December 8, 2011

Class warfare, Madison-style.

Last night, around 6 p.m., Meade — who's driven cars for 40 years without ever getting into an accident — was driving our Audi TT in the right lane on University Avenue, going the speed limit. Suddenly, a Toyota Yaris cut directly in front of him, missing our front left fender by half a car length. About 150 feet later, the Yaris braked and turned into the Whole Foods parking lot. Meade turned there too and drove over to where the Yaris was parking. When driver — a 40-ish white female — emerged, Meade called out, politely: "Excuse me. Do you realize that you cut me off over on University Avenue?"

Her comeback, in an acid tone: "Honey, if I had your Audi, I would drive better."

Why mention the Audi? What was she thinking? I mean, it's hard for me to imagine saying anything but "I'm really sorry." And there's no way Meade could have driven better. I assume she meant he should have driven faster, above the speed limit, because she wanted to go faster, and she needed to be in the right lane so she could make her turn into Whole Foods. We were just annoyingly in the way. And annoyingly riding in an Audi sportscar. She's in a Yaris. We're in an Audi TT, so fuck us. Honey.

IN THE COMMENTS:  edutcher said:
She was trying to bluff her way out of the fact she was at fault. 
Not so much bluff as distract. Like she's saying: You think I did something wrong. You did something wrong. You own something expensive. Not shame on me. I am the 99%. Shame on you!

145 comments:

RonF said...

WTF is a Yaris?

Michael said...

Get used to it. Our president, the president of all of us, is making it clear that Audi drivers and their ilk are our problem root and branch. You had better get with the program, Comrades, and the program is the Yaris or its equivalent.

TWM said...

"WTF is a Yaris?"

I swear I thought the same thing. Whatever it is, I'm betting it is not as nice as an Audi, and I'm not a big fan of them.

I had a Lexis cut me off on the way in this morning. I didn't think class, I thought "asshole." And a stupid one at that cause my old truck is a heck of a lot cheaper to fix than his. Like Kathy Bates in "Fried Green Tomatoes," I have insurance and can drive my truck dented or not.

Bob Ellison said...

Honey, if I drove an Audi TT, I'd be a girl.

BJK said...

You should really tag this post 1-percenter-problems.

As to the 'why,' it's fairly obvious that the person in question refuses to accept any fault or shame for the event, and is simply using relative income inequality to be dismissive about the event (rather than acknowledge the root problem).


Seems pretty much par for the course in Madison right now, unfortunately.

Joe said...

The Yaris is a shitty little Toyota that gets crappy gas mileage for its size.

Michael said...

I wonder how much of this type of behavior is motivated by comedy writing.

Think about it. The aggressive driver's line is right out of a bad sitcom. I'm vividly imagining the awful laugh track she must have felt she deserved for such witty repartee.

"Funny" characters in movies and TV shows routinely insult, snark and sarcastically comment their way through their lives. So we emulate that behavior in real life.

I could be wrong, but that's the first thing I thought about.

Scott M said...

A - what difference does it make that she's white? It's Madison WI. Isn't that a given? Judging by the crowd at POTUS' speech I would think so.

B - Meade was seeking confrontation. Why? What possible satisfaction could have possibly hoped to get out of following this person?

garage mahal said...

You had better get with the program, Comrades, and the program is the Yaris or its equivalent.

Damn straight, Generalissimo Reid is working on that as we speak. You're lucky it isn't a bike. What you think does not matter.

gerry said...

A Yaris.

Whole Foods.

In Madison.

What on earth could Meade expect? How long have you lived there?

I'm surprised she didn't dial 911 and complain about Meade stalking her.

Sounds like a Fried Green Tomatoes moment to me!

edutcher said...

She was trying to bluff her way out of the fact she was at fault.

(have a feeling she was on the phone...)

Freeman Hunt said...

Maybe it was a moby trying to convince others that Yaris drivers have bad manners.

Anonymous said...

So what did Meade say to that?

Shanna said...

Meade was seeking confrontation. Why?

Yeah, you are never going to have a satisfying conversation with someone when you gripe at them for cutting you off. I'm not sure what you expected.

That said, I have occasionally wondered why someone was driving a sports car if all they were going to do was poke along...

Meade said...

Honey, if I had your blog, I would delete all the commenters and take you away to a tropical island that doesn't have wifi.

MadisonMan said...

I will not drive in the right lane on University because someone is always turning into either Starbucks or Whole Foods.

It's odd that she admits that driving a Yaris makes a person a bad driver however.

But it's easier to be rude than to pony up to being wrong.

Sue D'Nhym said...

Wisconsin sounds less and less like the romanticized haven about which you have previously written.

