How very like a BMW driver

Stoke

unholyangel wrote: »

I can't fathom why people go gaga for them. I'd go without a phone before I would consider buying one - or any that are similarly priced.

But their money so their call.

Never understood the furore when they first came out and I understand it even less now. It's a bloody mobile phone at the end of the day and really they're nothing special. Plenty of alternatives out there that cost less and many of them do more. I have friends who are paying huge monthly contracts because they continually get the newest iPhone part way through their contract and as such are still paying off the old one. Just don't get it at all.

Madness.

NaughtiusMaximus wrote: »

No, it's called observation.

About half the cars I see tailgating, cutting up other drivers or jumping red lights are one of these 3 brands but they don't come anywhere close to making up 50% of the cars on the road.

Uhuh.... There's a whole load of reasons why you might see those cars 'jumping red lights', tailgating etc.... oh and despite what you think, they're pretty common cars. They're hardly Triumph Stag's.

Firstly, no human is immune to 'choosing what they see'. You might see someone in a Fiat do it, but you probably think "oh he was just distracted" whereas when an Audi driver does it, he was being "an Audi driver".

Secondly, the three brands you mentioned are common amongst people who drive lots of miles. A friend of mine is a regional manager of a telecommunications company, and specifically picked the 3-series as his company car, not because he's smug or arrogant or desperate to be a 'Beamer driver', but because he wanted a comfy ride to do upwards of a thousand miles a week in. Experience breeds confidence and that sometimes spills into over-confidence. Perhaps they cut people up and run red lights because they know they can, because they're simply more experienced and confident at the wheel? Furthermore, his choice of company car was limited to either Audi's or BMW's.

Third and finally, maybe it's because Merc/Audi/BMW are also driven by executives, sales directors, financial officers and people in high positions. They didn't get to those positions by bottom feeding. They almost certainly got there by taking risks and hence that is possibly how they act while driving. They'd act the same if they were driving a Ford Fiesta, but they're not, they're in a Beamer, because who wants to drive a Ford Fiesta when you earn 200 grand a year and live in a mansion in Alderley Edge?

For everyone else..... a BMW is just a car; not a "cut everyone up, I can act like a knob" tool.

NaughtiusMaximus

Stoke wrote: »

Firstly, no human is immune to 'choosing what they see'. You might see someone in a Fiat do it, but you probably think "oh he was just distracted" whereas when an Audi driver does it, he was being "an Audi driver".

Fair enough, I don't think I do personally but accept I could do it without realising it so I'll go with that.

Stoke wrote: »

Secondly, the three brands you mentioned are common amongst people who drive lots of miles. A friend of mine is a regional manager of a telecommunications company, and specifically picked the 3-series as his company car, not because he's smug or arrogant or desperate to be a 'Beamer driver', but because he wanted a comfy ride to do upwards of a thousand miles a week in. Experience breeds confidence and that sometimes spills into over-confidence. Perhaps they cut people up and run red lights because they know they can, because they're simply more experienced and confident at the wheel? Furthermore, his choice of company car was limited to either Audi's or BMW's.

Third and finally, maybe it's because Merc/Audi/BMW are also driven by executives, sales directors, financial officers and people in high positions. They didn't get to those positions by bottom feeding. They almost certainly got there by taking risks and hence that is possibly how they act while driving. They'd act the same if they were driving a Ford Fiesta, but they're not, they're in a Beamer, because who wants to drive a Ford Fiesta when you earn 200 grand a year and live in a mansion in Alderley Edge?

What you're saying there is people who think the rules of the road don't apply to them and who drive like arrogant, selfish ***** are more inclined to choose Mercs, BMWs or Audis over other brands. I'm glad we agree.

Stoke

NaughtiusMaximus wrote: »

Fair enough, I don't think I do personally but accept I could do it without realising it so I'll go with that.



What you're saying there is people who think the rules of the road don't apply to them and who drive like arrogant, selfish ***** are more inclined to choose Mercs, BMWs or Audis over other brands. I'm glad we agree.

