Hey all! Remember a while back when I posted the question wondering if you get treated worse in a sports vs. a normal car? Well now that I'm out of school I have the time to write the article and make the video (it's a joint project) so I really need everyone's input on this!

Over the next couple weeks please pay attention to how you are treated by EVERYONE, not just cops, in your sporty vs. normal cars. Watch for more aggressive driving, how people react when they see your car, if normal cars use you as a shield against cops (I've had that happen alot) and stuff like that.

Then pm me, or post here the stories either proving or disproving my theory that sports cars are treated worse on the road regardless of driving technique.

I also need people willing to do video interviews for the movie portion of the article. So you can either just write up your stories so I can use them in the article or set up a time with me so I can video you with your stories.

If this helps, here is a questionnaire to get you started or you can straight up respond to it. There is one for "normal non-sports car" drivers too, so if you could take that and hand it off to someone to answer that would be cool.

Question list for sport drivers

Do you feel like, in general, you get treated worse on the road by others while driving your sporty car?
Do you notice cops paying special attention to you in your sport car over a normal one?
Do you drive the same way on the streets in both a “normal” car and sport one? (Talking about everyday driving here)
Let’s say everyone on the highway is going about 5 over, are you too afraid to keep pace with traffic because you know you will get singled out by cops?
Do you feel like you have to be extra polite on the road to avoid being treated poorly by other drivers?
Do you feel safer speeding in a “normal” car?
You think cops have a good reason for singling out sport cars?
Ever met anyone (not a cop) with a bad outlook against sporty car drivers?
Feel like you’ve gotten “ridiculous” tickets in a sport car that you normally wouldn’t have gotten in a normal car?
Have any story that’s relevant you want to share?

Question list for normal drivers
When you see a sporty car on the road, what are your first thoughts?
Do you automatically assume sport car drivers are reckless and impolite on the road?
Let’s say everyone on the highway is going about 5 over and there are a couple sporty looking cars around you. Do you feel safer with them around thinking cops will pull them over instead of you?
You think cops have a good reason for singling out sport cars? Or, if you think cops don’t single them out, should they?
Have any relevant story you want to share?

 

this is a great project you are undertaking and I will contribute all i can over the next few days. As for the blocking for the cops, see it everyday on my 35 plus mile commute the Seattle from Auburn. The thing I see the most, is the big trucks, not even semi's, just large pick up's that will just move over on you because they are bigger. The 1'st gen rx 7 I drive is a small car, performs great and stops great. I would not want to be in a major collision in it. That being said I really watch out for the other idiots out there. I feel that because I drive this car others think I can stop better, avoid sudden lane changes and avoid them for being stupid.

I feel I get treated unfairly on the freeway because of the car I choose to drive, has a front spoiler, has a rear wing. I think most people think I am a young kid with a rice burner driving like a stupid idiot, until they see a 45 year old man with gray hair driving a nice sports car, maybe it changes their mind once they look in the window, but does not change their actions before the fact or action they have taken.

I have been paying a lot more attension to peps on the road since this was posted. I will report back in a few days after more obersavation on the driving habbits of others. never really gave it much thought. One tid bit.....did get a thumbs up from a state trooper on Tuesday morning...........might be a 7 owner, thought that was the coolest thing that has happened to me in years.

keep ya posted. others need to chime in now..i started the ball rolling.....lets get the comments going. This is a very important project................comments guys and gals.

Joe

ps: pm me if you need more. I drive everyday on the freeway both in the 7 and the company van..............I see a lot of bs

 

You're omitting relevant bits of info: The age and gender of the driver.

When I was 21 and driving a 67 Camaro I could get stopped for ridiculous reasons, the cops were just making stuff up to see if they could find something after they stopped me.

My FD has not been a street car in a few years, but when it was, cops didn't hassle me. I even peeled out in front of one once (startled at a light by someone honking behind me). He stopped me and told me to take it easy - that was it. I think he had been laughing. At this time I was about 45 years old.

Driving my FD on back roads to break it in, I had a least one cop do a double take, but he didn't come after me. He likely could see the gray hair and just kept going.

Having been a 20 something in a fast car I would say that cops suspicions of young guys in fast cars are justified.

 

Im twenty years old and my rx7 is my only "sporty car". I actually get less hassle from police in my rx7 than I do with my neon. Mind you my neon is all stock, no rims, no body kit, quiet stock muffler. My rx7 is 2.5in straight thru, lowered, and I hammer down when getting on the freeway.
I do tend to keep a closer eye out for police in my rx7 because I feel like I have a target on my back when I drive it. To my surprise tho whenever I do see a cop I NEVER get a second look from them. Its gotten to the point where I drive my rx7 because I feel more targeted IN MY NEON(wtf right)!

As far as other drivers on the road I am positive I am looked at as that dumb ricer kid... constantly getting looks from people like "Oh god, Not one of these guys!" or I will get the 40+ year old guy in his Buick/Impala/BMW/Silverado who give me a nasty look then mashes the pedel to the floor as his auto tranny trys to downshift and figure out wtf is going on.

I also get kids my age pull up with their Integ/Civic and try to get my attention to do freeway pulls, but most of the time Im just trying to get somewhere and ignore them.

Basicly from my experiences all I really can come up with is I got/am getting what I expected from people but police seem to be gettin the hint that some people drive sporty cars... not to have fun in them but because its a car to drive.

Also around here the local police are understanding of the tuner scene and dont seem to mind or bother with anyone, just keep it safe and respectful is all they have said.

 

Im very down to contribute. My home town was very discriminate against sports cars and driving one during the import explosion was like walking on glass.

 

When I would drive my first 280ZX I constantly had cops follow me pretty much anywhere I went. Every time I got off the freeway to go home I would have the same cop follow me up the off ramp and half way to my house. My 280 was slightly lowered and one time the cop was following so close that I couldn't see his headlights at all and could only see his grill guard out the back window. I thought he was a truck because it was so dark out and brake checked him. He backed off and never followed me again. I also had people cut me off as well as braking hard quite often. So much so that I got pretty good at keeping my brakes from locking up. People would also be just plain rude. People would intentionally block me from merging or changing lanes. I've even been flipped off by someone that I let merge in front of me during heavy traffic. I even got singled out once. I got on to the freeway to go home at about 2am. Only me and 1 other car on the road. A buick I think. My gauge cluster was digital and decided to go all funky on me so I didn't know my speed. I was keeping pace with the other car (a little bit slower actually) and I was the one that got pulled over. Then the cop has the ***** to tell me the other guy was going slower even though the whole time I was following him he was gradually getting further away. I have other stories as well.

When I drive my dads truck or my friends Camry I have no issues.

 

This is great guys, keep the stories coming!

Everything helps, and I'm planning on doing video interviews at the next Olympia Izzys meet. I'm also willing to meet up with anyone around oly if that time doesn't work out. You can remain anonymous too if you want, gives me a chance to do the cool witness-protection-program lighting lol




That doesn't seem to be the case here, I looked up the police reports and apparently the most pulled over "type" is a 40-50yr old white male. That's just for this area though. You brought up a valid point, which is one I have plans to explore already I just didn't want to put it in the questions; I wanted to see how relevant it was to others on their own. You are giving out spoilers