The Mercedes Mentality.

[t.s]

having once been suspended for offering my opinion of mr seanmoran let me just say i think his holiday could be much better spent somewhere other than tilting windmills on thaivisa.

[apetley]

Ten to fifteen metres distance from the car in front at 90km/h on dry roads on a motorbike with good brakes is about right. There was no room between me and the car in front for some rich boy in his momma's dirty mercedes.

Stopping distance from approx 90 kph is about 60 metres. If the car in front slams on his brakes and your only 10 metres behind you'll be saying hi from his passenger seat.

[geriatrickid]

I suggest that it is the mercedes that is the cause of this. The unreliable electronic components with the constant warning signals that ABS has failed or that something else is wrong puts drivers on edge. They must rush to get where they are going before the over priced piece of crap stalls in traffic.

Mercedes is to reliability what GM is to innovation.

My experience.

[SeanMoran]

Ten to fifteen metres distance from the car in front at 90km/h on dry roads on a motorbike with good brakes is about right. There was no room between me and the car in front for some rich boy in his momma's dirty mercedes.

Stopping distance from approx 90 kph is about 60 metres. If the car in front slams on his brakes and your only 10 metres behind you'll be saying hi from his passenger seat.

So half the posters on this thread think that 10-15 metres behind the car in front was enough distance for the Mercedes following me to whip around through the break in the left lane convoy to get in front of me, and you think it should have been four times that distance?

One thing I must say is that you all love a good debate over things that mean nothing to your own lives. I sincerely hope that some of the experts here can enjoy more of these sorts of experiences in real life. It seems that some here (not all) could do with a little learning.

Essentially, the dropkick was behind me in a convoy of fastlane traffic and when there was a gap in the slow lane, he tried to shoot around me, simply to get IN FRONT OF ME and nothing else. There was no open road ahead. Sorry that I overestimated the reading comprehension skills of this forum as a whole, and thank you to those who comprehended.

[WarpSpeed]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fJ9hKpsulmY...feature=related

I can't bring up the entire video of this crash and honestly I'm not certain this is the one from Phuket a few years ago but it sure does look the same though the road looks too wide and the trees don't look correct but it really matters not if it is that similar and this is not a car he ran into though it could have been and then who's fault?..Motorcycles riders are like smokers who claim they never knew how dangerous it was and even still they do what they want, the problem is irresponsible riders always blame someone else when something happens just a like drunk.. In the end whether you die being right or not, dead is still dead, you can die trying to make your moot point and change the world or be a safe responsible and defensive rider and live longer, up to you...

[WarpSpeed]

Ten to fifteen metres distance from the car in front at 90km/h on dry roads on a motorbike with good brakes is about right. There was no room between me and the car in front for some rich boy in his momma's dirty mercedes.

Stopping distance from approx 90 kph is about 60 metres. If the car in front slams on his brakes and your only 10 metres behind you'll be saying hi from his passenger seat.

So half the posters on this thread think that 10-15 metres behind the car in front was enough distance for the Mercedes following me to whip around through the break in the left lane convoy to get in front of me, and you think it should have been four times that distance?

Missed the point again.. No, half the posters here believe you should have backed off and let him have another 10 or 15 meters..

In more response to your post above I'd be more then happy to provide you with some proper defensive and performance driving skills as that's what I have done for more then 20 years.. In retrospect I fear it would be lost you on though as first you have to have a clearer understanding of your mortality and common sense and less arrogance and bravado..

Edited January 25, 2010 by WarpSpeed

[SeanMoran]

Ten to fifteen metres distance from the car in front at 90km/h on dry roads on a motorbike with good brakes is about right. There was no room between me and the car in front for some rich boy in his momma's dirty mercedes.

Stopping distance from approx 90 kph is about 60 metres. If the car in front slams on his brakes and your only 10 metres behind you'll be saying hi from his passenger seat.

So half the posters on this thread think that 10-15 metres behind the car in front was enough distance for the Mercedes following me to whip around through the break in the left lane convoy to get in front of me, and you think it should have been four times that distance?

Missed the point again.. No, half the posters here believe you should have backed off and let him have another 10 or 15 meters..

He had an open road behind him. It wasn't the metres he wanted, but to put his Mercedes in front of me. You still won't understand this so good luck with your opinions tonight and I'll see you in the morning. Good night Warp' and good luck with working this out.

[apetley]

Ten to fifteen metres distance from the car in front at 90km/h on dry roads on a motorbike with good brakes is about right. There was no room between me and the car in front for some rich boy in his momma's dirty mercedes.

Stopping distance from approx 90 kph is about 60 metres. If the car in front slams on his brakes and your only 10 metres behind you'll be saying hi from his passenger seat.

So half the posters on this thread think that 10-15 metres behind the car in front was enough distance for the Mercedes following me to whip around through the break in the left lane convoy to get in front of me, and you think it should have been four times that distance?

