Do you look at all vehicles?

[SKR]

I always look. Not for cops or anything like people have been saying, just to see what other people drive. There's a lot of neat stuff out there in among all the boring cars.

[speedog]

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I always look. Not for cops or anything like people have been saying, just to see what other people drive. There's a lot of neat stuff out there in among all the boring cars.

Bingo. I spotted an ancient Mercedes on Edmonton Trail today as well as a late 50's International Harvester Travelall near Brentwood Mall.

[Sugarphreak]

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[speedog]

You are my hero. Really, you are.

[ExtraSlow]

I notice every Ford truck. The differences between the hundreds of Hyundai, KIA, and gmc branded small Korean cars is uninterested to me.

I do point out douchebag lifted diesel dodges to my wife letting her know the guy is probably single and dtf if she's looking for something on the side.

[botox]

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I always look. Not for cops or anything like people have been saying, just to see what other people drive. There's a lot of neat stuff out there in among all the boring cars.

Ditto. I look all the time for cool stuff and know when a ride deserves respect. Shit boxes I can care less cause these are usually the guys who drive like asshats. I also pay attention to how others are driving And will Look at their rear and side mirrors to see what they are doing and Will look at crosswalk signals to slow down or speed up to make lights.

[J-hop]

Man some of the responses in this thread have dunning-Kruger effect written all over them.

It's one thing to be comfortable behind the wheel, it's another to believe you have superior skills such as observation especially if you do not drive 8 hrs a day for work or compete.

The last time I did a driving course for work I was the only person in our vehicle when asked if I was an above average driver to say no. I was also the only person in our vehicle that could complete the slalom course at the expected speed without hitting a cone. Does it mean I'm above average? Absolutely not. But potentially I was more aware of my shortcomings.

[Mitsu3000gt]

I am looking everywhere constantly but only for police and photo radar, that's all I care about seeing on the road really. They have gotten so bold and unsafe with their positioning you need to stay alert and be scanning for them at all times.

I also purposely don't look at cars that are clearly attention whoring, as someone else mentioned earlier. Sometimes you pull up beside someone and you just know all they want is for people to oogle their car.

What's funny is that I drive a very standard economy car and I have got more looks, waves, and attention than I ever have before. About once a week someone pulls up beside me and motions to roll down the window and asks me what kind of car is it and how much did it cost lol (they can't read apparently).

[Swank]

I like finding someone who is singing along to a song in their car, like just givn'r, then I try to stare until they see me and get embarrassed - I'm very mature that way, I know

I hate the feeling after you zoned out while driving and don't remember half of the drive, happens to me every few years, I really try to avoid it but complacency always finds a way of letting it sneak back in.

[Kloubek]

I always look at other vehicles. But then, like most of us on here I am an enthusiast. One game I especially like to play (don't ask my why) is if I can figure out what vehicle is behind me at night based solely on the headlight design. Try it.

I think MOST people feel a car is an A to B proposition, and aren't interested to see what others are driving. Plus in a place like Calgary when times are good, money flows and cars like BMWs are a dime a dozen. With that in mind, kind of makes it a silly idea to spend so much on customizing and improving the exterior appearance of your vehicle when nobody else cares. But then - I've never done my customizing for others... it's always to make the vehicle what *I* want. But not everyone has that attitude.....

[Mitsu3000gt]

Speaking of games, the one I like to play is guess the driver. When I see someone driving a certain way or in a certain type of vehicle, I try and guess the demographic of the driver. I'm probably correct 75% of the time (old person, soccer mom, etc.) but sometimes there are big surprises haha.

[bjstare]

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Speaking of games, the one I like to play is guess the driver. When I see someone driving a certain way or in a certain type of vehicle, I try and guess the demographic of the driver. I'm probably correct 75% of the time (old person, soccer mom, etc.) but sometimes there are big surprises haha.

My wife and I do this, never fails to entertain. Fun to be right, also fun to be surprised.

[infamous]

a game that I have learned to play while driving is "try to guess what the stupidest thing the driver in front of me can do?" it sucks when your right and watch them do a 4 lane change in front of you, but it makes it easier to deal with.

[flipstah]

I have to look at all vehicles, especially in the Mini. I have to make sure I don't ride people's blind spots or else I'll get clipped.

SUV's can't spot me in the Mini, let alone lifted trucks that are all over Calgary.

You become a very defensive driver when you go side-by-side a lifted truck, can read what kind of shocks he has, while sitting in a running vehicle.

I also find cool cars this way, or a rare wagon.

[01RedDX]

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[Mitsu3000gt]

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Haha pretty much this. It's basically a game of stereotypes, which are accurate most of the time.

[J-hop]

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I have to look at all vehicles, especially in the Mini. I have to make sure I don't ride people's blind spots or else I'll get clipped.

SUV's can't spot me in the Mini, let alone lifted trucks that are all over Calgary.

You become a very defensive driver when you go side-by-side a lifted truck, can read what kind of shocks he has, while sitting in a running vehicle.

I also find cool cars this way, or a rare wagon.

Funny that you understand that in a car that is WAY safer in a collision than a motor cycle. Yet I watch a local celebrity biker's YouTube channel and in almost every vid at some point he's ripping passed a lane of traffic that's at a dead stop and then seems completely shocked when a car doesn't see him and pulls out. Some people just don't get it I guess

[Sugarphreak]

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[J-hop]

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Why is it so hard to believe that some people have superior observation skills? It isn't all that difficult to cultivate... basically good vision + good habits + being actively aware.

Personally the last time I had my eyesight checked I had a perfect 20/15 score and can get about 70% of the 20/13 letters. Sure it isn't 20/10, but it is better than average. I also have good driving habits like shoulder checking and not letting myself be distracted by anything. In terms of awareness, I am always looking at cars to see what they are, but I am also noting subtle aggressive behavior. If something unexpected happens on the road, there is a good chance I've been keeping an eye on the driver that caused it for a while in anticipation.

On a forum of car guys, I kind of expect that most people are going to be well above average in terms of observation on the road

I bet I could beat you through a slalom

You most certainly could beat me through a slalom, I'm a shit driver.

Self analysis is the single most biased analysis of ones skills. All I'm saying is don't get too confident in your abilities, especially if you only drive a half hour or so per day with most of that in stop and go traffic, you simply don't have the wheel time to build up any real skill.

I wouldn't say a car forum is full of good drivers necessarily. I spent my fair share of Saturday nights at BS back in the day and that was chock full of bad drivers in nice cars haha

[Sugarphreak]

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