Fiesta: prone to accidents because of its small size?

[meFiSTo]

This has been on mind a lot lately. I don't really drive this car much at the moment (what with going back and forth between various shops for installs and the fact it is not a daily driver to begin with). BUT: It seems that last few times I've driven the car, I've been in near misses involving someone not seeing me or not looking.

One was right at the entry of point to the hill up to my neighborhood. Traffic was stopped on the 2-lane highway leading to the street where I turn off. There's a little turn channel there. I entered it with signal on, steady, easy throttle, and then this older (than me if you can believe that) woman in a 2000ish gold Camry pulls out of the line of cars (no signal, no apparent look) right as I'm passing her in the turn channel. As I'm making my little right turn, she is veering into the spot I'm headed to at the very same time. I laid on my horn hard (beeeeeeeeeeep, that thing is so weak) and she (thankfully) steered to the middle of opening, rather than veering my way. She was just pulling into our entry street because she wanted to turn around to find another way home. I came to a full stop and she zipped by and made her turn around. Returning by me (stunned in my car) she headed back to the intersection to make her left turn. She clearly was nonplused, but she was equally unconcerned.

Here's a view of the intersection.

Sigh. I suspect it's just a matter of time before I get nailed, no matter how cautiously I drive. This is why I drive super conservatively on the street. i started doing that when I got into tracking the SVT Focus back in 2004. I observed what can go suddenly wrong in (and to) a car many times. Mostly: Pilot error combined with red mist. Keeping fingers crossed those pilots are not near me.

 

[SirSlaughter]

I've had way more than my fair share of close calls. my last fiesta in Yellow Blaze was nearly rammed off the road with the excuse of "I didn't see you". I had Fooping ungerglow, an equalizer sticker that was active, and my paint job is a bright yellow. How can you give me that excuse?

As for the ST, Orange Blaze. If you can't see that, then there is no hope for you. I've had people purposely try to cut me off, brake check me, squeeze me out of a merge, speed up when I go to overtake, you name it. It's like because the car is smaller, everyone thinks they can bully you. Then when they see this little hatchback go into hyper-aggressive mode they start flipping out like I started it. Don't screw with the Fiesta, it bites back hard. I get real mad when people try to bullshit with me. I just can't help it. It's like there is a switch in my brain and when they do that it just flips.

so word to you guys out there, be careful and look out.

 

[opusmonday]

There is a reason my license plate is NOPE. Rare is the time I give way when boogered about with. SURPRISE.FAST.HATCHBACK.ACTION

I've had way more than my fair share of close calls. my last fiesta in Yellow Blaze was nearly rammed off the road with the excuse of "I didn't see you". I had Fooping ungerglow, an equalizer sticker that was active, and my paint job is a bright yellow. How can you give me that excuse?

As for the ST, Orange Blaze. If you can't see that, then there is no hope for you. I've had people purposely try to cut me off, brake check me, squeeze me out of a merge, speed up when I go to overtake, you name it. It's like because the car is smaller, everyone thinks they can bully you. Then when they see this little hatchback go into hyper-aggressive mode they start flipping out like I started it. Don't screw with the Fiesta, it bites back hard. I get real mad when people try to bullshit with me. I just can't help it. It's like there is a switch in my brain and when they do that it just flips.

so word to you guys out there, be careful and look out.

 

[RAAMaudio]

I had some dumb ass pull out across 4 lanes today, no traffic, all the way into the far right lane today right in front of me and I was in my dually with DRL's on.....some people should not be allowed to propagate.

I have had fun over the years with snooty drivers in expensive cars they usually can barely drive thinking they own the road when I was in a beater, just drift on over, hold my line, etc...they always give way


I have also had butt holes not let me over when I am towing, combined 30K lbs, 62 ft long, 13 ft high, blinker on forever, I just start drifting over slowly, they always get out of the way.

I much prefer to be polite all the time but some people are just rude, ignorant, butt heads, etc.....I hope giving them a little wake up call will start them paying attention or being aware of the fact they are actually driving.

 

[Hijinx]

The times I do see the need to apply speed, I wonder what people feel when my Fiesta zooms away from them and their pedal is to the floor. It must be very frustrating for them. Most times though, I back off as it's much safer to not incite anger/frustration.

 

[SirSlaughter]

just to clarify, the lady that said she didn't see me actually did ram me off the road. My wording was as precise as I wanted.
$6800 in damages to my little hatchback that I ended up trading for the ST. I am rather certain I would have received over 10 grand had it not been for the accident. But no, someone had to cross 5 lanes of traffic right in front of an intersection because they are so important.

I'm jaded if you can't tell. I don't like to be that way, but too much crap has happened and I'm super jaded about stuff like this.

 

[Original J-Pat]

I can go on forever on this topic i live in LA and by far have the worst drivers as of now don't even have my car I'm in a rental cuz someone tookout my FiST in my school parking lot almost t-boned me while I was goin about 1 mph and he was going 15 or so and flew right into me good thing i swerved out and was braking or else it wouldve been alot worse but anyone use dash cams I have a go pro and it would always record in segments it was so dumb and they're not cheap to buy another one and put it in the rear

 

[RAAMaudio]

I parked way in the corner of a big lot on a very hot day, my favorite 510 Datsun, the one I had won many autocrosses in, had it the longest..just painted and not even fully assembled...front end was caved in......hit and run, middle of the day......my Tacoma, show and audio comp daily driver, 7 page mag feature, hit and run 3 times in 2 years...

