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Have you ever felt threatened whilst driving topless???

3.7K views 33 replies 25 participants last post by  delboy  
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#1 ·
Normally I am a confident person and little rattles my cage. I have always felt safe driving my TF, whether with the hood up or down. However....I had a nasty incident travelling west on the A303 yesterday and it unnerved me slightly.

I was on the dual carriageway and there was a B*W 318 behind me....as the dual carriageway ended he pulled in behind me and was so close to may rear that I felt intimidated and scared that if I braked the car would smash into me. A quick glance in the rear mirror and I saw it was two heavily built guys, shaven headed and late 20s or so. They kept gesticulating....probably because they hadn't been able to overtake me on the dual carriageway and maybe it peed them off.

We continued in a queue of heavy traffic until the next piece of dual carriageway....slow caravan in front, as soon as we neared the dual carriageway, I indicated to pull out only to find as I checked my mirrors that the B*W was coming up the side of me on the chevrons, before the dual carriageway had even started....I looked across as they drew level, they had the passenger window down and saw that both car occupants were gesticulating in a very 'sexual' way....and they wouldn't go past, continued driving alongside.

This is the first time I have ever felt intimidated like this...this was at 5.30pm on a weekday on a busy road. It made me wonder how scared I would have been if it had been on a quiet country road. And then I also wondered what the best way would have been to handle this sort of thing.

Has anyone else had any problems of this kind whilst driving topless? Or any road rage incidents??? And if so, how did they handle it? Any tips would be appreciated as I really do not want to feel like I did yesterday....and not being cocooned in a tintop makes the situation feel worse.

BTW, said ar$eholes then drove like they were out to kill anyone coming in the other direction when the dual ended....reinforcing the stereotypical view of B*W drivers.
 
#3 ·
the best thing to do with ppl like that are to just let them go. they will kill themselves sooner or later. u wont change them or maek them see the light and realise how stupid they are.


i get wound up very easily and have suffered from road rage many times, but always knew where to draw the line from being pissed off to acting dangerous or risk anything.

if u can, just try to ignore them, if ppl are up your **** then make sure the gap ahead is extra far so u limit the chances of having to brake yoruself.
if u found yourself on a country lane in that situation, just drive normally and try not to do anything that may cause an accident and head carefully towards somewhere u know or there are a lot fo ppl gonna be about.

i know its easy to say this while sitting at a desk rather than being in teh car itself.

and to answer the original question, myself and shell got lost in birmingham once and i had my top down, we went down some very ddogy streets and shell felt intimidated so i slowed at a set of traffic lights i pulled the roof back up.

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#4 ·
unfortunately you are always going to get ***** in cars..and not necessarily BMWs (I say this because until recently I have been a BMW driver for the last 5 years, but I drove "normally").

I just tend to wave and smile (this proceeds to wind them up even more).

The reason they do this is because they are infact intimidated by you!!!...and being knobs the best thing they can do is try to be all macho in the vain hope that you will crumble and they can feel superior.

Alas, to be safe (and that's more important than saving face), I would just try to ignore them and pull out of the way..they'll soon get bored and leave you alone.....

and of course you get the pleasure of waving at them as you pass them upside down in a ditch a few miles up the road.
 
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#5 ·
petevick said:
best thing to do is memorise the reg and report them to the police.
To be honest, I felt so sick when I saw what they were doing that looking at the reg plate was the last thing on my mind. It was a job to drive in a straight line as I was shaking so much. Shame the OH wasn't with me. Maybe I need to hire a nightclub bouncer for topless drives!
 
#6 ·
Move your rear view mirror to anti glare position (or in this case anti B*W tw*t position..) Ignore said fools by turning up the stereo and refusing to look in their direction would be my best advice. My Mum n Dad carry a wee can of pepper spray as well for last resorts....