Ipso Fatso said...

I have a 2000 Honda Civic and I get tailgated constantly by assholes in their SUV's and such. I typically do the speed limit and stay in the slow lanes and try to stay out of their way. It doesn't help.

I just think that there is a great deal of "Me First & Fuck You" thinking going on and one way it gets expressed is through how people drive. One small amusement I have is when they finally pass and they have an Obama sticker or some other feel good idiocy stuck to the back of their cars. No further proof of their stupidity is needed.

garage mahal said...

On the West side. Quelle Surprise!

*Madison Man Bait

Ann Althouse said...

"It's odd that she admits that driving a Yaris makes a person a bad driver however."

From the inflection, it was clear that she meant to accuse Meade of driving badly not admitting that she had driven badly. She shifted the blame on to him, even though he was simply driving the speed limit in the right lane and all the funny business was hers.

Chip S. said...

I'm surprised she didn't point out that her driving was no worse than Bush's war crimes.

roesch/voltaire said...

Class? I think it is gender warfare as most close calls I have had while driving are from women drivers, frequently talking on cell phones. Because of all the jokes made about women drivers, often true, they have become defensive.

The Drill SGT said...

a Yari is a Japanese polearm (stick with a blade at the end).

so Yaris are a bundle of them?

Ann Althouse said...

"One small amusement I have is when they finally pass and they have an Obama sticker or some other feel good idiocy stuck to the back of their cars. No further proof of their stupidity is needed."

People with bumper stickers should drive courteously, unless they're Mobys!

You see these "Recall Walker" cars driving like jackasses.... It think it helps Walker. What are they thinking?

Anonymous said...

I don't think it's class warfare, it's a*s-h*le/road-rage behavior. She probably just wanted some snappy come back to the confrontation. Why? because she's an a*sh*le. she's not going to admit she was rude.

Now maybe if you were driving a Rolls or a Jaguar/Porsche or even a BMW...

I ignore people who road-rage and give them space. Some of them are off their meds crazy.

Meade said...

timmaguire42 said...
"So what did Meade say to that?"

Nothing. She walked on into Whole Foods. All I wanted to know was whether or not she knew she had cut me off. And apparently she got what she wanted - to tell me she envied my car but not my driving style.

Scott M said...

All I wanted to know was whether or not she knew she had cut me off.

Why?

Meade said...

Chip S. said...
"I'm surprised she didn't point out that her driving was no worse than Bush's war crimes."

LOL X 2

MadisonMan said...

She shifted the blame on to him, even though he was simply driving the speed limit in the right lane and all the funny business was hers.

I drove in Boston for a few years, and this situation calls out for being an East Coast Driver. I know the Yaris is going to go to Whole Foods. I know they will speed up to pass me. I will speed up and prevent it. If they want to turn right, they can get behind me.

I will also play East Coast Driver on Monroe Street. If I see you trying to pass me on the right just after Glenway (because I am going the speed limit), before the parked cars block your path, you can bet I will speed up and prevent it.

Paco Wové said...

"I'm surprised she didn't point out that her driving was no worse than Bush's war crimes."

Indeed. How dare Meade complain about her driving when millions died at Chernobyl!

Anonymous said...

The other part of being an East Coast Driver is realizing that if you had half a carlength to spare, you haven't really been cut off.

Anonymous said...

"B - Meade was seeking confrontation. Why? What possible satisfaction could have possibly hoped to get out of following this person?"

yeah - good question.

I would personally never do this because I wouldn't know if the driver had calmed down. Some people have weapons in their car. Small chances, but why take the chance?

How would a paranoid react to you approaching her car?

What's the benefit of confrontation? If she hasn't grown up by this point, it's not going to happen. If she's crazy, why are you risking your safety?

MadisonMan said...

I am lucky -- and other drivers are too -- that I walk to work. Much more relaxing.

Scott M said...

I am lucky -- and other drivers are too -- that I walk to work. Much more relaxing.

I miss that. On my last radio gig, we went from a house the company had provided for a year to the apartment complex right behind the cluster's building. From 2000 sq ft to 900, but literally walking less than two minutes to work was sooooo worth it. No kids at the time, so why not?

jamboree said...

I think she was saying, "Fuck You" in the best way she could think of on the spur of the moment.

When someone **misses** you, it is inadvisable to follow them to their turnoff just to wag your finger at them and expect an apologetic response. In certain areas, you might actually get shot doing something stupid like that.

Nice cars don't necessarily indicate "class". Wannabes and drug dealers can have very, very nice cars (leased, bad credit) and low key professionals or "millionaires next door" can have less nice cars. Or not. It all depends. Maybe it's an LA thing.

