i think its just they arent sure what the hell it is...so they stare and they try to get closer to get a better look at it.....if they stare i just wave.....

 

I agree. Most drivers are just trying to get a better look at the car. Seems like some folks here have a bit of a chip on their shoulder.

Frankly, I don't try to win the "merge point grand prix", so I'm not worried of the other car goes first. Big deal if he's 5 seconds ahead of me!

 

As a former box hater, I think it has something to do with the perceived image of an xB driver. I figured it was some mid 20's kid who is full of himself and too cool to drive a normal car. I was probably also jealous that they had something original, instead of a standard commonplace vehicle.
Now that I drive one, I am a 20 year old who is somewhat full of himself and very proud of his vehicle, thinking it is one of the most original and cooler vehicles on the road.
Hmm, but I'm still a nice guy.
Anyway, I love the attention, no matter it be good or bad.
And at the end of the day, if you're not hurt and the car's not damaged, traffic incidents really don't matter. My box is slow, I take it easy, relax, enjoy the music. But when I get in my truck, I'm a completely different person. It's nice to have the extremes.

 

Sounds to me like your driving in California. All I can say is dont give them a reason to Pop the Trunk.

 

I wouldn't know. Most of the time I'm blowing past them. Seriously. The way the sucker is geared, I'm half way up the block before the SUVs and cell phone people manage to waddle across the intersection.

I've always merged onto the freeway going faster than traffic, regardless of what I'm driving. It's the only way that makes sense. You can slow down to slip into a hole in traffic a lot easier than you can speed up.

I drive aggressively but not foolishly. I'm usually flying in the fast lane. My theory is the less time you spend in the proximity of any particular vehicle, the lower your chances of tangling with that vehicle.

So if you ain't gettin' no respect from other drivers, maybe it's the way you drive, not what you're driving.

Oh, and in 40 years of drivng, the only accident I ever had happened at 6 mph.

 

It's open on my late 04, no fog lights. My red aftermarket horn peeks through.

Maybe it's a rolling change. Since one of the horns is behind there, the filled in section could be to shield the horn from water. Or not.

 

 

People drive like loons all over SOUTH FLORIDA, so I don't really notice if people are any more loony around the Box or not. So I'll look now, and see if it's true...

 

good thing you started a thread on this. i was defintely thinking the samething. and i am experiencing the samething.

it's almost a everyday thing for me.

 

yeah hate those ones!

 

Well Old Punk, I appreciate your point of view, but like I already said, not everyone can go driving as aggressively as you. Do you drive like that with your 1 and 3 year old kids in the back?
Criticizing how I drive as the solution isn't really addressing what I said at all. I am simply pointing out the fact that I have owned 7 different cars before aquiring the box and have never seen as much aggression from other drivers aimed at me in any of those other cars. (Except for the 3000GT I owned back in the late 90's, that attracted a lot of racers trying to challenge me)
When I am on my bike, it's a whole different ballgame. You get pretty much zero respect from other drivers... people lane share, get to close to your rear... flat out don't aknowledge you! People who own a motorcycle can attest to what I am saying.
On the other hand, there is nothing more satisfying than putting 3 football fields between you and the butthead that is trying to race you with a flick of the wrist.

 

i grew up in Malawi, Africa, and saw my parents become VERY alert drivers. you watch EVERYTHING on the road, as a potential accident. i've also ridden alongside my dad on motorcycles, and i'd say the same thing about that.

when i drive, i drive semi-agressively. however, i do my BEST to stay focused on what's going on around me. someone tailgates me? i brake check them immediately. and guess what. they may be ____ed at me, but they back the hell off. i don't care if you get angry at the way i drive, just don't hit me in the process.

did you know... in the florida driver's handbook for motorcycles, BRAKE CHECKING is recommended to riders who are being followed too closely!

 

It ____es me off too when I see other people not careful around bikes. I respect bikers at least. If I see one, I'm focused on where it is at all times. I almost hit a guy that was in my blind spot once. But the way I see it, rear ending a car is not at all the same as rearending a motorcycle, good enough reason to give them extra space.

 

Yes this happens, but I am well aware of the position of other cars and adjust my speed so that all I have to do is merge right in. When I see cars trying to merge I will let people in. Now, the other side of this is that if I am in a lane that another lane merges into, and someone tries to pass me to get in front of me which will cause me to apply my brakes when there is ample room behind me, you are NOT getting in. I have closed the gap many times and even let my car 'drift' a little in their path to block them. These people are asses, period.

 

Hey Tamago,

That is crazy about the Brake check being in the motorcycle handbook! That needs to be revised and quick! The PA book says to slow down to a speed that allows ample reaction time for both drivers and maintain this speed until you have an opportunity to allow the tailgating vehicle to pass. If you brake check a tailgater on a bike that's like playing russian roulette. You're putting your life in the tailgaters ability to react quickly!

 

OMAC,

I know how to merge at speed properly too, what I mean is when there is a line of stand-still traffic and you have to merge in. Some people get real dikky when they see the box coming.

 

This is an interesting thread.Im among the drive fast and aggressives but I try to be defensive and pay attention.between my commute and driving at work i prob put in 250-300 miles a day and I think I tend to pay more attention than some folks who dont see driving as the responsibility that it is. Of course when I pass someone I get a dirty look because I have a sticker on my back glass that says paramedic and a rescue squad license plate.in my ambulance at work people tailgate and get in blind spots,my 10,000 pound truck aint agile,but our new duramax truck has sure surprised some tailgaters when I nail it to put some space in between us.

 

Just to clear this up first off, I'm a textbook example of road-rage. I just normally drive like an @$$ in return, but if they're seriously rude, and my paintball gun happens to be riding in the passenger seat....

 

I get the same thing here in Dallas. People look at me like Im driving a POS ricer or something.

I get my last laugh at the gas station when I put in 10 gall. and drive for 2 weeks.

 

hi all. this is my first post, and i think the topic a good one. let me just get this out of the way: i'm 50+, have owned a Box for exactly 2 months, and my other car is a MINI, so i'm used to getting THE LOOK from other drivers. i think that many people are threatened by anything that's different. perhaps unfortunately, what you drive says something about you, whether you intend it or not. there's a reason that SUVs and pick-ups are so popular, and it has nothing (or little) to do with utility. in America, we live in the fear and paranoia capital of the world. people are afraid of other people, people are afraid of other people's cars; fear often translates into aggression, i think we all know that. i think that people who are attracted to the BOX (like those who are attracted to the MINI) are similar in that the idea of driving something different is part of the attraction. this, i think, puts many people off, along with the perceived attitude that (they feel) goes with it (look at me!). fortunately, at least in my experience, these guys are in the minority. i think that most people kind of dig it. i mean, when i first got the MINI (almost 2 years ago, when there were fewer on the road) people used to practically ask me if they could pet it. seriously. you've just got to understand what you're dealing with here. i've, unfortunately, reached the point in the game where i simply assume people (particularly people in cars, in BIG cars, where they feel invulnerable and can be as aggressive as they damn well please) are idiots unless proven otherwise, and act accordingly. think of the Hummer crowd. don't they understand it's a lot of flashy, stupid crap on a Chevy Suburban (or Expidition, or whatever) platform? of course not, and they don't care. why would anyone want something like that? you know the answer to that question. dig your Box, but just remember it's a jungle out there, full of unpredictable animals.

paddy