Blog

Short blog posts, journal entries, and random thoughts. Topics include a mix of personal and the world at large. 

Douchebag drivers

BMW drivers have a reputation for being mean douchebags that don’t use turn signals and generally flout all the rules of the road. I of course don’t contribute to that reputation with my BMW M2. I’m the guy in the slow lane going the speed limit, happy to take my time and enjoy the scenery. It was curious that when I bought the M2, the concierge showing me the interior functions didn’t mention where the turn signal stalk was…

“Sir, you drive a BMW. You will not be needing the turn signals.”

Jokes aside, I have a pet theory on how BMW drivers got their unseemly reputation. Historically, BMW cars have been some of the more agile vehicles on the road, with decent amounts of power. This allows drivers to do maneuvers that would be tragic in a Toyota Corolla. The ability to dart in and out of traffic with ease makes BMW an outlier in a sea of slowness. Those drivers are able to leverage that power if they are feeling slightly naughty.

Presently there’s many more cars on sale - for relatively cheap - that have decent power and maneuverability. Therefore the bad reputation of BMW drivers have spread to other makes and models. Namely the Nissan Altima, and the Dodge Charger/Challenger duo. The worse offender are Tesla drivers. Electric cars are so superiorly zippy and accelerative that Tesla drivers tend to bully others into submission. You will never out-accelerate one, and if a Tesla wants a particular spot on the road, it can filter in there faster than you can speed up to fill the gap.

This is to say: driver of Tesla cars are now the new crown douchebags of the road.

The second oldest courthouse in California.