How do YOU deal with tailgaters?

[Dan1099]

I welded up a 80-schedule 2-3/8-diameter pipe bull bar and bolted it to my truck. To test it, I pushed a forklift (around 5000 pounds) and bumped a shop table that's 4 feet by 8 feet of 1" plate steel with a structural channel frame underneath. Neither test showed any marks on the pipe, nor any marks or signs of stress on my chassis.

Doubt me all you want. I designed the thing to protect the front end of my truck from anything. This ain't a cosmetic modification, it's stronger than anything you'll ever see mounted to a car. When I park in a parking garage, I bump my truck all the way up against the walls, with quite a thud. Sucker barely shows marks on the Rhinolining.

Oh, I believe you built it all right. I just really don't believe you're going to "push me" because you want to go faster.

 

[Thor]

I disagree... I'm from California - LA for that matter... Need I say more? I mean we invented the 4-way roll-on-thru.

Pfft. Hard to show rude manners at 10mph going West on 60.

Rhode Island drivers are telepathic. We always know that
you are turning right or left or changing lanes. If you used
a signal, we'd think you were a gerdum tourist or something!

We make rude a science here. After passing your silly slogging blowhard
@$$ at 80 in a 55 zone on I-95 on the right, we make sure you get cut
off from the right with about 3 inches to spare even though our lane is
totally clear just because you're a jerk. Usually a jerk with outta state plates
that don't know the drill and ain't telepathic like us.

25 in a 25 zone. Yeah, that's fine when you're retired and you got no
place to be anytime today. For the rest of us workin' schlubs,
gtf outta the way, you're holding up progress in your
covered wagons and Amish buggys there.

I don't mind going around you , and I won't tailgate you.
But I will blow by you as soon as I get the shot.

See ya.

(My sales mentality actually calms on the way home, where
I throw on a CD, hang in the right lane and relax.)

 

[00Funk]

I use to slam on the breaks. That gets them realy riled though. Almost got into some nasty confrontations

Now I just ignore them. Or move over and let them go ahead.

You never know, you might break all your fingers, from punching the guy in the mouth. Then how are you going to play bass ?

 

[Bassic83]

You never know, you might break all your fingers, from punching the guy in the mouth. Then how are you going to play bass ?

Good point!

 

[Kael]

Eh, screw the brakes. Those brake lights give tailgaters too much warning. I just shift my truck down a gear. Instant slow down without the brake light warning.

I drive by the rule of moving faster than the person in the lane to the right of me. If that isn't fast enough for the person behind me, then that is too damned bad for them.

 

[Josh Ryan]

Most cops will give a speeder a ticket, most cops will do at least that, maybe more to some of the left lane idiots advocating very dangerous behavior in this thread, throwing things, brake checks etc, Do yourself a favor, and move over before you cause an accident.

 

[Josh Ryan]

Eh, screw the brakes. Those brake lights give tailgaters too much warning. I just shift my truck down a gear. Instant slow down without the brake light warning.

I drive by the rule of moving faster than the person in the lane to the right of me. If that isn't fast enough for the person behind me, then that is too damned bad for them.

That makes no sense at all. By your rule you could drive 47 mph in the left lane next to another idiot in the right lane doing 45.

(45 is the minimum on certain highways around here.)

 

[Kael]

Actually it makes perfect sense. If I want to drive 47, I obviously couldn't do it in the same lane as someone who is driving 45 now could I?

 

[Kael]

PS: By your "another idiot" comment your are flat out calling me an idiot. Thanks for that. Very classy touch.

 

[FrigginChris]

I usually stay to the right side of the road, well unless i know I'm going to be making a left turn shortly, as a result I've never had to worry about tailgaters. the only times i do have tailgaters are on those one lane roads. back when i had my P.O.S. van I'd slow down till about 5 under the speed limit just to annoy the tailgater or even tap my brakes if he didn't get the hint.

I don't do that anymore though, I've gotten a little wiser plus I just got a brand new car and the last thing i need is to be rear-ended

now i just keep going the limit until I make a turn or the road splits into 2 lanes.

 

[Brad Johnson]

People travel as fast as they do because they are in a hurry constantly. Fewer and fewer people are leaving with adequate time to get from point-A to point-B, so instead of getting out of bed 10 minutes earlier, they'll go 15 MPH over the speed limit.
And it doesn't matter what brought the law into place, or how it was made. It's the LAW. You OBEY it. It's that SIMPLE. If you can't obey it, then you shouldn't be trusted with whatever that law is governing. That's why you get fined. That's why you lose your license in some cases. It's that simple.

I don't believe the majority of people drive fast because they're in a hurry... I think it's because they like to drive fast. Granted some drive like a-holes but many who drive fast are also paying far more attention to driving than the folks who decide that they're going to arbitrarily impose "their speed limit" on others.

I don't think most people who do this even really understand how stupid it is (left lane honorary LEOs). You are speeding aka "breaking the law" yet have now decided how far someone else can break that same law.

I would much rather deal with a speeder who's paying attention than the myriad boneheads who get insulted when they finally look in their rearview mirrors (if they ever do) while yapping on the phone and see someone trying to get up the highway.

Myself, I stay towards the right as often as possible. Why? Because invariably there's less people there... most of the people trying to get up the road and the idiots who are trying to stop them hang out on the other side.

 

[bassdblr]

I disagree... I'm from California - LA for that matter... Need I say more? I mean we invented the 4-way roll-on-thru.

I think Southern California has also invented a standard freeway speed of 80 and this other deal I often see on the 5 and other LA freeways when someone in the faster lanes is angry that someone is not driving fast enough (80 is not good enough) they go over to the slowest lane. Sometimes the fastest drivers are in the slowest lanes. Makes it tough to pull off for a Starbucks. I rarely see a Highway Patrol, but, then again, I rarely see an accident on the freeway either.

