What type of driver are you, Raging or Calm?

No, I would say based on some of the comments here (no offence guys) you are quite a mellow driver.
I go five mph over too, on the highway when the posted limit is 70 mph. When it's 55, I go 10 mph over but no more. Here in my neighbourhood in the vanilla suburbs with kids on bikes and pedestrians aplenty I do the exact limit because I would never forgive myself if I hit a kid or dog. As a pedestrian I have yelled at grossly speeding drivers. I'm sure it totally changed their driving habits forevermore <sarcasm>.

 

Yeah, this attitude might change once you're on two wheels and those same douchebags do things that aren't just annoying but downright dangerous. You can jerk the wheel / slam on the brakes in a car with few consequences in most cases. Try that on an 800-pound motorcycle going 65 and enjoy the roll. Generally speaking, I'm very zen when I'm behind the wheel of a car. Things change significantly when you're on a motorcycle and faced with a near-death experience every time some dickhead on a cellphone drifts into your lane; every 4-way intersection is potential T-bone kill zone.

I've had three major close calls on my motorcycle since I started riding. The narrow profile saved me on two (darted down the center line between cars, rode the right side line around a pickup), other time involved me slamming on the brakes and jerking the bike into the left lane around a car that decided to stop (no apparent reason) in the right lane on the middle of the highway. Good thing you're more alert to others when on a motorcycle.

 

I was pulled over once in Oregon just south of Woodburn and given a ticket. I understand that one as I was going 13 over the speed limit.
The time I found amusing was when the cop that sits in Hubbard at night pulled me over for the headlight that had died 4 hours before at 2200 when I was coming home from school. I was going under the speed limit as I was fully expecting the lights behind me with the burnt out light. He administered a very brief field sobriety test no doubt after seeing my completely bloodshot eyes; he then got to hear how of course they were bloodshot when you get 3-4 hours a sleep a day and drive 120+ miles any given day.
But my very first thought even before reading Snowy's post was the Ford Mustang on saw on I-5 heading up to Wilsonville that was doing some moves worthy of a stunt driver from a Tilted Film Production clichéd action film. Flying across all three lanes with just a few feet of clearance between the bumpers and back again, and of course doing this at a good 10-15 miles over the speed limit. Not surprisingly a State Trooper flew by me a few minutes later and that Mustang was pulled over a few miles later with the driver in handcuffs behind his car.

 

He probably just has it out for bikers and feels "safe" being a douche in his cage. One time, as related to me by my rider, he was first at a red light and when it turned green, apparently he wasn't quick enough for the guy behind him because he blew the horn. Don, who is not small but not a giant either, simply put down the kickstand and began to dismount. This apparently scared the horn-blower because as Don looked at him, he was waving his hands in desperate apologies. Pays to be a biker dressed in all black leather on a black bike. LOL
I love being a pillion warmer with a rager's attitude. Whenever we're out and about and I see someone on their cell phone, I yell "Put down the damn phone!" at them. One moron didn't like that, so, at 55mph in the left lane, phone still affixed to his head, he reached over to his passenger window to crank it up. So now Bozo is driving with NO hands on the wheel and leaning over. We hightailed it outta his way.

 

I loooooove driving my 6 cylinder Golf, it's twenty years old, looks ratty but flies and can embarrass whoever deserves it - usually pushy BMW/Mercedes drivers. No way am I crazy and like to think I know what I'm doing, having cycled and biked previously I am defensive on the road assuming I'm surrounded by idiots who are about to do something unbelievable, so I'm not surprised when they do. I've found that slow moving vehicles are the ones that cause others to take risks, but learnt my lesson when I overtook a tractor doing around 15mph holding up a long queue of traffic for around 10 miles, I went to flick the bird out of the sunroof as I got in front only to find it closed -OWW!

 

This would be me most of the time, more like an old lady.
I had some idiot riding my ass for about 4 miles this past winter and I was 5miles over the speed limit already. Then it happens, he is going to pass me, so I slow down to let him, and wham a herd of deer shoot out in front of him.
He killed three instantly and the two others were staggering off the rode. His car was totaled and it was an awful sight for those poor animals. What an asshole, the whole time I was thinking this guy drives like my husband.

 

I consider myself a calm driver but my main peeve is people that 'enforce' the speed limit by driving in the left lane. That's when I wish for Magneto's power to fling them off the highway. If you are going to pass, do so as quickly and safely as possible and then move the hell over.

 

10 bucks to say he blames you for the accident.

 

I'm very cautious around Motorcyclists (give them room to pass, or pass w/ plenty of room, keep a close eye on them, etc...).
Similarly... my 2-ton car is nothing compared to 20-tons of cargo on a freighter... I'm very cautious around trucks, too... respectful... and I let them over to pass because, at least here in the mid-west, they kick it up a notch to pass (not CA truckers who pass another truck going 55 @ 56 MPH)... and they bring my goods to market.
--- merged: Jun 12, 2012 at 8:28 PM ---

What's the gas mileage on that thing?
I'm guessing around 45 mpg?
Those old-school 4 & 6-cyl diesel Golfs, Rabbits & hatchbacks from VW are wicked-awesome, long-lasting, reliable, and efficient machines.

 

I'm fairly aggressive when it's just me and the road. I'm a complete and utter wuss around other drivers. I live in the sticks, these days, and only go into town when I have a reason.

I'm generally 10mph over the limit (more on my bike), I consider stop signs to read yield if no one is there. I also know that everyone is out to get me on a bike and leave extra room to avoid them. I've worked hard to lose my Chicago finger habit. People here carry guns and it just isn't worth the grief.

 

'Doesn't know how to quote chipperaroo'​

They're not economical unless your a ballet dancer with a really soft foot, 45mpg is 'doable' but 21mpg is what its about, the grins per gallon and smiles per mile are almost worth it with 'gas' being £1.42 a litre (which would shock you if it was converted). Search you tube for VR6 sound. ​

 

If you use the "Reply" link in the bottom right corner of a person's post, i'll automatically quote the person. (There're a lot of other nifty things about this forum's software that I'm enjoying right now, too; a.k.a. Kudos to the Admins & our singularity Server Monkey.)

I can do the conversion... sumpin' around $8.50 / gal (USD). Fvck.... oh, wait... i can say FUCK!

Yeah, if I had one of those buggers, I'd have it tuned to the sound of 45mpg... that's what I love about your type of car. But, alas, I just have a 25mpg beater, because it's all Pt. A to Pt. B for me.

 

So I was driving home from work last week and got ran off the road by a semi. I drive a very white 8k lb F250 that's incredibly hard to miss. He was talking on his cellphone and didn't even bother to check his mirrors before entering my lane. Thankfully he signalled and I was able to move into the shoulder without getting hit. I think i did really good handling the situation, mostly because I wasn't carrying at the time. I have resolved to install a train horn under my truck once I get the onboard air to drive it.

 

Oh yeah, would like to hear that!

 

Something like this.

 

I recently lost my shit riding my bike.

I was riding along a reasonably busy road and was being hyperaware. A good thing because I just about t-boned a guy trying to merge into the traffic. From a distance, I could see him inching out of a driveway and was ready when he pulled out right in front of me. My choice was run into him or veer into traffic. With no time to shoulder check, I slammed my brakes and slid within inches of the front of his car.

In lieu of my bell, which I couldn't reach in time, I yelled, LOOK OUT!

Heart hammering, adrenaline flowing freely, I went on my way. At the next intersection, they pulled up and started yelling at me. This is when I lost my shit. I think I used words that they don't use in Singapore.