Civic hatred....

[myk]

Asides from the Xterra I got to drive in 'Vegas for the two months I was out there, I've typically only driven my own cars.  Today, I got to spend the day behind the wheel of a friend's '00 Civic because of some maintenance I performed on it. 

In any case, I've never driven a 'Civic and this older model is hardly representative of what the model is like today, but I was duly impressed with it: slot car handling, "peppy" acceleration from a stop (even with an automatic), a relatively tight chassis/body, good fit and finish and a comfortable position in the driver's seat.  All-in-all, a fun driving experience that I would definitely consider for a daily-driver, but there's one thing that really stood out to me: I think people/other drivers HATE Civics. 

Keep in mind that no matter what car I drive, be it the Charger or this Civic, I follow the same driving behavior: moderate take-off speed from complete stops, flow-of-traffic driving on the freeway (which usually ends up being 75 mph in CA because no one out here cares about driving laws), a 3-second following distance, and I take the farthest lane away from the fast-lane as I possibly can. 

However, despite my defensive driving, all day long everyone, and I mean EVERYONE behind me rode this little car's ass like they would drive over it if they could.  If it wasn't that, then people would go out of their way to power around the car, and then cut in front of it.  No matter how far ahead I was in traffic other cars would just have to "catch up" and pass, my perception being that they just couldn't get "passed up" by a lowly Civic.

Again, compared to most of the other drivers I'm a "slow" and cautious one even when I'm driving the Mustang, Camaro, Trans Am, the Charger or even the Xterra in 'Vegas, but most of the surrounding drivers show their respect and keep their distance, they don't tail gate, cut in front, or try to "race" my other vehicles.  Generally, I'm left alone in those vehicles.

So what's the deal here?  Do people hate Honda Civics and other cars like this one?  Is this what's it's like to drive a car with less flash and presence?  What great atrocity against driving-kind has this car committed to have warranted such ire and disrespect from other drivers?  I just don't get it...

[Cooter]

Now Myk, you see what I go through in the Toyota. I've since designed some maneuvers to counteract it, but I think it has nothing to do with the make and model, just today's pos people. Always in a hurry to wait. With the influx of yankees here, I've found it's getting worse.
think cali's bad, drive in Jersey one time. Geesh, nothing but speed freak assholes up there.

[Ghoste]

You got me, maybe it had an offensive bumper sticker you never noticed?

[Baldwinvette77]

Its not just civics, its anything "lame" really, minivans, k-cars, hybrids, they seem to get stomped on by the suv, modern musclecar and sportscar crowds, or thats how i've seen it  

[myk]

Now Myk, you see what I go through in the Toyota. I've since designed some maneuvers to counteract it, but I think it has nothing to do with the make and model, just today's pos people. Always in a hurry to wait. With the influx of yankees here, I've found it's getting worse.
think cali's bad, drive in Jersey one time. Geesh, nothing but speed freak assholes up there.

Look's like there's a pattern here, even though it's only with two similar types of cars.  I'd speed, cut, juke and everything on the roads also, but I've seen that it never really shaves any time off of the commute, it just increases risk, but what do I know?

You got me, maybe it had an offensive bumper sticker you never noticed?

Nope, the car is bone-stock, factory-beautiful, with wheel cover-type wheels, no fart-can exhaust, dropped suspension, or any of that stuff.  I went over the car because I was seriously considering buying one.

Its not just civics, its anything "lame" really, minivans, k-cars, hybrids, they seem to get stomped on by the suv, modern musclecar and sportscar crowds, or thats how i've seen it  

See, now with the Camaro, Mustang, T/A or the Charger I would EXPECT people to misbehave around me-like a "let's see what you've got" sort of an attitude, but in my experience it's been the opposite-I'm USUALLY left alone in those cars.  Maybe other people think those cars are going to explode or start dropping parts?  I dunno...

[Road Dog]

I had an Echo as a car while my driver was being worked on. Best I can describe it was I was like a newborn antelope on the Serengeti. On the Interstate I was suddenly surounded by all sorts of predators. Even grey haired old ladies were staring me down.  

[myk]

 

It's starting to make some sense here; call me naive if you will but I don't get out much.  

