[enkeivette]

Rich people are more likely to be bad drivers with little respect for pedestrians. And Toyota Prius and BMW drivers may be the worst of all.

That's according to Paul Piff, a researcher with the Institute of Personality and Social Research at the University of California Berkeley. He published a paper in 2010 on his research into the relationship between bad driving habits and wealth, and he spoke to The New York Times recently about his findings.

Piff and his team staked out a crosswalk and an intersection in California and watched what happened when pedestrians and cars approached. What they found might not surprise anyone.

In a four-way stop intersection, the pricier cars were more likely to jump ahead when it wasn't their turn to go, Benjamin Preston writes in The New York Times.

The researchers also found that at crosswalks, female drivers were more likely to stop for pedestrians than men. All drivers were more likely to stop for a woman than for a man.

Piff also studied car makes and models in these environments and said BMW drivers are awful at crosswalks. "BMW drivers were the worst," he said.

Prius drivers are also horrible, especially with broader driving infractions. Not what you'd expect from the stereotype of the environmentally conscious, do-gooder Prius owner.

"In our higher-status vehicle category, Prius drivers had a higher tendency to commit infractions than most," Piff told the paper.

Piff has done other tests showing that the wealthy lean toward unethical behavior. He has found that wealthy people are more likely to admit that they would steal paper at work or cheat at a computer game of dice.

[enkeivette]

^ Piracy ^

[Damian]

I have BMW drivers riding my ass all the time around here. Mercedes drivers are bad too. Its really bad in LA. The BMWs that ride my ass, if Im alone, Ill get behind them and ride their ass. When/if they say something to me, I always reply "Don't like it do you? Then why the fuck did you do it to me?"

Don't get me started on Prius drivers.

[Vettezuki]

Most BWM and Mercedes drivers in traffic around SoCal are probably debt slave leasers and a long long way from "rich". They're obnoxious and on your ass as a function of their anxieties, etc. Prius drivers are pretty much just assholes as far as I can tell, regardless. They seem to specialize in driving oddly fast in strange places, or perpetually slow everywhere. SeanPlunk excepted of course.

[enkeivette]

I was thinking about Sean last night as I was driving the Vette home on the freeway. I wish back then I could have just shown him a video of how my vacuum drops from 80mph to 70, as does my AFR on my LM2 (gets richer).

I didnt have a vacuum gauge or a wide-band back then. But I suppose he would just say my car is not normal or something.

[PSJohnDoe]

While I agree with the findings from a car perspective, I can't imagine he was able to find out how wealthy someone is by looking at their car. Many BMW and Mercedes drivers have skewed priorities and are not anywhere near as well off as the car would suggest. Not to mention people that are well off driving inconspicuous cars.

[Vettezuki]

Originally Posted by PSJohnDoe

While I agree with the findings from a car perspective, I can't imagine he was able to find out how wealthy someone is by looking at their car. Many BMW and Mercedes drivers have skewed priorities and are not anywhere near as well off as the car would suggest. Not to mention people that are well off driving inconspicuous cars.

I'd say it's just "their" priorities, nothing really wrong unless they're short changing a child they're responsible for, or making themselves a burden on others somehow. But there some great examples of extremely wealthy people driving totally innocuous cars. AIR, I think Buffet used to drive a pickup he'd buy at fleet auctions. We're talking about a guy who could buy an airline with a check.

[Damian]

It depends on what BMW model they are driving. I always look at the number. A 325 is the base model and chances are really high that its a lease. Once you get above the 5 series, then they start to have money.

[Small White Car]

Audis are fast becoming the new prick mobiles in L.A.


Oh hey there guys, long time.

[enkeivette]

Looking back at this thread I think it's pretty funny that now I'm on my second BMW. Would never have considered it till I learned about the I6 TT engine option. Also, they brake and handle like a mother fucker in stock form.


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