Date: Mon, 10 Jan 2011 13:08:21 -0600
Reply-To: Jim Felder <jim.felder@GMAIL.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Jim Felder <jim.felder@GMAIL.COM>
Subject: Re: VW Van Profiling-plates
In-Reply-To: <8CD7EFFA5E1C88B-A38-710D3@Webmail-d105.sysops.aol.com>
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I think this is more just dealing with juvenile males and rednecks in
general, not anything toward VWs specifically. When you pass them it
is like coming into the view of a dog that wakes up and starts
barking. Of course, if these drivers see any shape (like that of a VW
van or school bus, to name two) that is associated with slow speed, it
just excites a higher level of aggression than normal. They aren't
thinking about anything, of course, but just reacting.
To illustrate my point: I was once in my Westy at a stoplight with my
grandaughter in the passenger seat when a man and woman in a pickup
truck pass us on the highway. We were at the red light, first in the
line, at the side road. I got a big, waving finger all the way through
the intersection and then out the window as he drove off. I did not
know this guy and he did not know me. I was hardly ever in that part
of town, so it wasn't like I had made him mad previously. In fact,
nobody has ever flashed their lights or given me the finger when being
held up behind my diesel westy. The guy just saw the shape of the car
and associated it with some problem he had with slow cars in general.
It wasn't the traditional hatred for hippies, I don't suppose, because
I don't look like one. Maybe he hated grandchildren. I have known
people who dislike VW drivers in general because, like Prius drivers
now, they were looked upon with the special scorn that rednecks
reserve for anyone with a social or environmental consciousness, but
that was a long time ago.
Jim
On Mon, Jan 10, 2011 at 11:04 AM, David Clarkson <dvdclarksn@aol.com> wrote:
> I had SOPAZME on the plates of my 82 NA 1.6 L diesel Westy. It had the "0-50 in 11 minutes" sticker on one side (exaggeration: mine did 0-50 in 10.5 mins) and "never get behind a VW bus" on the other side". Still got the flashing lights from behind and the one finger salute on a regular basis.
> ?
> David Clarkson
> 90 Westy now
>
>
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Doug Alcock <doug.alcock@GMAIL.COM>
> To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
> Sent: Mon, Jan 10, 2011 11:54 am
> Subject: Re: VW Van Profiling
>
>
>
>
> Yea -- I think I have noticed this too --- you try and go by someone and
> they think "I'm being passed by an aging VW van" and then they speed up.
> There used to be a dude on the list whose van plates said "PASS ME". I
> thought that was brilliant.............
>
> Cheers,
> Doug
>
> On Mon, Jan 10, 2011 at 10:44 AM, Steven Johnson <sjohnso2000@gmail.com>wrote:
>
> > I find that I get more "Profiling" from other drivers than law enforcement.
> > Most
> > notable are the motorist that pull out in front of me from side streets
> > after hesitating
> > and then going right in front of me. (Although I've noticed more and more
> > of this
> > behavior in any vehicle I drive).
> >
> > The other profiling is when a will be passing a driver along a freeway and
> > when they
> > notice I'm passing, they speed up. Extremely annoy especially when being
> > I'm being
> > followed by other cars wanting to pass the slower moving vehicle....
> >
> > Steven
> > 91 Westy
> >
>
>
>
> --
> http://www.dougalcock.com
>
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