Am I Naive?

"philipilihp" (philiphilip)
03/07/2014 at 10:28 • Filed to: Naieveness, BMW, Commutes

Yesterday, driving home from work on a two lane street, me in the right, a bunch of cars in the left, I see my lane is blocked up ahead by a parked moving truck. I signal, waiting for a little bit of space to move over, and see a slight gap coming up between a Camry and a BMW 128i.

Driving my 335i, I thought to myself, "That 128 will leave me a little bit of space to get move over, because we both drive BMWs." Unfortunately, the 128 actually sped up to close said gap, leaving me behind a slew of other cars.

Was it that naive of me to expect a little bit of brand camaraderie, or do more people think like me? I personally always try to be nice to all other drivers, but I do feel a certain sense of and brotherly love when another BMW driver is trying to merge or something similar. Thoughts?

DISCUSSION (51)

Brian Silvestro > philipilihp
03/07/2014 at 10:29

I always give an extra layer of attention when I'm driving when they drive the same brand as me. It just feels right.

Frosted > philipilihp
03/07/2014 at 10:30

Brand comradery only really exists between certain cars and enthusiasts. Not everyone is going to care sadly but it's great when you meet someone who does.

Nibbles > philipilihp
03/07/2014 at 10:30

The only time I ever receive "clearance" to change a lane is in the pickup. And that's primarily given by other pickup drivers. If I'm in the Focus or the Saab, yeah everyone does that. "Hey, that guy just turned on his blinkerGOTTASPEEDUPCANNOTLETTHEMINOHGODIFIAMONEMORECARBEHINDIWILLDIEISWEAR

RiceRocketeer Extraordinaire > philipilihp
03/07/2014 at 10:31

Um ... BMW drivers earn their stereotypes, you know.

therevengeofthesaab (really likes pre-2005 hondas right now) > Brian Silvestro
03/07/2014 at 10:31

Same thing with me, plus you don't see much Suzuki SX4 where I live

ksmay71 > philipilihp
03/07/2014 at 10:32

Ah. If you were driving a Merkur, there would be brotherly camaraderie. If you were driving a vintage Alfa, everyone would let you in.

I once had a BMW, and I found other BMW owners could not care less. If you're looking for brotherly love, drive something rare. Of course, when driving something rare, you're much less likely to find someone else with the same car.

Sn210 > philipilihp
03/07/2014 at 10:33

I think it depends on the person and the car. When I had my Wrangler, other Wrangler drivers would wave to me nearly 95% of the time. When I had my Civic, I got 1 wave. Nothing in my TL so far

Steve Zissou > philipilihp
03/07/2014 at 10:33

Yes, you were naive. I think most people feel no brand camaraderie (unless it's something super rare or outlandish), and my understanding is that BMW drivers are, in general, jerks. You should have expected him to speed up.

BugEyedBimmer - back in the Saddle Dakota Leather > philipilihp
03/07/2014 at 10:38

There's a difference between badge snobs and brand enthusiasts. You have to understand that BMW, being a premium brand, attracts just as much of the former as it does the latter. Badge snobs feel no need to help you, and only care that they're better than the dirty plebs driving Civics and Corollas. Brand enthusiasts are people like you and are the ones with the camaraderie.

KnowsAboutCars > philipilihp
03/07/2014 at 10:38

I think brand comradery exists only between enthusiasts. For example according to my mom Citroen 2cv drivers have very strong brand comradery.

yamahog > Sn210
03/07/2014 at 10:40

I got a Jeep wave from a fellow lifted XJ driver this fall and was so surprised (and also mid-turn) that I don't think I waved back :(

FWIW, my uncle is an Audi driver and always pulls over to help stranded Audi/VDub drivers.

Party-vi > philipilihp
03/07/2014 at 10:40

Being a fellow BMW driver, they viewed your 335i as a threat to their road superiority and acted upon their insecurity for buying a 128i instead of something better.

WhiskeyGolf > philipilihp
03/07/2014 at 10:45

I usually allow other Golf drivers space and in the case of Golf Rs, I give an extra wave or thumbs up and in most cases they wave back. I got a wave for my thumb-out-the-window from a 1M owner too, so that was cool.

philipilihp > Party-vi
03/07/2014 at 10:45

LOL You're probably right. I hope I don't do the same thing when I see an M3...

philipilihp > KnowsAboutCars
03/07/2014 at 10:46

Depending on where you are, that might be very few and far between! Since moving to the US from Holland I've seen exactly one, at Katie's C&C. And, coincidentally, it had a Dutch license plate beneath the American one.