If you were there, why weren't you driving your own car? I think it's cute that you are careful to include Meade in marital legal ownership, but my first thought was "we all know whose car that is."

Hmm, would that be a gender or a class issue?

Seriously, maybe you guys are a little sensitive about this whole class issue for other reasons.

Chip S. said...

True story: One day somebody pulled out of a parking lot right into my path. I hit the brakes hard, honked, and--um, maybe--gave the unidigital sign of disapproval. (No, I wasn't over the speed limit.)

Well, as we kept driving that car remained directly in front of me, all the way into my building's parking garage...all the way to the parking space immediately next to mine. New tenant! Even worse, a little old lady.

She broke the awkward silence by saying, "I guess you don't like what I did." I shrugged sheepishly and pretended to be looking for something in my trunk to give her a big head start toward the elevators.

Small, karmic world. (I use that term only metaphorically, Crack.)

Original Mike said...

I was run into by someone in the Whole Foods parking lot awhile back. Totally her fault, which she admitted at the time, but when she started to talking to the insurance company it became my fault. Fortunately, I had an eye witness who had given me his card after he saw her hit me.

I don't like Whole Foods. Good food, but I don't think much of the clientele.

Dust Bunny Queen said...

All I wanted to know was whether or not she knew she had cut me off.

To what end?

So now she knows and now you know she doesn't care.

So?

Dust Bunny Queen said...

Also, what Canuck said.

Unless she had damaged your car and you needed to get her insurance information, it was a pointless exercise that could possibly have put you into mortal danger.

Original Mike said...

"If I see you trying to pass me on the right just after Glenway (because I am going the speed limit), before the parked cars block your path, you can bet I will speed up and prevent it."

That was you?

TTBurnett said...

In Massachusetts, cutting someone off by half a fender-length earns you extra credit on the driving exam. Shows good technique.

And then there's the closely-followed rule of allowing one inch distance between cars per 10 mph of speed. For extra safety when following, if you have halogen lights be sure they're on high.

Of course, left-turns can slow down traffic, so you may wish to pass pokey left-turners on the left, which has the advantage of surprise to out-of-staters (who don't belong here anyway). Watch out for other cars who may have passed the obstacle on the right. Either of you may apply the half-fender cutoff technique mentioned above.

You can always spot nervous amateurs on the road in Massachusetts. Compared to our local virtuosi, they drive like Meade.

Ann Althouse said...

"If you were there, why weren't you driving your own car? I think it's cute that you are careful to include Meade in marital legal ownership, but my first thought was "we all know whose car that is.""

Am I supposed to do all the cooking too, since the stove is part of the house that was mine before we got together?

jimbino said...

Better being run into by a Whole Foods Maharishi Hashish Yogurt Granola chick than marrying one.

Michael said...

One small problem with the class warfare theme. Should the revolution come, the current lefties will be working for the former one percenters in very short order. You might be driving a Yaris then, Professor, but it will be waxed and groomed by the 99. The left has very limited understanding of what revolutions have brought to those true believers who thought they would be rewarded at the conclusion. The sad tale of the soviet is rarely read by the left. They prefer the tee shirts.

Scott M said...

Am I supposed to do all the cooking too, since the stove is part of the house that was mine before we got together?

No. You're supposed to do the cooking because you're the woman

(ducks)

Meade said...

Heh. She's a great cook, btw.

Kensington said...

Madison Man:
"I drove in Boston for a few years, and this situation calls out for being an East Coast Driver. I know the Yaris is going to go to Whole Foods. I know they will speed up to pass me. I will speed up and prevent it. If they want to turn right, they can get behind me.

I will also play East Coast Driver on Monroe Street. If I see you trying to pass me on the right just after Glenway (because I am going the speed limit), before the parked cars block your path, you can bet I will speed up and prevent it. "


Here's the problem with that. Now you've got a bad driver dogging you from behind when you could have had a bad driver tearing away from you and becoming somebody else's headache.

I'd much sooner have the bad drivers leaving me in their dust so I don't have to deal with them tailgating me or acting crazy.

Shanna said...

The other part of being an East Coast Driver is realizing that if you had half a carlength to spare, you haven't really been cut off.

Indeed. People in Arkansas seem to think it's rude but when i was in DC we called it merging.

Anonymous said...

roesch/voltaire said...
Class? I think it is gender warfare as most close calls I have had while driving are from women drivers, frequently talking on cell phones. Because of all the jokes made about women drivers, often true, they have become defensive.
------------------------

Amen. Amen. Amen.
Women + SUV + Cell = scary.
A month ago one passed me in the turning lane driving an Escalade, one hand on the cell in her right ear and the 'free' hand fixing her hair. Quite a start.

