Don't You DARE get behind me!!!!!! (mild)

The BBQ Pit
1

Okay, I can understand, and frequently relate to why a “fellow” motorist would want to prevent someone from moving over into “their” lane, in FRONT of them.

After all, 9 times out of 10, the idiot that cuts you off and jumps in front of you, is the one who then slows to a crawl for 19 blocks while he looks for an address, or talks on his cell phone or whatever.

Now, the subject of my rant doesn’t happen very often, but it did tonite, and I’m much more perplexed than “road-raged”.

I’m trying to get into the left lane, it was early, 1145 am, so not too terribly much traffic, but THIS idiot, sees me, and slows DOWN! So, I speed up a little, thinking maybe he’s trying to “switch” lanes with me. I’ve got my turn signal on, he has to see it now that he’s to the rear of my car.

So, he speeds up. I’m thinking “fine”. So I slow down again, (there’s noone behind him, but there ARE cars behind me). As soon as I can AaaaalMOST make it into his lane, he slows WAY down, preventing me from getting in behind him.

Now, it’s not as if I waited until THE very block where I had to turn, I started trying to get over about 3 lights ahead of time (this was on Gambell or is it Ingra?, anyway going INTO town, so if it was YOU, you know who you are!!).

This idiot playing this “you can’t have my lane” game, for about a light and a half. Finally, I see that the cars behind me have moved over to the far right lane, and I just flatout BRAKED and then punched it (thank you V8) over behind this guy.

He then Ooooh so slowly crept toward the light at 6th to turn left (you were driving an orange-y red SUV, you KNooooow who you are).

What on earth possesses people to behave this way? I don’t get it. Was he ticked off at his boss, and spied me and thought “AHA someone on whom to take out my misplaced anger/sense of impotency”???

Anyone else had this weird “you are NOT getting behind me in MY lane even if it’s only behind me” thingie happen?

2

Not today I didn’t… I made you play my game, MUAHHHH HAAA HAAAAA!

I am KIDDING! Wasn’t me
I don’t get that very much, I get this: The truck/SUV up my butt.

OK, if you’re gonna get that close (up my ass), introduce yourself first! Sheesh! I like to know my anal intruder before the act, heh heh.

Honestly, it really annoys me when “truck fuck” rides my bumper, as if I’m not going fast enough (I’m a leadfoot by nature unless my child is in the car). If I can see the nose hairs from truck fuck’s nostrils in my rearview… BACK the fuck OFF! There is no reason to get to the red light in such a bleepin’ hurry!

Or is that a goal of some sort? Do you, truck fuck, get a point for every inch closer to the stoplight? I would love to know. When my daughter is in the car, I’m not going to speed for your sorry ass. Nuh huh, no way so get your head out of my ass and back off.

One time, and I am SO sorry to hijack, man, it’s inevitable when you post about assholes in vehicles, I had this guy in his raised truck just about swap paint molecules with me because he just had to get ahead. It was the closest I have ever come to getting run off the road and I have never been so scared. My daughter was only months old at the time, by the way! WTF!?

If… IF he would have hit me, I seriously would have ripped his balls off through his goddamn throat! Why are people so deadly with their vehicles??? That’s what I don’t get either, Canvas. Nobody gives a flyin’ fuck, they just want to get ahead.

3

I saw the dude’s face when he went past… I know it was a guy… a young guy with a frickin’ chip on his shoulder because he flipped me off. Well, fuck you very much and I hope you do find out just how fast your truck is going when it slams into a pole because you just had to get THERE! EASE UP! Get where you’re going but don’t “rule the road”. The road can kick your ass if you’re a fool.

4

Oh yeah,ERRRRG, the young and hip with the urge to kill. Sheesh.

Yup, but that’s alright, I was on my way to spend the day at a day spa, I have a new puppy, and I’m going to see my boyfriend this weekend.

He didn’t cause much more reaction in me than a mild “what on earth??” followed by a “some people” mom-like shake of the head.

5

I do a “fuck you” mom-ish birdie flip. They have earned it!

6

Its days like this I guess you could really use a 1920’s style “Death Ray.”

7

You know? I love the 1920s SDRs, I’ve always wanted to mount one to the front of my caddy :smiley:

The back too, for those pesky tailgaters.

8

Sorry but it sounds like you do not know how to get the hell out of the way. Please just try it some time, I bet you find your ride to be easier and more relaxing, plus the people you share the road with will be kinder and maybe even grateful.