 

[Brad Johnson]

What do I do if someone is tailgating me? Well, if I'm in the fast lane (left) I'm usually going faster than teh speed limit (to pass or if it's not a highway) in which case I do nothing! I ignore the person until I have to change lanes or turn; I'm already going fast in the fast lane (above the speed limit is what I deem fast). But normally I just go with the flow of traffic/speed limit. I've had people tailgate me on one lane roads (one lane each direction), that really bothers me, but I try to relax and ignore the idiots. Reminds me of a joke, "what's the difference between an elephant and a speeding car? the @$%hole is on the outside of an elephant". I find the only way to deal with fast drivers is to relax, ignore them (although watch them, by ignore I mean not let it bother you), and drive carefully yourself. This is exactly why I don't like driving, I much prefer the subway, bus, or bike! Cheaper, better for you, and better for hte environment!

So you decide how far above the speed limit you're currently breaking everyone behind you can go?

Sweet. It almost makes sense.

 

[Brad Johnson]

Especially around here, there's not too many zones where you can pass. We live in the curvy mountains. So, should you still pass? It'd be twice as illegal to; first off you're speeding, then passing in no-passing zones.
FWIW, I'm 21. What I normally do whilest driving is between +0 to +5 of the speed limit. If you come up on me, and ride my ass for a prolonged period of time, I will slow down to the speed limit if I'm going any above it. If that doesn't give you the hint, I'll lock it in at 5 under. If you still don't get the hint, it goes to 10 under. Around here, it never gets to that point. People realize they're not going to get me to go any faster. They get off my rear then, and we both do around +5.
I've already had people attempt to pass me in no passing zones. It's rare that anyone has been able to, as well, it's hard to beat the acceleration a 350 in a small and light car gives you. If you do try to pass me, though, I'll generally let you around. At that point, I grab your plate and well, you get a nice notice in the mail .
I'm not trying to police the roads. That's not my jobs. But as a citizen, when I see something wrong, I wont just turn a cold shoulder to it and let it go. It's already killed a good friend of mine, and put a relative in good danger.
When someone's tailgating me, I actually find myself hoping that something on the road ahead will give me a good reason to brake check.

What does the acceleration of a 350 have to do with it if you want to go slower than the car behind you?

 

[NamelessOne]

well, I used to know a guy who would slow down when he was being tailgated and the guy behind him had plenty of room to pass. He would laugh at how long it took them to figure out that they could pass, and that they were only going 20k by then...

I like the system used on the autobahn... if you're in the left lane, and a mercedes with it's left blinker on comes up on you, get out of the way. other than that, it's recommended speed in the right lane, and above that in the middle, with the left for passing and speedfreaks. Of course, the occasional disintegrated trailer scattered over a few k of roadside provides a good reminder of what not to do...

 

[Bad Brains]

Actually it makes perfect sense. If I want to drive 47, I obviously couldn't do it in the same lane as someone who is driving 45 now could I?

Exactly.

 

[Brad Johnson]

In INDIANA you can get a ticket for tailgating.
You can also get a ticket and jailed on the spot if a cop sees you rack up any three moving violations in a row , it's our new road rage law .

you could be speeding , tailgating and the recklessly swerve out to pass and your going to jail.


I hate it when I DON'T tailgate and seize my chance to pass and the guy out for a cruise at 10 MPH below posted speed limit turns into speed racer and races me for position.

It's funny how many of the folks who supposedly aren't in a hurry get in one when you do finally get a chance to pass.

Here's a really simple question.. why would anyone want someone stuck behind them?

Because what... just love the aggravation?

 

[Brad Johnson]

There are situations where I'll move over, but what I find happens most often is this...

I'm in the left lane, going ~80-85. The next lane over is at 70 or so. The person behind me is riding my bumper because he feels like going 95~100. Guess what? Too BAD. I'm not going to slow down and get over because I'm not breaking the law hard enough for his tastes.

So I'm supposed to slow down and get over because he wants to go faster than I do? Why shouldn't HE slow down to my speed? Do his desires trump mine? Does he have more right to that section of road than I do? Hardly.

Granted, I don't do anything rude like tapping my brakes, or slowing down even more, but I see no reason why his desire to speed should trump mine.

If I'm doing 80 and someone behind me wants to go faster, some folks including myself jokingly refer to that as a "rabbit" or "biscuit" and love to have them in front of them, as a potential sacrifice to the radar god Stalker III. Let them feed the monster, not me

 

[Brad Johnson]

I just go slower and slower and slower. They can pass me, or sit there and freak out.

I do get annoyed with people who drive slow, though. We live in the Texas Hill Country, full of winding roads. People move here, and they can't handle it, and they drive REALLY, REALLY SLOWLY!!! If you want to live in country with winding roads, you need to learn to drive on them. Don't be a Nervous Nellie! If the road conditions are good, there is no excuse or reason for excessive caution. That causes as many accidents as speeding does.

But I don't tailgate. I *want* to, but I know it does no good, so I don't. I count to ten, practice my foreign language cursing, or blast metal on my stereo. And keep at least a car's length back, to where I can see the mirrors of the car in front of me.

I *do* pass as soon as it is safe to do so. And I get very annoyed when people try to speed up and keep me from passing them. Fish or cut bait! Drive the speed limit, or let people go around you! Don't play cat and mouse on the road! Its not a contest. If you want to drive 40 or 45 mph in a 55, then let people pass.

Cherie

Hate to break it to you but if you're a car length back... you're tailgating.

 

[Kael]

I actually feel the same way about people who drive like idjits. They are more than welcome to flush out the troopers who are fishing for speeders.