# Clever hacks that you've never gotten to work **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [February 25, 2021, 1:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clever-hacks-that-youve-never-gotten-to-work/933692 "2021-02-25T01:15:28Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 14
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2022, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clever-hacks-that-youve-never-gotten-to-work/933692/263 "2022-05-06T19:26:47Z")
> [@Jackmannii](#): > > Getting tailgaters to fall back by flashing your headlights (and thus activating tail lights at the same time, simulating braking) has never worked for me. Tailgaters are oblivious.\* It has worked for me,SOMETIMES, but by lightly tapping the brakes. But CA tailgaters are not like East coast ones. ---
**Author:** ![carrps](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carrps/32/2957_2.png) [@carrps](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carrps)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2022, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clever-hacks-that-youve-never-gotten-to-work/933692/264 "2022-05-06T20:49:23Z")
> [@nelliebly](#): > > After years of trying “hacks” like this one, using bleach, soaking, etc., I finally hit on the foolproof, simplest, and easiest method: baking soda. Dampen a sponge. Pour liberal amount of baking soda onto sponge. Wipe baking soda onto stained container. _Bam_ . Done. No stains. Why didn’t I figure this out years ago? Does this work on glassware with dried on water “stains?” I have a drinking glass that’s clean, but always has this ghostly ring at the bottom. ---
**Author:** ![Dr\_Paprika](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr_paprika/32/3042_2.png) [@Dr\_Paprika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr_Paprika)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2022, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clever-hacks-that-youve-never-gotten-to-work/933692/265 "2022-05-06T20:53:57Z")
In Canada, aggressive tailgaters tend to fall back if you honk your horn, slow down and put on lights. It works. But it makes them mad. You need a pretty good reason to do this. ---
**Author:** ![nelliebly](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nelliebly/32/5422_2.png) [@nelliebly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nelliebly)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2022, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clever-hacks-that-youve-never-gotten-to-work/933692/266 "2022-05-06T22:00:00Z")
I’ve never tried it for that, but I’d sure like to find out! ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2022, 12:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clever-hacks-that-youve-never-gotten-to-work/933692/267 "2022-05-07T00:25:12Z")
Baking soda will neutralize acids and is rather absorbent. However you use it you have to give it time. When restoring old cardboard and paper items a frequent practice is to place an item between two layers of baking soda then weighting it down for a day or more. It’s very good at absorbing oily stain when it’s dry, I’m not sure it’s effective when wet. ---
**Author:** ![digs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/digs/32/14889_2.png) [@digs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/digs)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2022, 2:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clever-hacks-that-youve-never-gotten-to-work/933692/268 "2022-05-07T02:23:57Z")
> [@Jackmannii](#): > > Getting tailgaters to fall back by flashing your headlights (and thus activating tail lights at the same time, simulating braking) has never worked for me. Tailgaters are oblivious.\* When I’m ahead (by 4") of a jerkish tailgater, I dream of having my Scoutmaster’s old WW2 Jeep. He discovered he could pull up on the emergency brake, get a horrendous “shrieking rubber” noise, and the tail end would swing wildly left to right. It really seemed like he’d slammed on the brakes and would be stopped in the next half-second. So that became his Plan B for tailgaters. If they wouldn’t back off after conventional methods, he’d slam into Fake Emergency Stop mode, then goose the gas pedal just in time to speed away from the traumatized tailgater… who was now practically stock-still on the shoulder. And white as a sheet. ---
**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:** [May 7, 2022, 3:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clever-hacks-that-youve-never-gotten-to-work/933692/269 "2022-05-07T03:28:38Z")
Many years back, about 50 or so, I knew a fellow with an old car who hated tailgaters. He made a small hole in the passenger side floor and installed a piece of 2" pipe. And kept a big bag of marbles in the passenger seat. A hand full of marbles bouncing on their hood and grill made them drop way back. ---
**Author:** ![lobotomyboy63](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobotomyboy63/32/2900_2.png) [@lobotomyboy63](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lobotomyboy63)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2022, 11:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clever-hacks-that-youve-never-gotten-to-work/933692/270 "2022-05-07T11:26:38Z")
> [@carrps](#): > > Does this work on glassware with dried on water “stains?” I have a drinking glass that’s clean, but always has this ghostly ring at the bottom. Wonder if that’s calcium or lime. If so, soaking with vinegar or lemon might dissolve it. You could try CLR but I’m not sure about drinking out of it afterward. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2022, 11:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clever-hacks-that-youve-never-gotten-to-work/933692/271 "2022-05-07T11:40:52Z")
A friend of mine was clearing his property, preparing the site for home building. He drove there after work, but didn’t have enough daylight. He bought a huge (airplane?) head light from a close out place and mounted it to his Jeep’s tailgate and put a toggle switch on his dashboard. He was able to fell trees as late as he wished. Coming home one night after chainsawing, he had a tailgater. Luckily nobody was hurt. I’ll bet the tailgater never tailgated again. ---
**Author:** ![Cheesesteak](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cheesesteak/32/3694_2.png) [@Cheesesteak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cheesesteak)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2022, 11:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clever-hacks-that-youve-never-gotten-to-work/933692/272 "2022-05-07T11:51:38Z")
Your windshield washers will let you reach out and touch a tailgater, with a fine mist all over his windshield. ---
