Got my first dose of an angry driver today. Wasn't fast enough off the line on a hill start and got a Escalade driver quite ornery. How could ya get mad at such a fun vehicle? Some people...
I hate it for you. Getting worse here... probably everywhere else, too. BTW, my truck stays on the farm. Kevin in NC
Now that I swapped the carb and exhaust, the van gets with it a lot better. I'm as fast as most of the compact new cars out there off the line now. I still can't go over 65 but I get there quicker!
I haven't received any hate while on the road, even when cruising the interstate. I have however been yelled at by a crazy old man in a PetSmart parking lot for reasons...I'm not too sure why. Fellow seemed to take issue with me being the behind the wheel of my particular vehicle. I have heard from my friends who drive Kei Trucks as well, being tailgated and even having full sized trucks attempt to run them off of the road. These incidents are few and far between, but out here in Washington people seem to accept Kei Trucks on the roads.
I've been followed by police a few times going through small towns but never pulled. Curious about it I'm sure and running plates to make sure it was legal. I have ricer kids want to race it (can you imagine the stupidity). I've had teenagers pull sometimes dangerous passes cause I wasn't going fast enough and it only takes up half the lane so they think they can pass. Most times I get waves and smiles and thumbs up. I have several times at lights been asked "Whats that?". Gas stations are always a conversation starter.
I have noticed that some drivers are impatient and angry at the world. I have also noticed that some drivers in big vehicles just don't like small vehicles. Unfortunately, we Kei drivers seem to attract the angst of both groups. I don't understand it, but it's a thing. A few years ago I made a sign to keep tucked in my sun visor that I could pull out at any time and press up against my window while driving. The sign read: "Why be such a d!ck?" However, when I mentioned it to my wife, she reminded me that situations could easily escalate and everyone is packing (we live in Texas), so I threw away the sign. Still... haters just gonna hate. Don't pay them any mind.
The worst thing so far was a guy with a scowl of disgust on his face ask me if "that's one of those Jap things". I've been a collector of small vehicles for decades. My wife's car is a Smart car. Over the years, I've noticed that among certain people, if you drive a small vehicle, it somehow bruises their ego, or they assume you're advocating taking away their full size vehicles. Small vehicles have never been any kind of political statement for me. I'm totally into them for the fun factor. On a different note, I really hate it when people call my Isetta the Urkel car.
I think hate for small, foreign vehicles is just in the DNA of some people. Back in the 80's I drove a Triumph Spitfire. It was a fun little car and got good mileage. Of course, the MG guys and the Triumph guys gave each other crap. But I still got hate now and then from some people who seemed to think every 2 seater British ragtop was an MG. I still have it in the garage and need to get it back on the road before I die. It's a 1968 Spitfire, MK3. Kevin in NC
I have a 1980 RX-7 which was my first car out of college and it gets some weird vibes from some folks at times. I think anytime you drive something "different", some people take offense because they don't know what it is.
I've always wanted a small British sports car but instead I have the kei van. Having 4 cars for my wife and I is about my limit for doing maintenance.
I think my love of small cars comes from my dad was the manager of a BLM (British Leyland Motors) dealership in the 60’s/70’s. I grew up in British sports cars. Before and after his stint at that dealership he always had a passion for European sports cars, so we always had a lot of unusual vehicles growing up. He was also stationed in occupied Japan after the war and really loved Japanese vehicles. He often told me stories about some of the vehicles he rode/drove in Japan. I guess the base had some Toyopet trucks he often drove, and he loved to rent motorcycles and tour the countryside.
I wouldn't take it too seriously. I had a woman honk at me because I was waiting for oncoming traffic while turning left on a two lane in a full sized silverado. I made her wait a full 20 seconds after I could've safely made the turn. Some people just don't have patience anymore.
I get high fives all the time here in the mountains of WNC where is little or no traffic. There is about 7,000 residents in the Graham County. Might be different when I get back to SWFL with all the idiots driving there. 700,000 people in Lee County there all in a big rush to get who knows where.
Thankfully I haven't experienced much hate while on the road. Most people love it, and a handful asked me where can they buy one of their own, and I do my best at answering their questions in the hope that more people will buy them. Though a coworker of mine hates it. He believes that if you don't have the biggest and tallest truck in the parking lot you really don't have a truck. Just last week he told me I need to do a Hayabusa swap on it, get at minimum an 8" lift, minimum 20" tires, and 1-ton axles, then he'll consider it a truck. I just told him I don't need to have the tallest truck in the parking lot to feel like a man, and our supervisor was keeled over clutching his knees in laughter.
I have had my 4 wd carry for less than a month now. Biggest trip was to gas station for a pop(1 mile, still working on front end issues). Short story long, I parked and had a lady park next to me and had a laugh at my truck. She was in a 2 wheel drive 90's ranger long bed. The gaul !
The (few) times I've gotten what I hope was good-natured crap from big truck people, I've said: "I can do 85% of what you can, I bet my bed is longer, easier to load, oh, and I'm averaging 32 mpg."
