[BB Benz]

I had a smaller dirty BMW pull alongside in second gear pulling up and dropping back in a jerky fashion as if mimicking the smart's shifting. I was doing 45 in fifth gear driving home. After about 5 to 7 minutes of this the BMW sped forward and pulled in front of me and braked hard before swerving off onto a side street.
I ignored the whole thing especially the engine racing along side. I did not look at the driver. I felt he just wanted attention. I managed to brake appropriately when he pulled his little stunt, but it certainly was unnerving to say the least.
I'm guessing it was a younger driver maybe with a passenger to entertain. I also guess it was a provided car rather than an owned car as it was not well maintained.
I've not experienced potentially life threatening attacks like this before. I suspect it was harassment of the not so smart kind. I'm sorry this is beginning to appear to be a trend.

 

[SuperGeek]

Nah. It's only a trend because we brought up the subject. It's happened maybe a hundred times this year for 45,000 cars. That doesn't make it a true trend, but if we get 50 people talking about it, we'll think it was.

 

[BB Benz]

Grrrrreeeeaaaatttt! I'll just pretend that it didn't just happen to me. I can pretend anything, however it won't be easy to forget.

 

[RexSmart]

I believe it happens a lot but they're more likely to happen to us or motorists with cars like ours because we're an easy target.

Install one of these http://www.smartcarofamerica.com/forums/f76/diy-dashcam-record-while-you-drive-35728/ What you do with the clips is up to you.

 

[smartcar111]

You may have a point, but not every smart owner joins us here to talk about it. 50 people talking here about it is actually a big number because not every member here is active.

I think it is a trend and a disease that people are doing to try and scare smart owners because they have some kind of grudge against them. They want smart and small cars out of their system because American's are supposed to be big SUV driving gas hogs.

I was harassed many-a-time because of my car by other cars, people, drivers, kids, you name it. It's annoying and I try and forget it, but I still remember...

 

[HGB]

:badidea:This afternoon we were driving in the right lane about 3 miles above the 70 mph limit. A white Toyota SUV decided to ride my tail, so I dropped my speed down to 60 until he passed. I naturally accelerated in a most unlike smart fashion and stuck with him until the exit and passed him on my right. I looked at him yet he didn't look at me.
There is one issue that I take very seriously and that is never to push or be pushed by anyone in the right lane.
Apparently the little smart just was very responsive and eager to go today in our...ahem..cold frigid weather of 45F. I had the smart up to 85-90 mph steady today on I- 75 and it felt good.

 

[smartcar111]

Fridgid at 45? It's 16 here. Want to trade?

 

[Kermit]

You just said the key THREE LETTERS - BMW. I would say 4 out of 5 BMW drivers are total.....well I won't say it here because I say be banned for such language. I stereotype them because almost all of the ones I have observed fit it perfect. Watch them and you'll notice them weaving in and out of traffic, pulling in front of people than slamming on their brakes. It's just how most BMW drivers are. (Disclaimer: I said most, not all) Keep an eye out for them and observe, you'll notice I am actually on to something.

 

[jimvw57]

16?? its -5 right now... care to trade?? only 2 frozen pipes so far....

As for the brake check, get the license number and pass it on o the police. They probably can't issue a ticket as they didn't witness the incident but they can keep an eye on them...

 

[BB Benz]

Very nice. I would feel safer if I had one of these dash cams.

 

[Carl242]

You just said the key THREE LETTERS - BMW. I would say 4 out of 5 BMW drivers are total.....well I won't say it here because I say be banned for such language. I stereotype them because almost all of the ones I have observed fit it perfect. Watch them and you'll notice them weaving in and out of traffic, pulling in front of people than slamming on their brakes. It's just how most BMW drivers are. (Disclaimer: I said most, not all) Keep an eye out for them and observe, you'll notice I am actually on to something.

In my 4 years of high school, I lived on the top end of a mountain road called "route 84". In that time I saw 4 bad car wrecks of cars that tried to corner too fast and went off the edge. 3 of them were BMW's.

 

[RexSmart]

Very nice. I would feel safer if I had one of these dash cams.

I'm thinking of installing a 2nd one for the rear. So far, I haven't caught anyone doing me wrong. However, I have caught a car drift into the other lane causing a minor damage to another car at a busy intersection. I was in the left turn lane behind other cars. To my right was the innocent motorist and to its right was the driver at fault who tried to avoid a car to its right making a right turn. Ouch. I could have stopped to offer the footage but I was running late for an appointment. (Shame on me)

 

[NANO]

You just said the key THREE LETTERS - BMW. I would say 4 out of 5 BMW drivers are total.....well I won't say it here because I say be banned for such language. I stereotype them because almost all of the ones I have observed fit it perfect. Watch them and you'll notice them weaving in and out of traffic, pulling in front of people than slamming on their brakes. It's just how most BMW drivers are. (Disclaimer: I said most, not all) Keep an eye out for them and observe, you'll notice I am actually on to something.

