I can't be bothered!?

Question

Have you noticed how people that drive fancier cars rarely use their turn signals? Put somebody into a Lexus or Mercedes and they become so self-important! They seem to see everyone else around them as a nuisance unworthy of the effort or bother. Oh, yeah, a lot of people don't use turn signals, not just the well-to-do. But in this question I'm only pointing out the snooty.

Not using turn signals is stupid and shows a misguided tendency to be reckless and hateful. Has anyone else noticed this behavior by uppity jerks?

Answer 1

It is interesting you should note this. First of all, let me say I am not rich, nor do I think of myself as uppity--though perhaps others do. Most of my life I have driven fairly modest cars, most of which I have bought used. A couple of years ago one of those used car finds turned out to be a Jaguar sports car that I bought for $17,500--indeed I have never paid over $20,000 for a car in my life, and have bought cars for as little as $150 that I rebuilt and drove--so you get the idea--not some wealthy guy, I work for a living.

That said, I noticed something very peculiar when I started driving the Jaguar. When I would signal, as I had done all of my life, people would speed up to close out gaps in lanes--not everyone, but far more than when I was driving my usual beaters. And I got to talking to some other friends who are a little more of the Yuppie-bred suburbanites than I am, and who tend to drive nice cars, and many of them observed that when they became established and bought nice cars, they too became familiar with this phenomenon. In response, more than a few noted that they had stopped signalling to change lanes for example, simply becuase it seemed to notify the jealous that it was time to speed up and close the gaps to show Mr. BMW or Ms. Mercedes that they were not better than anyone else.

Well, it is hard really to know what other people are thinking when they do things, and I don't really know that jealousy is the cause for people speeding up to cut them off in their Beemers and Benzs or me in my Jag, but whatever the motivation I've certainly seen it happen time and again. Likewise, you don't really know if the guy or gal in the Jag or the Lexus is uppity and "can't be bothered" to trifle with lesser mortals when you notice they fail to signal, you simply take note of it and assume.

For my own part, if I am changing lanes I no longer signal for precisely the reasons I have stated--it seems to invite bad behavior for reasons I really cannot understand. On the other hand, if I am turning right or left and already have the lane, I do signal as a courtesy to those around me. I'd prefer to be able to signal all of the time, but being so forthright seems to earn some sort of punishment. Maybe next time I will switch back to a well used Ford or Subaru--I am just not sure this has been worth the grief.

Still, I suppose the point I am trying to make is that before you cast stones of aspersion at least consider whether your own behavior may have helped to create the very thing that offends you.


Signed
Guilty as Charged

Answer 2

I've actually noticed it with everyone. It's certainly a pet peeve of mine. I feel like writing the newspaper column and ask if people have just stopped signaling any more, its so annoying to wait for some one and then have them turn off right in front of you or be behind some who makes a sudden stop and turns with no warning. Without a signal sometimes you just don't know which way their going to go. Do police ever stop anyone for not signaling? I can't say its more with rich people, but their usually on their phones not paying attention to anything.

Answer 3

I have noticed these folks all the time. Fortunately, I have a solution. My car is what you might call a pile of crap to say the least, and what I propose will make those arrogant bastards think twice about the other people on the road. Just start ramming them. It's not like my car will be worth more than $3,000 after 5 years anyways.

Answer 4

Making silly generalizations like this about a class of people just makes you look like a class snob yourself. Poor drivers come from all walks of life, and all income levels...in fact, on a percentage basis there are far more people of average income levels who are bad drivers, just for the simple reason that there are more average-income drivers.

Based on personal experience I find that most inconsiderate drivers I encounter tend to be, in order, young females, young males, mid-age females and the elderly. No signals, tailgating, fussing with makeup, jabbering on the cellphone, in short, doing everything but driving.

Answer 5

It's not just the drivers of fancy cars... It's an absolute epidemic where I'm stationed in Tx! That and people on cell phones...

If I had a fancy car, I'd want to use my turn signal to not only draw attention to it, but to keep from getting hit!

Answer 6

You shouldn't be critical of these people. It is a disease. I helped set up a help group three yours ago called SMILE -(Some Men Indicate in Lexus' End-of) We now have a membership of 356,000.4400,55 lexus, BMW and merc drivers and are gently rehabilitating them to life on the open road. The majority of our users were abused by indicators as children - many felt abuse at the hands of rear view mirrors too. Please donate whatever you can to help this unfortonute people rebuild their lives .... and pay for scratches to their paintwork. Thank you.

Answer 7

Well I think it is because they are not worried about paying any deductible. That would be a big deal to me. So a minor fender bender, leaves them with a rental while theirs is fixed pronto and they insurance agent, anxious to retain the policies on their many items, does not raise rates as fast. I think it shows a disregard for the material object they are driving. Wreck an Benz, get another one.

Answer 8

Where I am from 80% of drivers never use their turn signals... of course it is a bunch of drunken hillbillies. It seems like the only people you notice that doesn't use their signals are driving these types of vehicles.

Answer 9

Alot of people don't use them, but I have never noticed that it is unique to the wealthy. In fact, my guess is the people who don't use them are mostly:
a) senior citizens who didn't have turn signals when they started driving.
b) poorly educated people who are too dumb to know that it's an important part of driving.

Answer 10

No, I have not. Bad driving habits applies to all types of drivers. I think drivers get in a hurry and forget the rules.