# Why is a post sometimes called a drive by? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 11, 2003, 6:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-a-post-sometimes-called-a-drive-by/147917 "2003-01-11T06:41:37Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![BrightEyes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/2acd7d/32.png) [@BrightEyes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrightEyes)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2003, 6:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-a-post-sometimes-called-a-drive-by/147917/1 "2003-01-11T06:41:37Z")
What makes a post a ‘driveby’? ---
**Author:** ![Bottle\_of\_Smoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Bottle\_of\_Smoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bottle_of_Smoke)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2003, 6:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-a-post-sometimes-called-a-drive-by/147917/2 "2003-01-11T06:59:17Z")
It generally means that someone pops into a thread based on the title alone, doesn’t read any of the preceding posts, and just posts a comment and then leaves the thread, never to return. Kind of like a drive by shooting, except with less blood. And instead of leaving horrified witness in its wake, it just leaves other posters scratching their heads and saying “huh?..” ---
**Author:** ![Desmostylus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c57346/32.png) [@Desmostylus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Desmostylus)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2003, 7:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-a-post-sometimes-called-a-drive-by/147917/3 "2003-01-11T07:01:42Z")
[“Drive-by” definition and a question of form](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=154124) ---
**Author:** ![Achernar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e274bd/32.png) [@Achernar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Achernar)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2003, 7:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-a-post-sometimes-called-a-drive-by/147917/4 "2003-01-11T07:15:01Z")
I wish we had a list of, say, 10 links to classic drive-bys. Because they can be kind of funny, but a real pain to search for. ---
**Author:** ![I\_can\_t\_believe\_that\_s\_butter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/8edcca/32.png) [@I\_can\_t\_believe\_that\_s\_butter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/I_can_t_believe_that_s_butter)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2003, 10:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-a-post-sometimes-called-a-drive-by/147917/5 "2003-01-11T10:13:40Z")
It’s a post lacking much content and often repeating what was already stated. ---
**Author:** ![Desmostylus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c57346/32.png) [@Desmostylus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Desmostylus)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2003, 10:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-a-post-sometimes-called-a-drive-by/147917/6 "2003-01-11T10:41:44Z")
::Scratches head:: Huh? ---
**Author:** ![gris\_gris](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/439d5e/32.png) [@gris\_gris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gris_gris)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2003, 10:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-a-post-sometimes-called-a-drive-by/147917/7 "2003-01-11T10:46:42Z")
its a post lacking much content and often repeating what was already stated. ---
**Author:** ![Kal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9de053/32.png) [@Kal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kal)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2003, 11:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-a-post-sometimes-called-a-drive-by/147917/8 "2003-01-11T11:22:52Z")
What he said. ---
**Author:** ![GaryM](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garym/32/241_2.png) [@GaryM](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GaryM)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2003, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-a-post-sometimes-called-a-drive-by/147917/9 "2003-01-11T15:17:50Z")
I agree! ---
**Author:** ![Lorenzo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/4da419/32.png) [@Lorenzo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lorenzo)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2003, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-a-post-sometimes-called-a-drive-by/147917/10 "2003-01-11T15:37:43Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Desmostylus \* > \*\*::Scratches head:: Huh? \*\* Agreed. My recently acquired understanding of a driveby: a too short, unsupported controversial or confrontational statement regarding the OP. The poster never returns to the thread and thus never has to defend his position. Considered by many to be bad form around here. ---
**Author:** ![sailor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a587f6/32.png) [@sailor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sailor)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2003, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-a-post-sometimes-called-a-drive-by/147917/11 "2003-01-11T15:39:40Z")
[Example](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?s=&postid=2705430#post2705430) ---
**Author:** ![Desmostylus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c57346/32.png) [@Desmostylus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Desmostylus)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2003, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-a-post-sometimes-called-a-drive-by/147917/12 "2003-01-11T15:54:30Z")
**Lorenzo** , I’m pretty sure that **Joe K** was just joking. And I’m also pretty sure where your “recently acquired understanding” came from. I posted a link to it above. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![japatlgt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/df705f/32.png) [@japatlgt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/japatlgt)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2003, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-a-post-sometimes-called-a-drive-by/147917/13 "2003-01-11T16:56:57Z")
**Drive- By Poster** aka newbie, half-wit, fustilarian When someone drops a bomb in the middle of a thread causing consternation and/or confusion but is unavailable for comment. See trolling.