Is it an insult to get passed by a smart?

[Kermit]

I know we've had this make it's way into other threads but I don't ever remember a whole thread devoted to it.

Even though I've had my car over a year, the last few days I've noticed this more and more. People HATE getting passed by me. Before every so often they had a problem, but now it seems like a daily occurrence.

Wednesday I passed an old lady in a car (Fusion) who was puttering along. 4 lane road, we were pretty much out in the middle of nowhere and she was doing 5 under the speed limit. When I passed her I was doing maybe 5 over. Before I knew it she was blasting past me! Now I had seen this little silver haired lady from quite a ways back and it wasn't like I was driving erratically and if anything I snuck up and passed her.

Yesterday was something similar but with an Escape hybrid same spot!

This morning was a riced out Civic 2dr. He had been doing 5 over the speed limit and I had kept a good 7 normal sized car distance behind him when he slowed down quite a bit for a light...no problem, sure he was coasting for mileage maybe. So I passed and went around, once again 4 lane road. About a mile up the road we turned and headed up a 35mph speed limit road. I'm staying with traffic at 55mph when he comes blasting by doing about 75mph. Same guy who earlier was doing the speed limit or a little over.

The wife and I have had a conversation about this everyday over the last few days on the way to work and our conclusion is people feel like they are getting passed by a "golf cart" and that is an insult in their mind.

The other day I did a search on "got passed by a Smart" and wow , a lot of people have posted about how they got passed by a Smart. Like we don't have real cars. Some were quite recent posts, I know some of us early adopters had all those people think they really were golf carts and I didn't help myself when I affixed EZ-GO emblems on my car after I pulled the Smart emblems.

What's your thoughts on why people consider it an insult?

[forestacademy]

Figure out where the cops sit, And pass folks about a mile before. They will get upset and pass you as they pass the cop.

That L Lean em

[Kermit]

I JUST mentioned that to someone not 2 minutes ago!! Cops don't sit anywhere here. Actually, its a free-for-all - do as fast as you please.

[Big Panda]

Just the other day I had a car run a red light and turn right in front of me. My first instinct was to blow my horn.

After I did, I realized it was an 'unmarked' Police car. He came to a complete stop in the next lane (on-coming traffic) and waited for me to pass him on his right. When I did, he tailgated me for about 2 miles, after which he pulled out and passed me, going about 20 mph over the speed limit.

At the next light, while he sat there in traffic, I had timed the light just right and passed him up while he was stuck behind a line of cars.

I could see in my rear view mirror that he was doing everything he could, short of flipping his lights and siren on, to get caught up to me, weaving in and out of traffic, but it was too late. I was jumping on the interstate and was long gone by the time he got to the ramp.

[JPaul]

Perspective and ignorance. We must look like a glorified golf cart to most. Wouldn't the average driver be miffed being passed by a golf cart? I certainly would...
"Look, I am driving a REAL car!" Or "How dare you? Get out of my way, you little piece of... !"
Speed limit becomes irrelevant when preserving one's pride!

[doenut]

Originally Posted by Bum-bling-B

I know we've had this make it's way into other threads but I don't ever remember a whole thread devoted to it.

Even though I've had my car over a year, the last few days I've noticed this more and more. People HATE getting passed by me. Before every so often they had a problem, but now it seems like a daily occurrence.

Wednesday I passed an old lady in a car (Fusion) who was puttering along. 4 lane road, we were pretty much out in the middle of nowhere and she was doing 5 under the speed limit. When I passed her I was doing maybe 5 over. Before I knew it she was blasting past me! Now I had seen this little silver haired lady from quite a ways back and it wasn't like I was driving erratically and if anything I snuck up and passed her.

Yesterday was something similar but with an Escape hybrid same spot!

This morning was a riced out Civic 2dr. He had been doing 5 over the speed limit and I had kept a good 7 normal sized car distance behind him when he slowed down quite a bit for a light...no problem, sure he was coasting for mileage maybe. So I passed and went around, once again 4 lane road. About a mile up the road we turned and headed up a 35mph speed limit road. I'm staying with traffic at 55mph when he comes blasting by doing about 75mph. Same guy who earlier was doing the speed limit or a little over.

The wife and I have had a conversation about this everyday over the last few days on the way to work and our conclusion is people feel like they are getting passed by a "golf cart" and that is an insult in their mind.

The other day I did a search on "got passed by a Smart" and wow , a lot of people have posted about how they got passed by a Smart. Like we don't have real cars. Some were quite recent posts, I know some of us early adopters had all those people think they really were golf carts and I didn't help myself when I affixed EZ-GO emblems on my car after I pulled the Smart emblems.

What's your thoughts on why people consider it an insult?

I've had my car since last June, and by the 2nd day I had her I decided that most people think that small equals slow, no matter what the speedometer says! Most people don't like to be behind me, even if I'm doing 70-75 mph! In direct answer to your question, I agree! People don't like being passed by a smart, nor do they like to travel behind one!

[jdlynch99]

I pass poeple every day, well to all those Sunday drivers on the 60 freeway in the morning and afternoon Sorry but your in my way... Move Over.....


I also get these drivers in the other lane that want to shadow me.... I start passing them, and they see it's a Smart car then they gotta stay even with me for some reason.

[ibking]

I sometimes make this a game while drving, i'll let the other get ahead then pass em at the light, then here we go again....

Do you remember the Cadillac and Rambler song...beep beep.....beep beep..?

IBKING

[sato7]

I have had lots of people on the highway speed up as I am about to pass them. I have had people check their speedo and do a double take.. its a ton of fun passing them while they think they are going faster than general traffic. Audi owners are especially peeved and almost insulted by my passing them for some reason. I guess its all part of the fun of driving my smarty

[jwight]

Yep, happens a lot now. Passed a lady in a Volvo Wednesday getting onto I-70 headed to the Indy meet. She did her best to keep up for about 20 miles until her exit. Just didn't like being passed by a smart (in a turn, no less) I guess.