[Wobble Goat]

Minivans, CRVs /Rav4s, and Camrys / Kias see my Camaro cruising on the highway and immediately speed up to match my pace and they stay in the left lane in my blind spot.

After a few mins they speed up by 5 - 10 mph then about quarter mile ahead they'll get infront of me and slow down.

Now that I've caught back up to them (granted I haven't altered my speed at all) they keep pace just enough to stay infront while still ultimately slowing down while I'm behind them.

I go to pass them in the fast lane, they speed up, spray silver paint in their mouths and scream "WITNESS ME!* No amount of traffic will prevent them from pushing their tiny displacements to the brink; no gap is too small for them to not force their way through.

This psycho is going to be infront me or die trying, clearly slowing down is not an option, so the only way is forward. I drop a gear and give it W.O.T. for a bit.

I slow down back to my cruising speed, thinking the chaos is behind me for good, but if that psycho isn't blocked by traffic or if my exit doesn't come soon enough, on a long enough road the process will begin again.


What happened in 2021; who moved the rock? This use to be a rare occurrence, but now its daily.
Any of you had similar experiences?

[Rayvan]

I see it. But it's worst when I drive my Benz......

[Yang N’ Bang]

Try a motorcycle, every driver is wanting to kill you. In fact usually when riding on freeways I’m looking for a camaro or similar to stay in front of because they are never the one riding my ass when I’m already doing 85 in the hov lane, it’s always some oblivious chick on her phone thinking theyre on the last lap at daytona.

[S.Macias]

Same. Everyday I commute 25 miles to work and 25 miles home. Mostly freeway.



Yesterday, for example, a busted and rusted Miata was cruising in lane one. Keep in mind I'm in lane 3. Slight traffic with an average speed of 65mph. As I'm driving minding my own business the Miata spots me and decides he wants to see if his duct-taped front end will hold as he pushes his car to the limit.



Immediately the sound of a dying lawnmower exhales from his car as he cuts into lane 2, back to lane 1, then straight across to lane 3, directly in front of my path.



There's no need for any of this. In reality, he didn't really get more than one car ahead of his current position. Perhaps he was trying to show off that his car was capable of going 85mph and not explode, or maybe he was trying to force his way into the cool kids club (green modified Challenger 392 behind me in lane 3).


Either way, he was only the start of the problem. Another player decides they want to participate, only they drive a 1990 Ford Econoline. They see the Miata and figure "why not?? If a Miata can do it surely I, in a 1990 Ford Econoline with a 145hp engine can too!!"



The van cuts from lane 1 and across lane 2 and races to try to pass the Miata. All the while the Challenger and I have reduced speed slightly since we see the two rust boxes with nothing to lose dueling it out for who gets to be the leader of our cool kids club. The Miata wins, which forces the van to cut directly in front of me in lane 3, forcing me to hit my brakes.



The Challenger and I see an opening. We zoom off.



Five minutes pass.


The Challenger has exited and the Miata and Econoline are nowhere to be seen. I'm back to my usual groove in lane 2 now (freeway went from 3 to 2 lanes). Lane 2 has a nice flow, and everyone in front of me seems to be moving to lane 1 to allow me to maintain my CA legal freeway speed. All except for this Pilot.



He spots me in his rear view slowly approaching. No one directly in front of him.



The Pilot, in his head, decides he will be the gatekeeper to my freedom and brakes for no apparent reason. We reduce speeds from 65mph to almost 45mph. Lane 1 is fully booked, leaving me trapped.


The Pilot then rapidly accelerates as if to live up to his name, and as if he is enticing me to follow. Having dealt with this everyday for years, I know better than to take the bait.


He slows down again, from however fast a Pilot can go in five seconds back to 45mph. Lane 1 is still crowded.



He accelerates rapidly again, and slows. He accelerates rapidly again, and slows.


I'm bewildered and curious how that affects his fuel economy, given the size of his midsize SUV. At this point I've already backed off, as if I'm a spectator enjoying the show as this Pilot continually accelerates and decelerates.



Finally an opening. I take it. The Pilot takes off trying to see who is faster, as if trying to measure his speed against mine.



At this point in time I've only been on the freeway 15 minutes. I still have another 15 minutes until home. I'm done playing whatever game this is. Hit an excessive speed. Radar detector doesn't beep. Eyes see no CHP. The 15 minutes until home become 10.



Just another day. As Wobbe Goat says, our cars bring out the best in people, and the worst. Who would think one car could do such a thing.

[sandm]

nothing more annoying than setting the cruise or keeping a constant speed and you go to pass someone and they speed up. then slow right back down again forcing you to try to pass again only to speed up.
I am with yang tho. I commute on a bike daily and people just don't pay attention or care about who or what is around them......

[arpad_m]

for the awesome stories, hope you guys don't mind, apparently some of you are budding automotive storytellers
As to the topic at hand, I actually didn't see this very often in northern NJ, and now here in east TN there is almost universal respect for the Camaro and other genuinely fast cars (ie people swoop out of the left lane without any goading or flashing/tailgating, something I never do). Maybe the occasional VTEC fanboy and coal rolling bro dozer operator, but overall not bad at all.

[BlackbeastSS2]

Its not the car you drive its the people that drive the cars around you no matter what you drive.

[WhiteMale]

Also me: "let's find out how racy you think that thing really is".

me too: ride my ass and I'm doing ~5 over, then you go to pass, I'll make you work for it. I'll give you the pass but you're gonna have to redline that thing.

[LT4Greg]

Yes all the time that happens to me when driving my ZL1.

[DaveC113]

Occasionally it happens around here, I stay away from idiots as much as possible.

If people do react, most seem to react positively. There aren't a lot of Camaros around here.

[CamaroSSStlfan]

Maybe the POS Miata driver was just mad that he can't have a better car like you.


That's when you use the power of the Camaro SS and just punch half way on the throttle and speed up.


Our cars are faster than probably 95 percent of cars on the road! Other than the lambos, Ferraris, newer vettes, GT500s, etc.

[sengli]

I drive for a living, and I see that drivers are a lot less tolerant to anyone. I think people are very stressed with the way the world is going these days.

[Malbjey]

Absolutely saw this all the time when I had my Camaro. It got tiring fast.


What made me LMAO is the big ass trucks doing 80+ trying to pass or keep up with me. I know know you're killing your gas mileage, broski. That shit was probably in the single digits.

[kropscamaro16]

prius/tesla drivers are the worse out here in cali...i stay away from them at all costs...