I am shocked at the idiotic drivers on this board and I sincerely hope that some (or all) of you are kidding, slamming on your brakes to “freak out” a tailgater is the STUPIDEST thing in the world, sure the wreck will be considered the other drivers fault but YOU are still involved and you still suffer (increased insurance rates, time off work, pain, inconvienence, damage to the resale value of your car, etc.).
When someone tailgates me (AND I DRIVE BETWEEN 200 AND 500 MILES TO WORK, AT NIGHT) I assume that they are drunk and I call the state police (*LSP in louisiana, a free call) if I can not get rid of them and my program for getting rid of them is to remove my foot from the throttle (if 65 is the problem then we will see if 40 is a solution), this is said with an understanding that ON AN INTERSTATE HIGHWAY, SLOWER TRAFFIC KEEPS RIGHT (ask a cop, it is NOT your job to enforce the speed laws).
I have seen the inside of an ambulance and that is a sight I DO NOT want to see again, you are endangering other people because of some anger control or power deal that IS NOT MY PROBLEM AND IT WILL NOT BECOME MY PROBLEM also if I am not injured in the accident I will STOMP YOUR STUPID ASS until the cops arrive.
Assuming of course the guy is not military, boxer, martial artist, loads bigger than you, etc. Then it will be kind of embarrasing when you are the one that gets your ass stomped.
Not to mention this is not high school people. Assult charges can carry quite a bit of weight, but go ahead and beat the crap out of that 80 year old man that got you in a wreck. I am sure the cops will fully understand and no charges will be pressed. :rolleyes:
When I’m in a car, nobody tailgates me in Vancouver, because nobody drives fast (on most highways people here do 10 kph under the limit).
Elsewhere, I ignore tailgaters, and try to avoid tailgating myself. (I tend to tailgate ‘accidentally’-- I don’t realize how fast I’m actually driving, and creep up on someone. When I do notice I’m perilously close, I ease up on the throttle and back off.)
Persistent tailgaters will get more devout ignorance. Honk, flash your lights-- pass on the right if you’re that stupidly determined to go faster. You won’t be able to, because I’m already going faster then the folks on the right, and I’m not moving because it’s too frickin dangerous.
Car ads are a lie, people.
When I’m on two wheels, and someone tailgates me, I start weaving drunkenly while flashing my brakes. They’ve always slowed right down-- FAST.
I am a large guy myself and I will take my chances with damn near anybody and besides, once you have taken MY life in your hands all bets are off!.
To use rhetoric “i’d rather be judged by 12 than carried by 6” , at the very least I will keep you there (and off the road) until the cops come, an 80 year old man who can not drive safely is (I think) a larger public safety issue than my “assault” on a guy who struck first (with a 2500 pound weapon).
In conclusion I DO NOT WANT TO DIE BECAUSE YOU “HAVE ISSUES”
instead of pressing your brakes to shake a tailgater, try turning on your headlights, that way your tail lights go on, the person thinks you’re braking, and you don’t put yourself in danger of whiplash.
i’m a big time anti-tailgater, I think that when one tailgates, i have the right to slow to well below the speed limit just to piss them off (assuming i’m not in the passing lane)
Tailgaters (generalization) are people who are letting petty things get to them, stressed out where they don’t need to be, creating a stressful situation where none exists.
screw em, they need an epiphany, and if a road rage episode provides one, so be it.
Well I certainly don’t have a problem with drivers like you. I don’t care how fast you want to drive, as long as I’m given that same courtesy. I’m always good about getting over when it’s safe to do so. But the key phrase a lot of people here seem to be missing is, when it’s safe to do so.
All of you aggressive tailgaters, next time you find yourself in that situation, take a look and see:
Is the car in front of you moving faster than the other traffic around you? If so, calm down and back off. They’re already going faster than the others, and they’ll get over when they are no longer doing so. They shouldn’t have to slow down to convenience you. Believe it or not, they have just as much right to the road as you do.
**Did they slow down when you crept on their butt? Did they slam on their brakes? **You’re making them nervous. Back off a bit and see if they get out of your way. You’re too close for them to risk moving over, because they can’t tell if you’re suddenly going to do the same thing. Let me repeat that: You’re too close for them to risk moving over. They can’t see your lights or signals or tires. It’s too risky.
