Gas Is Cheap: What Will Happen To Economy Cars?

[Flammable]

Where I live the majority drive huge pickup trucks and SUVs. Even when gas was over 4 bucks a gallon a few years ago they drove these. Not only do they drive these things but they drive them like they stole them. Some even drive big diesel pickups with the mods that allow them to "roll coal" on us Yaris and Prius drivers as well as others they feel needs this treatment. Diesel is around 4 bucks a gallon right now. The funny thing is most of these drivers don't look like they have two nickels to rub together yet they drive these expensive vehicles and can "afford" the gas and maintenance.

[Jcp123]

Were already seeing upticks in sales of larger vehicles. If fuel prices remain this low we might see the plug pulled on slow selling small cars but only when their planned cycle in the US is up. Mazda2 might be the first casualty: it's one of the older current designs on the market and supposedly sold only 11 units across the US for the entire month of February.

[nookandcrannycar]

Originally Posted by Flammable

Not only do they drive these things but they drive them like they stole them.

I've spent a fair amount of time in Florida, all over the state, and I absolutely agree with this. Florida is also the only state, IMO, that is worse than Texas when it comes to tailgating (on the road tailgating, not football tailgating ).

[Flammable]

Originally Posted by nookandcrannycar

I've spent a fair amount of time in Florida, all over the state, and I absolutely agree with this. Florida is also the only state, IMO, that is worse than Texas when it comes to tailgating (on the road tailgating, not football tailgating ).

Oh man you are so right. Everyone tailgates around here, well I would say at least 80-90% anyway. And the funny thing is it matters not how slow or fast you go, you still have some scum bum on your butt and I mean ON IT so close you don't see their grill. Another thing these numb nutz love to do is pass you like you are hitched only to cut in front of you and slam on the brakes to make a turn, usually left. Florida has the worse drivers anywhere I think. To make matters worse the cops will only pull people if they have a speed trap set up or a check point. Otherwise they don't bother. It didn't used to be that way say 40 years ago, but sadly it is now.

[nookandcrannycar]

Originally Posted by Flammable

And the funny thing is it matters not how slow or fast you go, you still have some scum bum on your butt

IMO, this is one of the reasons Florida is worse than Texas. From what I've seen in Texas, usually if a driver goes at least 10MPH over the limit in one of the two right lanes on the freeway, they won't get tailgated, rather than the truth (as I've witnessed it) as you describe in Florida

Another thing these numb nutz love to do is pass you like you are hitched only to cut in front of you and slam on the brakes to make a turn, usually left.

. Same thing in Texas, except in my experience, the turn is usually right rather than left . Often people will do this when their right turn is a block or less than a block away . It is as if the only reason they do it is to show you that they think you weren't going fast enough . What a waste of gas and brake pad or shoe surface! Somewhere among my YW posts I describe two different situations where I avoided any accident at all...in either case an accident would likely have been fatal. One was on I-75 South (South of Bradenton, but before Naples), and the other was on Highway 17 that sort of parallels I-75 and goes between 'just south of I-4' and Fort Myers.

To make matters worse the cops will only pull people if they have a speed trap set up or a check point. Otherwise they don't bother. It didn't used to be that way say 40 years ago, but sadly it is now.

I imagine this must be the case, or else there wouldn't be so many drivers who feel free to do what they do.

[Flammable]

Originally Posted by nookandcrannycar

IMO, this is one of the reasons Florida is worse than Texas. From what I've seen in Texas, usually if a driver goes at least 10MPH over the limit in one of the two right lanes on the freeway, they won't get tailgated, rather than the truth (as I've witnessed it) as you describe in Florida



. Same thing in Texas, except in my experience, the turn is usually right rather than left . Often people will do this when their right turn is a block or less than a block away . It is as if the only reason they do it is to show you that they think you weren't going fast enough . What a waste of gas and brake pad or shoe surface! Somewhere among my YW posts I describe two different situations where I avoided any accident at all...in either case an accident would likely have been fatal. One was on I-75 South (South of Bradenton, but before Naples), and the other was on Highway 17 that sort of parallels I-75 and goes between 'just south of I-4' and Fort Myers.



