So maybe I should change the header as I really don't want to hear from Volvo drivers - after reading this post you will understand why. I can see the hate mail coming in already. Though it may be beneficial for this trivial study if I hear from the people who cause all some of my frustration.
This quarter I am taking a class in Psychology and I am finding it thoroughly interesting BUT it is also causing me to ask more questions. Now this is not a bad thing, actually it is great except when I cannot find the answers to those questions. Maybe there are answers out there but I am unware of some of them. I guess the reason behind this post is the hope that someone else in the blogosphere may enlighten me, or even just agree with me?
So "what possesses a certain type of individual to purchase a volvo, and unfortunately choose to drive that car in heavily populated areas - risking the lives and the mental calm of myself and other non volvo drivers?"
Ok, so maybe I exagerated a little with the whole 'risking lives comment' but they certainly do dispel my inner calm if I have to drive behind, in front or even next to them. So what is it with Volvo drivers? Now I am not posting this because of one incident with a volvo maniac driver, that would be ludicrous - how could I blame the ills of volvo handling on one driver. Unfortunately, I have been driving for twenty something years in both Austraila and America and the stereotype volvo drivers are the same in both countries, whether I am driving in Sydney, Perth, Melbourne or Seattle or Boston. Why, why, why!
Ok, so you want specifics. Of course you do! It would be unfair of me to clump a group of people together and speak ill of them without telling you why I feel the way I do. Some characteristics that I have noticed is that these drivers tend to be nervous types who are definitely not confident behind the wheel of a car. The also try to multitask but are absolutely horrible at it. They have the children screaming in the back seat, which is why the woman (yes, I have to admit that most of these annoying people are women) at the wheel keeps turning around to yell at them. Coffee in one hand, cell phone in the other. Dog in the back, yes, they usually drive the station wagon models, and the dog is often a yellow labrador or a red retriever with little obediance training which is obvious by the commotion going on in the back of the vehicle.
They have absolutely no idea how to use an indicator (AKA as a turn signal here in Seattle) which is why they turn and anyone driving near them has no idea what they are doing, and must brake suddenly to prevent from rear ending them. Of course, this indicator issue seems to be a Seattle thing so I shouldn't hold that against Volvo drivers. I was even going to suggest that car companies stop wasting consumer dollars by putting what appears to be useless little non-essentials in cars here, as there really is no point - but that is another pet peave that I will post about on another day.
So back to the dreaded Volvo driver. They also tend to drive really slow - totally erractic - but really, really, slow which I admit is better than if they were speeding, but at least they could get far away from me. At the moment if I see a volvo I will either try to get around them, basically as far away as possible from them, and if they are behind me I am constantly worried that they will be so focused on the cell phone conversation; the coffee spilling; the kids; or the dog, that they will end up hitting me.
Now the only feasible explanation I have for a person buying a volvo is that they are fearful of crashing which is why they bought a volvo in the first place. You know they have that reputation for being one of the safest, if not THE safest car on the road and have have to assume that someone who wants a car that safe must have had their fair share of accidents. Of course, this is just my personal opinion - hey this whole theory is only my personal opinion!
Any suggestions would be highly appreciated.
P.S Just to be fair I must state that I have known one person who happened to own a volvo and a soccer-mum van and she was/is an awesome driver. So please if there are any more exceptional volvo drivers out there I want to hear from you - and if your not I want to know what is going on in your head?
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