People driving like assholes around me

[CanAutM3]

Originally Posted by StormRYU

Ayyy. Mechanical Engineer?

Yup, with a specialization is aerospace.

[Spike Spiegel]

Originally Posted by CanAutM3

Yup, with a specialization is aerospace.

Word. That's great brah. I know aerospace is a tough field to be in, but is very rewarding to those who can overcome the hump. I'm in my senior of EE, with a focus in Antenna Design/Sat-Com. How's the industry treating you?

[jninja]

Originally Posted by Deteria

The government should implement a new law...

You lost my vote here

[kerm1t]

Originally Posted by aerostar

Is it just me or does this car make people want to cut you off and stuff?

I had a WRX, a 235i, and now the M3.

Holy shit I get so aggravated when I'm just cruising in traffic and people constantly need to cut into my lane when there's not enough space.

Even when there is space and I'm in the right lane they cut in so fucking close to my car it aggravates the shit out of me.

I drive my parents cars and stuff all the time and this kind of thing never happens in any other car.

Never had this happen

How slow are you driving?? Haha

[ano0oj]

Happens all the time anytime I drive a "fast" car...usually an American made muscle car that pulls up at the stop, revs a little and tries to take off initially to see if I respond. I never entertain this as I've seen a number of bad outcomes from something like this and that I know I'll win unless it's some sleeper pushing 600hp+...

[wdskukm3]

Maybe they are jealous we have such a great car. They just want to prove something which then fail.

[xfactor]

I never had this happen to me. Apparently yellow is a happy colour

[scott13]

Originally Posted by CanAutM3

There are quite a few flaws in the article quoted. I was ecouraged at the beginning when the author made references to fluid dynamics, but apparently he has little knowledge of actual fluid dynamics.

Slowing down to reduce congestion? Come-on, that is complete nonesense .

Traffic indeed follows many principles of fluid dynamics. Mass flow = Density x velocity x area; where mass flow is the quantity of cars that pass at any given point per unit time, density is how closely packed the cars are together at that point, velocity is the speed of the cars and area is the amount of lanes at that point. When two lanes merge into one, the area is reduced by half. The problem is not how people behave before or at the merging point, the problem is how people behave after the merging point. Too many people are too slow to accelerate and leave way too much room between cars. Traveling slowly and leaving large gaps reduces the density and velocity which reduces the mass flow (the quantity of cars per minute). Mass flow is a constant before and after the merge point, hence it results in slow moving cars that are tightly packed together before the merging point. The ONLY way to fix this, is for folks to accelerate faster and keep less distance between cars (while maintaining a safe distance naturally) at and after the bottleneck. Changing the behavior upstream will do nothing to improve this effect. It is physics.

Purposefully slowing down can only make things worse as it just creates another bottleneck. Interrestingly, the phenomenon of ever reducing speed limits only contributes at increasing traffic density and ironically, density is one of the biggest risk contributors to accidents. I am all for courtesy and respect on the road, I actually think we need more of it everywhere in our society in general. But nothing pisses me off more than when I see folks leaving excessive gaps in, and particularly just after traffic jams, because by doing so, they are just reducing the mass flow and are worsening the jam. And that is not being courteous nor respectful of others.

I guess I spent too much time studying fluid dynamics in college

C'mon...admit it. There's been at least one occasion where you've had a couple beers and ended up doing a "back of the envelope" Reynolds number calculation for traffic. Hehehe.

[iamrobbie]

Merging onto the 110 near Pasadena. I was cut off by some high revving Genesis. Switches lanes, slows down to get next to me, goes behind me to tail gate me and flash his lights (revving some more). I guess he got annoyed I didn't feel like playing with him, so he cuts me off again to exit. I exit with him and he takes this as a challenge and floors it at the following lights. While I'm just cruising down and catching up eventually. We end up making the same turns a few miles down into the same street..

..this is how I met my new next door neighbor. He hasn't made eye contact with me ever since. SMH

[Wills2]

Originally Posted by CanAutM3

There are quite a few flaws in the article quoted. I was ecouraged at the beginning when the author made references to fluid dynamics, but apparently he has little knowledge of actual fluid dynamics.

Slowing down to reduce congestion? Come-on, that is complete nonesense .

Traffic indeed follows many principles of fluid dynamics. Mass flow = Density x velocity x area; where mass flow is the quantity of cars that pass at any given point per unit time, density is how closely packed the cars are together at that point, velocity is the speed of the cars and area is the amount of lanes at that point. When two lanes merge into one, the area is reduced by half. The problem is not how people behave before or at the merging point, the problem is how people behave after the merging point. Too many people are too slow to accelerate and leave way too much room between cars. Traveling slowly and leaving large gaps reduces the density and velocity which reduces the mass flow (the quantity of cars per minute). Mass flow is a constant before and after the merge point, hence it results in slow moving cars that are tightly packed together before the merging point. The ONLY way to fix this, is for folks to accelerate faster and keep less distance between cars (while maintaining a safe distance naturally) at and after the bottleneck. Changing the behavior upstream will do nothing to improve this effect. It is physics.

