We all like road rage stories so I thought I would tell you about my journey to work this morning, when I witnessed "People Carrier Syndrome" first hand.

At some traffic lights, 2 lanes which lead onto a dual carriageway, Zafira in front of me and a white van in front of him. The lights change, most of the cars in the left-hand lane turn off, and we continue - the left lane is empty. I sit for a few seconds hoping they will move over so I can get on my way (I was late) but neither moves and the van is doing 30mph (in a 40). No problem, I will pass them on the inside - as I move and accelerate the Zafira swerves over and blocks me, then sits beside the WV for the whole length of the DC Absolutely no reason for doing this as I hadn't been aggressive, I was simply trying to get past them.....

So, finally a gap appears and I move between them and get alongside the Zafira, to find the driver (a porky 30 something) giving me a big fake laugh clearly thinking he got one over on me So I swerve in front of him and slow right down to a stop, and opened my door - as I was about to get out common sense got the better of me and I decided I didn't need this shit on a Monday morning and I was late as it was (his face was a picture though when he saw my door open ) I get on my way and we exchange hand signals a few times, I tell him what a nice car he has etc etc....

What amazed me is that I did next to nothing to provoke this, I can only assume it was the car that did it (which was looking very after a big Zaino yesterday).

 

sign of the times isn't it?

Zafia drivers are some of the most twisted on the road

I came across a Peugot in the outside lane of some dc recently, and I came up in the inside lane, then pulled out to overtake, without tailgating

his response? drop at least two gears (judging by the smoke that came out of the back) and accelerate

there's a car in the left hand lane at least 800yds ahead so I can only guess it would have been too inconvenient to pull over.....

I am wary of undertaking idiots like this, exactly because of what you encountered with the Zafira

so I dropped back into the inside lane and just wrote a few emails until we got to the car in front

at which point I pull out again (behind the Peugeot) and with the road ahead clear for as far as you can see, there is clearly now no possible reason for him staying out there

simple indicate and pull over? not a chance. slows down by at least 20mph by braking, and THEN he pulls over as slowly as possible

these people must be deeply, deeply disturbed

and there seem to be more and more of them

I don't drive distances as much as I used to, but now when I do a 200 mile drive, I really notice how aggressive drivers have become

 

pot kettle....

 

Small victories, that's all it boils down too.

 

I trhink the 'people carrier' comment is incorrect here.....the main issue with people carriers (and we have one so I know) is the amount of internal noise and activity can seriously distract the driver and as such - cause sometimes erratic behaviour. Watch any school run....(from a distance )


Jealousy, stupidity and general grumpiness is abound nowadays. Everyone seems dissatisfied and therefore easily upset.

You only have one life...and it soon goes...so why spend it arguing with people. Many though continually feel hard done by.

And if I was driving a Zafira...I would

 

not sure who that is directed at

but it's misplaced if aimed at me

because I try and avoid driving in competitive situations

as you know from trips to Le Mans - where I will drive at MY speed

or as when at home, I will often take my cars out at 3am, rather than during daylight hours when I just know that a red Ferrari, M car, S2000, EVO or anything else will be just too much for the bitter and twisted to ignore

and why trackdays/circuit days hold little interest for me either

although if I do get involved in a competition (which I rarely initiate), despite my best efforts, I'm not known for backing down

but that's another story

the difference between most of us and Zafira drivers is this:

we don't think that holding someone up, or carrying out a mad manouevre to get two cars in front or 'teaching someone a lesson', represents evidence that we are superior or that we have 'won'

the Zafira driver, otoh, thinks exactly these things

I see it as evidence that huge numbers of people are very unhappy in their lives

as I would be if circumstances forced me to drive a people carrier (edit: Shipley got there first)

 

it wasn't


It was directed at Neil, who after experiencing some twatish behaviour, retaliated with his own.

Leave them to it, laugh at them, but don't stoop to their level.

 

It's particularly Zafiras, isn't it?

Scenic drivers are terrible, but that's just because they cannot concentrate at all!

Gad's right about the number of unhappy people - it's also that there are a lot of 30-somethings around who behave just like children a lot of the time. I thought the idea was to encourage the childern to act like adults, not vice versa.

 

I agree, but its sometimes hard and I also give it back, but get annoyed with myself later. Normally I try to ignore them and not play there childish games.

 

and look at the Zafira ads

the biggest problem is continuing to perpetuate the myth that these things are fast, or handle like sports cars

I hear we will have a Zafira VXR soon - I'm sure that will manage 0-60 in ooooh 7.8 secs?

that just makes the buyers even more optimistic, and even more angry when their illusions are dispelled

talking of which, I though those new Foci STs were supposed to be fast?

I reckon an S2000 would still be faster