I once drove for 400km behind a blue Subaru who had impeccable speed- keeping and use of high-beams at night. It was a lonely Thursday evening, very dark, moonless drive through remote forest and farmland with only the warm red glow of Blue Subaru's tal lights to keep me company. When we got to the next city he turned left just before we got into the city centre. I felt such grief. Sometimes I see other blue Subarus and I wonder if it's my Albany friend. I'll miss you Blue Subie, you live forever in my heart. Love, silver Mitsubishi.
About 20 years ago we went to Wales for a holiday. And when going on trips we always would leave about 3 or 4am to miss most of the traffic.
So it's about 5am and along the way I catch up with another car, an older Porsche, and I overtake them move back over...and he starts to keep up with me.
About 5 or so minutes later he overtakes but stays next to me and gives me a thumbs up, then pulls in front.
Ok, weird.
I follow behind for 10 minutes until I see him gesturing to overtake, so I do. He gives me the thumbs up and a wave and a cheesy grin, then sits behind me for about 5 or so minutes (probably with the big cheesy grin on his face) then overtakes etc etc. We then 'escalated' it to a little bit of acceleration on the overtaking manoeuvres for a giggle. (Though there was no speeding or danger.)
Bearing in mind I was driving a POS ford fiesta filled with suitcases, roof rack with bikes, a wife, and 2 kids, and he had a Porsche.
We carry on doing this for about 90 minutes, keeping each other awake and alert but also entertained.
Then when I thought he was going to overtake he slowed down as he got to my side and made gestures that he was going to pulling off the motorway. Thumbs up. Waved. Cheesy grinned at me. Then roared off.
I remember him whenever I see posts like this. And I wonder if he remembers me.
When we got to Wales and I woke the family up I tell them about 'The Mysterious Porsche Driver™ ', who kept me alert and entertained on the lonely deserted motorway of doom but the wife thinks I'm making it all up.
Then it became a 'joke' that there wasn't ever another driver but a guardian angel. An old Porsche driving guardian angel 😀. Which I may have believed if I was ever religious.
We've been on many holidays and trips since and it's never happened again.
It’s a thing on longer road trips especially. You’ll pass someone going a little slower and a few miles later they will pass you. You’ll do that back and forth for a while and yes, it is sad when they have to stop playing and go home.
Really? Those people who cant figure out how to engage their cruise control are the bane of my road tripping existence.
Especially when they pass you oh-so-slowly forcing you you to slow down to get in the passing lane behind them when you encounter the next few cars, then they slow down while passing, only to speed up again 2 miles later after you overtake them....
Its about the mildest possible of infuriating, but its like water torture.
Totally this. People who can‘t maintain speed drive me nuts. They‘re often the same ones that speed up when you pass them. Them, and for some reason the assholes going randomly 5-10 under the speed limit but suddenly find the gas pedal on the highway merge and make it difficult to get around them.
Not sure what cruise control has to do with this. Different cars have different acceleration speeds and there are conditions that rebalance traffic based on acceleration like traffic light or a slow moving obstacle. Also if you live in high speed highways there's always more space for variability as not everyone is always comfortable pushing the limit.
there are people who can't keep a constant speed on a flat road. it's annoying to have them pass you only to have to pass them again thirty seconds later. repeat a few times for annoyance.
Had a friend in school once tell a story about speeding with another driver ahead of him and all of a sudden there's a cop on his ass, lights on. Buddy pulls over to the next lane and the cop points at him and continues to go after the other guy.
When he told the tale, he said he got lucky and the cop pointed at him to warn him before going after the other guy.
I later realized that he probably got lucky that he failed to understand the cop was trying to pull them both over, but nothing came of it (that I heard of anyways).
Paul Walker (guy in the white car) died before the movie was finished (in a car crash, of all things). The last few scenes are actually his brother and a ton of CGI. This scene in particular is a tribute to Paul's life and legacy. His "last ride" into the great beyond, if you will (in the words of Wiz Khalifa).
I had an absolute blast following a mad trucker through mountain roads a few months back. Couldn't overtake him, but he was driving so freaking fast I was barely keeping up with him anyway.