Original Mike said...

"I'd much sooner have the bad drivers leaving me in their dust so I don't have to deal with them tailgating me or acting crazy."

Me, too. I routinely pull over and let people pass when I don't like the way they are driving. I'd rather have them in front of me where I can see.

Besides, it pisses some of them off, since I've clearly dissed their driving.

ricpic said...

How is the woman in the wrong with the quick comeback line any different from Althouse? She never admits to error either.

TTBurnett said...

Yes, East Coast driving is all about WINNING! Getting there is okay, but like commenting on blogs, it's especially important to WIN.

But I like New England, and specifically Massachusetts, because it combines terror with acts of kindness that seem random to outsiders, but are actually part of an elaborate, unwritten code.

Just like blogging.

Anonymous said...

Sumtyms u gotta do yer civic dutiez, go in harmz way, n mak sure dat bad drivers get sum jusst deserts. Ynow, consequats 4 deyr free ridin.

Dat means u gotsa cut off leapfrogrz n stall 'em out, orr tooot @ aggro merjrz, or even call 'em out n let 'em no ur po'ed

Deyr hasta b a cost 4 aggro drivin, so nxt tym da peep will think 1st b4 bein a jerk.

Armed peepul izz a poliite peepul. In Ariz, all d peeps r packin, so evrybody iss politeey. In Madtown, no real conseques 4 jerkitude, so da badgers are aggro emos.

Meade jus doin his duty, @ some risk 4 hisself. Peals b4 swine.

traditionalguy said...

Doctor Zhivago gets more relevant every day as Comrade Obama does his job to us.

The Revolution has its standards, and those who do not fit in become Non-Persons.

It is More Fair.

GulfofMexico said...

Shame, shame, shame ... tactic #1 of the left.

After living on the East Coast for many years, I came to appreciate the general aggressiveness of drivers ... when you expect to be cut off it's no big deal.

edutcher said...

Ann, to reply to the update, I think they add up to the same thing since it will impact her insurance.

Michael said...

TraditionalGuy: When you hear the word "fair" from your opponent you have to run for cover because something bad and unfair is about to happen to you. In my business "fair" is thought of as a place in the country with cotton candy and candy apples.

Henry said...

A few years back I was in a Whole Foods parking lot getting my very small kids into my car. 5 point harness, 4 point harness, the whole 9 yards. Some lady darts into the adjacent space in total disregard for the fact that I was leaning into the car with door open and one of my kids still standing next to the fender. I was not polite. And boy did she get pissy. "How long do you think I was going to wait." she said.

edutcher at 1:54 nails the psychology.

madAsHell said...

Have you seen the price of arugula at Whole Foods?

Anonymous said...

it combines terror with acts of kindness that seem random to outsiders

Chief among these: If someone's trying to turn left out of the same side street that you're about to turn left into, you have to give up your right of way to him even though you're on the main street. That way, you'll have a front-row seat when he gets clobbered by one of the cars that are squeezing past you on the right.

Fred Drinkwater said...

Original Mike:
Reminds me of an incident skiing in Austria with my two kids (ages 8 & 10).
After having tolerated very rude line behavior most of the day, trying to keep my kids from being run over, I finally turned and politely offered to let the couple behind us go ahead of us.
They declined, but were clearly very affronted that I had even noticed, much less (OMG!) called them on it in public.

Scott M said...

How old were you the first time one of the following happened to you:

1) You're sitting in a parked car waiting for someone to come out of a store or something, and the car parked next to you backs out quickly...

or

2) You're first at a stoplight and the guy that pulls to a stop next to you goes a little too far into the intersection and backs up rapidly.

In either case, your subconscious registers the movement and convinces your brain that you're accelerating. You stab out with your foot at the break and cannot figure out why you're still moving.

Only a second, maybe less, of terror, but terror nonetheless.

prairie wind said...

Oh, good grief. Is there anything more tedious than someone using a public forum to complain about being cut off in traffic? Oh, I know. It's really about how it demonstrates something about class warfare. Whatever.

Yes, there are people out there who will point out that your car is an Audi. Just as you are pointing out that hers is a Yaris...and that yours is an Audi. There are people out there who will cut you off in traffic and be oblivious to that fact. There will be people who do not like you to point out that they screwed up. BFD.

How about if you congratulate Meade on his excellent defensive driving skills and move on? Why chase her down to--politely, of course--chastise her? What does that serve?

Scott M said...

What does that serve?

They get to mention they have an Audi. I have an inni. When my wive was pregnant, hers changed from an inni to an Audi. My son was born in October with a beirstein and knickers.