OK ill let you live! lol we have two and I dont drive like that and am very apropriate to our other freinds on the road, funny thou as i get harassed in my smart at least once a week but never in my other cars, its a shame really. kind of puts a bad tast in ones mouth for the whole experience. thoug i will say when people stop on on ramps VS. merging with traffic i do get a little BIMMERED !!!

so since we are on the subject of BIMMER bashing and I own them i figure i can make nice with a joke,

whats the difference between a porkupine and a BMW driver ............ on the Porkupine the Pricks are on the outside!!!!! tee hee



acually I would say people in PONTIAC grand am's or Grand PRE's take the cake for having something to prove! they are also the ones that harass me in my smart 9 times out of ten.

 

[1983JZR3W]

You just said the key THREE LETTERS - BMW. I would say 4 out of 5 BMW drivers are total.....well I won't say it here because I say be banned for such language. I stereotype them because almost all of the ones I have observed fit it perfect. Watch them and you'll notice them weaving in and out of traffic, pulling in front of people than slamming on their brakes. It's just how most BMW drivers are. (Disclaimer: I said most, not all) Keep an eye out for them and observe, you'll notice I am actually on to something.

Not to be bashing BMW's too, but almost everyone I see has his or her mis-aligned driving lamps on day or night. It's almost like the car won't run without them!!

 

[uberpanzer]

Not to be bashing BMW's too, but almost everyone I see has his or her mis-aligned driving lamps on day or night. It's almost like the car won't run without them!!

My g/f's M Roadster runs poorly without the lights on, since an aux fan for extra coolin due to the supercharger is on the same circuit as the lights.

But in all reality, most BMW drivers with their lights on during non-dark hours are probably trying to show off their aftermarket headlights. Either for the euro-projectors (made in China), HID's (made in China), or angel eyes (you guessed it, made in China).

As for the brake checking and other issues, I get that in all my cars, depending on the the drivers of the OTHER cars. It was mentioned in the roll-over thread, not sure if there was another thread talking about this as well, but the problem is less the Smart and more the overly-aggressive personalities of others we share the road with that have low boiling points. It can be as simple as a lane change without a signal that sets them off or as innocent as seeing a Smart or Prius or other similar 'inferior vehicle' pass them while going the speed limit. But then they are in full attack mode and do some of these exploits we've detailed here. It isn't because WE are driving a Smart, it is because THEY have a problem and are lashing out at the world.

Some people will harass others because they feel that they can. Be it due to a difference in cars be driven or physical stature or color of skin. It will happen, even in today's 'enlightened society'. Deal with it as you see fit, without breaking the law of course.

 

[Kermit]

I said MOST and NOT ALL. Occasionally I do see extremely courteous BMW drivers but the majority of them are.....well I said enough earlier. You're those 1 out of 5 I spoke of. (I was just throwing a number out there ) FWIW I talked to a nice couple today at the VA clinic that just moved to the area, they had a X5 and a 325 and fell under the nice BMW driver category too. They had lots of questions about the smart, I showed it to them, let them sit in it etc.

In my area most Pontiac Grand Prix or Grand Am's you see you're spending most of your time dodging parts that are falling off of the cars.

BACK ON TOPIC:
I did get cut off today by a Honda Element. She switched lanes right in front of me, no signal nothing. I think she discovered her mistake once I abruptly switched lanes from closely behind her (because she put herself there) and got up beside her. She slowed down substantially, I think it was more of a mistake than a hate towards smart thing.

OK ill let you live! lol we have two and I dont drive like that and am very apropriate to our other freinds on the road, funny thou as i get harassed in my smart at least once a week but never in my other cars, its a shame really. kind of puts a bad tast in ones mouth for the whole experience. thoug i will say when people stop on on ramps VS. merging with traffic i do get a little BIMMERED !!!

so since we are on the subject of BIMMER bashing and I own them i figure i can make nice with a joke,

whats the difference between a porkupine and a BMW driver ............ on the Porkupine the Pricks are on the outside!!!!! tee hee

acually I would say people in PONTIAC grand am's or Grand PRE's take the cake for having something to prove! they are also the ones that harass me in my smart 9 times out of ten.

 

[jetfuel]

...not many people harass me...the guys in front don't even see me coming until it is too late...and the guy behind me is too afraid of getting a ticket if he was to keep up..that is one thing we have against the big cars...we "look" like if we are going slow compared to the other cars...the few idiots that like to tail-gate soon find out that they have to bring their A game if they want to make it worth their $...thanks Paul..

jetfuel...Elvis playing...head on a swivel...

 

[SmartDigger]

I went to Cleveland today and had some people try to squeeze in on me in traffic. I just hold my ground. And Like Jet.... if you pass me you need to go fast:burnout:

 

[NCC1701]

I haven't been harassed too many times, unless you consider tailgating to be harassment (I do). But, I'm a lead foot and I've seen behavior from other drivers at times which indicated they didn't want to see my smart leave them behind. Aggressive acceleration which seemed to me to be a response to my own.

EDIT: I have tapped my brake peddle on a number of occasions when I was being tailgated. Just enough to light my brake lights, not to actually slow down. Sometimes it works. If not, I raise my foot off the accelerator. Get off my butt.

When the OP talks about brake checking, it isn't the same thing I think of as brake checking. It is ME who is brake checking.

 

[NANO]

technically its the road harassment i get that makes me want to buy a turbo!

that way i can punch the gas and suprise the dickins out of em as i speed away from their grand am!

just like that guy with the ferrari probably felt when the smart spanked him! lol!