As for the OP, it reminds me of the maggots that have to drive next to me on the empty open highway. I like to drive at night when the roads are mostly empty. I can be going about 75/80 and come up on one other car, move to the left, pass, get ready to pull back but guess what - now the maggot is pacing me.

OK, I’ll bump it up another 5 mph then move out of the left lane. Nope, now I’m doing 80/85, but the maggot is still there.

OK, you wanna go that fast, I’ll back it down and move in behind. Guess what, now the maggot is going 70/75.

OK, back to the left lane and back on the throttle, but guess what.

Every road trip it happens at least once :confused: I have even led the maggots on a trip over 10 miles where I have varied my speed from 60 to 90 mph three or more times. WTF is with these people!?!?!?
CanvasShoes, all I can think of is that there is love at first sight. When they saw you, they just had to stay close to you :smack:
???

9

Call local police.
Give the car, and the license plate to the dispatcher. Tell them the guy is driving very erratically, and that you suspect he may be drunk.

Pray that you are there to see the fun.

:wink:

10

Actually Stupendous man, I DID get to see “the fun” once with an erratic driver getting caught by the police.

I didn’t “tell on him” either. This was on the “Seward Highway” which, in Alaska winds on down about 150 miles south until you get to the Kenai Peninsula (at some point it changes names and Hwy Numbers, but it’s the SAME darn road).

Anyway, once you get about 40 miles north of the Kenai, the road becomes only two lanes, and there are lots of twisty windy turns.

So, about 10 years ago, I lived on the “lovely” Kenai, but was moving my stuff back up to Anchorage, I was on a trip down there (had left at about 1am to AVOID the little old blue haired people and their slooooow motor homes), to pick up more of my “stuff”.

About 30 miles from Soldotna I came upon this ancient truck and camper, moseying along at about 25-35 (must have been truly frightened little old folks) but no biggie, my daughter, 16 at the time, and I were sleepy and in no huge hurry anyway.

About 15 minutes after we got stuck behind the camper, this little red sports car comes SCREAMING up on my tail (not a good idea, I owned an even more ancient beat up caddy at that point, he would have squashed himself like a bug had he hit me).

Anyway, enough campers and other cars were heading back to Anchorage to keep us from passing, so we just settled in and said “oh well”.

Not so with the little car, he kept zipping back and forth over the line behind me, zooming up on my butt, flashing his lights. In general being a huge pain.

About 5-10 miles before “Sterling” (located a few miles north of Soldotna) the road straightens out and you can pass, the very SECOND this guy had a chance he went around us and immediately got up to what HAD to have been over 100mph, he was GONE!

We passed the camper too, but at a more reasonable 70-75. About 10 minutes later we came into the tiny community of Sterling, and wouldn’t you know it???

JUST inside the city limits one of Sterlings finest had that little ole sports car pulled over.

I looked at my daughter and said “sorry, but I’m going to embarrass you”. I slowed WAY down, and did the nya nya nAAAA na!" honk.

My daughter, not embarrassed at ALL hit the window button and did the heavy metal “hang loose” signal and yelled “OOH dude we’re SO impressed”!!

We laughed our butts off, and the cop just shook his head and laughed too. And kept on writing that speeding ticket.

I’m not sure what they are in your neck of the woods, but here they’re about 7-15 bucks for every mile over the speed limit.

11

Man, that never happens to me. I’d love to see some poetic justice just once.
Here in Ottawa, drivers are just nuts. A couple of days ago there was a little freezing rain, and on the drive home in the afternoon the city racked up a whopping 147 collisions. Luckily, I was off that day and only had to listen to it on the radio.

12

The best “mom-ish birdie flip” I’ve ever seen was from my friend’s mom. My friend and I were getting a drive with her when someone cut her off and she became so enraged that she lifted up her finger and jabbed it in the air several times for emphasis… the problem being that she was using her index finger instead of her middle finger.

13

Ottawa drivers always fall to pieces with the first bad weather of the winter season. They usually wise up after that though.

Man, I drove home in that freezing rain shit and let me tell you that a little was all it took. South Greenbank was so slick I had to put on my flashers and go 30.

14

It’s wonderful and rare when the road idiot gets just desserts. And you are there to see it.

The other day, it was my turn to go at a three-way stop sign. I started, but had to slam on the brakes because some bonehead in a Blazer just sailed right through the intersection without stopping. The car behind him sailed right through too, but he had red and blue lights on his roof. Made me smile.