He really doesn't like the Polish kid at daycare for some reason...

Sofa King said...

This is craven repression and a shocking violation of free speech rights.

Wince said...

"Honey, if I had your Audi, I would drive better."

...And there's no way Meade could have driven better. I assume she meant he should have driven faster, above the speed limit, because she wanted to go faster, and she needed to be in the right lane so she could make her turn into Whole Foods. We were just annoyingly in the way.



Alternatively, it was an excuse. She was admitting that SHE should have driven better, and she would have, if only she had a more expensive car like the TT.

Income, excuse and guilt redistribution all wrapped up in one.

prairie wind said...

I have an inni.

Thanks. I needed that.

pm317 said...

Great! Blogger as a weapon in class warfare. You get to write about the stupid Yaris female in your blog and millions of people read about her. However, she does not fully realize that we don't know her identity, yet she will feel bad about being the subject of scorn in this post. Tit for tat. Go bloggers!

Irene said...

Shifting the blame is what the class warists do best.

Steve Koch said...

The rule I try to follow is to not retaliate or follow up when another driver is rude to me, the idea being that I want them out of my life as soon as possible. Following a rude driver into a parking a lot to tell them they were rude is not a good idea.

Isn't it normal for the driver of a crummy car to pick on the expensive car when they need to get into a lane? The reasoning being that the driver of the expensive car will be reluctant to be too aggressive to block a cheap car (maybe with crappy or no insurance) and have no desire to confront a prole.

Alex said...

Typical rude, annoying, hypocritical leftie. She shops at Whole Paycheck and has the temerity to accuse Meade of owning too much car?

Alex said...

This story simply reinforces my belief that the upper middle class are extremely envious of the mildly rich. Class warfare at all levels!

kjbe said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
kjbe said...

What Prairie Wind said...Audi, Yaris, Audi, Yaris. BFD. Both parties look childish.

rhhardin said...

I was looking at a Yaris for when my 87 Dodge Colt wears out.

Meade said...

I am pro-Yaris, myself.

Anonymous said...

Perhaps she meant that if she had an Audi she would drive better than she did in fact drive. That would arguably be worse than Althouse's interpretation, since it implies that she would have more regard for her property and her life if only she were richer. I guess caution with one's property and life just isn't worth it if one can only afford to drive a Toyota. Poor self-hating non-rich (-but-reasonably well-off-since-she-can-at-least-afford-a-Toyota) person.

sakredkow said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Christy said...

We all know how important cars are to our perceptions of class, and to who we are.

A friend of mine, driving an old Corolla, had an accident with a Volvo. Her fault. When the cop came, Volvo wife harassed him to cite Pal. She fit the stereotype of a Volvo owner - elitist and disdainful of the Corolla driver in her pony tail, no make up, khakis and worn white shirt. Cop didn't write a ticket, and quietly said to Pal, "These rich people think they own the world."

Punch line: One of Pal's other cars really is a Jaguar. (Remember the bumper sticker for beaters? My other car is a Jaguar.) Her garage is bigger than my house. Appearance sometimes is reality. And the cop's sympathies were with the scared, modest working woman.

DADvocate said...

Driving is how impotent, powerless people take out their agressions.

Big Mike said...

It's odd that she admits that driving a Yaris makes a person a bad driver however.

No, you're misunderstanding. The fact that she drives a small, cheap (and crappy) car makes her virtuous, and therefore everyone needs to look out for her. Sort of like the evolution of Jordan Baker from the 1% of the 1920's to 21st century members of the left-wing lunatic fringe.

But it's easier to be rude than to pony up to being wrong.

And you know because you deal with Madisonites all the time? Just askin'

On the other hand, I wouldn't have bothered following her into Whole Foods. There's no upside to confronting the miscreant -- if she's like a lot of people (and roughly 100% of female liberals in my experience) it would never cross her mind that she might be at fault in anything.

Cincinnatus said...

Class warfare is the excuse for all now.

Big Mike said...

I am pro-Yaris, myself.

I'm not. Many Toyotas are pretty good cars for the money, but IMAO the Yaris is a piece of crap. And she should be glad it was Meade in an Audi and not me in my 12 year old Dodge. I'm sure an Audi can stop shorter than my big, heavy Intrepid, and if my Intrepid slid into a Yaris it would flatten the Yaris and barely dent my car's fender.

Shanna said...

My impression was not that this was 'class warfare' but that it was a simple matter of 'why would you drive a sports car and not drive it like a sports car?' Coupled with a bit of annoyance at being called out on merging too close for Meade's comfort.