Purposefully slowing down can only make things worse as it just creates another bottleneck. Interrestingly, the phenomenon of ever reducing speed limits only contributes at increasing traffic density and ironically, density is one of the biggest risk contributors to accidents. I am all for courtesy and respect on the road, I actually think we need more of it everywhere in our society in general. But nothing pisses me off more than when I see folks leaving excessive gaps in, and particularly just after traffic jams, because by doing so, they are just reducing the mass flow and are worsening the jam. And that is not being courteous nor respectful of others.

I guess I spent too much time studying fluid dynamics in college

Don't whatever you do come to the UK, they have spent untold millions of £s slowing everyone down, speed cameras every 500 yds, speed restrictions in force and every road you can think of has had its speed limit reduced.

All in the name of getting home quicker.

[Fast4d]

pretty calm here in ventura county. once I drive into LA shit starts. mostly from AMG, audi and OTHER F80/2/3 believe it or not. there's no room to fock around and usually my daughter is in the car.

[Mgap65]

Originally Posted by StormRYU

Word. That's great brah. I know aerospace is a tough field to be in, but is very rewarding to those who can overcome the hump. I'm in my senior of EE, with a focus in Antenna Design/Sat-Com. How's the industry treating you?

Glad to see some fellow Engineers in the forum! Mechanical Engineer with Aerospace specialization also, working in the defense industry

[IcebergM4]

[hellokitty]

Originally Posted by NCThreePedals

My fiance knows how to drive stick and when she drives my M4 you get all the losers revving up next to her and doing fly-bys and just acting like teenage boys, it's great. Lot of peacocking

I get people tailgating me even when going over the speed limit, that one is the worst!

Same thing happens to me, especially the tail haters. I just drop it into 3rd and say bye bye

[ImGoingPlaces]

yeah come to new york city, people are assholes regardless, its only amplified in a nicer car, i didnt notice it too bad in my m3 bc it was blacked out and i dont think i stood out too much. but i already feel it after 2 days in the i8 and quite frankly i dont like the negative attention from some. cant wait till i get my tints.

[Aaaaaaaaa]

I would like to to just cruise all the way to work in the second to left hand lane at 70 mph. But no, there's always some left lane hogger driving 55 in the left hand lane and people trying to pass at 90 so invariably I get cut off from both the left and right. I'm convinced left lane hoggers are responsible for 90% of bad driving on freeways.

[mjames]

It's because people who drive aggressively around you recognize the M3 and want to show you up, they want to show they can hang with you, etc. The M3's name recognition, being the original sport sedan, is the reason. I remember when I had my first M3, an E46, a random F-150 pulled next to me and revved its engine. In a way, it's a testament to how tried and true our cars are and everyone knows an M3.

I actually drive the car normally in most commuting situations because it's the opposite for me; I don't need to prove anything to anyone.

[davg]

I got a MG F80 for this exact reason. Really wanted a "flashier" color but didn't want all the extra attention. People that notice I'm in an M3 try to give me problems but I mostly go unnoticed due to the inconspicuous color.

[Takumi587]

I just picked up my SO M3 2 days ago and my goodness the number of people speeding up behind me and tailgating is unbelievable... been cut off a few times as well. Could be the color I got but man did not expect this much craziness on the road. I am even driving a little over the speed limit at times too. My previous car was a MG 535i and I almost never had anyone do things like this while driving it.

[PaulSvk84]

Originally Posted by kevin85

. Out of sight out of mind

First thing I learned in the Army!

[shay2nak]

Originally Posted by davg

I got a MG F80 for this exact reason. Really wanted a "flashier" color but didn't want all the extra attention. People that notice I'm in an M3 try to give me problems but I mostly go unnoticed due to the inconspicuous color.

404 quiet miles for me in my MG ZCP. lol I just camp in lane #4 or #3 and mind my business. Set the cruise to 68 or so.

[maniz]

Originally Posted by iamrobbie

Merging onto the 110 near Pasadena. I was cut off by some high revving Genesis. Switches lanes, slows down to get next to me, goes behind me to tail gate me and flash his lights (revving some more). I guess he got annoyed I didn't feel like playing with him, so he cuts me off again to exit. I exit with him and he takes this as a challenge and floors it at the following lights. While I'm just cruising down and catching up eventually. We end up making the same turns a few miles down into the same street..

..this is how I met my new next door neighbor. He hasn't made eye contact with me ever since. SMH

Haha. Best story ever.