Posted on 05/29/2011 12:00:23 PM PDT by Excuse_My_Bellicosity
There are variations in driving styles on our roads and most motorists will fall into a distinct characteristic type depending on how they approach the task of driving. As you read through this list, you are likely to recognize yourself or someone you drive with.
Which driving character are you?
Nervous Nick: This driver lacks confidence in their driving abilities and is intimidated by traffic and highway speeds. The “Nervous Nick” will always drive at the speed limit or lower and will not accelerate enough to merge safely with highway traffic. They will display moments of indecision when it comes to driving options such as making left turns and when to proceed and how fast.
The Danger: They cause traffic to “rat pack” around them on highways. This leads to multiple lane changes and drivers becoming impatient and making dangerous choices or lane changes. Driving slower than the “flow” of traffic can cause traffic mayhem behind the slower driver as others must negotiate a way around the slow moving vehicle.
Middle Lane Mike: Will head from the on-ramp directly to the middle lane and plant them selves there no matter how slow they drive or who is sitting on their rear bumper. They are convinced this is the best lane to drive in and they are the safest drivers on the road.
The Danger: Traffic will pass on either the right of left sides of this driver causing traffic flow chaos. Large trucks will sit impatiently on their rear bumper trying to intimidate this driver into moving over. They are in danger of causing a crash or being rear-ended. Vehicles moving slowly in the middle lane are like a rock in a stream. They cause turbulence and in this case traffic turbulence.
Overconfident Owen or Arrogant Andy: These drivers are usually driving in an aggressive manner as they are very sure of their capabilities. They are usually speeding and changing lanes often. This aggressive driver feels they are more important than everyone else on the road. All other drivers are just in “their” way and should not be on “their” road.
The Danger: This driver has the confidence and sometimes even the driving talent that will allow them to handle their vehicle while speeding, but when things go wrong they lack the skills to recover or avoid an incident. This driver has confidence that far out strips their “driving smarts” and they make poor choices in their driving situations. They are usually driving too fast for weather and traffic conditions. They often drive an SUV or other large vehicle that adds to their sense of superiority. This driver will tailgate others and try different means of intimidation to get others out of their way. These drivers have been known to pass on the shoulder and lane hop. During the winter months, they are often found in the ditch.
Bored Bobby or Busy Betty: Usually found talking on a cell phone or chatting with passengers. Their mind will be focused on anything but driving safely. Even though they know the distraction of talking on the cell phone is dangerous, they feel their business is more important.
The Danger: This motorist is not paying attention to driving and invariably will end up crashing or cutting someone off. The “Bored Bobby” is just as dangerous as the other drivers on this list. They are not processing all their driving information that will help them make wise driving choices. They are driving distracted which is the leading cause of crashes. After being involved in a crash, they usually cannot figure out what happened.
Solo Sandy: This driver believes they are the only one on the road. They rarely check their mirrors and have no idea other vehicles are near or beside them. You may see this motorist heading down a highway with the only other vehicle in sight directly beside them or in front of them. Also known as “Blinder Billy” as they appear to have blinders on allowing them to only see directly in front of them.
The Danger: Not knowing what is around you in your driving environment is very dangerous. Each driver needs to know what vehicles are in their immediate vicinity to make intelligent lane or avoidance choices. This driver is often hoping others will yield to their lane changes. If they encounter a “Bored Bobby” or a “Busy Betty” the results are usually costly.
Immortal Ivan: Believes no matter what they do behind the wheel, nothing bad will happen to them. When people die in car crashes, it is always going to be someone else, not them. This driving symptom tends to come in the teenage years and can last into middle age if the driver makes it to that age. Too many car crashing video games can exacerbate the problem.
The Danger: Their fearlessness leads to very poor driving decisions and reckless driving. Many younger drivers and their passengers succumb to this syndrome. If “Immortal Ivan” survives, they often age to become an “Arrogant Andy”.
Dangerous Don or Silly Stevie: These drivers believe they know it all about driving. They have been on the road for a number of years and have survived. To them, their experience means they are the best drivers on the road. All those around them are morons or crazy. For drivers like “Dangerous Don”, their frustration with other motorists can lead to high risk driving and poor decisions.
The Danger: Their survival in many ways was a product of luck and not so much skill. One day that luck will run out and the resulting crash will be anyone else’s mistake and not theirs. They will blame the other driver, black ice or anything else since they could not possibly be at fault. Their closed minds mean they will never learn the skills that could keep them from that future crash.
