How good do people think you are at driving?

[_Rick_]

And on topic: Just saw someone in a M135i with Dresden temporary plates driving around town. Well, on the bypass. Drove like a total idiot, undertaking, never more than a meter from the car in front.

I guess that's the allure of a new car and the power of foreign temp plates...

 

[BudAshes]

I got to start driving when I was about 12, so I had a head start on people when I got my license. I only drove on a farm so no traffic, but I got accustomed to racing around in a truck way before I could get a license. By the time I was 16 and could actually get my license driving wasn't a big deal anymore. Then I went through driving trial by fire as a teenager because I would drive up to Kirkwood at the top of the Sierras every weekend especially if it was blizzarding. Nowadays they close the roads a lot more but back then it was basically drive up at your own risk. The only way the roads closed was if there was an avalanche which does happen fairly often. My buddies and I would see that there was a storm coming in and pile in my Pathfinder on Friday night. Then we'd drive the 4 hrs up and get there at like 2 in the morning charging through the storm. We'd get there, sleep in the car, wake up, snowboard all day and then drive home. No fucking way I'd have the energy to do that now. It was an excellent way to learn the limits of your driving abilities though. Avoiding spinning soccer moms in there 2wd suv's and morons racing around in their pick up trucks on icy mountain roads is about the toughest driving you are going to do in 1st world country.

 

[Midwayman]

It's all a matter of perception. Most of the people that tell me they are scared or that I drive too aggressively are very inattentive drivers themselves. They couldn't imagine driving with the tighter tolerances I do and still do their secondary(or primary) activity at the same time.

+1 on that. Most people who say anything think nothing of their weaving around in the lane, drifting 10mph under the limit before realizing it, texting, etc, etc.