What's the point of tailgating?

[ARCOgraphite]

Originally Posted By: chiks
Originally Posted By: abycat
Some guy was tailgating me yesterday and i mean like a foot away so i tapped the brakes. I think he spilled something haha. He even got out and asked my why i hit the brakes. I told him to not make two mistakes today and [censored] off.


I do that all the time. scares the [censored] out of them.
I you jam the brakes on me, you'll get your side view mirror removed by me with an axe handle at the next light if you were driving like a donkey.

 

[ARCOgraphite]

Originally Posted By: dja4260
I'm guilty of brake checking tailgaters. They usually stop right away. At lights they will stare and I'll sternly ask them why they feel the need to ride my behind....

When I'm on my motorcycle it infuriates me! I've gotten off the bike at lights and again sternly asked them what their problem is. Most are terrified ladies on the phone.

++ You gotta give bikes many car lengths. It must be hard riding these days with all the morons in traffic. I gave it up 20 years ago.

 

[Bottom_Feeder]

Originally Posted By: Hermann
My least favorite drivers are the campers in the middle lane on three lane highways. These folks are just not compotent enough drivers to allow mergers access if they stay in the right lane. And they are not brave enough to venture in the fast lane.

They're doing exactly what they should be doing, staying out of everyone's way, as long as they are going at least the speed limit.

 

[Bottom_Feeder]

Originally Posted By: nwjones18
I had a woman tailgating me in a minivan for several miles in town once. I was going about 5mph over the speed limit and she just kept following me about a foot off my bumper. There was no traffic and she could have passed.

What type of road where you on, and in what lane?

 

[ARCOgraphite]

Originally Posted By: grampi
Originally Posted By: supton
He's lucky he didn't get a ticket for causing the accident. Yopu can call it wrong, but that's the way it is--brake checking so as to intentionally cause someone to hit you or the ditch is considered causing the accident.

That's ridiculous...if the woman hadn't been tailgating in the first place the incident would never have happened...it was her fault and she should've been ticketed..

I agree with SUPTON and the law iF YOU ARE DOING A BRAKE CHECK YOU DONT APPLY THE BRAKES - JUST LIGHT UP THE TAIL LIGHTS. iF YOU INTENTIONALLY SLOWED FOR no REASON you CAUSED THE ACCIDENT. i HATE "BRAKERS THEN TURNSIGNALERS". bAD, BAD DRIVERS. Also while gripin - people who dont hug the double line when turning left blocking traffic. I travel 20 miles on 50MPH 2 lane state highways and it take me 50 minutes to get that 20 miles due to careless dolts on the road everyday.

 

[Astro14]

Originally Posted By: ARCOgraphite
Originally Posted By: chiks
Originally Posted By: abycat
Some guy was tailgating me yesterday and i mean like a foot away so i tapped the brakes. I think he spilled something haha. He even got out and asked my why i hit the brakes. I told him to not make two mistakes today and [censored] off.


I do that all the time. scares the [censored] out of them.
I you jam the brakes on me, you'll get your side view mirror removed by me with an axe handle at the next light if you were driving like a donkey.


I don't brake check anyone...don't want the trouble of an accident...and the police report...insurance claim...car in the shop, etc...

But, exit your vehicle with an ax handle after you've been tailgating me?

You just clearly and unambiguously met my threat triangle: ability, opportunity, intent.

In my case, you're about to be engaged...with justifiable lethal force.

You should seriously re-consider how you would handle that situation...regardless of how badly that person was driving, you have no right to threaten them. A person's driving style does not justify damaging their property or their person.

You don't want to pose a threat like that, you give someone who might be armed a reason to kill you in a legitimate case of self-defense ...

 

[jeepman3071]

Originally Posted By: Astro14
I don't brake check anyone...don't want the trouble of an accident...and the police report...insurance claim...car in the shop, etc...

But, exit your vehicle with an ax handle after you've been tailgating me?

You just clearly and unambiguously met my threat triangle: ability, opportunity, intent.

In my case, you're about to be engaged...with justifiable lethal force.

You should seriously re-consider how you would handle that situation...regardless of how badly that person was driving, you have no right to threaten them. A person's driving style does not justify damaging their property or their person.

You don't want to pose a threat like that, you give someone who might be armed a reason to kill you in a legitimate case of self-defense ...