Smart Susie: The rarest of drivers. Understands that driving is the most dangerous daily task they will face and prepares for it. This driver realizes they need to upgrade their driving skills to be prepared for the perils of driving. They focus on the task of driving and are always making driving easier for those sharing the road with them.
The Danger: There are not enough of these drivers on our roads!
What I hate is the phaser that does it right behind you in the right lane. They’ll come up behind you 10-15 MPH faster than you, get right up on your bumper instead of passing, then let off the gas and back off about 100 yards, then surge right up on your bumper again in a never-ending cycle. Frickin’ weirdos. Your only choice is to pull over or push it up fast enough to lose them.
See #201 (my reply to The Phaser). These people need thump-therapy.
EXACTLY!!! If that is not your goal, get off the freeway!
Speaking of profiles, mine don’t look so good anymore either. Thanks for the laugh.
Now -that’s- what I’m talking about!
MY personal favorite.
Some of us in tiny cars have to take even that much of a bump very seriously or leave the oil pan behind.
How about the vacuum powered wipers. In seattle they are worse than useless.:)
I’d have to say that after a few miles of that I’d be thinking hard of a way to take a few of them out.
Three methods I’ve employed over the years to avoid risk, in order of priority that works for me:
1) Allow more time for travel.
2) Avoid proximity of leading vehicle.
3) Minimize lane changes.
I also yield to aggressive drivers.
Vaccuum powered wipers were pretty much history by the late fifties. You’re right-they are useless, and they slow down when you need them the most.
Have you tried rubbing Bounce softener sheets on your car?
I think you have a problem with traffic cling.
I’d prefer a GAU-8...
>>At high speeds that’s attempted murder and should be met with deadly force.<<
Attempted murder is a frame of mind. And the type of person who they do it to does not understand the meaning of the phrase “deadly force”. :)
BTW, one of the two people was an amateur race driver and a CIO of a very large corporation. He made this claim in front of several hundred people - while speaking at a podium. This was around 1992.
As things get more “stressfull”, more and more people are acting out against those who block the passing lane. Again, it is why more and more states are cracking down on it. If someone is in that lane and not passing someone, and a car comes up behind them, it will be wise for them to pull to the right.
>>Tailgating is aggressive behavior.<<
Yes, and like all aggressive behavior, it has its place. Even on the road. I’m a huge fan of Louie L’Amour novels about the old west. He writes them from the perspective of historical accuracy. Real men really do get aggressive when it is called for. They are willing to risk pissing off another man when the other man is infringing on his territory. Those are the “mens men” and the ones that get the girl. And this is actually true in real life today.
One place it is most definitely called for is on freeways with road hogs in the passing lane. I’m not talking about the guy that is passing another car, even relatively slowly, but the real road blockers, whether they are doing it intentionally or they are oblivious. And if flashing your lights at them doesn’t do the job, it is time to up the stakes. Is it risky? You bet. Life is risk.
>>Vaccuum powered wipers were pretty much history by the late fifties<<
Yeah, and why it was doubly annoying on a 1963 car.
I think L’amour may be making a comeback. Costco is selling 7 of his books on tape, and the naration and voices are by Willie Nelson, Johnny Cash, Waylin Jennings and Kris Kristoferson. I bought it and it’s pretty darned entertaining.
Back in L’Amour’s day, prize fighting was what football is today. The funny thing is, when “good men” fight each other in his stories, they shake hands afterwards and become friends, even when the fight was about one rancher trying to “steal” chunks of his neighbor’s land.
I purchased his entire collection in hardback at an estate sale a few weeks ago. Roughly a hundred books, including his “crime stories” compilations. Some of the books are over-simplistic, but they are a lot of fun and he really does paint pictures well, as a man who loved the desert.
I also have his autobiography. And many of his books on tape include 10 minutes or more of him describing the real old west, the 2,000 plus gunfighters he cataloged and the actual characters from that time he ran across in his travels. Interestingly, there is no sex in his books because he considered it irrelevant to the great things the men and women of that day were accomplishing.
>>past him.
People often do that because having a vehicle moving up next to them changes their perception of how fast they are going.<<
My wife and I joke about that. I can do the speed limit, happy as a clam, when on the open road. But get me into traffic and my mind seems to go into this mode: If I am going the same speed as the rest of the cars around me, I am not moving. I HAVE TO be driving faster than the traffic around me and it is a conscious effort to go with the flow. It’s not quite that dramatic, but it is there. I don’t have to be driving much faster. A mile or two per hour will do it. It’s some weird psychological defect.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.