N/A POWAAAHH > philipilihp
03/07/2014 at 10:46

Only time you'll ever get brand brotherhood is when the brand is rare or it's an enthusiast car. Modified Subarus around me are rare, so everyone waves to each other, and we have spontaneous cruises, it's really cool.

jariten1781 > philipilihp
03/07/2014 at 10:46

There is no brand camaraderie until you enter the upper echelons. Anything you might see daily doesn't get squat.

Occasionally there is some model kinship...but even that is a crap shoot.

$kaycog > philipilihp
03/07/2014 at 10:46

I try to be a polite driver to all makes of cars.

Sn210 > yamahog
03/07/2014 at 10:49

I think Jeep would have the best fraternity. I had so many interactions with other jeep people. One guy had a conversation with me while we were both stuck in a traffic jam. Another guy in a Wrangler stopped in front of me in a parking lot. He pointed at me, shouted "YYEEAAAAHHH!!!", and then peeled out all while blasting Running with the Devil

mazdaspeed2 > philipilihp
03/07/2014 at 10:50

As has been said it definitely depends on the car, and BMW has gone much more towards brand snobs from what I have seen. I drive a mazdaspeed protege and I never get waves from other mazdaspeeds. Whenever I go anywhere with my friend in his Rex he gets waves from all the other subie guys. I would say you were more optimistic than naive. It would be great if there was better car camaraderie across all makes not just the same make, but maybe I am the optimistic one.

SnapUndersteer, Italian Spiderman > philipilihp
03/07/2014 at 10:51

Ay don't no if your naieve, butt your vary naive

philipilihp > SnapUndersteer, Italian Spiderman
03/07/2014 at 10:52

Hahaha my spelling is apparently pretty naive at least..

SnapUndersteer, Italian Spiderman > RiceRocketeer Extraordinaire
03/07/2014 at 10:52

GTFAC!

KnowsAboutCars > philipilihp
03/07/2014 at 10:54

That information is based on a trip she and her sister (my godmother) made in the 70's in her sisters 2cv trough eastern Europe. They were supposed to go to west Germany but the car broke down in east Germany.

philipilihp > SnapUndersteer, Italian Spiderman
03/07/2014 at 10:54

Kinja'd!!!

Enginerrrrrrrrr > philipilihp
03/07/2014 at 10:55

This is why I just slowly merge into their lane anyways. My car is $3000 in pristine condition (which it is not...). A ding in his bimmer would be as much as my car, bring it on, douchebags of the world!

Corey > philipilihp
03/07/2014 at 10:56

1. Brand loyalty on the roads is damn near nonexistent, or at least that has been my experience.

2. I would have let you in, then managed to sneak ahead of you further along in traffic just so I could flash the M3 badge at you. All in good fun, of course.

philipilihp > SnapUndersteer, Italian Spiderman
03/07/2014 at 10:56

LOL Jalopnik mentioned in the Urban Dictionary definition:

http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?ter…

philipilihp > Corey
03/07/2014 at 10:57

And I would've bowed my head in a clear gesture of my inferiority and your magnanimity, of course.

The Opponaut formerly known as MattP123 > philipilihp
03/07/2014 at 11:01

On a related note... I've been DD-ing a 05 Hyundai Tucson* in the winter. I jokingly beep and wave/thumb up at other Tucson drivers as a wise-ass form of camaraderie. Nobody ever notices or reciprocates. I beeped and gave a thumbs up to this one woman in a visually identical Tucson. She gave me this angry look and raised her hand at me as if to say "wtf is your problem? I didn't do anything wrong." How oblivious can you be to not realize somebody in a car identical to yours gave you a thumbs up as if to say, hey nice car? Even though I don't really mean it.

*The Hyundai in question was my sister's car. She now has a 2.5 year old and 1 year old twins and needed something that could hold 3 car seats. I got stuck with the Tucson.

RacecaR > philipilihp
03/07/2014 at 11:02

Yes. I never expect anything from any other driver, unless I get a signal from them suggesting otherwise (a wave in, flash of lights, something affirmative).

