Tail gater counter measures

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I gotta remember to check for tailgaters before I use my windshield washer. :rolleyes:



If I'm going at least the speed limit, and in the right lane (on a multilane road) if someone wants to be pissed off, who cares??? Screw them. AND if that's enough to cause the little pissed off at the world babies to try to do anything to hurt me, I got something for them, and it weighs much less than 3000 lbs.



I don't brake check anyone. Or do anything to 'teach' anyone, but I'm not going out of my way, like pulling over or whatever, to accomodate aggressive drivers either.
 
On single lane roads with no shoulders I just bide my time because I know there's nothing that can be done. I grow impatient on multi-lane roads and behave more like Krash because I expect other drivers to be thoughtful.

The rules of a multi-lane road are simple: keep up with the traffic in front of you or move over to the right lane. If your in the far right lane and still can't keep up with the traffic in front of you, then RIDE THE DAMN BUS.
 
Fred, that's cool. Ignore the other driver and go about your business. If you don't engage them or do anything to escalate the hostilities then nothing is likely to happen.



Oh, and TomT, I thought the rules on multi-lane roads are to use the rightmost lanes for driving, observe the speed limit and other signs (like minimum speed requirements), and pass on the left without going over the speed-limit. If someone is doing all that, there's no need to get upset with them regardless how fast the rest of the traffic is going.



What's the big hurry with people. I don't know how many times I see people behind someone at a stop light, honking their horn because the guy in front of them isn't turning right on red fast enough. There is NO LAW saying you HAVE to turn right on red. If they feel more comfortable sitting and waiting for the light to change, that's their perogative.



TJR
 
Regarding "better them than us"...how about "better NO ONE than ANYONE"...in other words, why not figure out constructive, harmless ways to combat all such aggressive driving?
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I agree--and the constructive way to do it is to have the cops get them off the road. The problem is, they don't do it. By not adequately doing their jobs (through no fault of their own--it's because of inadequate quantites of officers), the cops are forcing the rest of us to do their jobs for them.

Drive faster. Move over. Get off your cell phone. Just a few cheap ideas.
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Drive faster or move to a slower lane and let them pass.
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Great ideas--if all the following are true:

1) There are no vehicles in front of you, thus allowing you to speed up.

2) There is another lane to move into, rather than being on a two-lane (one in each direction) highway.

3) You're not already in the right-hand lane.

4) Traffic conditions are such that it is safe for you to move over a lane.

But all too often, when someone's tailgating you, one or more of these conditions don't exist. In which case, this advice is meaningless.

I thought the rules on multi-lane roads are to use the rightmost lanes for driving
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Actually, I've heard that, at least around here, they teach new drivers that if there are three lanes going in one direction, the left is the passing lane, the center is the driving lane, and the right is basically a long extension of the on- and off-ramps, for getting up to and down to speed when entering and exiting the center lane.





One other note on the topic--just because someone is being tailgated, and they tap their brakes, doesn't necessarily mean that they're "brake checking" someone. I've seen plenty of times where someone who was being tailgated wanted to slow down--either because traffic conditions warranted it, or because they didn't feel safe at the higher speed if someone is going to tailgate them--and briefly use their brakes to slow down, only to have the tailgater get upset at them for supposedly "brake checking" them. Sorry, but slowing down to increase your own safety is not aggressive driving.
 
There is NO LAW saying you HAVE to turn right on red. If they feel more comfortable sitting and waiting for the light to change, that's their perogative.
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Not when there is a line of cars behind them waiting to turn. Then it's just plain rude.



I don't have anything against slow pokes but don't drive like your the only person on the road.
 
TomT, maybe it is rude to not turn right on red when able. But then again, as I said, it's that person's perogative, you don't know their reason for NOT turning, and what's the big hurry anyway?



I used to BE THAT GUY that would get all uptight in traffic, would think everyone in front of me is a moron, etc. But I got to the point in my life, luckily at an earlier age than most, in which I realized that I really CAN'T control what others do on the road. The only thing I can control is my response to the situations I am in and *I* decide whether or not I let LITTLE things bother me.



It's a liberating feeling. Much more POWERFUL than a feeling of vengence on the road. Let go of your hate. ;-)



TJR
 
What's the big hurry with people. I don't know how many times I see people behind someone at a stop light, honking their horn because the guy in front of them isn't turning right on red fast enough.
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Last weekend, I had a nice lady behind me honking for me to go and I was turning left! The light was red and my left signal was on. (and it works, I checked ;)) I could see her screaming at me in my rear view. She'll probably show up in next weeks obits, I thought her head was going to explode. LOL.



My curiosity got the best of me and since I was just going for a short ride to get a burning permit, I turned around to see where she was going. She stopped at Hardees. HAHAHAHAHA. I guess she was hungry. Stupid beotch.
 
You guys jinxed me!...LOL



I missed my exit going home last night because some arsehole decided to tail gate me and then he goes to pass on the right side and blocks me from getting off the exit.



No worries, as I said a few choice words and got off the next exit.
 
The only thing I can control is my response to the situations I am in and *I* decide whether or not I let LITTLE things bother me.
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I agree completely. The problem with your position, from my POV, is that you seem to be including tailgating as a "LITTLE" thing. And it's not. If you think it is, I invite you to come explain to the friends and families of my two dead friends about how unimportant it is.



