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I suspect your anecdote is just that. Around here (Texas) I tend to suspect unfriendly driving from large trucks and "cheap" sports cars and am more defensive i

I suspect your anecdote is just that. Around here (Texas) I tend to suspect unfriendly driving from large trucks and "cheap" sports cars and am more defensive in my driving when I 'm around them. What is the actual distribution of unfriendly drivers? Many mercedes I see are older folks who drive slowly and safely (perhaps too slowly...) As for why buy a luxury car, it's much like why buy an apple laptop? It tends to be a completely different user experience compared to your early hyundai, low-end mazda, <insert budget models here>. As for my luxury car that I got a great deal on used, even considering repair costs, its performance and ride quality is anything but ho-hum...

sevensor 10y ago
> I suspect your anecdote is just that. Sure, take it for what it's worth. At best, it applies only to the town where I live. Still, the opening anecdote in the article resonated with me because Mercedes drivers around here have shown an unusually small amount of concern for my welfare. As a cyclist, one tends to be more than usually sensitive to people trying to kill you with their cars. I submit that as the driver of a high-performance luxury vehicle, you may be more than usually sensitive to people driving too slow for your taste.
- mosdave 10y ago
  > At best, it applies only to the town where I live. Still, the opening anecdote in the article resonated with me because Mercedes drivers around here have shown an unusually small amount of concern for my welfare. Another Texan checking in, and I absolutely agree with you (with the addition of BMW and a growing number of Audi drivers). 95% of my travel is by bicycle or motorcycle and in my personal experience this group of drivers is disproportionately less concerned with the safety/welfare of others.
zaque1213 10y ago
> Around here (Texas) I tend to suspect unfriendly driving from large trucks and "cheap" sports cars and am more defensive in my driving when I 'm around them. Really interesting. I'm from Texas also (Houston) and I also seem to get more defensive when I see trucks coming up on me in my rear view mirror, and even more so when they have two sawed off mufflers so that everyone can here them coming from 5 miles away. I used to drive a truck myself when I was a teenager, and am well aware that they aren't all out to get me, but I still catch myself thinking "What an a-hole" when I see them on the road (which is constantly, because Houston).

sevensor 10y ago

> I suspect your anecdote is just that. Sure, take it for what it's worth. At best, it applies only to the town where I live. Still, the opening anecdote in the article resonated with me because Mercedes drivers around here have shown an unusually small amount of concern for my welfare. As a cyclist, one tends to be more than usually sensitive to people trying to kill you with their cars. I submit that as the driver of a high-performance luxury vehicle, you may be more than usually sensitive to people driving too slow for your taste.

mosdave 10y ago
> At best, it applies only to the town where I live. Still, the opening anecdote in the article resonated with me because Mercedes drivers around here have shown an unusually small amount of concern for my welfare. Another Texan checking in, and I absolutely agree with you (with the addition of BMW and a growing number of Audi drivers). 95% of my travel is by bicycle or motorcycle and in my personal experience this group of drivers is disproportionately less concerned with the safety/welfare of others.

zaque1213 10y ago

> Around here (Texas) I tend to suspect unfriendly driving from large trucks and "cheap" sports cars and am more defensive in my driving when I 'm around them. Really interesting. I'm from Texas also (Houston) and I also seem to get more defensive when I see trucks coming up on me in my rear view mirror, and even more so when they have two sawed off mufflers so that everyone can here them coming from 5 miles away. I used to drive a truck myself when I was a teenager, and am well aware that they aren't all out to get me, but I still catch myself thinking "What an a-hole" when I see them on the road (which is constantly, because Houston).