Motoring corner: “Rating The Worst Drivers (Cont’d)”

As we were saying, driving is not just the ability to manoeuvre your vehicle on and off the road, from one point to the other but the ability to do so in consideration of all other road users and circumstances. It is the ability to do so in a manner that takes all other factors in consideration. We looked at some points that identify a bad driver from a good one, let us continue on that quest. By and large, 4X4 drivers are decent people, who just seem to lose their heads now and again. However, the driving population is severely split between young women, mothers and young first-jobbers. The mothers are the ones that keep ranked lower in the list, as they tend to severely lower both the Aggression and Courtesy quotient. Young fist jobbers (generally mid-20s who just landed their first job and want to show off) use the vehicle as a way to advertise their testosterone, and really have no idea of how to handle a larger vehicle. However, they do not yet have the entrenched A-holiness to be overly aggressive, or the insurance to allow them to be. The Land cruiser Prado drivers are drivers gone bad. Actually, they are cruise drivers who no longer want to be associated with the kind of car driven by the young. These divers are the ones who are now junior sales partners, and have to celebrate by getting a bigger truck to house their bigger egos. They are almost exclusively in their early 30s, with a cell-phone permanently attached to their ear, and no concept of anyone else on the road. Its not that they are unobservant; its that they just dont care about you. The Small vehicle category, VW Beatle, Toyota Starlet, Vitz, are for Young girls, who tend to be drawn to this car. Dont ask me why, but it is true. It is probably because of the design of the car, and the colours available. Whatever, this is a remarkably popular vehicle for the young and hip. The type of people who tend not to pay attention to the road or their place on it because they are young and still a bit stupid, and who have more attitude than sense. However, these people are also basically harmless on the road, because although they are completely unaware of their surroundings, they are not malicious. If you see them, you know to beware, because it will inevitably change lanes without signalling, or suddenly make a right turn. But at least you may get a wave. Mercedes Benz (Any Model). Now we are reaching into the really bad drivers, and the reason has nothing to do with youth or inherent anger. It has to do with dead presidents, and lots of them. There is a phenomenon that starts with the Cruiser driver, and which shows a direct correlation between money & status and bad driving. The reason is the self-importance and overinflated ego of the driver. After all, they are Executives of major companies and are used to many kissing their butts every day for coins per hour. They get used to it and they like it. Soon theyll be damned if they will tolerate any sort of equality on the road, and expect that jerk in the Saturn to defer to their obvious superiority and status. This means that Mercedes drivers have no qualms about cutting you off, turning left from the far right lane, pulling out in front of you, or coming to a dead stop to read a billboard with no forewarning. And never expect any admission of guilt or acknowledgement of you as a driver. BMW (Any Model); All hail the champion! BMW drivers are bar none, the worst around. They have managed to achieve that elusive combination of disdain, money, attitude, disregard for others, and self-importance that no other drivers have. BMW drivers dont just not care about you … they HATE you. They hate having to share the road with any other driver. They hate those who drive what they consider sub-standard cars (i.e. any car not costing over $40,000) because they are losers. They hate those who drive Mercedes, Lexus, etc because they are stuffy or old. They hate those who drive SUVs because they take up too much room. They hate those who drive Porsches, Corvettes, and other big-bicks sports cars because those drivers dont drive fast enough. They even hate other BMW drivers because they cant stand that anyone else has their car. motoringcorner@live.co.uk

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Motoring corner: “Rating The Worst Drivers (Cont’d)”