F40 Horsefly | FerrariChat

F40 Horsefly

Discussion in '288GTO/F40/F50/Enzo/LaFerrari/F80' started by Steve, May 19, 2004.

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  1. Steve

    Steve Formula Junior

    Nov 1, 2003
    901
    Seattle, WA
    Full Name:
    Steve Jenkins
    A horsefly is defined as someone who follows a Ferrari in an irritating manner, circling around it in traffic, cutting it off just to get a better view, etc. I encountered a horsefly today in my F40.

    As I drove along the double-lane highway toward my house, I could hear "HEY! HEY!" being yelled from a car that pulled alongside me. My passenger window was closed, so I pretended not to hear him and I didn't turn to look. The car backed off a bit, and then came alongside, so I accellerated a bit to move away. Bad luck - the light we were both approaching turned red, and the guy in front of him who should have stopped ran a very late yellow. So I was stuck at the light with the guy on my right. I still hadn't turned to engage him.

    "HEY! HEEEEEY!"

    I turned my head LEFT out my window, pretenting to look for the voice, then turned forward again. The light turned green, and I took off.

    Wouldn't you know it? The next light a few blocks away turned red. He pulled up again, and yelled:

    "HEY!"

    I finally turned to look. He was in the passenger seat, baby in the back seat, and his wife/girlfriend was driving. She was looking straight ahead like she's embarrased and never maked eye contact with me. The guy was in his mid 20s, and he looked "greasy" (goofy facial hair, etc.). They were in a beat up old green Honda. He held up his cell phone and yelled:

    "CAN I CALL YOU?"

    I shook my head and mouthed "Um.... no."

    Then he yelled out:

    "I'VE GOT A FAST CAR, TOO!"

    I was slightly amused, especially since he was in the passenger seat. But I didn't want to be too big a jerk, so I just gave him the SCUBA "OK" sign and nodded. Thankfully, the light turned green (and there are no more lights for miles) and I took off again. But I was thinking "I'm not going to let this guy follow me home" so I planned to pass my street and keep driving into town. Luckily, he turned before I needed to.

    Silly boy. Why couldn't he just have been content to yell "nice car, dude" like all the regular admirers. I always wave and yell "THANKS!"
     
  2. Doody

    Doody F1 Veteran

    Nov 16, 2001
    6,099
    MA USA
    Full Name:
    Mr. Doody
    "can i call you" ?????

    maybe he wanted a date, dude ;-)

    still, you have to expect that sort of thing, like it or not. it is an F40. it is rare. people are fans. it's not the most recognized brand on planet earth for nothing, y'know.

    doody.
     
  3. Steve

    Steve Formula Junior

    Nov 1, 2003
    901
    Seattle, WA
    Full Name:
    Steve Jenkins
    I do expect admirers - and I don't mind normal ones, but this guy was creepy...
     
  4. Etcetera

    Etcetera Two Time F1 World Champ
    Silver Subscribed

    Dec 7, 2003
    23,984
    Full Name:
    C6H14O5
    Don't mind Carbon, he does this to everyone in a Ferrari.
     
  5. 96impalaSS

    96impalaSS F1 Rookie

    Dec 8, 2003
    3,524
    Hell
    Full Name:
    Chris
    I guess you can call me a Horsefly then.

    Hello my name is chris and I'm a Ferrari addict.
     
  6. Alex_V

    Alex_V F1 Rookie
    BANNED

    Apr 8, 2004
    3,611
    Boulder, CO
    Full Name:
    Alex
    I will admit that i guess I could be a little but of a horsefly if I saw on F40 on the street, but that guy sounds obnoxious about it, funny about his girlfriend too, who probably chewed him out for the rest of the ride home after you 2 went your different ways.

    Oh well, what can you do its an F40?
     
  7. WJHMH

    WJHMH Two Time F1 World Champ
    Silver Subscribed

    Sep 5, 2001
    26,459
    Panther City, Texas
    Full Name:
    WJHMH
    Attack of the Ferrari Fanboy. I guess it happens to all owners sooner or later.
     
