I had the most frightening experience of travelling as a passenger for 150 miles of A road with a driver who simply could not tolerate any car being in front. On the odd occasion when he just couldn't pass due to oncoming traffic (although that was not always an impediment) he would howl expletives at the driver for the offence of keeping within the speed limit and for the audacity (no pun intended for the OP) of being on the road at the same time as him!
My faith in humanity was restored recently when an agressive tailgater picked on an unmarked police car on the motorway and was promptly pulled over. I rather enjoyed that.
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Are they all women drivers?
they probably haven't realised how close they are, or simply don't appreciate how close they. Spacial awareness and all that. ;-)
FTF
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they probably haven't realised how close they are or simply don't appreciate how close they. Spacial awareness and all that. ;-)
You can't really blame women for mis-estimating distances.... after all they are often told something is twice the size it really is......
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You can't really blame women for mis-estimating distances.... after all they are often told something is twice the size it really is......
You're an angler as well, are you?
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You're an angler as well are you?
As it happens.... no Im not.
but, umm yeah, that is what I meant!
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I drive a BMW, and I avoid tailgating anyone simply because I like the car and don't want to end up stuffing it into the boot of someone else's jalopy.
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Out of interest what car do you drive and what colour is it. I think you are a little paranoid. Brake lights come before the brakes come on on most cars. Regards Peter
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I'm sure that anyone who has had an accident, minor or not, their fault or not, will agree that they are best avoided.
I remember a phrase used at an institute of advanced motorists session I went to that I thought quite profound - " ....proven fact (apparently) not only do IAM members have less accidents, they also avoid *other peoples* accidents."
Well I suppose the second comes from the first but I still thought it was good. I didn't join but would like to one day. It was a dam good session and gave a lot of like minded people the chance to have a rant!!!
Then I found this place !!
All the best.
FTF
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I now drive a vehicle from the Audi group. I find myself driving close behind vehicles because they are only going at 27mph in a 60 limit (sorry now downgraded to 50mph) with solid white lines. I dislike having to use my brakes constantly.
Get out of my way!
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QUOTE:..."""Out of interest what car do you drive and what colour is it. I think you are a little paranoid. Brake lights come before the brakes come on on most cars. Regards Peter """.
A useful accessory would be a hidden on/off master switch for the brake lights. So when you want to send a message to a tailgater, yoy switch off the brake lights before stepping on the brakes!!
(Only joking - I wouldn't really advocate that!)
Anyway, don't Audis have automatic crash detection or something.
When I've been on long trips with my trailer in tow, it gives the impression of keeping tailgaters that bit further from the car. That might just be psychological, but it does diminish the feeling of intimidation unless the tailgater is in a large vehicle.
Edited by Sofa Spud on 22/08/2009 at 15:19
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QUOTE:...""I dislike having to use my brakes constantly.""
Isn't that a bit like saying you don't like having to use the steering constanlty?
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I meant that I would not have to use my brakes constantly unless the slow car was in front. My speed is generally controlled by lifting my foot off the accelerator and balancing against the force of gravity.
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A useful accessory would be a hidden on/off master switch for the brake lights. So
Rear fog lights can look very much like brake lights if flicked on and off appropriately...
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I did that once and the person(!!??) behind responded by putting the lot on!
FTF
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Going off subject a little, but whenever I see any Audi with their LED daytime running lights on, I keep thinking what I think Clarkson said, by comparing them to council house Christmas lights!
And yes, more and more Audis do appear to be driven in something of an apparant stereo typical cliched way, imho.
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Selective perception.
I have had Audis, BMWs, Fords, Vauxhalls, Citroens, Volvos, Renaults, Triumphs, Wolseleys, MGs, Land Rovers, FIATs, Jaguars ( am I boring you yet ?............) etc etc.....
I drive/drove, more or less the same way in all of them. It is true though to say that one is treated with varying degrees of respect, disdain, aggression or contempt and sometimes even deference by other road users depending upon what you happen to be driving.
Even car size has a bearing on behaviour. When I drive my wife's Ka some other drivers seemingly deliberately "bully" it. Conversely, when I'm in my Mondeo estate they mostly don't.
Think of the primitive psychology going on here. To give another example. Try going on a scheduled flight in your scruffs and you get the lowest level courtesy from airline staff. Get on the same flight in yer pukka schmutter and they fawn over you.
Humans are very suggestible and by and large fairly stupid.
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Humph
I don't know you, but I reckon you are a very worldy wise bloke.
Admiration mode off.
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humph you are correct to a degree
thats why i can drive a little over the edge in a vectra and nobody bats and eyelid, and yet if i drive in exactly the same way in a sports car the police have stopped me within half an hour - i know been there done that countless times
but i think the audi thing is different, there is more science to the sheer overwhelming count of audis that tailgaited me yesterday, there must be something going on
i think that maker is attracting a certain sort of driver at the moment for some reason, if we could figure out what that was we would then know who to ban from driving for no reason other than weve figured out they are none desireables
i was walking on the moon one day
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Oh I think there might be something in what you say if only because the auto suggestion ( if you will forgive the pun ! ) I alluded to earlier works internally as well as externally. Harry Hotshot recently promoted and issued with a new mildly posh motor has just had a huge testosterone boost to his ego.
