Like many couples, my wife and I spend a fair amount of time every week commuting: she to the west of our home, I to the east. In doing so, we have come to different conclusions about the drivers with whom we share the road. Living in Michigan, we assume that prevailing trends in vehicle buying are not shared with other states in our union, let alone countries abroad. In other words, people in Michigan still buy “American,” whatever that means anymore. With that being said, if I see a Chevy Equinox or GMC Terrain in my travels, there’s about a 3-in-1 chance that its driver will do something annoying, such as sitting too long at a four-way stop, changing lanes abruptly and for no reason, or weaving because they’re on a cell phone. Encores, Traverses, and Acadias are almost as likely a subject, but much of the time, I’ll find myself yelling “EQUINOX!”
On the other hand, my wife’s automotive nemesis is the Ford Escape. It must be that Michigan’s tastes in SUVs change the farther west one drives. The other day, however, I followed a rolling example of her frustration as we entered a parking lot, and an Escape driver who couldn’t hold a speed also followed the lines on the road in their head rather than on the actual road.
It might be that we’re all simply bad drivers, but it can’t be that simple, can it? I therefore ask you this: What vehicle do YOU see on the road that is certain to flummox you in your day-to-day driving?
Currently the most eye rolling cars I see these days, particularly around the Charleston, SC area, are the Chargers and Challengers. One, they are like Zoolander: THEY ONLY HAVE ONE LOOK! They have done three facelifts (maybe four? I lost count and interest) for Charger and two for Challenger but they still look the same! Two, they all have annoyingly loud exhaust regardless if it’s a lame duck SXT V6 or a SRT 8. Three, most are aftermarket stickered up with hideous wheels adding to the stereotype. Four, there’s usually a wall of these at car shows with “Midnight Mopar” stickers where they all look the same: cheap crappy mods. There’s also always a larger wall of Mustang owners but they are less annoying because there’s always a larger diversity of colors and modifications. Five, turn your stereo down a bit, I would like to hear my own music. Six, they usually drive like complete jerks, heavy on the throttle for maximum noise. This is particularly true for the older, more clapped ones that younger kids can afford and then put on the cheap mods that then usually end up with half a bumper parked in front of the big box auto parts store to get them LED lights or blue spark plug wires.
In the NY area from the mid 70`s to the mid 90`s it was always a Volvo driver, usually from CT or NJ with a ‘liberal’ sticker on the back bumper. Later on it was generally an 75 year or older Hyundai driver going at least 10 miles below the speed limit on a highway. A few years into the minivan era, it was always a ‘soccer mom’ taking her daughter and friends to the game. Here in NJ, it`s always a huge SUV with a ‘Karen’ chattering away on her cellphone,or some smart *ss kid in a Toyota or Honda ‘tuner’ blasting some rap song on the disco grade stereo system.
Maybe forty years ago, I would have said people driving a Chrysler product.
Now, it isn’t brand specific. It’s size specific. I have found the selfishness and aggression of drivers is directly proportional to the size of their vehicle. There are a few exceptions, pickup and big SUV drivers that will, for instance, stop far enough back from a driveway threshold so that I can see around the front of their truck to see if any traffic is coming before making a right turn. But when I’m being tailgated, it’s almost always a huge pickup or SUV. When a light turns green and I am about to proceed through an intersection, it’s almost always a big pickup or SUV on the cross street that runs the red light. Last week, I saw a school bus run a red light.
It’s more the time of day for me. Rush hour brings out the best drivers here in the Greater Toronto area.
Mid -day brings out timid, middle aged drivers operating pristine older economy cars, especially the ubiquitous Corrola. They drive too slowly in an attempt to be cautious but are oblivious to the many driving errors they’re making.
After midnight brings out banzai driving lunatics who cruise the 400 series highways at twice the speed limit in expensive German cars and shrieking sport bikes . These people terrify me as they swerve and speed through the relatively light traffic, dodging other traffic at 200++ km/h. The slightest error means a catastrophic crash (which happen regularly) often taking out innocent motorists. Friday and Saturday nights see the worst offenders.
Anything driven by Mr. Wheeler.
Out here in CO, the most annoying group of drivers are also the most unsafe. As many have pointed out, brodozer-pickups seem to attract the worst. Lifted, off-road prepped (but always very clean…hmmm?) trucks have handling and braking characteristics greatly handicapped by simple physics. So the worst group of tailgaters and high speed lane hoppers are the least capable of avoiding emergency situations. Go figure.
Given the 680 corridor and the 24 corridor I’d have to say many high end cars which could be MBZ, BMW, Audi and the like chasing each other at speeds around 85 mph weaving in and out among normal drivers. The San Mateo Bridge, on a Saturday morning, is very bad with cars hitting 100+ mph weaving in the three lanes. This from someone I know driving his 300Z at 75 getting blown off the bridge. The next group would be new trucks, large tires, high off the ground like many come, you know the type, driven by males under 40. They are also weaving in and out of 50 mph traffic thinking they can do 80 mph.
Rural Michigan. Had to do long trips at night for many years. Seemed like way too often, the drivers who refused to dim their lights, were driving a full size Chevy or GMC pickup. Far more often than if it was a random sample of vehicles on the road.
I’m not from the US, but in my area (rural southern Italy) the most frustrating drivers basically all drive 188-series (2nd gen) Fiat Puntos. That’s because 9 out of 10 are driven by old people who have some weird passion for going 20km/h under the speed limit and braking at random
Subarus.
I drive 25k miles a year in the minneapolis Metro.
It’s always a Subaru. Around here they’re rolling traffic cones.
I don’t know how I missed this but I did. But I still feel obliged to comment, in order.
Large pickup truck drivers
Large domestic pickup truck drivers
Large domestic 4WD pickup truck drivers
Large domestic 4WD jacked up pickup truck drivers
Large domestic 4WD jacked up diesel pickup truck drivers
Diverging from the above theme, I think I’d have to say Honda Civics. Older and not stock. Likely slammed with aftermarket headlights that are likely illegal and or poorly aimed. Generally driven by young men who may or may not need to shave on a regular basis yet. There are an assortment of makes/models of similar configuration, but Civics seem to dominate. The slammed part while not my taste, doesn’t really bother me, noisy exhausts do, but they have so much company it’s irrelevant, but headlights, which often even they cant see with, in the pursuit of cool, do irritate me, as well as often buzzing by at 90 only to slam on the brakes to catch an offramp. Jeez, if they’re going to boogie, at least do it when traffic is light and there will be less impact on other drivers.
I have to wonder how you know the names of dildos…..
-Nate
(who’s not tiny but drives a 40 year old Diesel Mercedes and is probably hindering traffic)