I had so. Much. Fun !
After an hour or so we reached the plain and a motorway and as I finally overtook him, I flashed my warnings as thanks and he flashed back.
Just for clarification, he's not talking about actually having any sort of interaction with the drivers or even seeing their face, he's talking about the car itself being his buddy, right? Like "that red toyota is my friend", right?
It's those single serving kind of friends, ala the plane scene in fight club.
Temporary human mutual benefit alliances. You ride along, notice a fellow driver is placing safety over convenience. So, when car homie needs a slot to change lanes, you adjust your speed to hook them up. Next time, maybe they give you a headlight flick when they notice something coming from behind that is placing convenience over safety.
It's just humans being decent to each other on the road, but it fulfills a pretty deep human need for connection in one the worst settings for human connection.
Then, when they or you take an exit finally, you wave, give a honk, and move on.
But I'm telling you, and you find someone that you can drive like that with, it's awesome. On a really long drive, you can sync up and make better time with less stress. If you get a small group going? Awwwww yiiiiissssss.
I've had the good fortune of hooking up in a group a handful of times over the years. One time, going up to Ohio, a group formed and when one guy signaled and went into a rest stop, we all followed him in and just made small talk until he was done. Went like that all through until right over the Ohio border, where we had to split off for our individual destinations. We'd switch off positions, give hand signals back down the line when something was wonky ahead.
Never exchanged names, never talked about anything serious. But those were some great road friends
No, but you do start to consciously personify the drivers – contrasting the extreme depersonifying that driving encourages (see: "carbrain"). It's all wild, baseless speculation, and you know that, but it's fun to construct a fake traveling buddy in your head based on tidbits and wonder if maybe they're doing the same to you.
(Edit: I will note that I see this as kind of an "orphan-crushing machine" type of wholesome, showing how insanely isolating car travel is through how the human mind will cling onto the tiniest scraps of closeness with another person.)
My mom is taking a long drive from San Francisco to Salt Lake tomorrow. I'd go with her if I could, but life needs me in the bay area. It's a terrible drive but it's lots of fun with good music and if you know what sights to look for, like the alligators west of elko (I refuse to elaborate go find them yourself) and where to eat. Just don't stop at Imlay without all your bros because I know it's art but it's creepy and weird and we felt like we were going to get axe murdered the entire time we were there
A buddy of mine, my wife, and I all have a headband for an anime we want to make, but dont really have the time/talent to do so. But its basically this feeling, Slice-of-life style following a guy who finds another driver on the highway who drives just like him and they never meet outside of driving. Further episodes look from the other driver's perspective, follow this unspoken connection between 2 random drivers.
Idk it was a fun high conversation that has remained an inside joke, makes this post hit a little different for me.
Anyone driving my same make and model and paint color is my homie. Unless they do something stupid, in which case I'm ashamed to be associated with them.
I do this, kind of ... But it's more of a "we are comrades, you and I, on this rat race in which we have little control. You hang in there, little Toyota, and I will do my part."
I also do this to bad drivers, but not always antagonistically. "You can do it, I know you need to lane change. I saw that blinker. There's plenty of room, you just have to be brave." It still comes with an eye roll, but they're part of the convoy too.
I should add, when my partner is with me I also give the cars elaborate backstories. Lol
What was fun was once I was in a convoy of like six cars going from my college to the bay area (a bunch of music geeks and I drove together). And halfway through the drive a couple more cars joined our convoy. It was kind of neat hanging out and meeting the new people at the rest area. Normally we all just go to our own gas stations and hope to meet back up on the road, yknow. That trip was special.
I woukd just like to contrast this with the opposite: the people who think the highways are a big race. The people with the constant need to chase down and pass an car they can see in front of them. The people who speed up or get offended if another car behind them closes in on them or passes.
It's exhausting to share the road with those people, and even more exhausting to be a passenger.