NotWhoIUsedtoBe said...

I drive for a living. I drive around town about 30 hours a week. I let bad driving by other people go. It's not worth being angry about. I try to forget about it as soon as possible. Otherwise, I'd be mad all the time.

People do what they want and then rationalize it later. Shrug.

I drive a Corolla, which lets me look down at the lowly Yaris.

Curious George said...

The only thing we can know for sure is that she wasn't a lesbian. They drive Subaru Foresters. And would have beat you up.

NotWhoIUsedtoBe said...

And have a dog in the back.

Sigivald said...

"I'd drive better"?

Than... driving in a straight line and constant speed, at or below the speed limit, so you can nearly cause a wreck by veering in front?

"Better" evidently must mean "by being psychic"...

(Contra BJK, a 2005 TT starts at $14k per Edmunds.

A $14,000 car is not "1-percent" territory.

It's not like it's an SL AMG or an M6. It's a six year old coupe from Volkswagen.)

Freeman Hunt said...

In high school I had a personalized license plate that read, "THINK." (Awfully pretentious for a teenager, but nevermind that.)

Do you know how carefully you have to drive when you have that plate? Very very.

garage mahal said...

I was in the auto parts store and someone asked the man at the desk "Can I get a gas cap for a Yaris?" And I said, "Sounds like a good trade".

Scott M said...

They drive Subaru Foresters.

Is this because of the hair on their legs?

sakredkow said...

I let bad driving by other people go. It's not worth being angry about. I try to forget about it as soon as possible.

Gee, John. Then what do you do for melodrama?

Scott M said...

They drive Subaru Foresters.

Maybe it's because they think lumberjacks wear flannel.

Sofa King said...

I was in the auto parts store and someone asked the man at the desk "Can I get a gas cap for a Yaris?" And I said, "Sounds like a good trade".

LOL!

Seriously though, the Fiesta is a way better car.

NotWhoIUsedtoBe said...

phx-

I've had a lifetime's worth of drama. I don't need any more.

TTBurnett said...

Exactly what's described here would be characterized in other parts of the country as "a drive down main street"--not even noticing, much less following and hectoring the other driver.

Aftermath of the same scene, chez Burnett:

"You're home early! Did you remember to go to the supermarket?"
"Sure did. Went to Whole Foods. Funny, there was some asshole in the parking lot telling Amy she didn't know how to drive. Amazing. Anyway, they had white asparagus on sale!"
"Great, I was hoping you'd see it! I've got something special in mind. You'll see!"
"Yum!"
"Mommm!! You know I HATE asparagus!"
"Don't complain. Your brother will eat it."
"Hey, Dad, Mom. When's dinner?"

Chez Althouse:

"Ah, you're back. Did you get gas?"
"Yes, but I also got something you can use on the blog."
"What's that?"
"Some Rosie O'Donnel cut me off on University Avenue. Driving a Yaris. Followed her into Whole Foods parking lot and gave her what for. She said, 'Honey, if I had your Audi, I'd drive better.'"
"Great! Class Warfare! Love it! I'll do a post. Make her seem protesty. She probably uses food stamps to buy white asparagus!"
"Ha ha! How about titling it 'TT, Madison-style?'"
"Oh, no! That's too obscure and backhanded. I'll just call it, 'Class Warfare, Madison-style.'"
"Heh!"

sakredkow said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Triangle Man said...

That's one of the strategies used by the dirtbags at the worst job I ever had whenever they got caught doing something wrong. The complete list of what to do if you are caught red-handed and you are a dirtbag:

1) Lie. Deny it directly.
2) Plausible deniability. Circumstantial denial.
3) Diversionary blame. Blame someone else for something else.

Toad Trend said...

People do this all the time, that is, deflect.

Not surprising.

This would have been my response, sitting in Meade's position:

"So, you think you can drive like an asshole because you aren't driving my Audi, is that right? That's brilliant, sweetheart!"

LordSomber said...

Don't the lawyerfolk call this "Tu quoque"?

Toad Trend said...

"Seriously though, the Fiesta is a way better car."

Ahh yes, the 'Fiasco' as I used to refer to it. Being an automotive guy back in the 80's we had great fun mocking certain 'bad' vehicles. Its a guy thing.

Some of the bigger pieces of shit I remember were the ubiquitous (not for long!) Chevy Chevette, the Citation, the Dodge Omni, anything with the first generation Buick 231 odd-even fire V6 engine, the AMC Pacer (the 'fishbowl') and the Matador (butt ugly).

Those were the days.

Mike_K said...

Someone jealous of an Audi ? Only in Madison. In California, only Lamborghinis get such treatment. Not in Japan, though.

sakredkow said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
sakredkow said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
sakredkow said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Toad Trend said...