He's a legend in his own lunchbreak in his slightly favoured middlingly managed worker ant mind. He feels indestructible. He looks down upon those he sees as lesser beings. You need to get out of his way. He's got important things to do, people to see, don't you understand ??? Or so he sees the world.
He is in fact, although he would struggle to see it, almost a clone. He would lack the imagination to choose a car outside of the industry norm for his job grade. The A4 / 3 series / Lexus IS or whatever is part of his uniform, his badge of office, his very identity. Without it, he'd be a lost soul.
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Rear fog lights can look very much like brake lights if flicked on and off appropriately...
Ooh that's a good one... note to self, must get a car with twin fogs next time
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I think Audis have two fog lights at the rear, get a nice Audi and have the best of both worlds...
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My brother once did this to deter a tailgater. They attempted to run him off the road! Literally.
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Is some of the problem the marketing of the cars? Ultimate driving machine, vorsprung durch technic.....message being that the car elevates you above other lesser cars on the road?
The a5 advert explaining how amazing the traction system is, is an example. I didn't have much sympathy for the a5 in bits on the exit slip of the m6/m55 that must have been taken at warp speed in damp conditions-had simply understeered into the scenery as the driver no doubt was feeling a little misled by the hype.
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Is some of the problem the marketing of the cars? Ultimate driving machine vorsprung durch technic.....message being that the car elevates you above other lesser cars on the road?
Ironically, didn't Audi run a TV advert some years ago, where a stereotypical BMW driver takes one for a test drive, and the decides it's "not my style"? Seems like times have changed...
Ah, here it is:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=rSicNiIERAE
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Maybe they get close to you so the person in front can't see how damned ugly Audis are!!!! They all seem to have been designed by a 2 year old drawing his first ever car at nursery school!!!!
The wife recently expressed an interest in an Audi. I quickly reminded her of what Audi drivers are called on Top Gear. She soon changed her mind!!!!
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Nothing like a bit of bigotry to brighten up an afternoon !
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More interesting than the car chase on BBC at the moment!
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Have to disagree with your veiw that Audi are ugly cars.
Apart from the Audi A2, I think they are all good looking cars, and their interior design and quality are second to none in a similar price range.
How can you possibly call an Audi R8 ugly.
And not to buy a car because of what they say on Top Gear is quite frankly pathetic !
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Now, in turn, I happen to think you are spot on there Mr Tee43 !
By the way, do you still have that souped up Chevy van and all those gold chains ?
;-)
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Nah, got rid of that and bought mysen a big tank instead !
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Driven two recent Audis recently - a A3 Quattro (170 bhp diesel) and an A4 Common rail diesel. Excellent motors with excellent interiors I don't think they were designed by two year olds. Both are attractive cars and the Avant has all the hallmarks of an excellent and pretty design. The Quattro is fast, well made and the consummate modern performance hatch. Get real these are amongst the best you can get for the money. Personally I would opt for the BMW equivalent - but that is a choice thing.
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I quickly reminded her of what Audi drivers are called on Top Gear. She soon changed her mind!!!!
As an irregular watcher watcher of TG, would you be good enough to tell me?
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>>As an irregular watcher watcher of TG, would you be good enough to tell me?
Male hens.
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Oh well if TG think that it must be right then.
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That advert has to be up there with 'Cog' as the best car ad of all time! :-)
Doesn't really ring true any more though, sadly. Shame, as the Audi interiors are just such a nice place to be. Ah well.
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I knew someone would mention the R8 when I said they were ugly. Of course I didn't mean that. However, the saloons are are so bland it's unbelievable - that three box drawing you did as a kid (or at least I did) is the blueprint for Audis these days. Dull, dull, dull!!!
And I'm not doubting the quality of the interiors either - I know they're excellent. I just think they're boring. Personal opinion.
And to comment on the OP I do an all motorway 60 mile round commute every day and have been doing for 15 years. And without doubt, the thuggery in the outside lane has shifted in that time from BMW to Audi. No doubt about it as I see it almost every day. Maybe Audi is "new money" and BMW is a bit 90s. Who knows? But I know what I see in my rear view mirror.
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"And to comment on the OP I do an all motorway 60 mile round commute every day and have been doing for 15 years. And without doubt, the thuggery in the outside lane has shifted in that time from BMW to Audi"
Look at the sales figures for Audi - IIRC they have tripled in only a few years, so it's no surprise you are seeing more of them.
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However the saloons are are so bland it's unbelievable - that three box drawing you did as a kid (or at least I did) is the blueprint for Audis these days. Dull dull dull!!!
So an Audi A5 looks just like a Hillman Hunter or a Cortina Mk.II to you?!
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Each to his own. BMW designs are something other than bland of course, and may have made the equivalent Audi look a little grey in comparison.
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