I angle my rearview mirror up to the ceiling so I can't se how close the person is behind me. It doesn't really affect safety, I have a rearview camera for reversing, and it's so muchore pleasant not having to see some fuming butthole inches from my bumper. Get upset, fella, I can't see you and IDGAF
Ok, fellow society members: listen the fuck up. Driving is a team sport. Everyone is doing their best to get someplace safely. Working together is the only way it works well. When those among us decide the road is belong to them and that everyone and everything else is an obstacle to their happiness in their narcissistic little universe is when problems happen.
Back to OP... If you believe there are other human beings in the vehicles playing this game with you, all with the best intentions and working toward a common goal, then I think it is only natural that you'd start building empathic bonds with them. If on the other hand you're a self centered dumb shit with an under developed empathy center in your brain you'll look at this post and laugh at how dumb it sounds.
I'm glad to see in this thread my fellow lemmings creating relationships with strangers, if only between highway interchanges.
67 Comments
Sharkticon@lemmy.zip · 84 pts · 90d
Y'all don't have traveling buddies sometimes?
sem@piefed.blahaj.zone · 14 pts · 89d
Everytim
MrKoyun@lemmy.world · 8 pts · 89d
Every Tim.
darthsundhaft@piefed.social · 4 pts · 89d
Tim.
suxen_tsihcrana@anarchist.nexus · 4 pts · 89d
is that you, Tim Apple?
HeyThisIsntTheYMCA@lemmy.world · 3 pts · 89d
No, it's Tim Travelingbuddy
anzo@programming.dev · 2 pts · 88d
Can I join yourr Team?
HeyThisIsntTheYMCA@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 88d
are you a tim?
Agent641@lemmy.world · 66 pts · 89d
I once drove for 400km behind a blue Subaru who had impeccable speed- keeping and use of high-beams at night. It was a lonely Thursday evening, very dark, moonless drive through remote forest and farmland with only the warm red glow of Blue Subaru's tal lights to keep me company. When we got to the next city he turned left just before we got into the city centre. I felt such grief. Sometimes I see other blue Subarus and I wonder if it's my Albany friend. I'll miss you Blue Subie, you live forever in my heart. Love, silver Mitsubishi.
D_C@sh.itjust.works · 26 pts · 89d
About 20 years ago we went to Wales for a holiday. And when going on trips we always would leave about 3 or 4am to miss most of the traffic.
So it's about 5am and along the way I catch up with another car, an older Porsche, and I overtake them move back over...and he starts to keep up with me.
About 5 or so minutes later he overtakes but stays next to me and gives me a thumbs up, then pulls in front.
Ok, weird.
I follow behind for 10 minutes until I see him gesturing to overtake, so I do. He gives me the thumbs up and a wave and a cheesy grin, then sits behind me for about 5 or so minutes (probably with the big cheesy grin on his face) then overtakes etc etc. We then 'escalated' it to a little bit of acceleration on the overtaking manoeuvres for a giggle. (Though there was no speeding or danger.)
Bearing in mind I was driving a POS ford fiesta filled with suitcases, roof rack with bikes, a wife, and 2 kids, and he had a Porsche.
We carry on doing this for about 90 minutes, keeping each other awake and alert but also entertained.
Then when I thought he was going to overtake he slowed down as he got to my side and made gestures that he was going to pulling off the motorway. Thumbs up. Waved. Cheesy grinned at me. Then roared off.
I remember him whenever I see posts like this. And I wonder if he remembers me.
When we got to Wales and I woke the family up I tell them about 'The Mysterious Porsche Driver™ ', who kept me alert and entertained on the lonely deserted motorway of doom but the wife thinks I'm making it all up.
Then it became a 'joke' that there wasn't ever another driver but a guardian angel. An old Porsche driving guardian angel 😀. Which I may have believed if I was ever religious.
