Tips on how to control yourself when people try to race you?

[DandeeLioness]

I also want to add that some people just drive like that. The woman I'm currently dating is a good example. She drives a little impreza and is constantly gassing it at every light. She's completely oblivious to the intentions of others and just likes doing it.

That is absolutely me as well as a fellow female driver.

No reason I do it, really, I just enjoy it when I’m driving alone? I never do it with others in my car. Sometimes I’m listening to a really cool song that inspires the speed, other times I just like to get away from the pack behind me as quickly as possible (I call it being “aggressively defensive” lol). Funny enough, I never cruise more than 5-8 mph over any speed limit, I just like to get to that point as quickly as possible I guess.

I’ll also admit that I’m worried about my future pony’s arrival and how I’ll handle the inevitable revving from others, just as the OP mentioned; especially with me being in Georgia where pickup trucks are a majority of the vehicles on the road. I can imagine that in normal circumstances I’ll let them do their thing and try to challenge me, but I agree with someone else that I’ll probably put some in their place if we’re somewhere more appropriate for such speeds…especially after I’m able to get some track time and am confident in how to handle the power of my car.

Really interesting for me to read so many different experiences with this issue and seeing how you guys handle it, so I appreciate this post! I like the idea that some just want to hear the V8 and mean no real harm — that’s a cool perspective I’ll keep in mind.

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[DandeeLioness]

Oh, and just to lend to some of the more “wholesome” perspectives on this thread for why some people may speed up on Mustangs they see on the road…

As a current civic owner, I genuinely just like to catch up and ride with/next to them so I can look at and hear them. I’m serious and realize how pathetic that sounds. It’s a lot like riding up next to a “wild horse” for me haha. I just like to appreciate them! We have way more Challengers, Chargers, and Camaros where I live so Mustangs aren’t as common.

 

[Dave2013M3]

To be frank I just ignore them...that's the one good thing about getting older. You begin to realize what's more important. Yes I have fun in my car, but not just because someone want to race me. Thats why I love driving a manual transmission. I have fun in the car even when I am just putzing along.

 

[Vertex]

I honestly have not had anyone try to race me in my Mach 1 since I've gotten it. I've had a ton of people reeling their hands wanting me to burn my tires or want to hear the exhaust, not not one person trying to race yet. I probably won't indulge in racing anyone because if it happens it's going to be on a busy street in town where I commute to and from work and I'm not about to do anything reckless in a busy town.

I will say it amazes me how well the tires hook on my car and really don't spin even with the PS4S installed on the car unless they're wet or no heat on the tires. I've somewhat unintentionally broke the tires loose twice with the original cup 2's and the PS4S one time each. I have indulged a few people who wanted to just hear the exhaust note but never tried burning rubber. Tires are to expensive for me to want to waste life. I'd rather have more fun driving the car than making smoke!

 

[VIPR01]

This happens all the time, actually had it happen today. Just casually leaving good ol Lowes - dude rolls up next to me, gives me the roll your window down hand signal - driver says, “let’s run” I say sure for 500 bucks - his tune changed stating he just had engine work blah blah blah - plus no clue there was a blower bolted on underneath. Probably wasn’t expecting a 50 yr old dude based on the look on his face. Sometimes these kids need to be humbled just like I was a warm summer evening in the 80s and an old man eating an ice cream cone blew my doors off in this black Regal family car I couldn’t explain to my Dad what it was - my Dad finally figured it out, and tells me that was a Grand National dumbazz-don’t mess with a man eating ice cream in a Grand National HaHa!

 

[The Demon]

It basically happens everyday on the way home from work. All kinds.

It's hilarious when a Tesla flies by you and thinks he won some kind of prize.

 

[Weyland-Yutani]

what i do notice is that is always the shitty cars the ones driving like crazy… always a nissan altima or something like that

Hmmm… you’ve noticed this too. I mentioned this observation to my wife and she thought I was car-shaming. But thats not it at all. I’m sure it’s a fine car. It’s just that if I see someone doing some banzai crazyass tweaker sh*t in traffic, it’s almost always an Altima.

 

[Dfeeds]

How did you meet the current girlfriend again? LOL

You must live in a smaller town. In my city there is no way in hell anyone would pull over and get pointers on anything!

Dude I wish I met my current gf in such a way lol.

I'm just that ruggedly handsome . Actually the city I live in is considered one of the safer cities in the US so people aren't really on edge. Unlike some others where it feels like you can cut the tension with a knife. It's not a small town, but not uncommon for random conversations to occur at stop lights and gas stations.

 

[Dfeeds]

That is absolutely me as well as a fellow female driver.

No reason I do it, really, I just enjoy it when I’m driving alone? I never do it with others in my car. Sometimes I’m listening to a really cool song that inspires the speed, other times I just like to get away from the pack behind me as quickly as possible (I call it being “aggressively defensive” lol). Funny enough, I never cruise more than 5-8 mph over any speed limit, I just like to get to that point as quickly as possible I guess.