 

[opusmonday]

I parked way in the corner of a big lot on a very hot day, my favorite 510 Datsun, the one I had won many autocrosses in, had it the longest..just painted and not even fully assembled...front end was caved in......hit and run, middle of the day......my Tacoma, show and audio comp daily driver, 7 page mag feature, hit and run 3 times in 2 years...

Unghh my heart is weeping openly. May the perpetrators be sentenced to drive the Pink Yaris of shame for all eternity with a governor of 55 and Justin Bieber glued into the CD deck on full volume.

 

[RStolz]

I get real mad when people try to bullshit with me. I just can't help it. It's like there is a switch in my brain and when they do that it just flips.

so word to you guys out there, be careful and look out.

you and me both. It's times like that I wish I still drove the worst car ever produced by humanity (Chevy Corsica). I'll eventually give an inch with the FiST, but never with the Corsica; it wasn't like anyone was going to make it any uglier, or drop its value. I'm more tame with idiocy or clear mistakes.

I had a dude in a brand spanky new Dodge pickup try to play me in my old Versa. He swerved into my lane aggressively (after I think he assumed I actively blocked him... how dare I also be on the road) like he was going to side swipe me. I didn't budge. then very clearly told him to go ahead and hit me. Bluff called, he wasn't happy. I smiled, winked, and blew a kiss. He was less happy. slammed his go pedal, made lots of noise, and pulled away marginally quicker. I continued plodding home.

 

[meFiSTo]

...I hope giving them a little wake up call will start them paying attention or being aware of the fact they are actually driving.

But do you think it really does? Just looking at the responses to this thread, there just are a lot of folks on the road who are prepared to meet on-road challenges with equal aggression. What really is the point of that? I hate to bring this up, but you never know who might have a gun in their car and who might decide that "enough is enough" (whatever that threshold is and as irrational an assessment such a threshold might actually be). I'd rather drive fast in settings where it's comparatively safe and expected, and be the perfect combination of inconspicuous, but not invisible to UPS truck drivers, on the street.

Everyone has to make their way in the world as they see fit. I just think that, for me, the car is a thing I use to get from point A to point B. This one is a pleasant ride, but getting to point B is the important thing. Whether or not the other driver gets to where he/she is going is not my concern. I really just don't want to be involved in an incident where the other driver ends his/her journey permanently and adversely affects my journey in any way.

 

[D1JL]

you never know who might have a gun in their car

I can never decide on the 9mm or the .45





Dave

 

[RAAMaudio]

I am actually a very mellow driver except on a race track where I generally go all out and a bit over the top at times.

I only get a bit pushy if somebody just does not have any manners at all or to busy texting to pay attention when I have had been trying to move over for some time and they just do not let me do so. Then I gently move over a bit, use the horn if needed, etc....and once I can get where I need to be I give a friendly wave, even if they get mad, ignore me, etc

 

[meFiSTo]

I can never decide on the 9mm or the .45

Dave

Hah. Well, I'll be sure to be nice to you on the road! You are very noticeable, so I'll remember. You laugh, but I recall back several years ago a friend was driving home from a track day in Kent, WA (he was visiting from Portland). He reported that something happened on 18 and another driver got upset. Next thing, his window is shattered and bullet is lodged in his dash. It happens. Pissed off drivers with guns in their cars is sometimes not a very good mix.

 

[Gone in 60]

I try to be nice whenever I can. However, an idiot is an idiot. I have to remember that displaying equal aggression to what has been dealt to me won't make anyone less of an idiot.

 

[opusmonday]

I can never decide on the 9mm or the .45





Dave

It's difficult. The kinetic penetration of the .45 versus the ease of single handedly wielding and aiming a nine-iron. There are trade-offs to both. I'll never know. As a Canadian I'm lucky if I can wield a cell phone without charges.

 

[RAAMaudio]

Another 510 story, same car, skiing in Montana, coming down a mountain pass I noticed something coming fast at us in the rear view mirror, 18 wheeler nearly rammed us but I was able to get away just in time. I thought maybe he lost his brakes, I had already moved to the other lane and he followed and started gaining ground again so I swapped lanes and was timing jumping on the brakes but he came in right behind me. By then we are doing 120 and this guys is obviously trying to take us out and had no reason as I had not passed him or seen him. I took an off ramp at about 135 and barely made the stop at the end, he could not move over fast enough so went on past and I got back on to see what happened figuring he would crash but he slowed down enough to make the curves coming up but still dang fast for a big rig. Next town I pulled into the nearest place and call the highway patrol but they did not catch him.




chase me down a mountain pass in MT at 120MPH, no reason for it, just tried to ram me off the road, took an exit at the last second and barely made the stop......

 

[opusmonday]

Perhaps that car was just pressed from recycled Little Bastard, if you are familiar with the name.