# BWAHA: Driver's cooperate against tailgater! **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [May 20, 2005, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bwaha-drivers-cooperate-against-tailgater/304750 "2005-05-20T15:52:40Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 10
**Author:** ![Queen\_Tonya](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/4491bb/32.png) [@Queen\_Tonya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Queen_Tonya)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2005, 10:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bwaha-drivers-cooperate-against-tailgater/304750/181 "2005-05-24T22:12:42Z")
> [@CandidGamera](#): > > Huh. And I’d answer yes to all four of those - I only use the left lane for passing, see. If someone comes along going faster than I am, I try to get over when I can - unless they zip right up to my bumper before I have the chance, revealing themselves as a jerk, and making me reconsider helping them. Ok, this I can understand. You’re playing by the rules, not intending to be some Highway Desperado exerting authority over everyone else and just being frank about your emotional reaction to tailgaters. Cool. 🆒 ---
**Author:** ![kidchameleon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/898d66/32.png) [@kidchameleon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kidchameleon)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2005, 10:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bwaha-drivers-cooperate-against-tailgater/304750/182 "2005-05-24T22:31:29Z")
> [@Rodd Hill](#): > > OK: > > an SUV, driven by Ghandi, who is making salt in defiance of British law, is in the left lane, with a semi trailer coming up behind at 80 mph, driven by Jawaharlal Nehru, in a hurry to pick up his laundry before the dhobi-wallah closes for Vijayadashmi. Ghandi is unable to merge into the right lane, as a jitney carrying Rati, the Balinese godess of fertility is already there, forcing him to remain passively blocking the fast lane. > > Who is at fault? Clearly the British. ---
**Author:** ![Bippy\_the\_Beardless](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ac8455/32.png) [@Bippy\_the\_Beardless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bippy_the_Beardless)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2005, 10:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bwaha-drivers-cooperate-against-tailgater/304750/183 "2005-05-24T22:37:46Z")
> [@Bear\_Nenno](#): > > If you were an observant driver, you would hav enoticed the ESM rapidly approaching in your rear view. You should have been finding the best and safest way to get over to the slow lane to let her pass. So that you were out of the way by the time she got up on you. If you would have been in the proper lane, she would not have to tailgate. This is your fault, and I believe people like you are the cause of the problem, not the solution. Stay the hell out of the fast lane. > 70 in a 65 in the PASSING LANE _is_ mosying! Why must people take it so personally when someone else is going faster??? I think you should just get out of the way. Why be an ass. She wouldn’t have to honk or tailgate if you would just check your mirror every now and then and stay the hell out of the fast lane. > If I’m in the fast lane on the interstate or a highway, I’m always looking around. Even if I’m doing 80 or so in a 70, I still happily get out of the way when cars are hauling ass behind me. That’s called “yielding to faster vehicles”… you know “slower traffice keep right”. I dont take it personally that someone is going 95… I dont find the need or urge to ‘teach him a lesson’, I just get out of the way like a courteous and responsible driver should. Mods… **MODS** … isn’t there a rule against sensible and inteligent posting in the pit? if there is I need to report **Bear\_Nenno** for attempting to ruin a perfectly catastrophic train crash with an unreasonably decent and meaningful post. ---
**Author:** ![galt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/35a633/32.png) [@galt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/galt)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2005, 12:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bwaha-drivers-cooperate-against-tailgater/304750/184 "2005-05-25T00:55:49Z")
A couple of points: 1. One problem is that “tailgating” is pretty subjective. How close does a car have to get before he’s “bullying” you? Some people have a pretty low tolerance for cars coming up behind them and think anyone approaching is obviously a crazed asshole. If you are convinced that the guy approaching you is a crazed asshole and you lose your will to cooperate, you end up turning him into a crazed asshole by refusing to get out of the way. Then **you’re** the cause of the escalation. 2. While I wouldn’t go so far as to claim that tailgating in the left lane is impossible, I **would** say that if you find a car right behind you in the left lane, either:[list=a] [li]there’s someone directly in front of you, in which case you’re not an asshole[/li][li]there’s someone preventing you from switching lanes, and whether or not you’re an asshole depends entirely on how long you’re taking to pass them (hint: if they’re going 60 and you’re going 60.0001, you’re an asshole)[/li][li]you’re just hanging out in the left lane, being an asshole[/li][/list] ---