One thing I must say is that you all love a good debate over things that mean nothing to your own lives. I sincerely hope that some of the experts here can enjoy more of these sorts of experiences in real life. It seems that some here (not all) could do with a little learning.

Essentially, the dropkick was behind me in a convoy of fastlane traffic and when there was a gap in the slow lane, he tried to shoot around me, simply to get IN FRONT OF ME and nothing else. There was no open road ahead. Sorry that I overestimated the reading comprehension skills of this forum as a whole, and thank you to those who comprehended.

Your the one stating that it's safe to be 10-15 metres behind a car when your travelling at 90 kph.

All I said was that the safe stopping distance from that speed is 60 metres.

If the car in front of you was to stop suddenly then no way is 10 or even 15 metres a safe distance.

As for 'enjoying' a similar experience, pass on that as I'm not that big an idiot to put myself in the same situation.

As for my reading omprehension I understood perfectly the Merc was behind, just commenting on how reckless it was to tailgate at that sort of speed. Seems you could do with a little learning of road safety.

[WarpSpeed]

JFYI I didn't really read anyone agreeing with your actions I read most providing other examples of inconsideration on Thai roads and other situations in daily Thai life. So you are not mistaken I don't hear anyone here including myself defending the other drivers inconsideration which at this point you can not yourself even identify definitively as a man or woman let alone as even Thai?? But still when it is motorcycle against anything larger it's always wise to be in defense mode not offense like you were and your actions are the reason why so many drivers take chances to get around someone.

Another perspective of this from their point of view; They may have been uncomfortable with you "drafting" as you say on the truck in front without proper distance and possibly either rear ending him or having to lay it down in a panic braking situation and they end up running you over. Did you give that any consideration?? That's defensive driving... I am far more qualified then the average driver and have the reactions of a cat but still it's BECAUSE I do and also anticipate with defensive driving that your actions would have made me uneasy were you in front of me..

[WarpSpeed]

Ten to fifteen metres distance from the car in front at 90km/h on dry roads on a motorbike with good brakes is about right. There was no room between me and the car in front for some rich boy in his momma's dirty mercedes.

Stopping distance from approx 90 kph is about 60 metres. If the car in front slams on his brakes and your only 10 metres behind you'll be saying hi from his passenger seat.

So half the posters on this thread think that 10-15 metres behind the car in front was enough distance for the Mercedes following me to whip around through the break in the left lane convoy to get in front of me, and you think it should have been four times that distance?

One thing I must say is that you all love a good debate over things that mean nothing to your own lives. I sincerely hope that some of the experts here can enjoy more of these sorts of experiences in real life. It seems that some here (not all) could do with a little learning.

Essentially, the dropkick was behind me in a convoy of fastlane traffic and when there was a gap in the slow lane, he tried to shoot around me, simply to get IN FRONT OF ME and nothing else. There was no open road ahead. Sorry that I overestimated the reading comprehension skills of this forum as a whole, and thank you to those who comprehended.

Your the one stating that it's safe to be 10-15 metres behind a car when your travelling at 90 kph.

All I said was that the safe stopping distance from that speed is 60 metres.

If the car in front of you was to stop suddenly then no way is 10 or even 15 metres a safe distance.

As for 'enjoying' a similar experience, pass on that as I'm not that big an idiot to put myself in the same situation.

As for my reading omprehension I understood perfectly the Merc was behind, just commenting on how reckless it was to tailgate at that sort of speed. Seems you could do with a little learning of road safety.

Cha ching!!!

[WarpSpeed]

Ten to fifteen metres distance from the car in front at 90km/h on dry roads on a motorbike with good brakes is about right. There was no room between me and the car in front for some rich boy in his momma's dirty mercedes.

Stopping distance from approx 90 kph is about 60 metres. If the car in front slams on his brakes and your only 10 metres behind you'll be saying hi from his passenger seat.

So half the posters on this thread think that 10-15 metres behind the car in front was enough distance for the Mercedes following me to whip around through the break in the left lane convoy to get in front of me, and you think it should have been four times that distance?

Missed the point again.. No, half the posters here believe you should have backed off and let him have another 10 or 15 meters..

He had an open road behind him. It wasn't the metres he wanted, but to put his Mercedes in front of me. Yes, and this requires safe distance between the two of you doesn't it?? Which if I'm not mistaken? Would be measured in meters or feet.. You still won't understand this so good luck with your opinions tonight and I'll see you in the morning. Good night Warp' and good luck with working this out.

Maybe I misunderstood as you seem to in that mode of being poor Mr. Understood..

You did say you could stop (or in this case) slow down if needed to? So then why didn't you slow to let him in safely instead of speeding up to keep him out?? Full stop....Sorry, no pun intended....