THIS. I find it hard to believe you would even consider doing that, knowing not only how crazy some drivers are, but how they also might feel threatened. You sir need to calm the F down.

 

[Nick R]

I occasionally find myself guilty of it, but I try not to. Part of it is that with traffic up here, normal distance at highway speeds is 2-3 carlengths, max. Depends on conditions though.

I usually have the cruise set between 75-80 and even then I get people who get right up close behind me. Generally I'll move over when I can to get out of their way, because I get extremely irritated when people in the left lane are going exactly the same speed or slower than the people in the middle lane, especially when they are from Quebec and are doing 65 when everyone else is doing 75. I'll admit it, if the middle lane is clear, and they don't get out of the way after a certain amount of time, I will pass on the right. I have the cruise control set, I'm not going to shut it off, brake and slow down, and then wait for them to move over, and then speed back up again. I don't do it dangerously like cutting over inches from their bumper, but I do. If I come up on a car in the left lane doing like 55 and I'm doing 75, I won't even bother slowing down, and will just pass him, because he's being an idiot and obstructing traffic.

 

[Kestas]

I remember being told in driver's ed that the person following is always responsible for not hitting the car in front of him. If you rear end someone, you were following too close or not paying attention. Few exceptions.

The only problem with I see wth nwjones18 post is that he admitted to brake checking. Lucky he had a sympathetic cop who recognized street justice being served.

 

[Nick R]

Originally Posted By: jeepman3071
THIS. I find it hard to believe you would even consider doing that, knowing not only how crazy some drivers are, but how they also might feel threatened. You sir need to calm the F down.

Agreed. I might get [censored] if someone brake checks me. Check that, I do get [censored] if people do that, especially if I'm following at a decent distance (up here, 1 carlength). Usually the people that do it are driving ancient Caprice or Buicks and are already driving 10mph under the speed limit, in which case I feel perfectly justified in getting impatient, even if I'm not tailgating them.

If someone brake checks me I'll flip them the bird and flash the high beams at them, and maybe call them a few choice names, but I would never go so far as to actually get out of the car and
threaten them.

 

[pandus13]

Originally Posted By: grampi
I have been noticing more and more tailgaters...what are these people trying to accomplish?
Now, before people start jumping on my case about driving too slowly, or being a left lane camper, I'll tell you I'm not one of those drivers. I typically drive 5-10 MPH over the limit, and when I'm driving on 4 or more lane roads, I stay right except to pass.
I don't know if these people who tailgate think they're going to intimidate me into driving faster, or if they just fail to see any danger in following too closely, but I don't care for the fact that they're willing to put other drivers in danger just because they're in a hurry. I think the police need to start cracking down on these people...

Grampi,
you come from a different world: (Please don't take this as age related. I have been educated in a respect your elders family.)
-where neighbors used to know and help each other
-where people did just driving (not cell, text, makeup, )
-where people where aware what's going around them
-where people are considerate
-where people are taking driving lessons seriously
-where people are thinking the results of their actions (driving a possible deadly beast of 2,000+ pounds?)

Unfortunatly, Today we see a lot of me,me,me or just "get out of my sight! I'm the King/Queen of the road!".

and (sigh BITOG-style) they don't even know how to check their oil.

 

[Bottom_Feeder]

I've become a far worse driver since moving from upstate NY to the DC suburbs in northern VA. People around here are amazingly bad drivers, both in hands-on, behind the wheel skills and their knowledge of basic rules of the road. Commuting with them every day has made me very aggressive, 'offensively defensive' and angry, and it's all in reaction to the dummies on the road around me.

I'm perfectly sedate when traffic is light, but if its heavy and you're doing something stupid like driving too slow in the left lane because you're texting on your phone and have tuned out the rest of the world, you bet I'm going to tailgate you to make my displeasure known. My tailgating is in reaction to something you're doing wrong, not because I just like to tailgate people (which I don't).

The other problem we have around here are the dummies who like to move into the left lane between you and the car in front of you (no turn signal, naturally), completely removing that safety buffer zone you were maintaining (which probably was not enough to begin with) and causing you to back off. That happens enough times and suddenly the left lane is moving slower than the right lane. So unfortunately you tend to learn to tailgate people to keep that from happening.

 

[pandus13]

Originally Posted By: bigmike
I've yet to find someone intimidate me while I was driving. Oh, they can try, but good luck with that.