I’ll also admit that I’m worried about my future pony’s arrival and how I’ll handle the inevitable revving from others, just as the OP mentioned; especially with me being in Georgia where pickup trucks are a majority of the vehicles on the road. I can imagine that in normal circumstances I’ll let them do their thing and try to challenge me, but I agree with someone else that I’ll probably put some in their place if we’re somewhere more appropriate for such speeds…especially after I’m able to get some track time and am confident in how to handle the power of my car.

Really interesting for me to read so many different experiences with this issue and seeing how you guys handle it, so I appreciate this post! I like the idea that some just want to hear the V8 and mean no real harm — that’s a cool perspective I’ll keep in mind.

Aggressively defensive is a good way to put it. I drive like granny susan until I see an opening I can take, and then I go for it. The power of this car lets someone be a bit more patient. People also tend to close up any openings if someone is weaving through traffic and riding everyone's butt. I'm not sure if this is done subconsciously or not, but hanging back seems to create more opportunities to get around.

Some time back I had a father and his kid, next to me at a light. The dad asked me to rev and do the whole mustang thing. He leaned over to his kid and his kid got really excited to watch. So that definitely happens. But ya, pick up trucks can be the worst. You'll win (the exception being some of the newer offerings like the trackhawk, don't even try) and I'm pretty sure they know it. I'll ignore most unless I see the coal rolling. If you let this one get infront of you they will blast you, and it's not pleasant.

 

[Mach VII]

I rarely get challenged but that is probably from where I live. Really only has someone obviously tried to get me to 'go' (twice now) and each time it was a 911... one time when I had my hitch rack and mountain bike on the back lol (Taconic SP in NY)

p.s. I seriously considered going for it with my bike in back. He had a passenger and from a roll maybe I had a chance? Too much traffic for my taste so declined.

 

[DarthMalice]

I had more of this happening to me in my 16 GT then I do in the Mach 1. My un-scientific explanation is the Mach 1 demands more respect or Texas is just full of more assholes than AL. Could be a mix of both. I have had a few trucks with modified exhausts try to goad me into street light racing but I ignore that stuff as it is just plain stupid.

 

[Vertex]

Hmmm… you’ve noticed this too. I mentioned this observation to my wife and she thought I was car-shaming. But thats not it at all. I’m sure it’s a fine car. It’s just that if I see someone doing some banzai crazyass tweaker sh*t in traffic, it’s almost always an Altima.

I've actually noticed in my area it is mostly chrysler 300's and durango. No idea why but they're just hauling ass 20+ over the speed limit weaving through cars

 

[DarthMalice]

Kill the speed limiter and change that to 185.

You have me intrigued...not that I am going to do anything to the limiter but is this same limiter used on the GT500? Has anyone disabled it to see what that will do unencumbered?

 

[drive_55_not]

But ya, pick up trucks can be the worst. You'll win (the exception being some of the newer offerings like the trackhawk, don't even try) and I'm pretty sure they know it. I'll ignore most unless I see the coal rolling. If you let this one get in front of you they will blast you, and it's not pleasant.

Normally I ignore people also, Simpler just to let em' go as I know very few have a time slip showing they can run 140 on the 1/4.

But today I had an a**hat in a jacked up Dodge RAM try to roll coal on me and my Hellcat coming home from work after pulling away from a red light.

I was sitting waiting for the light to change and he came up beside and when the light changed I did my normal 0-70 to get on down the road and as I was setting the cruize he starts pulling away and then the black smoke started rolling, WTF.

Traffic was light so I showed him he was Number 1 as I went around him and he finally backed off when he 90.

So not only was he a redneck who burned $10 worth of diesel for no good reason, he's a scared redneck , LOL


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[Hack]

I haven't noticed a lot of this at all. I do most of my driving as part of a commute to and from work, though. I arrive at work before 6:30 am - I think most people are tired at that time. I get home around 4:30 pm, still pretty early. I don't spend a lot of time just driving around or anything like that.

I think there are some people that love cars and they appreciate a sporty vehicle. I definitely take it as a complement if people like my vehicle. I don't notice a lot of jerks on the road. Definitely different people have different ideas of what is acceptable behavior on the roads, but very few are actually trying to be jerks from what I've seen. Most are just trying to get somewhere. Maybe they have a little fun on the way.

But I have to say that I'm open to people teaching me how to behave better on the roads. It's very common for me to feel like I just did something stupid and I would like to do better in the future. There are a lot of decisions to make on the road and I'm definitely human. And sometimes other people do annoy me because they drive differently than I do. I usually try to picture my mom or my wife in the other car. That usually helps me let it go.

Or I just whip by and leave them in the dust.

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