Thinking about it though....I often have this problem with car loads of honey's all gesticulating rudely in the direction of me and my free passanger seat, obviously wanting to scare me into submission no doubt....Stand firm and don't bend to these wanton people :itschy:

(1st part of post serious, 2nd not so serious btw... :ts: )
 
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#7 ·
Not sure if I made it clear....they were doing something overtly sexual too...the bad driving wasn't the issue, it was the sexual act they - obviously mainly the passenger - were performing as they drove level with my car. That was the thing that I found so terrifying, TBH.
EDITED TO CLARIFY - they were exposing themselves and doing something...if you catch my drift...not just 'gesticulating'
 
#8 ·
The same happened to me once, 2 blokes in an Escort reversed out of a side road into the main road not looking and just missing me as i drove by, i glared at them so they followed me all the way into town sitting on my tail and at traffic lights pulling up beside me and staring at me. So i turned the music up ignored them completly and when they finally got bored and passed me i waved and smiled at them.

However as you say if it had been on a country road with no one around i would be straight on the mobile giving the reg to the police, no woman should be intimidated (sp) like that
 
#11 ·
Andie B said:
Not sure if I made it clear....they were doing something overtly sexual too...the bad driving wasn't the issue, it was the sexual act they - obviously mainly the passenger - were performing as they drove level with my car. That was the thing that I found so terrifying, TBH.
EDITED TO CLARIFY - they were exposing themselves and doing something...if you catch my drift...not just 'gesticulating'
That's really quite worrying Andie....they probably thought it was amusing, but exposing yourself is illegal IIRC.....Shame you didn't get the reg, they wouldn't have been laughing if it had been reported. :(
 
#13 ·
Ahhh yes BMW driver what a suprise... im sure they come from the same gene pool as the white van men.

The police are too busy catching honest joe public doing 65mph in a 60mph zone, they never seem to be there when you really need them.

I mean that would actually mean they would have to confront someone and perform a public service.... instead of zapping you and sending you a red letter without your knowledge .... im not bitter honest ;-)
 
#14 ·
Andie - just read this and am outraged on your behalf. How bloody dare they!!

As peeps have said before - they probably thought it was funny - ar*eholes, the pair of them. If you had had OH with you they would not have done it anyway. They sound like the usual saddo`s who expose themselves to lone women and children because they havent got the balls for a real relationship and are scared of real women. Having said that - it was still a scary experience and only you can work out how to make yourself feel safer `topless`??
Just try to keep it in perspective and bear in mind the many times you have been topless and had a FAB time - DO NOT let these neanderthals spoil your fun. I know its easy to say when it hasnt happened to you - BTW i have local police number saved on my phone etc - those alarms that you can keep in your bag or car might be an idea but having said that it might feel as if theres loads to be scared of when really there isnt.
Tess
 
#15 ·
Hey Andie...... makes me angry to read this :mad:

As said before: ignoring is a good way, but not always the best. Sometimes it can really provoce ..... it's a sort of intuitive feeling. I also sometimes have problems to react properly, especially in some "nice" populated areas.

Just trying to give you a little smile at this point: You can engage me as your personal topless guard ;)
 
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#17 ·
Thanks for the replies. To be honest, after posting this thread on the forum I felt really angry and sick about it... I am ashamed to say that I haven't told the OH the full extent of what happened as I don't want him to worry about me when I am out, just said that these men were a bit annoying.

Tess, think I'll do what you suggested - this road is one I use regularly on my route to and from work and visiting family and friends so I am going to put the number of the local police in my phone address book. Other than that I can't really do anything else. Just want to forget about it.

Thanks again for all the replies...and Herbie, thank you too for your offer...it did make me smile and I needed that!
 
#18 ·
Unfortunatly you do get people like this in the world. BUt reading the thread, and although it would have been good contacting the old bill, they will ask is there evidence etc... :(
It is scary being intimidated like that, especially when they get out at the traffic lights at you, good job no one was behind me as i went to auto pilot and in reverse. That was the scariest moment of my driving career yet.

Keep your chin up though, and i know its hard to do this, but in a few months time down the pub, you will be saying how they did this and that and be like omg!