**Author:** ![Railer13](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/railer13/32/9742_2.png) [@Railer13](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Railer13)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2022, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clever-hacks-that-youve-never-gotten-to-work/933692/273 "2022-05-07T14:57:11Z")
Now that’s a clever idea! I’ve had that happen to me when I’m behind somebody while city driving, but never thought of it while being tailgated on the highway. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2022, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clever-hacks-that-youve-never-gotten-to-work/933692/274 "2022-05-07T15:41:06Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > Coming home one night after chainsawing, he had a tailgater. Luckily nobody was hurt. I’ll bet the tailgater never tailgated again. I’m not proud of this one, but back in college, the vehicle I was driving had a snow plow mounted on it (or the rack for it anyway, I took the blade off in summer). One day, I parked about 30ish feet away from another car and aimed the plow lights directly into it’s rear view mirror. Then when someone was tailgating me, I’d turn the plow lights on as I “politely” moved over to let them past me. Now they’d have to drive with my lights shining directly into their car. ---
**Author:** ![carnut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnut/32/3531_2.png) [@carnut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnut)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2022, 10:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clever-hacks-that-youve-never-gotten-to-work/933692/275 "2022-05-08T22:58:56Z")
> [@Joey\_P](#): > > Now they’d have to drive with my lights shining directly into their car. One of my racing friends taught me to adjust my side view mirrors so that if I have a big truck tailing me, their lights shine back at the driver. Works well only sometimes because trucks are different heights and widths. ---
**Author:** ![TRC4941](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/trc4941/32/6792_2.png) [@TRC4941](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TRC4941)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2022, 3:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clever-hacks-that-youve-never-gotten-to-work/933692/276 "2022-05-09T15:11:35Z")
Regarding the plastic containers stained red from tomato-y foods, I gave up trying to remove those stains long ago. Now I have containers that I use just for greasy, tomato-y, strong odor (garlic & onion) foods and containers that are used only for fruits, sweets, etc. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2022, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clever-hacks-that-youve-never-gotten-to-work/933692/277 "2022-05-09T15:19:40Z")
> [@TRC4941](#): > > Regarding the plastic containers stained red from tomato-y foods, I gave up trying to remove those stains long ago [![](https://preview.redd.it/vt1rx5yrjqjz.jpg?auto=webp&s=a94f2e4609e9fcbfb75123c5dce15a0b07f2b3d8) ](https://preview.redd.it/vt1rx5yrjqjz.jpg?auto=webp&s=a94f2e4609e9fcbfb75123c5dce15a0b07f2b3d8) and for a hack that _always_ works [![](https://i.imgur.com/AkffIl8.jpeg) ](https://i.imgur.com/AkffIl8.jpeg) ---
**Author:** ![E-DUB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/e-dub/32/403_2.png) [@E-DUB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E-DUB)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2022, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clever-hacks-that-youve-never-gotten-to-work/933692/278 "2022-05-09T15:29:19Z")
I actually witnessed a similar event in college. My buddy had two partially completed books of matches in his back jeans pocket. When he sat down the matches on one rubbed up against the striker on the other and what was left of both books went up. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2022, 3:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clever-hacks-that-youve-never-gotten-to-work/933692/279 "2022-05-09T15:47:38Z")
Boiling hot water works sometimes. I don’t know why exactly. And I think the longer the material is stained the more permanent it becomes. But I’ve had some success cleaning plastic containers within days of getting stained. ---
**Author:** ![Briny\_Deep](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/briny_deep/32/17188_2.png) [@Briny\_Deep](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Briny_Deep)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2022, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clever-hacks-that-youve-never-gotten-to-work/933692/280 "2022-05-09T20:45:03Z")
I’ve tried a variety of techniques dealing with tailgaters over the years, and then I had a stark realization. A non-insignificant portion of the general population is (a) insane, (b) very, very angry, and (c) armed. At this point in life my goal is to make sure my very existence never rises to the level of consciousness in a tailgater’s mind, by any means necessary. ---
**Author:** ![echoreply](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/echoreply/32/3641_2.png) [@echoreply](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/echoreply)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2022, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clever-hacks-that-youve-never-gotten-to-work/933692/281 "2022-05-09T21:30:29Z")
> [@TriPolar](#): > > I think the longer the material is stained the more permanent it becomes Living with somebody who dyes things as a hobby, I’ve learned that there are lots of different kinds of stains. Sometimes stuff is just dried on, and can be scrubbed off; while other times things have chemically bonded to something, and even then, the chemical bonds are different depending on the material and dye. All of that means that different methods of stain removal are appropriate for different types of stains. Some of the cleaning hacks have that all nailed down, for example, bleach for removing coffee stains from a mug works well. Other times the advice is too generic, and might work for some stains, but won’t work for others. > [@Briny\_Deep](#): > > I’ve tried a variety of techniques dealing with tailgaters over the years, and then I had a stark realization My realization with tailgaters, is that some people just like to tailgate. Speed, traffic, and open lanes don’t matter. They like being less than a car length away from the person in front of them. I often wonder if they’re behind me fuming about why I’m only going 10 over when the freeway is completely empty, or if they’re happy because they finally found their comfort zone, fixated on my tail lights. ---
**Author:** ![Briny\_Deep](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/briny_deep/32/17188_2.png) [@Briny\_Deep](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Briny_Deep)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2022, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clever-hacks-that-youve-never-gotten-to-work/933692/282 "2022-05-09T21:46:49Z")
> [@echoreply](#): > > My realization with tailgaters, is that some people just like to tailgate. Speed, traffic, and open lanes don’t matter. They like being less than a car length away from the person in front of them. I often wonder if they’re behind me fuming about why I’m only going 10 over when the freeway is completely empty, or if they’re happy because they finally found their comfort zone, fixated on my tail lights. Also often true. I had a good friend who tailgated terribly when I was in the passenger seat. He was not angry, insane, or armed, and didn’t seem to think the driver ahead was a particular slowpoke. He just liked to be 3 feet from their bumper at all times. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clever-hacks-that-youve-never-gotten-to-work/933692.md?page=13) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clever-hacks-that-youve-never-gotten-to-work/933692.md?page=15)