"Is this because of the hair on their legs?"

You used some restraint there I see.

DaveW said...

When someone is acting the ass on the road, never ever follow and confront them. Leave, get away and be grateful.

sakredkow said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Meade said...

ricpic said...
"How is the woman in the wrong with the quick comeback line any different from Althouse? She never admits to error either."

The difference is - Althouse is never in the wrong.

Toad Trend said...

"The difference is - Althouse is never in the wrong."

Its almost as if - Althouse is real.
Like, its alive.

Mary Beth said...

I tell my children that people will drive like jerks but if you let it upset you, they've won. This is based on the theory that most jerks are angry, unhappy people and if you react, they've made you that much closer to being angry and unhappy like them.

Also, you never know who is armed.

Ralph L said...

Time to paint the TT orange, or get two of those college team flags for the roof.

In my experience, cell phone drivers poke along slower than everyone else.

sakredkow said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
sakredkow said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
David said...

What's a Yaris?

It sounds like a Sanskrit word for vagina.

Mike said...

She graduated to a Yaris from a Prius. As the old joke goes, you can always tell a porcupine from the drivers of certain cars--becaus on porpupines, the pricks are on the outside. Prius, Porsche and Yaris drivers, I'm looking at you.

Anonymous said...

Given the documented crash test performance of the Yaris, anyone who drives one ought to drive very carefully.

Peter

TTBurnett said...

Its almost as if - Althouse is real.

Don't Tread: Yes, you're on to something. It's in the air. You can almost feel it.

TTBurnett said...

I think I'm overstating the case.

Big Mike said...

The difference is - Althouse is never in the wrong.

That'll keep you from sleeping on the couch tonight.

Unknown said...

Having driven in three foreign countries while posted overseas and dealing with some crazy stuff on the roads (lack of lane lines, people totally ignoring the lights, illegal turns, etc), every time I return to the States, I am appalled at the way Americans drive. I'm used to jeepneys cutting us off, little kids running out into the street, entire families on one scooter, a six lane road becoming a seven lane road, etc, but people know HOW to drive, and they are generally MORE aware of their surroundings.

Most Americans feel they're the only person on the road and driving is a right, not a privilage. I find I drive more aggressively and more defensively every time I come back for home leave or R&R. I've gotten so used to other drivers and people being aware of their surroundings while driving, that it floors me how little Americans pay attention to anything but themselves in the car. This lady is using the 1% meme as an excuse for her poor behavior both in and out of the car.

And, I follow all road signs, lights, driving laws in the States, I don't care how much the person behind me is tailgating or honking their horn. Speed limit is 50, I go 50.

David-2 said...

An entire thread about pricks who can't drive and the car models they prefer and nobody has mentioned BMW?

Jamie Irons said...

It's getting real in the Whole Foods parking lot!*

Jamie Irons



*Plug the phrase in the YouTube search field for...well, you'll see...

Lawyer Mom said...

Yowza. Go Meade!

Better not let him start his own blog, Ann . . . whisk him away to that tropical island, before it's too late!

The Crack Emcee said...

I keep telling you losers to stop going to Whole Paycheck but nooooo! - you know better. So you go mingle with the idiots and the assholes and pay the inflated prices for the "progressive" nudging and frivolous decor. See if I care.

They'll kill you if they get the chance,..
.

Meade said...

"They'll kill you if they get the chance,.."

LOL

Chip Ahoy said...

When I was seventeen I knew a cocktail waitress who drove her boyfriend's stick shift VW bug. She didn't know the stick had to be shoved downward to engage reverse gear and thinking it was broken she drove around town in such a manner that she would never have to use reverse. Maybe the Yaris driver in this urban idyll is like the cocktail waitress. The small car forces her to drive worse.

jeff said...

"That said, I have occasionally wondered why someone was driving a sports car if all they were going to do was poke along..."

I do it because I want to keep my license and my insurance low.

"Meade was seeking confrontation. Why? What possible satisfaction could have possibly hoped to get out of following this person?"

There is always the chance the driver had no idea how close they came to running into someone, or the driver cuts people off because she knows there will be no consequences, or maybe some of us just get tired of getting cut off and want to let the other driver know it.

"An entire thread about pricks who can't drive and the car models they prefer and nobody has mentioned BMW?"

BMW Z-3 here. Which I drive at the speed limit.

Mulefly said...

She is a typical liberal democrat... the "victim" I frequently suggest to "whiners"... "quit being a democrat!"

LilEvie said...