People act the way they do to Cooter's Toyota, my Civic and RD's Echo because they CAN; as in, the passive aggressive little bitch that hides in some people these days gets to come out when they see a car and driver on the road who isn't readily seen as an equal, or is at least regarded as something they can easily "overpower."  Whoever said that people eventually grow out of the playground and out of the sandbox?  They're clearly wrong.

People accuse me of being an over-compensator with my choice of cars, and that's probably true, but I find that more tasteful than these other people who have a propensity to pick on someone who isn't their own size...

[Nwcharger]

I've owned quite a few civics seeing I work on Honda's for a living and only had that problem with one. My crx hf and it smoked like I was uncle buck. It was the slowest car I ever owned next to my split window vw busses. My last 2000 civic was an Si model with a built gsr motor. Very fast and handled great. Reminded me of a go cart. 

[70 sublime]

I have seen this same crap many times here in Ontario
My wife has a 2010 Honda Fit and I have a Dodge Ram

Anytime I get to drive the Honda I drive the same speed and places I would be if I was in the truck
Something usually happens everytime I drive it
Drivers feel that have to pass me (I very seldom go just the speed limit either )
But what seems to happen more is the idiots that will pull out in front of me making me slow down
That never happens when i am in the truck

[oldcarnut]

Its not just small cars.  I get the treatment on the motorcycle too  , unless your wearing your colors, then not so much because well they would rather not get caught at the traffic light after doing so     I think it's not so much of a hatred thing but more of a feeling of they can come out unscathed in the bigger car when pushing your smaller car out the way.  My daily is an 04 Avalanche. My premiums are almost as high as the one of the wife's much newer Infinity because of the inflicted damage it causes to other vehicles in wrecks.  Despite that, I still get small cars ride my tail so close I can't even see them below the tailgate.  I don't stop to much for yellow lights anymore, unless it will go red before passing, because it's the quickest way to get rear-ended.

[Supercharged Riot]

I love Civics

I have one as my daily. 

[Cooter]

I will say though, people seem to respect the Ram I got. Maybe it's cause I could drive right over their pos if needed and live...

I have to also point out that in our dailies, we may dislike the overtaking, but when I'm in the GL or Christine, I find many don't just overtake, they tend to stop and smell the roses. I guess either I don't mind, or I actually WANT that dumbass to get off my ass.

[1974dodgecharger]

I love da civic I just hate the drivers who think a stock civic is fast.

[68X426]

I got no use for Prius drivers.  But I keep my distance. 

Never heard of Civic hostility.

[hatersaurusrex]

Yeah try riding a motorcycle - there's a reason there's a saying that goes 'ride like everyone's out to get you' - because that's the way it feels.

I stalled taking off at a light once, and while I was restarting the motor, the guy in the japano-shit-box behind me cut his wheels and floored it around me - in the turn lane no less - and he almost took my mirror and elbow out in the process.   

I don't really ride anymore - not because I don't enjoy it, but because it's mostly terrifying being on the road with 1,000 texting millenials who have no respect for you.   I picked up Jeeping as a replacement hobby and will probably sell my bike.   If I lived out in the country somewhere I'd probably keep it.

[toocheaptosmoke]

I used to drive an '84 oldsmobile 98 as my DD, it's about as a "grandpa" car as you can get.  I would always have people pull out in front of me, like they'd stop and literally do a double take at what was coming down the road at them, then fly out to avoid getting stuck behind me.  Good thing that car has a loud horn...  Driving one of my POS trucks people usually give me a bit of extra distance. 

[charge69]

" an '84 Olds 98" ! Sounds like quite a hooptie!  Ha !  I would have been afraid of getting stuck behind you too! 

Hey, I am a 67 year old balding white man and one of my daily drivers is a Lexus ES !  Everyone thinks they can pass that "old fart" and pull in front of him to turn in another 100 yards! Or for sure, can get slightly in front of you and pull over in your lane, effectively cutting you off just to be ahead of you at the upcoming red light. Gotta pass that "old fart" on the freeway as they just couldn't get caught having to actually get behind him for another 1/8th mile before their exit! Hurry up and pull out in front of that "old fart" as they certainly would want to have to yield to the likes of him!

I love it when these things happen and the look on some people's face is priceless when they get "blown off" by an "old fart" in a Lexus!  The teenager in the passenger seat was laughing uncontrollably at his buddy that was hot rodding around in his "loud exhaust equipped" S-10 and just got "walked on" by this "old fart" with his wife in a Lexus. I was smilin' at him BIGTIME! The ES is no muscle car but a 5.7 second 0 to 60 time ain't half steppin' and catches quite a few people by surprise!. I love it and getting 30mpg @ 75mph with the A/C on under extremely quiet conditions on the interstate is a nice "plus".

