What Make/Model Car Terrifies You the Most When You’re Riding?

[Orestes Munn]

@wheels&wings 99614 wrote:

A Subaru Legacy? Sorry to hear. That’s what I drive (sedan version), but I promise I’m not a nun. I bought the car four years ago when a judge told me I wouldn’t get custody without it. “A suburban mom needs a car, not a stroller hitched to the back of her bicycle.” So much for my $500 double Burley.

As for scary cars, I’d put large white SUVs at the top of my list. I haven’t noticed the makes/models… I’m still not a “car person,” but three of my worst encounters were with such vehicles. The most memorable was on Valentine’s Day of this year. There was a huge snowstorm the night before. There was no shoulder on the roads — I took the full lanes. I was waiting at the red light to cross Connecticut at Florida, and this giant SUV pulled up, wanting to take an illegal right turn, yelling at me “fxxx’in bxxxx—get off the road!….” I think he was having a bad Valentine’s Day.

I see that some of us list pick-up trucks among our scariest vehicles. On-the-whole, I’ve found pick-up drivers to be patient and good-natured. I think there may be a gender dimension here… perhaps an element of chivalry as these guys are often from more traditional cultures. Or sometimes they just seem to enjoy watching a scrawny female in tights sweating up a storm. The reason doesn’t much matter so long as I get space on the road.

The nun in the Suby event must have been 30 years ago and I hold no generic grudge against either species. As to pickup trucks, working ones, at least, not the monster tire variety with the chrome stacks and unscuffed liner, my experience largely matches yours. This argues against a purely gender-related cause, but you may take it from a long-time member of the privileged gender that one needn’t be from a traditional culture to enjoy watching a scrawny female in tights sweating up a storm. In fact…Well, never mind about that.

A bad Valentine’s Day will do it to you. Ride safe.

[Brendan von Buckingham]

1. U-haul trucks; any rental truck actually. Big vehicle, blind spots, inexperienced driver; maybe even an out of state driver.
2. Dumptrucks
3. LC buses, those coaches from Loudon County for commuters. Their drivers are terrible.

[Harry Meatmotor]

@wheels&wings 99614 wrote:

…these guys are often from more traditional cultures…

is that a nice way of saying Redneck?

[baiskeli]

@wheels&wings 99614 wrote:

A Subaru Legacy? Sorry to hear. That’s what I drive (sedan version), but I promise I’m not a nun. I bought the car four years ago when a judge told me I wouldn’t get custody without it. “A suburban mom needs a car, not a stroller hitched to the back of her bicycle.” So much for my $500 double Burley.

That should be a front-page news story. It’s an outrage.

[83b]

@wheels&wings 99614 wrote:

I see that some of us list pick-up trucks among our scariest vehicles. On-the-whole, I’ve found pick-up drivers to be patient and good-natured.

Pickups in and around DC I’ve found to be cool dudes. Pickups back in rural & suburban NC I’ve found to be THE WORST.

[KLizotte]

I can’t emphasize enough how much safer I feel riding with a mirror attached to my helmet. I am constantly monitoring the cars behind me and can act accordingly (move over, take the lane, wave the car around me, etc.). The few times I have ridden without my mirror I felt like I was riding blind and had a lot of surprise encounters with vehicles. It make look dorky, but better Fred than dead!

This is the one I use: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0012OKA6M/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1 Cheap and indispensable.

[cyclingfool]

+1 to KLizzotte. Mirrors FTW. I feel blind w/o my Take-a-Look mounted to my glasses. Considering adding this to my handlebars as well.

As for makes/models that make me cringe… big black SUVs, especially those that are some federal or quasi-federal security something or other. I’ve actually had a couple try to reprimand me to taking the lane and even got buzzed just yesterday coming back from lunch here. Cars parked on both sides of the street, me about to turn left to enter my office building, driver floors it to squeeze by on my left side and accelerate up to 35 or 40, just to slam on the brakes at the stop sign at the end of the block. No siren, no lights, no nothing. Just pure assholery and threat to safety of all on the block. Not at all atypical for this type of vehicle around here, thus my response.

[Author]

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