914 death trap, People keep trying to run me over Options

[#1RAGE]

I'm just wondering how many get a little nervous sometimes driving your teeners.

Just the other day I was almost in two accidents.

The first one I saw coming. I was driving down a street with lots of parked cars and I spotted a minivan coming out of an alley. I hit my brakes hard before I was at the alley and the woman driving the van just saw me as I was slamming on the brakes. She hit her brakes too and stopped before she was sticking out too far. Still, if I wasn't really paying attention I bet we would have collided.

Then less than 15 minutes later I was driving down a wide open street at about 30-40 mph and another parked minivan just pulled out as I was getting really close to it. 914's are great at swerving around morons like that but there was a bus coming from the other direction and I just barely avoided it as I swerved around the van. If the bus was any closer I would have not been able to swerve around and the van would have probably pushed me into the busses path... and that wouldn't be pretty. (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/mad.gif)

I've even narrowly missed getting smacked by a Miata! Some guy in a Miata was beside me at a stop light. He was complimenting my car and we had a nice little chat while waiting for the light. Then the light changed and we both turned (2 left turning lanes). Right after we turned he almost whipped into my lane when I just slightly behind him but thankfully he shoulder-checked just before it was too late. At the next light he appologized and said my car was so low he didn't see it. (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/huh.gif)

I'm also afraid of being beside pickup trucks and large SUV's. Once I was pulling up to a light and a guy in a pickup in the next lane almost ran over me because he probably just checked his mirror and didn't see anything. Luckily my 914 has a loud horn. (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/pray.gif)

So many people don't shoulder-check. It really bothers me.

It can be scary out there. I much prefer driving when there is little traffic.

Sorry about the long boring post. What are your experiences driving a small, low car surrounded by idiots?

[BMartin914]

All i can say is drive DEFENSIVELY. Here in Colorado there are so many morons in their full size SUVs and pick ups on the the freekin cell phone driving between the center and left lanes, not signaling and NEVER shoulder checking. I get asked why don't you drive you car to work? I say, take a look at the other drivers on the road and take a wild guess...they can't see you and don't even try. When you can't be seen by a minivan driver you are SOL when it comes to some dumb soccer mom in an H2. (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/ar15.gif) (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/ar15.gif) (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/ar15.gif)

Rant over.