**Author:** ![GusNSpot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gusnspot/32/436_2.png) [@GusNSpot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GusNSpot)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2005, 4:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bwaha-drivers-cooperate-against-tailgater/304750/185 "2005-05-25T04:39:41Z")
On a motorcycle… When the wife sitting on the “P” pad can touch your car, you are an asshole tailgater no matter what the traffic is doing and you should have your DL revoked for a year minimum. The person who races up the closing lane to crowd into the already formed merge for construction lane should have all four of their tires shot out and the asshat that lets them crowd into line should have two tires shot out and both get $500 tickets. Air cooled motorcycle can’t idle in traffic for 45 minutes in construction zones without major damage. They can keep moving on the shoulder or stop their engines. If you hit them with doors or crowd past them while they are restarting the engine, you should get all four tires shot out and a $500 ticket. YMMV ---
**Author:** ![Uncommon\_Sense](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Uncommon\_Sense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Uncommon_Sense)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2005, 12:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bwaha-drivers-cooperate-against-tailgater/304750/186 "2005-05-25T12:11:24Z")
Ok, just to clarify because it sounds as though some of you took me literally. The comment about it being ‘impossible’ to tailgate in the left lane was an attempt at facetiously dry humor. More clearly, I meant that if everyone plays by the rules there would be NO tailgating in the left lane since the people that might be in the way would have gotten out of the way for the passer. The End. **GunsNSpot** , you can say the P word in the pit. 🆒 ---
**Author:** ![BMalion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e274bd/32.png) [@BMalion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BMalion)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2005, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bwaha-drivers-cooperate-against-tailgater/304750/187 "2005-05-25T16:26:33Z")
So… **GusNSpot** , own a motorcycle do ya’? “P” stands for “passenger” I assume? ---
**Author:** ![GusNSpot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gusnspot/32/436_2.png) [@GusNSpot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GusNSpot)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2005, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bwaha-drivers-cooperate-against-tailgater/304750/188 "2005-05-25T16:34:14Z")
“P” = Passenger… yepper, that’s the ticket … 😉 ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2005, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bwaha-drivers-cooperate-against-tailgater/304750/189 "2005-05-25T17:12:30Z")
I have no idea if this is true or not but rumour has it that a guy I went to highschool with used to punish tailgaters in this manner. He would pop out the brakelight fuse from under the dash and drive as fast as he could while being tailgated and then suddenly slam on the brakes. The tailgater would ploughup the back of Nick’s car and he would replace the fuse before the police turned up and just say that an animal ran across the road and the other guy was too close. In Australia if you rear-end someone it is your fault… I have never heard of anyone getting off. ---
**Author:** ![UncleBeer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/977dab/32.png) [@UncleBeer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UncleBeer)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2005, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bwaha-drivers-cooperate-against-tailgater/304750/190 "2005-05-25T17:17:51Z")
> [@](#): > > In Australia if you rear-end someone it is your fault As it is here. However, drivers are also charged with the responsibilty to take all reasonable precautions to avoid an accident - no matter who might be the cause of it. Impeding traffic flow does not meet this test. Lemme ask you left-lane obstructionists a simple question. Did you feel safer while these incidents were happening than you would have if the tailgating offender had simply sped on by? No? Didn’t think so. Thus, _you_ were the driver committing the more dangerous act. ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2005, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bwaha-drivers-cooperate-against-tailgater/304750/191 "2005-05-25T19:02:49Z")
Okay - let’s summarize: 1. Does everybody agree that driving at an unsafe speed is bad? Yes. 2. Does everybody agree that tailgating is bad? Yes. 3. Okay - if someone comes up behind you, driving at an unsafe speed and tailgating - are they bad? Yes. 4. Now - regardless of what you were doing - EVEN if you were trying to pass someone yourself at the time - is it safer to get out of the way of that bad, unsafe tailgater and let them pass? Yes. And, as other posters have pointed out, AAA and a major insurance company state as much. Isn’t that the end of it? ---
**Author:** ![Knowed\_Out](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/knowed_out/32/7380_2.png) [@Knowed\_Out](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Knowed_Out)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2005, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bwaha-drivers-cooperate-against-tailgater/304750/192 "2005-05-25T19:22:23Z")
> [@UncleBeer](#): > > No argument. But had the OP just moved the hell over when and where he should have by the commonly practiced rules of the road, there’d have been no opportunity for anyone to tailgate. If the store owner had just put bars on his windows, padlocked the doors and put in an alarm system, there would have been no opportunity to steal. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2005, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bwaha-drivers-cooperate-against-tailgater/304750/193 "2005-05-25T19:38:04Z")
