No More Oldsmobiles

I don't street race. Today I eased up when a plain-vanilla Focus floored it to cut ahead of me at a merge.

But I do love to get promptly up to speed on certain ramps and open stretches. The other day, I went out of my way to take one of my favorite on-ramps -- a long, long ramp with nice curves.

While I was driving there, I came to a stop sign. As I was about to go, a Civic with a big wing raced up to the intersection to my right and did a rolling stop. I let off the gas and let him go.

He takes off fairly fast and I see he also has a coffee can on the back. It sounds like he's revving for my benefit, or maybe the fart cannon was just that loud. I think it was a combination of both.

So I come up to a red light at that ramp I've been waiting for. He is in the right lane, but he's behind another vehicle. The left lane is empty. I think, "If he wanted to race or annoy me, he would have gotten into the left lane and had a clear shot. Instead, he pulled behind another vehicle, which means he's not going to be able to floor it."

So there is my dilemma. I'm at that beautiful on-ramp that is just made for an RX-8. I probably won't be at this spot again for several weeks. But if I do what I want to do with that ramp, is he going to see it as a challenge?

At the green light, I take off with a purpose and have my fun. I eased up on the gas not because of the curves but because I was already going faster than the traffic on the highway. I fell in with the normal flow of traffic.

Afterward I got to thinking -- what if he saw that as a provocation and decided to try to race on the highway? I had no interest in issuing a challenge to his whale-tail Civic, but wouldn't he have seen it that way? Should I have denied myself my fun or not?

Steiner

Dude...you think way too much! :p Most of those ricers just like to rev their engines at you in the way a gorilla pounds their chest. Far be it from them to ever race a real performance car.

rodrigo67

good kill olds... :D

Gambit

If he had half a brain (maybe) he should know that his car is in no way equipped to challange an rx-8 at high speeds and wouldn't even bother. But I agree that you think too much. Have your fun and ignore everyone else. Chances are he'll slow down once he thinks he has conquered (passed) you

silvercloud

Good story no more olds.

I love a good on/off ramp too.

I had a new jeep riding my tail on the highway the other day.
I thought of that obnoxious comercial for the Jeep with the hemi which shows it
outperforming 2 sports cars ( an Audi TT and something else)
and figured the guy was trying to prove a point so when he
continued to follow me at the off ramp I ripped through the corner
pretty fast as usual. He was left far behind of course and then did not
tail me any more when he caught up to me again.

I just had to prove how silly that comercial is

shorty911

silvercloud is my hero

BlueEyes

How do you know? Olds makes no mention of the civics mods.
I have driven a few civics that are more than equipped to challenge an rx-8 at high speeds. Maybe he had one that could?

raji

I'd like to quote a line from the Simpsons to further accentuate the stupidity of that Jeep commercial.

Homer and Marge are trying to catch up to the runaway RV that Bart and Lisa are driving.

Marge : "I can't see! All the lanes are blocked by massive SUVs!!"
Homer : "Don't worry Marge, there's a slight curve ahead!"

all the SUVs go sliding off the road, many of which start to roll and some actually catch on fire for no discernable reason.

hahahahahaahahahahaha great stuff!!!

as for the original post, Olds, you think too much. Fart canons on Civics are everywhere... if you had to deny yourself of some fun every time you were around one, you'd have to donate your 8 to me. :D

dmp

You did the right thing - you can't be responsible for his decisions.

I caught up to a civic SI hatch back yesterday on the freeway...We both were long a long sweeper, he in the right lane and me in the left. His car was all blacked out - lowered, looked very cool frankly.

Well, I took the ramp at my usual - about 70 or so...and passed him on the inside. He got over behind me and started catching up. I noticed a BIG FMIC, so I moved to the right lane and simply let him pass - once the road straightened out. I bet he'd have whooped me on the corner, too - if we'd have been racing.

GotZoom

I get a kick out of all the people who have this "I got to beat him" desire rush over them when they see my 8. Happens all the time as we all know. I just drive like I drive. If I happen to zip into a space and keep someone else from doing it, then so be it. It's not like I did it on purpose to make someone else look bad. Same with the onramp. I love on ramps. If I beat someone there or fly past someone, it's because I like it, not because I want to make someone look bad.

Of course, the best revenge is after they have their turn trying to make me look bad. They come flying up to me...or past me....then slow down to give that, "Yeah, I beat you (or I can beat you)" look, I don't even acknowledge them - just do my thing.

They can't show you up if you don't acknowledge them.

rx8wannahave

Old...I understand your dilemma and I too have been accused of thinking too much, LOL. I really don't care what people think but I have given up some fun because of other people in sports cars too close to me. I also thought...the last thing I want is for this guy to think I'm racing him, he speeds up...and then a cop thinks we are racing.

But, like some have said...I regret missing out on some fun because of what some other driver "MIGHT" have thought I was doing.

In your case you were in an area you would not be in again in a while so, I'm glad you enjoyed your twisty.

spork

I don't race anyone cuz frankly I still suck at manual. Well, I'm very passable now, but no where near good enough to gun it off a red light. So I don't bother racing. I do push down more on the gas and shift later when someone is tail gating me though. I'm not good at downshifting or starting from a stop so there's no real point in me racing.

But yeah just this Saturday some guy in a Mercedes (E? C class?) was tail gating me like crazy (even though I was already going over the speed limit). So I just accelerated relatively fast in 3rd gear and he STILL kept tail gating me. So eventually I hit a curvy section and then lost him completely. Then when I turned off to a side street I saw him barrelling up (after the curves it was straight again). Sheesh. I'm not sure if he was just a bastard, trying to race, or if he was just in a hurry, but I was really tempted to brake check his ***.

rx8wannahave

Regarding break-checking...

I once was going to work and I saw that this lady was on my BUTT like are cars were magnetically attracted or something. I was going the speed limit but on a down hill (highway overpass = hill in FL...lol) I was going like 55 on a 45 and she kept at my butt.

Then she went over the line, she flashed her lights at me (I sometimes let my anger/temper get the better of me) and since I was mad already that really ticked me off. I nailed the breaks pretty good to the point where she FREAKED and almost pulled over to the side.

She then backed off like 50+ feet and the worst part was that she was like 1 mile from her job/destination because soon after she turned into a doctor’s office.

There was NO NEED to be driving like a nut...I should not have done that, heck what if the lady got into an accident because I did that, but I was really angry with the way she was stuck to my bumper.

Note: I was not in my 8 of course...

raji

rx8wannahave, you know what i do when someone tailgates me? I let go of the gas for a while. Long enough that i end up going about 5-10mph SLOWER than the speed limit. That pisses them off something awful and they get the hell off my *** and overtake me.

lol i love doing it every chance i get. Especially when some retard tailgates me and there's 3 empty lanes next to us.

hahaha makes me laugh just thinking about it!! lol

Rhawb

I downshift two gears or so - slowing down that fast with no brake lights will usually wake their *** up and bring an end to the tailgating. :D I'm also one of those jackasses who will let them try and pass me and then proceed to nail it so they can't get around. I figure they deserve it for being a jerk in the first place.

No More Oldsmobiles

Thanks for the answers, everyone, and you're right, I think too much! And BTW, when the Civic got on the highway way behind me, he observed the speed limit quite well.

The thing is, if a BWM or Porsche had pulled up next to me at a red light and floored it on the green, I would have assumed they were reacting to my 8. Moral of the story: Maybe other drivers are just having their fun, too.

rx8wannahave

...and thus...we learn something new kids, people might like their cars too so don't rag on them because "YOU THINK" they are doing things because of you or what you drive.

Now we need a little song to go with this so we all can remember...lol