  8. 134282

    134282 Four Time F1 World Champ
    BANNED

    Aug 3, 2002
    40,647
    California
    Full Name:
    Carbon McCoy
    Gee, i didn't know i had relatives in Seattle... :)


    LOL, Korr...


    i'll be the first to admit that i'm a grotesquely overfed horsefly; i remember cutting through 4 lanes of traffic in a horrendously illegal u-turn to chase after a 328...

    i remember seeing a Maranello on the road and, after waving to the driver (i wasn't driving), i asked my friend to pull over 'cause i thought i was gonna hyperventilate...

    If i ever see an F40 on the road, i might pass out and wreck into a telephone pole... On the NNO Who run, it was overwhelming to see the NNO on the road, EVEN THOUGH IT WAS WITH US, PART OF THE RUN...

    When Gerald and i went to Road Atlanta over the weekend, i saw a black 355 on the highway and i couldn't stop fidgeting... When we got off the exit, i saw a red 512TR in a gas station and said, "Ooh, look, a Testarossa...!" and Gerald turned and said, "Of course we're gonna see Ferraris, ROAD ATLANTA IS RIGHT DOWN THE STREET...!"

    i can't help it. Seeing them out in the wild is so special... :)
     
  9. 96impalaSS

    96impalaSS F1 Rookie

    Dec 8, 2003
    3,524
    Hell
    Full Name:
    Chris
    I go on "Ferrari Hunts" every once in awhile with the sole purpose of seeing a Ferrari. Like Carb said there is something just so special about seeing one out in it's element. Everytime I see one I don't believe my eyes. They seem to actually have a glow to them.
     
  10. Alex_V

    Alex_V F1 Rookie
    BANNED

    Apr 8, 2004
    3,611
    Boulder, CO
    Full Name:
    Alex
    Yea sometimes I will be real obnoxious about it, one time I was in the back seat of a friends car and red 575M turned the corner ( at the time they were BRAND NEW) and I saw it and was all OH MY GOD! OH MY GOD A 575M!WOW!WOW!

    I still havent lived my Ferrari-outburst down........
     
  11. Steve

    Steve Formula Junior

    Nov 1, 2003
    901
    Seattle, WA
    Full Name:
    Steve Jenkins
    Don't get me wrong. I truly enjoy people who get excited (I still get excited at any Ferrari on the road) and I don't mind if they pull alongside to look, or yell, or wave, or flash me (happened once in my 348 Spider by a car-load of college girls... but I digress...). But that's not a (Prancing) horsefly.

    A horsefly does it in an ANNOYING manner, that can be troublesome or even dangerous to the Ferrari driver. Heck - I always pull alonside and honk and wave at Ferraris in the wild, even if I'm driving a non-Ferrari!

    Tifosi = good

    Horsefly = bad

    There IS a difference :)
     
  12. 575Mike

    575Mike Formula 3

    Mar 11, 2004
    1,706
    Midwest
    Full Name:
    Michael
    Steve, I really think that an F40 in particular evokes even more frenzied emotions than a "normal" Ferrari. Two years ago my son and I saw an F40 near our home. We were in a state of disbelief as I was compelled to follow this beautiful beast for a short distance. But what I noticed, in addition to the Ferrari, was the heightened attention which the F40 seemed to generate compared to, for example, my Ferraris and other "run of the mill" F cars. It was just a wild scene! To see an F40 on the road is a spectacle. I think you're in for more of the same with your car. It's a magnificent thing!
     
  13. SkizoACE

    SkizoACE Formula Junior

    Mar 24, 2004
    886
    Houston
    Full Name:
    Thomas
    Its like having an orgasm. The climax so peaceful and graceful, but when its gone all is regular again.
     