We've been on many holidays and trips since and it's never happened again.
possumparty@lemmy.blahaj.zone · 3 pts · 86d
god damnit i'm such a sap that actually brought a tear to my eye
Fmstrat@lemmy.world · 3 pts · 89d
If you tell me they stayed right except to pass on 87/287, I'll cry.
reallykindasorta@slrpnk.net · 52 pts · 90d
I definitely do this, I’ll even change my speed to stay with my buddies
athatet@lemmy.zip · 42 pts · 89d
It’s a thing on longer road trips especially. You’ll pass someone going a little slower and a few miles later they will pass you. You’ll do that back and forth for a while and yes, it is sad when they have to stop playing and go home.
dmention7@midwest.social · 22 pts · 89d
Really? Those people who cant figure out how to engage their cruise control are the bane of my road tripping existence.
Especially when they pass you oh-so-slowly forcing you you to slow down to get in the passing lane behind them when you encounter the next few cars, then they slow down while passing, only to speed up again 2 miles later after you overtake them....
Its about the mildest possible of infuriating, but its like water torture.
RememberTheApollo_@lemmy.world · 8 pts · 89d
Totally this. People who can‘t maintain speed drive me nuts. They‘re often the same ones that speed up when you pass them. Them, and for some reason the assholes going randomly 5-10 under the speed limit but suddenly find the gas pedal on the highway merge and make it difficult to get around them.
drmoose@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 89d
Not sure what cruise control has to do with this. Different cars have different acceleration speeds and there are conditions that rebalance traffic based on acceleration like traffic light or a slow moving obstacle. Also if you live in high speed highways there's always more space for variability as not everyone is always comfortable pushing the limit.
mrgoosmoos@lemmy.ca · 6 pts · 89d
there are people who can't keep a constant speed on a flat road. it's annoying to have them pass you only to have to pass them again thirty seconds later. repeat a few times for annoyance.
CrabAndBroom@lemmy.ml · 3 pts · 88d
Or when you have to stop to get petrol or something, and you watch all the people you worked hard to overtake speed by.
dwemthy@lemmy.world · 38 pts · 89d
Gotta have a speeding buddy. Speed alone? Get pulled over. Speeding with a buddy? Just going with the flow of traffic
Semi_Hemi_Demigod@lemmy.world · 18 pts · 89d
When someone goes flying by me I follow along about a half mile behind and let them probe for cops.
Transform2942@lemmy.ml · 10 pts · 89d
Hog bait
Buddahriffic@lemmy.world · 14 pts · 89d
Had a friend in school once tell a story about speeding with another driver ahead of him and all of a sudden there's a cop on his ass, lights on. Buddy pulls over to the next lane and the cop points at him and continues to go after the other guy.
When he told the tale, he said he got lucky and the cop pointed at him to warn him before going after the other guy.
I later realized that he probably got lucky that he failed to understand the cop was trying to pull them both over, but nothing came of it (that I heard of anyways).
teyrnon@sh.itjust.works · 7 pts · 89d
It is called a fuzz sweeper, follow a raging asshole that is speeding.
Semi_Hemi_Demigod@lemmy.world · 32 pts · 90d
Last time this happened it was me and a Supra coming east from Ohio. He took the exit for Pittsburgh and I never saw him again.
Best friend I ever had.
gesshoku@lemmy.zip · 26 pts · 90d
Edit: AaaaaAAAAAAAaaaAAAAAaaaAAA 🎶 #Family
Semi_Hemi_Demigod@lemmy.world · 14 pts · 90d
We’d been together since Dayton. Through the construction in Columbus, the rolling hills of Zanesville, and the high mountain passes of Wheeling.
HeyThisIsntTheYMCA@lemmy.world · 3 pts · 89d
I left him at the Cumberland Gap and my life just ain't been the same
Masamune@piefed.social · 6 pts · 89d
Now I am sad 😭
Agent641@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 89d
Why? It was just a movie?
prole@lemmy.blahaj.zone · 4 pts · 89d
He ded
Masamune@piefed.social · 2 pts · 85d
Paul Walker (guy in the white car) died before the movie was finished (in a car crash, of all things). The last few scenes are actually his brother and a ton of CGI. This scene in particular is a tribute to Paul's life and legacy. His "last ride" into the great beyond, if you will (in the words of Wiz Khalifa).
nkat2112@sh.itjust.works · 27 pts · 90d
Ok, I can certainly relate to this. I feel the same way.