Edited January 25, 2010 by WarpSpeed

[zzaa09]

I understand where the OP is coming from and have experienced the same stuff many times which has made me angry and do similar stuff but my wife says he has an expensive car so he thinks he can do anything, a Thai thing. AAAAAh. Like the OP l lose it too, why, cos it happens too often.

That's always an easy out. "It's a Thai thing"

[onnut]

merc drivers in Thailand are in the same league as volvo drivers back home!

I must agree with most posters on here, you were on a bike and should ride offensively, you should have moved over and pulled back so he/she can get past. that way you would not have been peeved off all afternoon about this. If I was to try and overtake a bike and he sped up to block me on purpose I think I would have pulled in right next to him and forced him to move over.

he might have been on the way to hospital! with a sick kid in the back!

Edited January 25, 2010 by onnut

[WarpSpeed]

Another piece about defensive driving in any case car, truck, motorcycle or whatever, it ALWAYS applies in every case.. It's always better to have an impatient or overbearing driver in front of you and not behind you where you have no control over anything they might do.

When you are behind you have fighting chance of avoiding their stupidity and impatience as per the opposite where they may end up making you the rear bumper of the vehicle in front of you...Take my advice or leave it, you becoming a statistic won't make any difference in my life unless you fall in front of me and I have no choice but to run you over (though that would be your best chance of survival if you fall in front of anyone). I'm sorry to say though if you end up here as a sad fatality story or serious injuries on a forum such as this you'll get little sympathy from me and others...That's not a lack of compassion on anyone's part but rather it's a dose of reality of your environment and lack of common sense on your part..

[WarpSpeed]

When I saw the title I had something completely different in mind.

Usually the MB drivers here are old, slow and sit in the fast lane blocking everybody who wants to get past.

The " old and dirty" description makes me think this was a young guy. The old "rich" farts in their Benzes usually drive slow and sedate to the point one might think they are in their own world dreaming about money and have perfected being annoying on the road.

Even my wife noticed this behavior after I pointed it out to her. Now she mentions it, too when driving home from work, if stuck behind some boat sized S-class or worse yet, a 280SE.

Besides us Audi drivers snigger at Merc's.

Yeah Volvo's too!! Avoid them like the plague!

[WarpSpeed]

A lunatic wants to push past you even if he can go no further ? Where is the problem. Just let him. The problem is you are just like him if not worse!!!!. You would risk an accident rather than just let him pass. I'm sorry but I just do not get people like you You remind me of the many people in the UK that will sit in the outside lane at 70mph and refuse to move over as they are already travelling at the maximum speed. people like you probably cause more accidents that the Mercedes driver. Absolutely a larger safety issue and pet peeve by leaps and bounds!! Pseudo police.. All you had to do was back off let the lunatic pass and no problem. You didn't! You now try to justify your reckless actions. You can't!

Sure he can, he was driving a motorcycle and we don't understand.....

Jeezzz in all of the other non sense it escaped me that he was on his way back to the hospital?? He almost got a free ride in the bed of an EMS pick up truck instead or to the morgue..

Edited January 25, 2010 by WarpSpeed

[WarpSpeed]

I suggest that it is the mercedes that is the cause of this. The unreliable electronic components with the constant warning signals that ABS has failed or that something else is wrong puts drivers on edge. They must rush to get where they are going before the over priced piece of crap stalls in traffic.

I thought was this funny until..................................

I read this...............................

Mercedes is to reliability what GM is to innovation.

My experience.

[NanLaew]

It reminds me of when they leave lifts / skytrain in a rush and then proceed to walk slowly in front of you.

Or grabbing stuff out of the overheads before the seatbelt sign is off, pushing to get to the front of the queue and race up the ramp into the airport.... only to stand still on the moving walkways towards baggage claim.

[nasajsc]

I am itching to try the PIT maneuver on the next <deleted> that cuts me off....

[givenall]

Actually I see two maniac one in the MB and the other one you.

But give a Thai an expensive car and they think they have the right to do whatever they want must be because they think they are higher class

Edited January 25, 2010 by givenall

[KASABIAN]

Oh Lord wont you buy me a Mercedes Benz,

My friends all drive Finos, I must make amends,

Spend my life paying double, then all my Thai friends,

They tell me I'm just a guest here and a farang with lots to spend.

[daveh]

Dont know who's worse....the merc for trying to overtake or you for trying to cause an accident by speeding up and shutting him out.

I agree its annoying when someone does that but after describing your own actions I dont really think I'd want to be your passenger.

And that comes from someone who loves speed.

HL

That's easy, the OP is the one who is the worse driver of the two. I cannot for the life of me figure out why people try to prevent others from passing them. I can understand this if you are in a traffic jam and there's nowhere to go, but on an open road with slow drivers blocking the fast lane?

I see this ALL THE TIME in California. The drivers don't know the rules of the road and can't get over their sense of entitlement.

