Annoying run in with an e46 323

[Russell328is]

Sorry I keep posting about run-ins with other bmw owners, but some of these guys are too much.

Tonight on the way to work I'm slowing to approach a red light on Lexington Ave (downtown, one way) when this grey-haired old guy in a silver e46 323i beeps his horn twice fast (as in, beepbeep, we're on the autobahn) and swerves into the parking lane just in time to cut me off and slam on his brakes. Needless to say, I'm not the road-rage kind, but I was so annoyed by this guy and how close he came to me just so he could sit at the light in front of me that I decided to go after him. I inch forward at the light so I'm within three or four inches of his bumper and see him look back in his mirrors to see what I'm doing.

Light turns green and he tries to take off, and of course I'm right on his butt. No aggressive revving or flashing, just riding his bumper. It's dusk, so I turn on my headlights and stick to his ass as he swerves in and out of more traffic. We're not driving fast, and I'm a constant 2 feet behimd him wherever he goes. He keeps checking his mirrors, and I can tell he's nervous and watching me, and finally he slows down to about 5mph to tell me to stop tailgaiting. I pull up to within a few inches of his bumper and stay there without honking or flashing or anything, just patiently telling him that I'm not going to go away. Then he stops right in the middle of the road, and so I pull up again within a few inches of him. I can see him fidgeting and looking in the rearview and side mirrors and wondering what to do, as we start moving again.

Now I can tell he's scared, and he tries to get away from me by punching it mid-block through a clearing in the traffic. I reel him in easily and stay on his butt wherever he goes. At one point, he gets to the right lane and slips between two garbage trucks and I lose him, only to find that he wants to take the Queensboro bridge, and so must get left again, right back in front of me.

Now, he turns left onto the ramp which goes to the bridge, exactly where I'm going -- I'm sure he doesn't think it's a coincidence, but I know it is. He tries to sprint around the onramp turn, but of course, as usual, I'm right on top of him and don't let him go. Plus, he's wearing stock non s/p 15's, and is no match for my 17's and suspension. Bridge traffic is a little thick but moving, and I'm still sticking to him, and he keeps trying to weave in and out (even though it's a solid line) between the trucks to get away. Finally, with both lanes clear, he swerves over angrily as if to let me pass, but of course, that's not what I want, so I just change with him and get right behind him again, 2 feet away, riding his bumper.

At this point, I realize that I've scared this moron enough so that maybe he'll think twice next time, so next time he scrambles to get away from me through a yellow light I just let him go. I have to say, I knew he was scared of me, and it made me feel great.

Stupid, I know, dangerous, I know -- satisfying? You bet.

[edit]
I just realized that my sig pic is basically exactly what this looked like...hehe

[///MINI]

Nicely done. I was feeling the adrenaline rush as I read your piece.

[Rel44 M3]

Originally posted by ///M Roadster
Nicely done. I was feeling the adrenaline rush as I read your piece.

Yeah dude, that guy even pissed me off!!! And I wasn't even there!!

[fredo]

ya, nice story....

[Preppy]

Originally posted by ///M Roadster
Nicely done. I was feeling the adrenaline rush as I read your piece.

Yeah, that pretty much sums up how I was feeling

Good job in keep your car under control though too, not easy keepin it up behind a car like that w/o rear ending the guy

[Russell328is]

Not tryin' to rub it in Chris, but it's much easier with a manual, especially if you're in a low gear...

[Glenn 328is]

Russell,

that is a sweet story. And you say you don't get road rage. Oh man, if it was me I'd pull up next to him and start swinging my billiard ball in a sock. He'd then get the message.

[mr happy]

I run into that all the time, fellow bimmerheads driving like a maniac. Nice jobing in riding his ass, cuz i know how differcult it is to drive in the city.

[Preppy]

Originally posted by Russell328is
Not tryin' to rub it in Chris, but it's much easier with a manual, especially if you're in a low gear...

Shut up! Nah, not rubbing it in (although the wounds of having a slushbox hurt as it is) but yeah, I didn't know that you had a manual. Explains a lot.

[RobH]

the same experience. It's just tough love showing a 323 what an M3 can do. They'll eventually trade up.

RobH
95 M3

[Seedster]

Russell.....ummm.....can we say "psycho?!?!" dude....u must've scared the SHIT outta the guy staying on his ass for that long. After about 45 secs or so I'd be scared of the guy slamming on the brakes (I do it ALL the time when people ride my ass)...2 feet?? Boy do u have some big ass balls! :p

[Russell328is]

Hey Seedy, I was going the same way he was anyway...:

[XOC]

Russell - excellent .. I've used that exact same technique when someone insists on getting in front of me. The way I think of it, maybe they'll think twice about getting in front of someone next time.