TachyonTele@piefed.social · 25 pts · 90d
"Good riding with ya, Blue Nissan!"
fox2263@lemmy.world · 22 pts · 89d
I also designate some cars as my nemesis
cheers_queers@lemmy.zip · 4 pts · 89d
all truckers get this designation
Agent641@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 89d
Caravan towers and motorhomes 😡
LegitimateEngineer@lemmy.world · 22 pts · 90d
I do this on long road trips and notice being with the same car for a long while.
fibojoly@sh.itjust.works · 19 pts · 89d
I had an absolute blast following a mad trucker through mountain roads a few months back. Couldn't overtake him, but he was driving so freaking fast I was barely keeping up with him anyway. I had so. Much. Fun ! After an hour or so we reached the plain and a motorway and as I finally overtook him, I flashed my warnings as thanks and he flashed back.
Genuinely brings a smile to my face even though.
ParlimentOfDoom@piefed.zip · 19 pts · 89d
When you and the dude in front of you going the same speed pass those other cars together before responsible pulling back into the non-passing lane...
davidagain@lemmy.world · 5 pts · 89d
Exactly.
parson0@startrek.website · 17 pts · 89d
My cast system:
I judge:
Beacon@fedia.io · 16 pts · 90d
Just for clarification, he's not talking about actually having any sort of interaction with the drivers or even seeing their face, he's talking about the car itself being his buddy, right? Like "that red toyota is my friend", right?
southsamurai@sh.itjust.works · 12 pts · 90d
It's those single serving kind of friends, ala the plane scene in fight club.
Temporary human mutual benefit alliances. You ride along, notice a fellow driver is placing safety over convenience. So, when car homie needs a slot to change lanes, you adjust your speed to hook them up. Next time, maybe they give you a headlight flick when they notice something coming from behind that is placing convenience over safety.
It's just humans being decent to each other on the road, but it fulfills a pretty deep human need for connection in one the worst settings for human connection.
Then, when they or you take an exit finally, you wave, give a honk, and move on.
But I'm telling you, and you find someone that you can drive like that with, it's awesome. On a really long drive, you can sync up and make better time with less stress. If you get a small group going? Awwwww yiiiiissssss.
I've had the good fortune of hooking up in a group a handful of times over the years. One time, going up to Ohio, a group formed and when one guy signaled and went into a rest stop, we all followed him in and just made small talk until he was done. Went like that all through until right over the Ohio border, where we had to split off for our individual destinations. We'd switch off positions, give hand signals back down the line when something was wonky ahead.
Never exchanged names, never talked about anything serious. But those were some great road friends
TheTechnician27@lemmy.world · 8 pts · 90d
No, but you do start to consciously personify the drivers – contrasting the extreme depersonifying that driving encourages (see: "carbrain"). It's all wild, baseless speculation, and you know that, but it's fun to construct a fake traveling buddy in your head based on tidbits and wonder if maybe they're doing the same to you.
(Edit: I will note that I see this as kind of an "orphan-crushing machine" type of wholesome, showing how insanely isolating car travel is through how the human mind will cling onto the tiniest scraps of closeness with another person.)
fibojoly@sh.itjust.works · 6 pts · 89d
For sure. Surely women do this too, right?
It's a driver thing, right?
pixelmeow@lemmy.world · 9 pts · 89d
Yes we do!
fibojoly@sh.itjust.works · 3 pts · 89d
That's reassuring to read :)
BigDiction@lemmy.world · 3 pts · 90d
This exactly it. Same approach to driving, speed, passing, being in the correct lane, lots of miles to cover.
Rhaedas@fedia.io · 14 pts · 90d
Maybe it really was the friends we made along the way.
HeyThisIsntTheYMCA@lemmy.world · 12 pts · 89d
You don't?