15

Blown and Injected, I’ve experienced the same thing with highway leeches.
I have a theory about the nightime ones. I think they have night blindness and its easier for them to follow your tail lights than to find their own way in the dark.

I can usually shake them off whenever we pass through a well lit area. I don’t think that they conscientiously know that they are following you and they are clueless to the fact that they are being anoying.

I give them a break and hope that their night travels are few.

Bubba

16

There is an unwritten traffic law 'round here that you can’t let anybody move over. Ever. And you must block people in an oddly laid-back fashion, or else be mindlessly aggressive. Nothing in the middle.

And on one of the many roads where the limit is 30 or 35, you must try to go 50. Or, if you’ve been hitting the drive-through daquiri shops, 20. If you are on one of the bigger ones where the limit is 45, though, you must go no more than 35 under any circumstances. And if it rains you are honor-bound to not change how you drive in the slightest, never mind that the city is a swamp and it rains a lot during the spring and summer.

It drives me nuts.

17

You guys will think I’m an ass for this but about twenty years ago I had a problem with someone riding my ass with his high beams on for several weekends(I used to travel about 15 miles to another town on weekends at night)

I would slow down and move over so he could pass but for whatever reason he just wouldn’t…I had to turn my rear view mirror away just so I could see the road it was so bad

On the fourth weekend I had learned and had set up a little something for this guy…a mirror of my own in the back seat…when he came up behind me I pulled a cord…the mirror covered my back window and his high beams were now shining in HIS eyes

I had the satisfaction of seeing him in my side mirror swerving all over then slowing way down…he never did it again and about two weeks later I removed the mirror

Yes I know it was stupid and dangerous and he could of had an accident but I was a lot younger then and very very pissed…you try driving about 10 miles every week with someone on your butt about six feet away going 60mph

18

I get that as well Blown & Injected. Just yesterday I was taking the relaxing route home (set the old cruise control for extactly the limit and kept all the way right) and I had to pull away 3-4 times from people pacing me on the left.

What. The. Fuck.

This one fucker was probably doing about 95 (km/h) in the middle lane so I was passing him slowly. I finally get one car length in front and he speeds up and paced me. I hate this when I see people do it (effectively making a 3 lane highway into a 1 lane passing road) so I speed up, open some space, and fucker in a mini-van matches me!

So what do I do? I switch lanes and get in front of him. Any lane changes he did, I matched.

I’m glad my rear glass is 1.66% tinted. Head lights don’t bother me (I can barely make them out sometimes!) and I don’t care if people tailgate me.

19

The only people I don’t want getting behind me are SUV’s and trucks at night, because their damn headlights shine DIRECTLY in my back window, blinding me.

Of course, I just slow down and let them get in front of me (if I’m in the right lane) or switch to the right lane if I’m in the left. If I’m on a two lane and they’ve got really bright lights (most of the newer trucks/SUV’s do) I’ll just pull over and let 'em pass, even if I’m going faster than them. I just freaking HATE bright ass headlights blaring through my back windshield.

I think they should have PSA’s about SUV/Truck headlights and how they appear from a regular cars POV. I think most SUV/Truck drivers are completely oblivious as to how much of a pain in the ass they are for regular cars that have the misfortune of travelling in front of them at night.

Sorry for the hijack, felt the need to vent.

20

I’m with you. I HATE that. I’m fairly sensitive to bright lights and normal cars aren’t overly powerful, but the SUV/truck folks absolutely blind me. And if they ride my ass, it’s even worse. I usually end up slowing down to the bare minimum of the speed limit - not because I’m trying to get them angry, but because I can’t fucking SEE because of their lights shining back from my rearview and side mirrors.

As far as karma goes, I had a twit in a Lexus tailgating me on the windy little community road by my house - this place is a speed trap for cops, and I very rarely exceed 25-30 on it (the speed limit is 25). She got behind me and rode my ass for the entire time (and I couldn’t speed up after a certain point because it’s anyone’s guess where a cop will be hiding on any given day - they can be all over the place), so I kept my 25 MPH speed. She sped past me into the other turning lane, and gave me the finger, which I obviously returned. She went speeding down the road past me after the light changed at around 65 MPH (speed limit was 45). A few minutes later, I saw her on the right side of the road with a cop at her window.

I laughed.

Ava