Regards

Stu C
 
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#20 ·
Thanks everyone for the rplies....Frank, think you may be right. As I said, it was such a shock that I didn't even think about trying to memorise the numberplate. And today I just felt ill thinking about it.

And Stu, you're right....in a few months I will probably tell friends and the jokes will come out - humour is the best way to get over some things. Just hope I never have another experience like that one.

As the OH pointed out, there are a lot of d!ckheads out there who hate to see a woman in a nice car. Just have to hone my evil stare to perfection!
 
#22 ·
Unfortunately Andie, there are a lot of perverts out there whether you drive top-less or you just walk on the street to go home...
The thing is that these morons and sexually deprived sub-humanstry to intimidate women by all these and they feel good.

My ex-girlfriend had a similar insident, she was coming to pick me up from my office, she was on foot, and a guy in acar pulled beside her called her and he was doing...you know what....! I was at the same time downstairs with a colleague (black belt/instructor of Tae Kwon Do him - Kickboxin training myself). He said "do you like it" and my ex replied "I 've seen better"...
He was soooooo lucky because we heard it and it was funny and reduced the tension a bit but not the tension of our grip to his head on his steering-wheel...

To make a long story short I think he would think twice next time.....

But I am with the guys that said call the police and report them!!!
 
#23 ·
Pepper spray simple! big idiot gets out of car because my lights are too bright (strange that i use them every night, and no not the brights), i couldn't drive off so you get a good shot in the eyes push him over while he's crying like little girl nother shot to make sure, remove car ceys from his vehicle and toss into nearby bush. Drive away wandering why some people are just playing S**t heads.
 
#24 ·
TF160SA said:
Pepper spray simple! big idiot gets out of car because my lights are too bright (strange that i use them every night, and no not the brights), i couldn't drive off so you get a good shot in the eyes push him over while he's crying like little girl nother shot to make sure, remove car ceys from his vehicle and toss into nearby bush. Drive away wandering why some people are just playing S**t heads.

lol classic

andy you should have said to them to put there small c*cks away and stop imbarrasing themselves that would have shut them up but i do agree take the reg number and report to the police anything like that it's sexual harrasment at the end of the day also dangerous driving too.

It's not you're fault some people in this world where just born to be tw*ts and 95% of them Drive B*W so it's easy to separate good people and bad lol
 
#25 ·
sorry to read about your nasty incident Andie, you've met me and know i'm not a small and easily intimidated person but i feel uneasy when driving around a large city like B'ham topless especially in iffy areas and stuck in traffic. i relish driving topless around the country roads so DON'T let those t0ssers stop you, my advice, ALWAYS CARRY YOUR MOBILE PHONE!!!!
 
#26 ·
Have just come online and seen this thread sis,what a set of tossers.
First off Andie,a little perspective....although they look big and scary,they arent,as whenever you use their heads to to remodel a wall they ALWAYS cry like little babies as theyre cowards by definition.To them this was "a bit of a laugh" or "a joke" and wasnt meant to intimidate you (the truth of the matter is far different!).You should not,must not let these sad pathetic w*nkers (literaly) stop you from driving around topless and enjoying your driving.The odds are it will never ever happen to you again.
Call the local police and tell them as much as possible,as this behavoir is taken very seriously these days,although they wont get them this time,the information will be passed onto the patrols....and then its only a matter of time as theyll be looking out for them.Then see how they react to two large police officers discussing exposing themselves!Its always funny so them them weep.

If youre ever being intimidated by ANYONE whilst driving,phone 999 right away,dont stop!! just phone.make a mental note of where all the local police stations are and drive to the nearest one.

But remember sis,these are sad lonely losers who cannot keep hold of a woman as theyve no idea how to treat one and are scared of "real women" and "real sex" with a woman.They will end up sad bitter lonely old men as they rightly deserve.Also these tossers arent thugs(trust me on that lol) as they always turn out to be salesmen,banking clerks etc....every damn time.
And its only a matter of time before they pick on the wrong one!!hehe.....