> [@Knowed Out](#): > > If the store owner had just put bars on his windows, padlocked the doors and put in an alarm system, there would have been no opportunity to steal. False analogy. Jewelry stores have bars, locks, and alarms and still get robbed in broad daylight. ---
**Author:** ![Lockseer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/a5b964/32.png) [@Lockseer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lockseer)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2005, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bwaha-drivers-cooperate-against-tailgater/304750/194 "2005-05-25T20:50:54Z")
After reading four pages of messages, feel I’m ready to weigh in… First, **CynicalGabe** , people are wondering how you ended up in the passing lane, but were keeping pace with the Cool Blue Dude. Either you pulled up next to him, and slowed down to match his speed, or you got even with him, and he began to accelerate. Seems like the latter case is more likely, as you mention that he began pulling ahead of you, but not sure. Just trying to get everyone on the same page. Secondly, regarding the notion that you can’t be tailgated in the left lane without doing something wrong…I call bullshit. I’ve been on many an interstate where there are 1) more cars in the chain than you can tell until you pull into the passing lane, 2) cars have pulled into right-hand lane from an on-ramp, taking the spot you were hoping to and 3) drivers getting angry that you pulled into their passing lane and accelerated up to meet you. If a person is aggressive enough to tailgate, they can be aggressive enough to accelerate up to meet you. That having been said, different DoT’s from different states have different recommendations for how to handle tailgaters. This one, for exxample, comes from the [Iowa Department of Transportation](http://www.dot.state.ia.us/roadrage.htm). Some examples that seem relevant to what we’ve talked about here: - Follow the laws of the road. - Be polite and courteous. - Stay within the speed limits. - Put some physical distance between you and drivers who are behaving erratically. - Don’t show a reaction to the aggressive driver; especially, avoid eye contact. - Avoid behaviors that antagonize or irritate others. - Learn to control your temper and keep your cool in traffic. - Be tolerant of those who exhibit non-conforming traffic behaviors. So a state government recommends tolerating non-conforming traffic behaviors, rather than “teaching them a lesson.” Surprise, surprise… ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2005, 10:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bwaha-drivers-cooperate-against-tailgater/304750/195 "2005-05-25T22:40:45Z")
Many (if not all) states have started cracking down on aggressive drivers. Get a cell phone and next time you see a driver being an idiot, dial \*77 to report said idiot. There, you’ve done your part to keep highways safer without being a danger to anyone. ---
**Author:** ![CynicalGabe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/3e96dc/32.png) [@CynicalGabe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CynicalGabe)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2005, 1:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bwaha-drivers-cooperate-against-tailgater/304750/196 "2005-05-26T01:14:46Z")
> [@Lute Skywatcher](#): > > Many (if not all) states have started cracking down on aggressive drivers. Get a cell phone and next time you see a driver being an idiot, dial \*77 to report said idiot. There, you’ve done your part to keep highways safer without being a danger to anyone. \*77? ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2005, 4:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bwaha-drivers-cooperate-against-tailgater/304750/197 "2005-05-26T04:21:28Z")
Might be #77, I’m not sure. ---
**Author:** ![CynicalGabe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/3e96dc/32.png) [@CynicalGabe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CynicalGabe)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2005, 4:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bwaha-drivers-cooperate-against-tailgater/304750/198 "2005-05-26T04:31:25Z")
> [@Lute Skywatcher](#): > > Might be #77, I’m not sure. But what is it? ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2005, 4:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bwaha-drivers-cooperate-against-tailgater/304750/199 "2005-05-26T04:39:00Z")
Oh, sorry. It’s a direct dial to the state police but [according to this list](http://www.shopoakpark.com/info-cellnumbers.html), California doesn’t have one in place. Then again, Virginia’s isn’t listed on there either and I know we have one. ---
**Author:** ![Diane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/2acd7d/32.png) [@Diane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diane)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2005, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bwaha-drivers-cooperate-against-tailgater/304750/200 "2005-05-26T15:36:49Z")
> [@UncleBeer](#): > > No argument. But had the OP just moved the hell over when and where he should have by the commonly practiced rules of the road, there’d have been no opportunity for anyone to tailgate. Exactly. There aren’t many things that piss me off more than someone using the passing lane as a driving lane. If you aren’t actively passing (and it doesn’t appear that you were), then move your ass out of the passing lane. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bwaha-drivers-cooperate-against-tailgater/304750.md?page=9) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bwaha-drivers-cooperate-against-tailgater/304750.md?page=11)