  14. cab7104

    cab7104 Karting

    Mar 25, 2004
    237
    Rochester, NY
    Full Name:
    Craig
    I think that as everyone else said, a Ferrari is a beautiful thing, enough to make any car lover get goofy. Maybe the guy had never seen an F40 in person before, and was just so excited. Now I can understand how this could be annoying, as my area is filled with rice cars, and people try to race you off of every light which just pisses me off, however, I have another problem with your post though.

    "The guy was in his mid 20s, and he looked "greasy" (goofy facial hair, etc.)."

    The way you say this sounds kind of like you are an elitest who is holding it against this guy just because he isn't driving a fast car and he dosen't look like he has a fast car. Point in case is the picture below, this guy (in my oppinion:))could fit the description of your "horsefly". If he pulled up in the enzo, and said " can I call you" would you ignore him, no, because you would be looking at his car as well. I think that from your description this guy/girl/baby/whatever, didn't do anything unsafe, he pulled up next to you, to admire your car, and try to talk to you. Now maybe it is just me, but if anyone seemed like a creep in your relation of the story it was you for looking away and not paying any attention to him. People live their dreams through your success, or maybe he actually did own something better than a beat up honda civic, who knows. I just think that I would have been a lot more sympathetic if you hadn't been so judgmental about this guy's looks. Maybe he was creepy, who knows, I probably wouldn't have wanted him to know where I lived either, just seems like if I saw you crusing along in your Lexus, while I was in a Ferrari I might just think you were a creep by your looks if you talked to me, not that I have an oppinion either way, but not everyone has the best of looks, I certainly don't, and I am sure that people think that you don't either. Maybe next time you should just do a writeup about the way he acted rather than "This greasy 20year old guy asked to call me because I was driving my awsomely fast, super sweet car, so that makes him an ******".

    Craig
     
  15. dmii74

    dmii74 Karting

    Jan 1, 2004
    117
    Extremely well said
     
  16. 134282

    134282 Four Time F1 World Champ
    BANNED

    Aug 3, 2002
    40,647
    California
    Full Name:
    Carbon McCoy
    Peaceful and graceful orgasms...? Dude, what kind of sex are YOU having...? :)


    Cab, very well put...
     
  17. faSt4

    faSt4 Rookie

    Mar 13, 2004
    12
    Montreal
    Full Name:
    M. B.
    Who is that in the black Enzo?? He's really young, and he looks like a Baldwin brother...
     
  18. Greg G

    Greg G F1 Rookie

    Thats Jay Kay, musician frm group Jamiroquai. He has an extensive Ferrari collection in the UK. Thats the first closeup pic Ive seen of his green interior - cool.
     
  19. Steve

    Steve Formula Junior

    Nov 1, 2003
    901
    Seattle, WA
    Full Name:
    Steve Jenkins
    Craig:

    Yeah - it's grease in my hair... :) You got a problem with that? :) but I digress again...

    "Elitist" isn't a word that those who know me would use to describe me - but you don't know me, so I won't expect you to believe it until you do know me better.

    Maybe "greasy" wasn't the right word. The picture you posted (with the Jamiroquai singer) looks nothing like the guy, and it wasn't so much the dude's look - it was his presence. He was creepy - in a stalker kind of way. I love to wave at, talk to, honk at, allow pictures to be taken by, and otherwise enjoy people who have true excitement and passion for these cars - but in every previous case over my past 7 years of Ferrari ownership NONE of the admirers have creeped me out like this guy.

    Did I say he was an ******? No. Did I make any judgements about him, his car, the girl, or the baby? No. You made those judgements. I typed a description. Well, OK - I did call him "silly." That's a far cry from ******.

    I was there, you were not. It was an unpleasant encounter, but if that's the price of driving this car, that's fine. I just won't share that part of the experience with FChat. Easily done.

    My post was not meant in the spirit in which you seem to have taken it. That's probably a lack on my part of properly describing the encounter and my feelings about it in a digital medium.
     