[SeanMoran]

That's easy, the OP is the one who is the worse driver of the two. I cannot for the life of me figure out why people try to prevent others from passing them. I can understand this if you are in a traffic jam and there's nowhere to go, but on an open road with slow drivers blocking the fast lane?

I see this ALL THE TIME in California. The drivers don't know the rules of the road and can't get over their sense of entitlement.

Good morning everyone. Let me repeat this one more time for the Californians:

We were in a 90 km/h traffic jam. There was nowhere to go because of slow 70 km/h traffic in the left lane and slow 90 km/h traffic in the right lane, ahead of the gold pickup ahead of red me ahead of the black Merc.

The driver of the black Mercedes sat in line 5-10 metres behind me 10-15 metres behind the pickup in front for a minute or so, and we're all motoring along at a constant pace, passing the left lane traffic which was comprised of quite a few slow-moving trucks.

Then when there was a small gap in the left lane traffic, the Merc driver gassed his car across both lanes to go past me on the left, and then tried to pull into the space in front of me, between me and the pickup in front.

The sole purpose of his action was to try to pass the single motorbike in front, that was following the convoy of traffic as fast as the traffic was flowing. It is this dangerous if not lethal attitude of car drivers that I believe causes most of the motorcycle fatalities in Thailand. If you believe that it's okay for big men to intimidate or beat up little women and children, then I guess the same goes for big cars intimidating or beating up little motorcycles.

As for the tailgating, 10-15 metres behind is not tailgating in Thailand. The draft of a 4x4 ute at 90 km/h will span further than 10-15 metres, but that is the safer distance to follow behind; as close behind as possible; because the car in front provides a barrier to maniacs approaching from behind. If you ride too far behind, you'll get run off the road by those in the rear-view mirrors.

I hope this helps to clarify the reality of yesterday's 'interesting' encounter.

[a2396]

Nothing peculiar to Thailand or Mercedes Benz. I saw this every day when I lived in USA.

[ManilaLover]

In most countries Mercedes drivers are the most hated ones, ALWAYS very arrogant people, not rarely it's the lowest part of society who uses an oversized old Mercedes as EGOBOOSTER, so not only because they are favorite for pulling trailers, hahaha.

Here Mercedes is a little degree worse then the poor sukkers who need a Fortuner or Camry to show their financed fortune (and lack of integrity)

How primitive can we be...

[Gary A]

I have been in that situation hundreds of time over the years here in Thailand. I always leave them plenty of room to get in ahead of me. I don't want them taking me out along with them. No way am I in that big of a hurry that one car passing me would make any difference.

As a side note, the Fortuners pulling that trick vastly outnumber the number of Mercedes.

[PattayaParent]

It is not the motorcyclists that are to blame for motorcycle deaths. It is the car drivers that consider a motorcyclist's life of less value than their own wing mirror.

Then explain to me why it is that when I'm going round a right hand sweeping bend in the right hand lane the idiot on the motocy in the left lane swerves across the road right in front of me without even looking.

And ditto a left hand bend when I'm on the inside.

I was almost hit by 2 such idiots last night.

[SeanMoran]

In most countries Mercedes drivers are the most hated ones, ALWAYS very arrogant people, not rarely it's the lowest part of society who uses an oversized old Mercedes as EGOBOOSTER, so not only because they are favorite for pulling trailers, hahaha.

Here Mercedes is a little degree worse then the poor sukkers who need a Fortuner or Camry to show their financed fortune (and lack of integrity)

How primitive can we be...

Evidence that there is no direct correlation between wealth and common sense, perhaps? I don't mean to slam the car manufacturer itself but the attitude of a small subset of drivers, of which yesterday's encounter was quite a good example.

Probably something best that I don't take too personally, for further down the road to Maptaphut, after we cleared the banked-up traffic and I slowed down to a nice cool law-abiding 120 (not really) and let the prestige car pass by at around 160, I watched it straddle the line between the left and right lanes, weaving around quite a bit as if the driver was either drunk at 11:00 in the morning or watching television whilst at the wheel?

Now it's time to go into battle again, for I have to make it to the hospital by 10:00 to have the dressing replaced for today. I hope to have a good example of courteous prestige automobile conduct to balance this one out at lunchtime today, but there's no way of knowing what the result of today's visit to the distant hospital will be. I hope to be back by around 13:00.

Wish me luck.

[MrJohnson]

It reminds me of when they leave lifts / skytrain in a rush and then proceed to walk slowly in front of you.

who are 'they' ? Mercedes drivers?

[MrJohnson]

It reminds me of when they leave lifts / skytrain in a rush and then proceed to walk slowly in front of you.

I have found that clipping the heals of the dawdlers does wonders, especially when they are walking 3 abreast along the pavement at the same pace as an arthritic snail

Yes, very polite behavior - I'm sure you do that back home