I had my 328 out yesterday, and had just come over the top of a hill on a busy, two lane road. There was very little traffic that time of day (and it was Sunday) and as I started down the hill, an econobox with a guy driving was coming up the hill towards me. He was maybe 150 feet away and a dog ran out from his side of the street. I saw it and stopped (thinking it would run across the street) but he did not see it--I don't think he slowed down--and plowed right into it, right in front of me. He did stop (after the carnage). I can't help thinking that I was looking at the dog and he was looking at the Ferrari, and WHAM. No, I don't think the world revolves around the Ferrari but I can't otherwise understand why he didn't see the dog and stop. Frankly, I think the fault lies with the owner of the dog not having it on a leash in the first place. BUT my question is--have you seen an accident happen because someone was looking at your car instead of the road (or the dog on the road) What if it had been a kid?
I had a buddy that crashed cause he was looking at a big chested girl who was jogging around a local university....I guess thats different though.
OMG! I was going to post something just like this yesterday, but didn't know what tack to take. Very sorry about the dog issue - that stuff stays with you, because you see it happen. I still very much remember a similar incident YEARS ago with a poor dog who was hit multiple times. AWFUL, and it stays with me. But regarding 'what if it had been a kid' - just yesterday (Sunday) I was out driving on a local road with a 'bike lane' on the right. Two teenage boys were on their skateboards heading to the local skate park, and were just screaming along just fine. Obviously skilled on their boards. But then they saw my car, and BOTH kids wiped out because they were trying to watch me. Thank GOD they didn't wipe out in the actual lane where I was, but they hit the gravel on the side and got I'm sure MAJOR road rash. I felt bad, and slowed, and the one who really wiped out hard waved that he was fine. But I DO KNOW WHAT YOU MEAN. It made me feel bad, even though he should have just watched the road and not my car. Thanks for bringing this up - again, I didn't know how to broach the subject. So sorry about the dog... I really know just how you feel. Jedi
I think I read somewhere on another thread that driving an F-car is like the girl with big t/ts. I wonder how many big t/ts have caused accidents? (Probably more than Ferraris)
I watched a guy crash his 409 Chevy into a parked car while staring a a girl that was on our lawn...she was very cute and I was 13 years old....boy was he pissed at himself........
That's exactly what I mean--how weird it happened to you on the same day! I don't like calling attention to the car, but people are going to be distracted by it just the same. Maybe this is just one of those rites of passage of Ferrari ownership... Interesting.
Well, in my somewhat limited experience, folks who think a Ferrari is a chick magnet are WRONG! It's a magnet for 16 - 25 year old GUYS! (Which I'm happy to add I am NOT into!). So if I crashed my car checking out a chick, I can almost GUARANTEE it wasn't because she was checking out ME!!! Jedi
Indeed. I've found that it's almost as fun watching people watch me go by as it is to drive the car! I'm sure that will diminish as I drive more and more. But for now, it's quite entertaining - the lookers, the stares, the glares, the ricers wanting to race (which I won't do of course), the jealous folks who give me the stink eye, the HOT women I see who don't even notice me (!!), and the SCADS AND SCADS of teens and twenties BOYS who gawk and stare and ask questions and follow me.... it's a whole new world for me this F-car driving thing. Rites of passage - spot on Blockhead Jedi
I wouldn't get stressed about it. Odds are as good that he was dialing the cell phone. Plenty of drivers don't seem to see my Ferrari -- or anything else happening around them. New cars will be equipped with windows based navigation. Now we just need to get people to look out through the windows.
Scary right? It's the overall dumbing down of society. I love my GPS but who can read a map anymore? And to your point people will begin to rely on their vehicles' infrared and radar systems to warn them of things in the road - instead of averting their eyes from texting or watching the DVD a passenger has playing. Anyway it's murphy's law that dictates the moment that guy in the box truck directs his attention to something off the road is the very moment something will suddenly be in his path.
Definitely not your fault, and not the fault of your car. There are a ton of stupid people out there with drivers licenses. The dial their cell phones, text message, women put on their make-up or just look at themselves in the little mirror in the visor, fiddle around lighting cigarettes, play with their kids who are in the back seat, reading directions, looking at street signs or billboards, drinking coffee, eating breakfast, etc. There could have been 101 reasons why that guy was distracted and did not see the dog. He could just have been day-dreaming. I've always said it's not me I worry about behind the wheel, it's the other guy. There are just too many people out there who don't pay attention to driving. Sorry you had to see that dog get smashed. It's sad. I've seen it happen, and it's very upsetting. Don't compound that by blaming your car. It wasn't you and it wasn't your car.
Thanks, and very true. Just another wake-up call to not be distracted when driving and to hope that people keep their dogs on leashes when out in public. You never know what will make a dog take off.
My wife and I were driving in my old blue 328 and we pulled into the left turning lane of a busy mutli-lane road. A guy that was heading straight was staring at my car and rear-ended the car in front of him. We though it was pretty funny at the time since it wasn't a bad accident. I hate to hear about animals getting hurt or killed though. That's a bummer.
On my last day of ownership of the 348 before I sold it, I was driving it to the office (where the buyer was going to meet me to pick it up). On the freeway we hit a patch of traffic. My lane was creeping along at 25mph. This 20-something girl pull along side of me and starts staring. Her lane started moving faster and she was about 10 feet ahead still craning her neck and looking back. Suddenly I saw the traffic in front of her hit their brakes and stop. She didn't and nailed the person in front of her at about 25 mph. I, of course, had the window open and was about 5 feet from the car when it hit. Man, was it loud.
People here run down both animals and people in the main lanes...Ferrari or no.. Heck they do it on the quiet street in front of Valeria's house! Go figure, it just goes down that way sometimes.....
My car was in for a service and the mechanic had taken it for a run around the block and was followed a group of kids down to a "T" intersection. They stopped and he stopped some distance behind them. A group of these kids mates came around the corner hanging out of their car as they new the driver in front of my car.He promptly shoved his car in reverse and plowed into the front of my car.Can it get worse? Yeeeeppppp.The little bastard was uninsured and was the local idiot. I got everything repaired and the car is fine but it took about 6 months (cause it had to be right).But what are the chances of the car being there at that moment with dipstick in front of it.
If it helps last weekend I smacked a baby deer with my 328 and punched a hole in the front left fiberglass bumper. I have to say it pissed me off to no end, but I got over 5 mins later since I was on my way to hang out in a Ferrari showroom. Least no one got hurt, people anyway. Here's the pic: http://picasaweb.google.com/ALXLEE3/328VsDeer/photo?authkey=VacYqeZhYJc#5227399217387450962
In 1976 when I was in graduate school, I was stopped on a two lane road getting read to turn into the student's parking lot. It was a hot, steamy August day. There were 3 or 4 female student scantily clad walking on the sidewalk. Naturally I was watching them, probably drooling, waiting for the traffic to clear so I could turn into the lot. All of a sudden it sounded like a bomb exploded in the back of my car. I got out of the car and noticed a police car behind me with its lights on top going. I was a little whoozy as my head collided with the head rest. Then I realized it was the policeman who hit me. He was obviously doing the same thing I was doing except he was moving. They sent me to the hospital for a check up as they realized I was whoozy. I was unhurt except for bruises to my chins. What I learned from this was not to turn your front wheels while you sit there waiting to turn. Had I done that the impact would have pushed me into oncoming traffic. The impact was great enough to break the back of the seat loose as well as to break it from its moorings below. The bumper was pushed to the rear window. It was an old Ford.
Was taught that in an advanced driving course back in the early '70s. Added it into my driving back then and have taught it to younger family drivers. Defensive driving rules,eh?