Isn't it normal for the driver of a crummy car to pick on the expensive car when they need to get into a lane? The reasoning being that the driver of the expensive car will be reluctant to be too aggressive to block a cheap car (maybe with crappy or no insurance) and have no desire to confront a prole.

I once played chicken at a slow merge with a big black urban warfare Escalade. Me and the teale Astro won.

Beldar said...

There is no upside to pursuing people to give them a piece of your mind, and a lot of potential downside. We ought to try to resist this temptation.

Michael Haz said...

The class warfare in Madison appears on so many subliminal levels.

Driving a Yaris makes a statement. Usually it's "Crap, this is the only car I can afford".

Joanna said...

...or the driver cuts people off because she knows there will be no consequences...

^This^

If there were actual consequences to road rage, there would be far less of it. But no, it's better to just let bullies be bullies -- because no immediate good will come of it? Pfft.

(It would've been funny, tho, if Meade had pulled over to ask the woman if he could help with anything, since she was obviously in a big hurry to do something vastly important.)

Ralph L said...

Speed limit is 50, I go 50.
If you do that in the left lane, it's called Nestoring, after a jackass who started an avalanche of letters in the WaPo several decades ago.

Oh, and consider yourself lucky to be alive.

Amartel said...

By Your Stuff Shall Ye Be Known. The Religion of Stuff.

Also:
This Yaris cow pretends to be poor but shops at Whole Foods. Real poor people don't shop at Whole Foods due to cost. She's the self-anointed Entitled Poor, ie., not really poor but entitled to pretend and obtain the privileges and absolution of being "poor." Kind of like the OWS sheep. They're not poor, they're posing; their parents pay for those nice tents and sleeping bags and tuition. The rest of us are/will be contributing heavily to the cost of their useless degrees.

Amartel said...

By Your Stuff Shall Ye Be Known. The Religion of Stuff.

Also:
This Yaris cow pretends to be poor but shops at Whole Foods. Real poor people don't shop at Whole Foods due to cost. She's the self-anointed Entitled Poor, ie., not really poor but entitled to pretend and obtain the privileges and absolution of being "poor." Kind of like the OWS sheep. They're not poor, they're posing; their parents pay for those nice tents and sleeping bags and tuition. The rest of us are/will be contributing heavily to the cost of their useless degrees.

Peano said...

Why mention the Audi? What was she thinking? I mean, it's hard for me to imagine saying anything but "I'm really sorry." And there's no way Meade could have driven better. I assume she meant he should have driven faster, above the speed limit, because she wanted to go faster, and she needed to be in the right lane so she could make her turn into Whole Foods. We were just annoyingly in the way. And annoyingly riding in an Audi sportscar. She's in a Yaris. We're in an Audi TT, so fuck us. Honey.

I would say you're cute when your pissed, Honey, but you're not. You're just more obviously blonde.

Grow up and get over it already.

JAL said...

So the "99%" shops at Whole Foods?

But the attitude? This whole whiney "It's not fair." cr*p. (tm BHO)

Y'all who voted for that guy?

Don't just apologize, make it right next year.

Gez said...

Just on the class issue. It took me 15 years of hard work and finally I was able to buy my dream car. My beloved Mercedes Benz E350.
Oh and I grew up a welfare kid, not that it matters. One day I had to park it on a street in a typical neighborhood, not a "bad" section of town. Somebody had smeared a milkshake all over it, left the cup on the hood and tried to removed the hood ornament. This has never happened to me before. I got the car in 2006 and take care of it so it looks as new as I bought it.
Thanks class warfare, when I was dirt poor I never thought of doing something so spiteful. Soory for the sloppy post - just got home after working another 12 hour day.

J said...

Said by the bitch going to shop at Whole Paycheck to buy $20 cheese.

Meade should have replied, "C U next Tuesday!"

Unknown said...

Ralph L...I drive 50 in posted 50 lane....guess what, no accidents in over 15 years!

When you have infants in your car, you tend to obey all road signs. Their safety is more important. However, I AM start enough to know to do 50 in the right lane if need be.

I don't judge people based on their cars. When I was working retail back in the day, our cleaners drove Lexus' and Audis. The rest of us had beater cards.

Michael said...

Surely Meade is not what we call a traffic cop in our family. That is the person who drives the speed limit in the passing lane on interstate hwys mindful of the miles of cars plugged up behind but smugly enjoying the road at the exact speed limit.

Sal said...

Well, you did it. You were able to make OWS all about you. Nice work.

reformed trucker said...

"Am I suppose to do all the cooking too..." - Ann

Only if Meade's cooking sucks. I hope he's not just a good photographer and another pretty face...

kjbe said...

Wag more, bark less.