I go first to 2nd in the Manual sport mode on DCT and just up to 3k nothing much I had someone swirve then stop in front of me rolled down window and honked there horn and yelled at me. I don’t even stop I swirve around them and downshift to 5k and go through the gear redline lol I also came out of a restaurant one day and I look and there’s this guy in a drive thru at Taco Bell he’s a passenger he taps on his glass pointing at my car then flips me off. I can go on forever about what happens here.

[ItsGary]

Are you passing over solid lines? If yes, that's probably why. People try and enforce laws themselves.

[BadContrakt]

Originally Posted by ItsGary

Are you passing over solid lines? If yes, that's probably why. People try and enforce laws themselves.

No no nothing like that. Yeah people do that for sure. Even I sometimes want to do that. Like people that pass in "right lane must turn right" spots when someone is turning left? Really really annoys me. I follow all the commonly broken laws pretty strictly... Like I really seriously break the whole BMW stereotype except I do speed a bit. Nothing crazy but if 6 over is crazy then so be it. I kinda roll through stop signs too. It's the fuckin country... Not a single car in sight. I'm not stopping. Sorry. Haha!

I like to get on it a bit and get into boost maybe once every trip. I usually always do it when no cars are around and when I'm close to home. I have one strip there where I like to open it up. But for 95% of the rest of my commute I bang some tunes and just... Drive. I don't even touch my phone while driving lol imagine that! A 26 year old who doesn't stare at his phone while driving. Impossible...

[chassis]

It is a rural thing.

It is a Midwest thing.

[natahoa]

I’ve always lived on the east coast. Learned to drive in Boston where people are notoriously aggressive, but it is more like a fun thing. You don’t get too much passive-aggressive stuff. If you get there first, the other guy flips off and laughs.

I was in northern Virginia for 25 years and then moved to Iowa. NoVa is very mannerly, and usually you have so much traffic that stunt maneuvers aren’t even possible.

In Iowa, everyone is aggressive. They are just very angry drivers. For reals-not fun and games like in Boston.

I lived in Des Moines, so it was a city but very little badly congested traffic anywhere. Most people were reasonable and courteous drivers. Most people in Iowa are reasonable and courteous in general (in the city).

Funniest thing ever tho is all the idiots in pickup trucks who think they can go 80 in a blizzard on the highway. We had a big storm and a weather channel reporter was at the intersection is I35 and I80, and you could tell he was nervous and could NOT believe how fast people were going in a raging blizzard.

The funny thing is that, in Iowa, during a storm event, if your car skids off the road, you are NOT allowed to get it towed out until the authorities say so. Often a couple days. With huge plow drifts.

After a storm I would see HUNDREDS of cars, mostly pickups, wayyy off the roads, I mean FAR away in a giant snow bank the was slowly freezing into a glacier. Imagine - being without your beloved truck for days and days.

Also, no inspection in Iowa, so lots of bald tires.

Never had a problem with my trusty odyssey, that didn’t have 4-wheel drive. Those cars stuck in huge snow banks (from the plowing) made me laugh and laugh with every storm.

[cmyx6go]

Originally Posted by Run Silent

That is insane. I am serious, though, I've certainly observed my share of aggressive drivers - those weaving in and out of traffic, those coming up on my ass at high rates of speed, so on and so forth, but never anyone who actively tried to be a dick, such as not letting me in, giving me the finger, tailgating me after I passed them, et al.

Not long ago, I was the first car sitting at a traffic light waiting for the left hand turn arrow. A car came across the intersection from my right and made a left in front of me. He actually took both hands off the wheel to give me the finger with both hands. FOR NO REASON! I was sitting still at the light, minding my business.

[bucketfoot]

Originally Posted by BadContrakt

I'd like to at least be going the speed limit.

You do understand what "speed limit" means, right...

[BayE30]

Originally Posted by bucketfoot

You do understand what "speed limit" means, right...

In California speed limit is minimum speed apparently.

Oregon is even crazier, i noticed people drive fast as shit on the freeway. Like Hondas and Toyotas passing me all day long going 85+...its crazy. To be fair tho everytime i was in OR / WA i was in my e30, and the gearing doesnt let me cruise over 80, its just too high up in the RPM.

[cmyx6go]

Originally Posted by bucketfoot

You do understand what "speed limit" means, right...

It's a suggestion

[Efthreeoh]

Originally Posted by cmyx6go

Not long ago, I was the first car sitting at a traffic light waiting for the left hand turn arrow. A car came across the intersection from my right and made a left in front of me. He actually took both hands off the wheel to give me the finger with both hands. FOR NO REASON! I was sitting still at the light, minding my business.

Sounds like a case of mistaken identity if EVERYONE in your town is giving you the finger. I drove out West last in Fall 2017 in a Z3. Never had any such issues.

[BadContrakt]

Originally Posted by bucketfoot

You do understand what "speed limit" means, right...

Just because what you say is factual doesn't make it reality. Don't be ridiculous.

[TheMidnightNarwhal]

Originally Posted by bucketfoot

You do understand what "speed limit" means, right...

Oh my god please not another one like this.

On a 100km/h highway please don't tell me you do 100km/h in the left lane