It's a liberating feeling. Much more POWERFUL than a feeling of vengence on the road. Let go of your hate. ;-)
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That's just it, TJR, this isn't about hate, or vengeance. Like yourself, I used to be "that guy", all uptight in traffic. But then I made that realization that I can't control what others do on the road--the only way I can contribute to improving the problem is by attempting to teach others the right way. If they actually learn--great. If they don't--then you made an honest effort, and that let's you sleep soundly at night. It's doing nothing, and thus bearing some of the responsibility for the resulting tragedies, that causes the hate, anger, and vengeance to build up in your heart.



It's a liberating, powerful feeling that a teacher gets when their student makes the breakthrough and learns something. To paraphrase an old saying: Prevent a man from tailgating, and you keep him alive today. Teach a man to not tailgate, and you keep him alive for a lifetime.



In fact, it's a liberating, powerful feeling I get right now, simply in teaching you the importance of doing what you can to prevent tailgating. I can't control whether you actually learn the lesson, but that's not going to stop us from teaching it. :D
 
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Bill V,



I just think you are kidding yourself if you think at 60mph you can do maneuvers with a vehicle that will effectively TEACH people anything.



I'd sooner suspect that a majority of the time, people either don't notice, don't consider what you are doing, or even worse, think you are being a jerk and the hostility level increases.



It all sounds like "vehicular charades" to me...not a very effective teaching medium.



TJR
 
BTW, Bill V,



You are still "that guy", just a more polite version.



If you think you can brake-check someone in a "nice way", or you can motion to people to go around you, or slow down, or do anything else similar with the intent to TEACH careless, reckless, and aggressive drivers to be better drivers on the road, then, again, I have to say, you are seriously deluding yourself. All you are doing is making yourself feel better and venting your frustrations.



Which is exactly what "that guy" does when he does more aggressive things.



I am not saying you are doing all of those things above, but I have seen people attempt to do all of them and more and they have the same motive...to teach the bad driver how to drive.



You aren't going to change people's driving and attitudes about driving WHILE they are driving, because most are "in their cacoon", and/or have the attitude that "you are the enemy".



Safe your energy, drive defensively, remove yourself from the situation if possible, and don't engage bad, reckless, careless, agressive drivers....it's more opt to be dangerous and lead to escalation then be beneficial.



TJR
 
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All of which makes me do MOST of my driving late at night, when the 'uneducated' are in bed. I love my commute... when there's no traffic!



I'm not trying to teach anyone anything. I'm just letting them know that they're rude. But they probably already know that and don't care. Neither do I, as long as I'm not behind 'em!



I've had several tickets over the years, mainly for speeding, and in Kollyfornya, you can take traffic school to 'mask' a ticket from your insurance company. You're allowed to take it once every 18 months. I've taken it 7 times now. That's why I know the Driver's Handbook inside & out. I've gotten out of 2 tickets since then, as I know the laws almost as well, if not BETTER than the cops do! (Hence the driver's handbook) The feeling of telling a CHP officer that he's wrong, and being right about it, as he tells you that you're NOT going to get a ticket today.... (After he spent 5 minutes trying to look up vehicle codes in his book, only to find I was right after all! :cool: )
 
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Safe your energy, drive defensively, remove yourself from the situation if possible, and don't engage bad, reckless, careless, agressive drivers....it's more opt to be dangerous and lead to escalation then be beneficial.
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My friends used to think that. Now that they're gone, the rest of us know better.



For your sake, TJR, I hope that you never have a tragedy such as these put you in a situation where you're forced to take your blinders off.
 
Bill V, you TOTALLY missed my point.



I drive defensively...that's just the opposite of having blinders on.



It is you with your head in the sand if you think you can actively change how other, bad, aggressive, careless drivers drive WHILE they are driving, through some type of "vehicular charades" as I have called them.



You're kidding yourself, and I suspect your actions put you and others more at risk than if you just tried to avoid and get out of the situation.



I'm sorry that you or your friends lost someone due to an accident, but thinking that you can teach people to drive better by doing unexpected things with your car is simply craziness.



You would be better off with a bumper sticker that said: "Alert and considerate drivers safe lives!"



P.S. BillV, if you KNOW you are so correct, why not poll 10 defensive driving instructors and see if they recommend what you are doing as a way to teach drivers to drive better.



TJR
 
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Bill V,



One last thing.



Don't get me wrong, a gentle slowing down if someone is on your tail done in a safe fashion to give the impression that you aren't comfortable with them on your butt and want them to pass you is fine.



Throwing a foreign object out of the car (say like soda) is not fine. First of all, it's littering. Second of all, it could generate a hazard. It's just not right.



I just can't get this "teach people" mentality. It's arrogant, plain and simple. Nobody is going to teach anybody anything out there on the road by throwing foreign objects out a window...that's simply retaliation in my mind, not constructive instruction of any type.



TJR
 
I just figure that they're not bothering me even if they're too close, so I just motor on. Again, I'm usually going fast enough that there isn't anyone behind me. If I have to stop quick for something and they hit me, it's their friggin' fault.

If I'm behind someone else, as long as they're going at least the speed limit then I figure I don't have a right to be irritated.

I frequently have to travel through a bottleneck of PA Rt. 51 where the road goes from 4 lanes to 2 for about 6 miles, then back to 4 lanes. Speed limit is 45 which is fine there, but very often people are going a lot slower for no apparent reason.
 

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