Haha, well I also drive a BMW, does that make me arrogant, selfish ? If you saw me drive, you'd realise I'm pretty courteous. I've never tailgated and I don't run red lights.

What I'm saying is, you're blaming the car for the driver. Blame the driver.

Shimrod

Stoke wrote: »

Haha, well I also drive a BMW, does that make me arrogant, selfish ? If you saw me drive, you'd realise I'm pretty courteous. I've never tailgated and I don't run red lights.

What I'm saying is, you're blaming the car for the driver. Blame the driver.

Well it wasn't exactly a great defence for the BMW driver.


Here's two surveys - you could argue they both have a bias given there source, but both report around 70% of people admit to bad driving - BMW are common as muck these days, but there aren't that many on the road. The BBC article references a observation based study from the highway agency - here's a quote:



"The survey found as many as 70% of drivers were guilty of tailgating on some stretches of motorway"




https://www.continental-tyres.co.uk/car/media-services/newsroom/braking-bad
http://www.brake.org.uk/news/1223-dl-motorways-may14




http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/3526692.stm

Stoke

The last article was from 2004 mate?

Shimrod

Stoke wrote: »

The last article was from 2004 mate?

So you think driving has improved since then?

Joe_Horner

Shimrod wrote: »

"The survey found as many as 70% of drivers were guilty of tailgating on some stretches of motorway"




https://www.continental-tyres.co.uk/car/media-services/newsroom/braking-bad
http://www.brake.org.uk/news/1223-dl-motorways-may14




http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/3526692.stm

As a (non tailgating, indicating) BMW driver I'd broadly agree with that, although I'd say it's on most sections of motorway where there's anything but minimal traffic.

But that only supports the contention above that "BMW driver" observations are biased by expectations. In fact, if 70% of drivers are driving too close, there's a very good chance indeed that the people noticing "tailgating BMWs" are, in fact, tailgating themselves.

prowla

Stoke wrote: »

Never understood the furore when they first came out and I understand it even less now. It's a bloody mobile phone at the end of the day and really they're nothing special. Plenty of alternatives out there that cost less and many of them do more. I have friends who are paying huge monthly contracts because they continually get the newest iPhone part way through their contract and as such are still paying off the old one. Just don't get it at all.

Madness.


Uhuh.... There's a whole load of reasons why you might see those cars 'jumping red lights', tailgating etc.... oh and despite what you think, they're pretty common cars. They're hardly Triumph Stag's.

Firstly, no human is immune to 'choosing what they see'. You might see someone in a Fiat do it, but you probably think "oh he was just distracted" whereas when an Audi driver does it, he was being "an Audi driver".

Secondly, the three brands you mentioned are common amongst people who drive lots of miles. A friend of mine is a regional manager of a telecommunications company, and specifically picked the 3-series as his company car, not because he's smug or arrogant or desperate to be a 'Beamer driver', but because he wanted a comfy ride to do upwards of a thousand miles a week in. Experience breeds confidence and that sometimes spills into over-confidence. Perhaps they cut people up and run red lights because they know they can, because they're simply more experienced and confident at the wheel? Furthermore, his choice of company car was limited to either Audi's or BMW's.

Third and finally, maybe it's because Merc/Audi/BMW are also driven by executives, sales directors, financial officers and people in high positions. They didn't get to those positions by bottom feeding. They almost certainly got there by taking risks and hence that is possibly how they act while driving. They'd act the same if they were driving a Ford Fiesta, but they're not, they're in a Beamer, because who wants to drive a Ford Fiesta when you earn 200 grand a year and live in a mansion in Alderley Edge?

For everyone else..... a BMW is just a car; not a "cut everyone up, I can act like a knob" tool.

I alternate between driving a BMW and a Renault Scenic; I'm still the same person driving.

fred990

I love this driving stuff because it's so boring and dry yet it's the be all and end all for so many men. Ladies just notice the colour of cars, maybe.
If like me you detest tailgating audi/bmw/merc/4×4 chumps then get a van!
They come bombing up behind then can't see in front, hilarious. Since they can only drive fast in a straight line and are incapable of doing an overtake they're screwed. Too funny.