I imagine this must be the case, or else there wouldn't be so many drivers who feel free to do what they do.

Wow hwy 17 is where I had my first auto accident back in 1980 when I was 17. It was between two small towns called Pomona Park and Crescent City in Putnam County. It was in my very first car and some 18 year old punk was drag racing a duly pickup in the rain going around 100 mph from what a witness said. The truck passed me but the 'Cuda behind didn't and slammed straight into the back of my 70 Duster. I rolled it about three times and needless to say it was totaled. The guy never stopped. Oh another thing I failed to mention that they do around here is pass you when a red light is like 500 feet in front of them lol. It's especially irritating when they do it on a two lane road so they have to get back in front and force you to burn your brakes as well. Sounds like we both live in stinky driving states. I also love how the local cops put all these lighted mobile signs around every so often saying stuff like "crack down on aggressive driving week" LOL

[nookandcrannycar]

Originally Posted by Flammable

Wow hwy 17 is where I had my first auto accident back in 1980 when I was 17. It was between two small towns called Pomona Park and Crescent City in Putnam County. It was in my very first car and some 18 year old punk was drag racing a duly pickup in the rain going around 100 mph from what a witness said. The truck passed me but the 'Cuda behind didn't and slammed straight into the back of my 70 Duster. I rolled it about three times and needless to say it was totaled. The guy never stopped. Oh another thing I failed to mention that they do around here is pass you when a red light is like 500 feet in front of them lol. It's especially irritating when they do it on a two lane road so they have to get back in front and force you to burn your brakes as well. Sounds like we both live in stinky driving states. I also love how the local cops put all these lighted mobile signs around every so often saying stuff like "crack down on aggressive driving week" LOL

I was coming around a sweeping corner on Hwy 17, in my blue Yaris, in my lane going south. The turn bent to the left. I couldn't see around the corner in my lane because there was so much traffic going north. As I came around the corner, a Mini was coming at me head on, trying to pass at least 10 cars and wasn't quite going to make it. One lane in each direction, and half a lane of shoulder in each direction. Split second, I sat on the horn and with the other hand immediately navigated to the edge of the shoulder...and prayed. By some miracle, can't remember if it was 3 or 4 drivers, traveling in the same direction as the Mini, also steered to the edge of the shoulder (on their side). The idiot in the Mini (who never should have continued a pass around that curve ) was a pretty good driver. He passed through the gap that I started and the aforementioned drivers going in his direction widened. Room for error.....virtually nil. Accident avoided. I hope he got a speeding ticket later in his journey .

"crack down on aggressive driving week' . Can't say I've seen that. We have lots of messages on the billboard style lighted signs...usually Amber Alerts, Abducted etc. elderly alerts, reminders re how many have died on Texas roads so far that year (sometimes the overall total, and sometimes re just the reason they are trying to warn about), and a myriad of different messages about driving while under the influence.

Yeah, the idiot drivers in both states really are pieces of work. Not bad enough though, IMO, to tip the scales re living in either state. There are only 8 counties outside of Texas (3 inside, including mine) that I would likely ever consider living in, and the most likely one would Probably be Pinellas (either in Dunedin or Palm Harbor). Some great places in Lee County as well . One thing (among many) that is great about Florida is that certain 'scooters/mopeds/motorized bikes' below a certain power level/engine size don't require a motorcycle license to operate (there might be some related local statutes that I don't know about in various parts of Florida )...so one could easily use one to get to the water or even the beach while living in a part of Dunedin or Palm Harbor that isn't within walking distance of either.

[Flammable]

Man that must have been a terrifying ordeal and so glad you made it thru ok. People don't stop to realize that nothing is worth a life when driving unless you are rushing someone to the hospital but even then if you do a dumb thing and get in an accident your patient and you may not survive. I have lived in Florida most all my life and this is home to me. Even though the drivers are bad I won't ever leave I don't think. True there are a lot worse places to live for sure.