Are they in the left-most lane? If not, you move even if it means you have to slow down to do so. They don’t have to change their rate of speed to accomodate you. It’s up to you to change your rate of speed to accomodate yourself.
Oh, and I just wanted to point out something about people who drive 15-20 mph over the speed you’re going. When you look in your rearview mirror and see someone coming up that fast, it looks very fast. I’ve found the best thing to do is maintain my heading, even if I’m in the left-most lane. I don’t want to suddenly change lanes and surprise the other driver who is already mapping out a course in his/her head through my section of road.
Driving home from work, I need to make a left hand turn at an uncontrolled intersection. I get into the left lane 2 lights ahead because experience has taught me that that may be my last chance. I usually drive traffic speed, 5 miles over the posted limit of 35, and I am routinely tailgated. I signal well ahead of time and yet as I gently slow down, I get honked and and worse. People seem to go insane with anger sometimes just because I am making a left turn.
What boggles my mind is that the angry tailgater routinely keep on my ass when I stop, edging up until they are nearly touching my car. If they leave a few feet all they have to wait is about 3-15 second for the right lane to clear. By edging up they have to wait for me to turn. Non-tailgators don’t seem to do this. Conclusion: tailgators are insane.
Sometimes we have reasons to be in the left lane and either can’t move over because of traffic or do so so would make us miss our turns. That is no reason to tailgate.
An would any of you mighty tailgators mind to tell me why when I go up touhy at or just above the speed limit in the right most lane that I still get tailgated and lights flashed at me? I am as far right as I can go. I am going the speed limit because that area is HEAVILY patrolled. What the hell am I supposed to do? THERE IS NO RIGHTER LANE.
On the highway, I’m almost always in the rightmost lane or the middle lane if there are three lanes to drive in. I treat the leftmost lane as a passing-only lane unless traffic is so congested that the leftmost lane isn’t moving all that much faster than the other(s). If someone’s tailgating me while I’m passing other cars, they can wait while I do it at what I feel is a reasonably fast speed; I will get over afterwards. I am not the type who cruises along in the passing lane at the same speed as other traffic, blocking others from passing.
Occasionally I will flick on my headlights momentarily (to produce the illusion of brake lights, as described previously) to give a little hint to a tailgater that I’m none too happy about their behavior.
Situations in which you can’t get over a lane and are in the leftmost lane include if you’re passing a line of semi trucks (I wouldn’t want to try to squeeze between them, and then try to get back out again), or are in such tight traffic that most everyone feels tailgated and few are letting people in, even with a signal on (it happens).
To the person who asked about rural roads - often I may slow down and move slightly over, if there is a stable shoulder to the road. If not, they can cope until a passing zone comes up and there’s no traffic coming the other way; I’m not going to speed faster than I’m comfortable with or risk putting myself in the ditch to please them. If I felt like I was in danger due to their driving, I would probably pull off into the next available cross-street or driveway to let them get past, and might place a call to the cops if I thought it was really bad.
Given that blocking the fast lane is an offence (in some areas at least), I can’s see any reason why it would become a justifiable course of action when someone is tailgating you or attempting to break the speed limit.
There are cases where you will (effectively - I know it’s actually a complex issue) be allowed to commit a minor offence with impunity if doing so prevents a greater offence; I don’t believe that blocking a tailgater qualifies.
While I can’t, can’t, can’t stand tailgaters, I have even greater distain for people who won’t let people pass in the left hand lane (you know, the passing lane.)
I’ve only slammed on my breaks in front of a tailgater once, because he was so close, I could practically see the color of his eyes. I admit, I let my anger overcome me. No matter how hard I try, sometimes my Italian temper creeps out. He immediatly waved an apology and backed off. I honestly think he didn’t realize what he was doing, (on the cell phone, you know)
lee: you mentioned something about people tailgating you when you’re making a left hand turn. Was there a left hand turn lane? I ask this because I know people that take a very unnecesarily long time slowing down before oh-so-casually drifting into the left hand turn lane are the source of much road rage amoungst myself and most everyone i’ve driven with. You don’t have to fly into the lane or anything, but sheesh, does it really take you 1/2 mile to get in the left turn lane? (not you lee, that was a hypothetical question)