Remember, tailgaters will tailgate on any road, not just the interstates.
I think it is far more dangerous for them to tailgate while driving in residential or downtown streets, when a sudden stop may be just around the corner, either from pedestrians/children or another driver not paying attention.

There have been many times, I've pulled off the road to let someone go by because I don't want to harm the tailgater when he rear-ends my vehicle. And by "harm" I mean beat the tar out of him once it happens. I'd rather not lower myself down to the standards I had when I was a teenager and my early 20s.

He who uses the most of his brains usually wins!
Thanks for living up to your name.

 

[TallPaul]

Originally Posted By: jeepman3071
Originally Posted By: Astro14
I don't brake check anyone...don't want the trouble of an accident...and the police report...insurance claim...car in the shop, etc...

But, exit your vehicle with an ax handle after you've been tailgating me?

You just clearly and unambiguously met my threat triangle: ability, opportunity, intent.

In my case, you're about to be engaged...with justifiable lethal force.

You should seriously re-consider how you would handle that situation...regardless of how badly that person was driving, you have no right to threaten them. A person's driving style does not justify damaging their property or their person.

You don't want to pose a threat like that, you give someone who might be armed a reason to kill you in a legitimate case of self-defense ...

THIS. I find it hard to believe you would even consider doing that, knowing not only how crazy some drivers are, but how they also might feel threatened. You sir need to calm the F down.


Anyone likely will get shot if they come aggressively with an axe at a person who is carrying. The reason they carry is to protect themselves and even if the axe man only wants the mirror, how does the driver of that car know. The only thing is I would hope anybody who carries has more sense than to brake check someone, potentially starting a chain of events that leads to use of the pistol.

 

[oldmaninsc]

Originally Posted By: ARCOgraphite
Originally Posted By: chiks
Originally Posted By: abycat
Some guy was tailgating me yesterday and i mean like a foot away so i tapped the brakes. I think he spilled something haha. He even got out and asked my why i hit the brakes. I told him to not make two mistakes today and [censored] off.


I do that all the time. scares the [censored] out of them.
I you jam the brakes on me, you'll get your side view mirror removed by me with an axe handle at the next light if you were driving like a donkey.


Enjoy your time in jail! I'm sure glad I don't live in your area. Some of your relatives must have moved here though!

 

[oldmaninsc]

Originally Posted By: Astro14
I don't brake check anyone...don't want the trouble of an accident...and the police report...insurance claim...car in the shop, etc...

But, exit your vehicle with an ax handle after you've been tailgating me?

You just clearly and unambiguously met my threat triangle: ability, opportunity, intent.

In my case, you're about to be engaged...with justifiable lethal force.

You should seriously re-consider how you would handle that situation...regardless of how badly that person was driving, you have no right to threaten them. A person's driving style does not justify damaging their property or their person.

You don't want to pose a threat like that, you give someone who might be armed a reason to kill you in a legitimate case of self-defense ...

I agree.

 

[Bottom_Feeder]

Originally Posted By: Astro14
You should seriously re-consider how you would handle that situation...regardless of how badly that person was driving, you have no right to threaten them. A person's driving style does not justify damaging their property or their person.

Don't worry about it. Since this is an Internet message board, most people are full of excrement when it comes to stuff like this.

 

[MrQuackers]

We have a two second following law here. Me, I usually follow four-six seconds behind.

 

[Oil Changer]

ARCO,

You sound more intelligent when discussing oil related tropics.

I don't care what the cause, you come as close to my head as my rearview mirror with an axe, you will be met by something with a little more reach.

Stupid to die over uncontrolled anger or machismo.

 

[bigmike]

Before some of you get all yahood up, I wouldn't necessarily want to start aggressive behavior towards another motorist. For one, they're in a 4000 pound weapon and secondly, there have been plenty of people shot and/or killed for road rage. Some of it is completely justifiable by law.

I was justified in brandishing and pointing a handgun at a truck driver when he launched a brick at my vehicle. But it was a huge ordeal to go through for such nonsense.

My dad's rules of driving are to get from point A to point B as safely and efficiently as possible. I didn't follow those in my life until after the said incident above. I realized how inefficient it was to explain to officers the story and deal with the aftermath. Wrecks, brake checking, tailgating, and threats all fall into the same category of a major waste of time. Stop being a cager and have some basic respect for people, even if they are wrong in your opinion.