And, on topic: Civics are nice economy cars but the "tuner" crowd seems to dominate the owners of older ones around here. The nauseating sound of their "fart can" exhaust and their poor driving habits probably contribute to the Civic hate around here.

[myk]

Yeah try riding a motorcycle - there's a reason there's a saying that goes 'ride like everyone's out to get you' - because that's the way it feels.

I stalled taking off at a light once, and while I was restarting the motor, the guy in the japano-shit-box behind me cut his wheels and floored it around me - in the turn lane no less - and he almost took my mirror and elbow out in the process.   

I don't really ride anymore - not because I don't enjoy it, but because it's mostly terrifying being on the road with 1,000 texting millenials who have no respect for you.   I picked up Jeeping as a replacement hobby and will probably sell my bike.   If I lived out in the country somewhere I'd probably keep it.

I give a TON of space when I see a biker on the road; knowing my crap reflexes if a biker were to go down in front of me I wouldn't be able to stop in time.

Let's face it fellas, people just SUCK...

[Tilar]

Check and see if it's mostly the older generation that does this to your foreign cars, And before you say "It's not a foreign car, its made in Marysville Ohio or Someplace Tennessee" or something like that, it is still a foreign car and the majority of older people resent that.

[myk]

Check and see if it's mostly the older generation that does this to your foreign cars, And before you say "It's not a foreign car, its made in Marysville Ohio or Someplace Tennessee" or something like that, it is still a foreign car and the majority of older people resent that.

Not a bad idea but I won't have to; I don't plan on being on the road without one of my cars anytime soon.  My recent experience only solidifies my need to stay in MY cars...

[Ghoste]

Not to pick on bikers because I ride once in a while myself and have tons of close friends or relatives who are bikers so I know what you are saying is true, BUT...

By the same token, just because it redlines at 10k doesn't mean you need to shift it there all the time.  A lot of the same friends I just mentioned (not all but enough to always piss me off) seem to think they need to hit 70mph between lights on their crotch rockets.  Lane splitting and weaving in and out of traffic or flying up the shoulder or centerline in a jam is also a good way to get hurt.  It's one thing for people to not respect bikers but its quite another for the old lady to look out her driveway before pulling into the street, see a single headlight four blocks away and not realize its doing 75mph in town or for the bike to be where it shouldn't like a dividing line between lanes.

[myk]

I can only wonder what sort of biker I'm going to be...

[Ghoste]

Just don't be a dead one.  Or even an injured one.

[oldcarnut]

Not to pick on bikers because I ride once in a while myself and have tons of close friends or relatives who are bikers so I know what you are saying is true, BUT...

By the same token, just because it redlines at 10k doesn't mean you need to shift it there all the time.  A lot of the same friends I just mentioned (not all but enough to always piss me off) seem to think they need to hit 70mph between lights on their crotch rockets.  Lane splitting and weaving in and out of traffic or flying up the shoulder or centerline in a jam is also a good way to get hurt.  It's one thing for people to not respect bikers but its quite another for the old lady to look out her driveway before pulling into the street, see a single headlight four blocks away and not realize its doing 75mph in town or for the bike to be where it shouldn't like a dividing line between lanes.

Most of them guys I see riding like that bring most of their problems onto themselves and eventually are getting picked up off the pavement.  Probably own(ed) a Civic with a fart can exhaust at one time    Biggest gripe for me and can't help getting close on their tail due to the nature of things is to get stuck behind a liquor cycle.  Doing 35mph in a 50mph on a moped in rush hour traffic holding up the center lane is just begging for trouble

[hatersaurusrex]

For the record I ride a cruiser - a 99 Victory - not a crotch rocket.    Nothing against sport/street bikes - but the 'punk-ass' mentality is 500x higher with that crowd than the cruiser guys.  Most cruiser guys are mostly older dudes who've probably high-sided or dumped their bike at least once and ride more cautiously than they used to and are smart enough to ride safelly.

And yes Myk, people do just suck.  I live life assuming everyone I come in contact with is mouth-breathing retarded until they prove otherwise.