  20. Spasso

    Spasso F1 World Champ

    Feb 16, 2003
    14,656
    The fabulous PNW
    Full Name:
    Han Solo
    I think the initial point Steve was trying to make was the aggressive manner in which this person was trying to get his attention.

    Pacing, lane changing and circling by other people while I am driving my oldslow308 can be unnerving. Most of the time it is harmless but there are those out there that are pretty aggressive, with attitude, trying to prove something. I think that is what Steve was alluding to. Sometimes acknowlging these people just encourages them and their behavior.

    Judging the other guy by his looks was unfair but stereotypes develop for a reason and those reasons are usually based on experience.

    I am sure I sound like I am defending Steve but consider that maybe I am just relating to his own reaction to his situation.

    Although I was not driving my 308 at the time, I was circled and taunted by a truckload of 'good ole boys' out having a good time. I tried not to do anything thing that would encourage them and eventually they went away. If I had been driving my beater truck I would have played some 'fender tag' with them. THAT they would have understood.

    READ THE FIRST PARAGRAPH AGAIN.
     
  21. SkizoACE

    SkizoACE Formula Junior

    Mar 24, 2004
    886
    Houston
    Full Name:
    Thomas
    Not the kind I want, but the kind I can get.
     
  22. SkizoACE

    SkizoACE Formula Junior

    Mar 24, 2004
    886
    Houston
    Full Name:
    Thomas
    He never knew you could get a black Enzo. I read an article about it, and he said that "an Enzo would look good in black, too bad Ferrari isnt making them in black." He was then shown a black Enzo and then he said "Can I have a green interior?" We know the answer to that question.
     
  23. BigTex

    BigTex Seven Time F1 World Champ
    Owner Rossa Subscribed

    Dec 6, 2002
    79,380
    Houston, Texas
    Full Name:
    Bubba
    It jus' goes with the car!

    As I finished the parade last weekend, a little guy about seven years old ran out from the curb as I rolled to a stop alongside Valeria.

    Wearing the biggest grin that would fit on his face, he extended his arm with a vigorous "Thumbs up" sign. I flashed him a grin, we exchanged "high fives" out the window, and with the all knowing glance of the "Car Guy", the Ferrari torch was passed yet again, to the next generation.
     
  24. ryalex

    ryalex Two Time F1 World Champ
    Consultant Owner

    Aug 6, 2003
    25,980
    Las Vegas, NV
    Full Name:
    Ryan Alexander
    I completely disagree, Craig. Steve is not elitist; he was complaining about the harassing behavior of the guy in the Honda. The guy should have noted he was bothering Steve and backed off. That's just polite.

    Of course, the dude's scraggly appearance and vehicle he's riding in doesn't help said person's case for trying to connect with Steve. Looks like a duck, quacks like a duck... the odds that guy was a Seattle grunge band member with an Enzo and still behave that way is unlikely - he would contact fellow Ferrari owners, and in the Seattle area they'd know Steve.

    You certainly cannot argue that it is wrong to judge people on their grooming and hygiene. Features/body type are one thing that should be out of bounds (generally beyond change), but being clean and well-presented is a personal decision and is fair game for public judgement and discernment. If you grow 'goofy facial hair' and let your hair go matty you can argue against judgement all you want, but strangers and the public have nothing else to go by other than how you present yourself (sure, friends and family will know you).

    A few weeks ago I was playing around and clipped my goatee down to a big handlebar mustache. I was out shopping and impulsively decided to visit a BMW dealer to see the new 5 series again (still doesn't click) and the non-US 320i. I noticed that the salesguy was reticent to talk to me about the 3-series, until he asked what I had now and I pointed to my WRX (putting me in a potential sale scenario). I puzzled over his hesitation to take me seriously, until on the way out I saw my own reflection and realized I looked like a biker with unkempt hair and a handlebar mustache!
     
  25. DM90F

    DM90F Rookie

    Apr 16, 2004
    12
    My 348 was delivered 2 days ago. Plenty of thumbs up on the road and cars wanting to race..
    My only question is were are those college girls?
     

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