My mom is taking a long drive from San Francisco to Salt Lake tomorrow. I'd go with her if I could, but life needs me in the bay area. It's a terrible drive but it's lots of fun with good music and if you know what sights to look for, like the alligators west of elko (I refuse to elaborate go find them yourself) and where to eat. Just don't stop at Imlay without all your bros because I know it's art but it's creepy and weird and we felt like we were going to get axe murdered the entire time we were there
Ragallos@lemmy.dbzer0.com · 10 pts · 90d
A buddy of mine, my wife, and I all have a headband for an anime we want to make, but dont really have the time/talent to do so. But its basically this feeling, Slice-of-life style following a guy who finds another driver on the highway who drives just like him and they never meet outside of driving. Further episodes look from the other driver's perspective, follow this unspoken connection between 2 random drivers.
Idk it was a fun high conversation that has remained an inside joke, makes this post hit a little different for me.
mushroommunk@lemmy.today · 8 pts · 90d
As a car hating random stranger I can still 100% see this being an anime I'd watch
flapperfivethousand@sh.itjust.works · 10 pts · 89d
Anyone driving my same make and model and paint color is my homie. Unless they do something stupid, in which case I'm ashamed to be associated with them.
taiyang@lemmy.world · 8 pts · 89d
I do this, kind of ... But it's more of a "we are comrades, you and I, on this rat race in which we have little control. You hang in there, little Toyota, and I will do my part."
I also do this to bad drivers, but not always antagonistically. "You can do it, I know you need to lane change. I saw that blinker. There's plenty of room, you just have to be brave." It still comes with an eye roll, but they're part of the convoy too.
I should add, when my partner is with me I also give the cars elaborate backstories. Lol
HeyThisIsntTheYMCA@lemmy.world · 4 pts · 89d
What was fun was once I was in a convoy of like six cars going from my college to the bay area (a bunch of music geeks and I drove together). And halfway through the drive a couple more cars joined our convoy. It was kind of neat hanging out and meeting the new people at the rest area. Normally we all just go to our own gas stations and hope to meet back up on the road, yknow. That trip was special.
paultimate14@lemmy.world · 8 pts · 90d
I woukd just like to contrast this with the opposite: the people who think the highways are a big race. The people with the constant need to chase down and pass an car they can see in front of them. The people who speed up or get offended if another car behind them closes in on them or passes.
It's exhausting to share the road with those people, and even more exhausting to be a passenger.
Sabata11792@ani.social · 8 pts · 90d
The 6 pickup trucks behind you riding your ass for only going 5 over the speed limit till there's enough room to illegally pass... I hate driving.
Agent641@lemmy.world · 3 pts · 89d
I angle my rearview mirror up to the ceiling so I can't se how close the person is behind me. It doesn't really affect safety, I have a rearview camera for reversing, and it's so muchore pleasant not having to see some fuming butthole inches from my bumper. Get upset, fella, I can't see you and IDGAF
laranis@lemmy.zip · 6 pts · 88d
Ok, fellow society members: listen the fuck up. Driving is a team sport. Everyone is doing their best to get someplace safely. Working together is the only way it works well. When those among us decide the road is belong to them and that everyone and everything else is an obstacle to their happiness in their narcissistic little universe is when problems happen.
Back to OP... If you believe there are other human beings in the vehicles playing this game with you, all with the best intentions and working toward a common goal, then I think it is only natural that you'd start building empathic bonds with them. If on the other hand you're a self centered dumb shit with an under developed empathy center in your brain you'll look at this post and laugh at how dumb it sounds.
I'm glad to see in this thread my fellow lemmings creating relationships with strangers, if only between highway interchanges.
Malyca@lemmy.zip · 6 pts · 90d
Do you guys not have driving buddies?
GaMEChld@lemmy.world · 3 pts · 89d
I always did this with my fellow RX-8 drivers when on the interstates.
lightsblinken@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 89d
rotary crew!
synapse3252@sh.itjust.works · 2 pts · 89d
Mazda gang
bitjunkie@lemmy.world · 3 pts · 90d
I wonder how this is working out for him given the new gas:therapy price ratio
Etterra@discuss.online · 2 pts · 89d
Whatever keeps the road rage away.
teyrnon@sh.itjust.works · -1 pts · 89d
So he is insane.