To think that some BMW are complete cocks?

[Meandyouandyouandme]

Just had a massive standoff with a BMW driver. I had right of way, cars were parked all down his side, so I expected him to pull over to let me pass. At the point where we met, he was about 4 foot past a large space to pull in, which was also opposite a side road, which would have I would have been able to use to get past. So there was plenty of room for us to pass without either of us really waiting. He stopped on my side of the road, and expected me to drive on the pavement to get round him. I just stopped, I didn't have anywhere to be, in a hurry, so thought he would move eventually!
Some scaffolders on a nearby house started telling him to reverse but he wasn't having any of it.
A lady behind me tried to get him to reverse, then another guy told him to reverse. But all to no avail, I gave in to his complete twattery and drove on the pavement to get round him. I shouted to him that he needs to learn how to drive, he told me that I was jealous of his car. If having a car like that makes you drive like a cock, then I'm glad I don't have one.
I'm absolutely shaking with the frustration of his arrogance. I have noticed since driving a small car, I get cut up a lot. But this was ridiculous.

Yeah, yeah, everyone who drives a BMW is a complete cunt, everyone who drives an old rust bucket is luffly

Catch yourselves on people, this stereotyping is just deeply pathetic.

Literally any other car would be LESS associated with Hitler.

Not quite sure I agree with that, the super cool Mercedes-Benz W31 G4 would be the first car that comes to mind when thinking of a car associated with Hitler and the Nazis. (Not cool due to its association BTW just an amazing car)

I've just arranged to hire a BMW (or similar) to take the kids on holiday in. Will I need any special 'how to drive like a cock' lessons before I collect it? I'm a bit concerned now

Disclaimer - it's DH's idea as he hates my little old Fiesta runabout and the brakes on his are too dodgy to take on a long journey. I'd have got a nice, sensible people carrier type affair for all of the luggage.

i'm a jew and drive a vw infact i have driven one, including a 1960's beetle, for the last twenty odd years. The nazi connection doesn't come into my head tbh. I could look at it in a different way in that it would really piss hitler off that a jew was driving around in his 'people car'

Nobody is dismissing the holocaust, absolutely not. What I am saying is the VW does not represent Hitler to me and nor to (I presume) the vast majority of other drivers who own a VW. However, is it OK to use things invented by Nazi-supporters if others don't know you are doing so? Personally, I don't buy my cars based on what others think of them, of associate them with - I buy them because of what I think of them and what I associate them with. For me personally, I don't associate VW with Hitler and if someone else does, that's their issue, but I won't change my car because someone else has different associations.

The BMW driver refused to move because he's crap at reversing but hid behind 'you're jealous of my car' to avoid looking like a useless pillock. Instead he just looked like an arrogant pillock.

VW, more than any other car in existence, symbolises the Nazis and was invented by Hitler

What proportion of the tens of thousands of British people who bought a VW in the past 12 months do you think did so to advertise their support or admiration for Hitler/Nazis?

Never thought of that Stopmithering, or maybe he drives such a special car that it only goes forward

I usually find it's RR Evoque drivers who do that. We have a lot of roads like that and I always seem to end up face to face with Evoques, looking casually at my watch and picking up a newspaper.

Yep, we're all the same

So you can dismiss it all and say that 'history is history' if you like. Perhaps for Germans it is. I'm afraid that for those of us, even 2 generations on, whose families were destroyed (and we're the lucky, unusual ones, who still have some family members left to remember) it's more than just a bit 'dubious' to drive around in a car that celebrates that.

You are perfectly entitled to hold that view but I am dubious about your use of the term "those of us". It gives the impression you speak for all Jews who lost family in the holocaust, when you don't, you only speak for yourself. I know a Jewish family who lost grandparents in the holocaust, and they have a VW Touareg and Porsche 911 (Ferry Porsche was the designer of the original Beetle and founded Porsche after the war to develop the concept further, the car that via the 356 eventually became the iconic 911).

Jesus Christ. How did we get from discussing a knob in a flash car to accusing people of supporting Nazi Germany?

Only on mumsnet.

And in response to my earlier comment on lane priority, I can't actually find the quote so I'll have to retract that statement. I can't find any reference to it in the Highway Code but I bloody know I read it somewhere.

It relates to our village. We have a long linear village on a big bend. Cars are parked all the way along the inside of the bend, so you can't see the other end of the lane on either approach. People often come head to head because they can't see another car coming. I looked into it and found an article that said something about having priority over the oncoming cars if you're already in the single lane. Whichever side of the road you're on. Which would make sense. If they're about to enter the only free single lane and you're already in it they have to wait until it's clear. If the other lane is completely obstructed you don't have a lot of choice, you just have to go if you can't see the other end. If you then get some knob come roaring up the other way just because it's his side of the road, you have to ask him where the fuck he thinks you're going to go. Certainly not up the pavement, as happens daily in our village. It is a bone of contention but it is a peculiar layout.

Yes if someone behaves like an idiot towards me in their car, usually they are driving a posh car.

I never knew that about VW though, and I can see how people would find it offensive.

I think this type of thread is one of Mumsnet's strengths, rather than a weakness.

Another interesting fact in the VW story is that in the aftermath of the war, the VW factory was offered to the British as part of the reparations Germany had to pay. But we turned it down because we thought the Beetle was crap and it would never sell! The British view was that VW would never make it as a successful car manufacturer.

Laugh!

From my observes, anyone who drives a German car drives like a year. This includes BMW, Audi, and vw. I once saw a considerate BMW driver and I nearly passed out with shock.

Our neighbour drives a BMW and she says it is great as everyone expects you to drive like a tool so stays well away