Also, I have to ask, why did you rip off Mumford & Sons and other folk bands to win American Idol?

philipilihp > The Opponaut formerly known as MattP123
03/07/2014 at 11:04

I suppose that happens when you don't give a shit about what you drive, right?

The Opponaut formerly known as MattP123 > philipilihp
03/07/2014 at 11:06

Yea. I wasn't expecting anybody to be as genuinely enthusiastic about their Tucson as I was pretending to be. But at least know what you drive and put 2+2 together...

philipilihp > RacecaR
03/07/2014 at 11:06

I WON AMERICAN IDOL??? WHERE'S MY MONEY!!

jsmizira > philipilihp
03/07/2014 at 11:07

I know there is supposed to be kinship between motorcyclist and corvette drivers. I have both so I often get the bikers low wave or the 'vette wave. although that guy in the 2013 gt500 'vert was awfully nice the other day. then again anyone who will dice with you is cool in my book.

RacecaR > philipilihp
03/07/2014 at 11:07

Aren't you this guy? Or I guess I could just be misreading your screen name...

Kinja'd!!!

philipilihp > RacecaR
03/07/2014 at 11:09

Who is that? I don't really keep up with American Idols (although I have a weak spot for Kelly Clarkson for sure)..

newton > philipilihp
03/07/2014 at 11:17

Nope. I get M3 drivers all the time flying up to me from behind, merge over and line up with me, realize I can't be bothered and then gun it to fly away.

Textured Soy Protein > philipilihp
03/07/2014 at 11:21

Sometimes you'll get some love from people with the same brand of car. For example the Miata wave. When I drove a Miata, I got waves from Miata people all the time. You can't drive a Miata and have a stick up your ass, generally.

But when it comes to jockeying for position in traffic...people are animals. Assume the worst will happen at all times.

RacecaR > philipilihp
03/07/2014 at 11:21

That is Phillip Phillips. The only reason I know of him is because when NBC first started whoring out his song "Home" to everything they had, I thought it sounded like a Mumford and Sons song. So I began to look it up. Only to find it was this guys. Apparently a lot of other people also thought the same thing. Then further digging, his chords and melodies for that song were pulled from a lesser known folk band. They match almost exactly.

Stupid American Idol, mass producing shitty music.

philipilihp > RacecaR
03/07/2014 at 11:26

I definitely do NOT make shitty music. No music at all, in fact, unless you count Garageband. I'm philiphilip, fewer Ps, fewer Ls. And no S.

RacecaR > philipilihp
03/07/2014 at 11:36

Garageband is music!! This record exec for a new upstart label told me so! He said I could make millions and all i have to do is travel the festival tours and hit play on my macbook pro and I'll be the next big DJ!!

jovimon7 > philipilihp
03/07/2014 at 11:40

Because

Kinja'd!!!

Sinanigans > philipilihp
03/07/2014 at 11:46

The drivers who tailgate and cut my dad off the most are other BMW drivers. I have personally seen that most Subaru drivers are pretty cool when they see me in the BRZ

philipilihp > jovimon7
03/07/2014 at 11:53

I would TOTALLY let him merge.

With-a-G is back to not having anything written after his username > philipilihp
03/07/2014 at 11:58

Either:

a) He was a true BMW enthusiast but saw you use your turn signal and categorized you as an outsider.

b) He was not a BMW enthusiast, but a BMW driver , and he would never let anyone have room to get in.

philipilihp > With-a-G is back to not having anything written after his username
03/07/2014 at 12:00

I like that distinction, BMW drivers are the asshats, BMW enthusiasts are the cool peeps.

Inflame333 > philipilihp
03/07/2014 at 13:43

I've had 6 BMW's, I stay away from BMW people. They're weird.

A3R0 > philipilihp
03/07/2014 at 15:28

Bmw driver blah blah Bad driver blah blah
To be serious, all Jeep owners are friends. For some reason 95% of the people driving Jeeps waive to the other 95% of Jeep drivers.

philipilihp > A3R0
03/07/2014 at 15:29

That's awesome. I need to buy a Jeep. There is a Cherokee Trail Hawk in my work parking lot. That is one car that is seriously growing on me.

A3R0 > philipilihp
03/07/2014 at 15:37

Do it! My brothers friend's dad has a pretty old Jeep Wrangler (I think, trucks are not something I'm good at, especially classics) I would probably say 60's or 70's. To quote the friend,"My favorite part about my dads Jeep is waving to everyone."