Backoff

cars · Post by **cars** » Mon Jan 03, 2005 1:28 pm

Did you ever have a "dufus" tailgating you for miles 10ft off your back bumper when you were doing 65mph in the "right hand lane". Happened again today. Eventually, I just slowly ease off the gas pedal and go down to where the dufus can't stand it any longer (sometimes down to 30 to 35) and finally pulls into center lane and zooms by. :wah:

WHAT IF ANYTHING DO YOU DO? :-2

Cars :driving:

valerie · Post by **valerie** » Mon Jan 03, 2005 3:36 pm

tmbsgrl wrote: I do the same thing you do. It is funny to watch them get pissed off! One time though one didn't go around, She got even closer to me so i slammed on my brakes. We were on a side road with noone around us. I told her & the cops that i saw a cat or something run across the road. She got the ticket and she had to pay for the damage to my car. LOl:wah:

Multi-lane highway, pull over. Anywhere else, pull over as soon as you can.

I would never brake and let them hit me. Never, it's just not worth it. Whether

or not they pay for the damage, it's a ton of hassle you don't need. And there's

always the chance some idiot is going to climb out of their car and pop you one.

Why risk that? Or worse?

catwoman_51 · Post by **catwoman_51** » Mon Jan 03, 2005 3:54 pm

I have to say , I usually slow down until they pass. It does drive me nuts

tho for someone to tailgate. I've been known to have a touch of road rage.

Cat

BabyRider · Post by **BabyRider** » Mon Jan 03, 2005 4:42 pm

I would and do slow down...tailgating is one of the most dangerous things people on the roads do.

And I like what Valerie said, because you never do know who you're pissing off on the road. It's just not worth it. Slow down, let the bonehead go around you.

cars · Post by **cars** » Mon Jan 03, 2005 5:58 pm

tmbsgrl wrote: I do the same thing you do. It is funny to watch them get pissed off! One time though one didn't go around, She got even closer to me so i slammed on my brakes. We were on a side road with noone around us. I told her & the cops that i saw a cat or something run across the road. She got the ticket and she had to pay for the damage to my car. LOl:wah:

Wow, but then "She" won by "pissing you off" to make you slam on your breaks.

You didn't go "down slow enough", "for long enough", eventually she would have passed they always do. Luckily it sounds like neither of "you" were injured, just the cars. :wah:

(I take it your Daughter was not with you at the time)

Cars :driving:

LottomagicZ4941 · Post by **LottomagicZ4941** » Tue Jan 04, 2005 4:54 am

I don't have full coverage anymore so I can't just hit the brakes anymore.

In Colorado if they rear end you it is there fault. I generally slow down when people tale gate then I start to go the limit so as there is some distance.

It is supposed to be 1 car lenght for every 10 MPH. But if you do that people sweep in infront of you.

Lotto

http://www.flalottomagic.net/cgi-local/ ... elcome-344

MagicZ4941A

Bill Sikes · Post by **Bill Sikes** » Tue Jan 04, 2005 5:13 am

cars wrote: Did you ever have a "dufus" tailgating you for miles 10ft off your back bumper when you were doing 65mph in the "right hand lane". Happened again today. Eventually, I just slowly ease off the gas pedal and go down to where the dufus can't stand it any longer (sometimes down to 30 to 35) and finally pulls into center lane and zooms by. :wah:

WHAT IF ANYTHING DO YOU DO?

Sounds exactly the right thing to do. Other options are: looking out of the rear window and then resuming normal driving position and making a "too close" gesture (hold steering wheel with knee, move both hands under rear-view mirror, bring palms together/apart a few times - only if safe to do this); weaving gently from side to side in your car; driving in the gutter to throw up debris into the path of the following car; lobbing handfulls of gravel out of the sun-roof; getting your passenger to shoot at the tail-gater.

Der Wulf · Post by **Der Wulf** » Tue Jan 04, 2005 8:38 am

Iwas so teed off one day that I wired an independent switch to my back up lights. Slow down, hit the switch, and watch the fun. I'ts great therapy, and much better than road rage.

Paula · Post by **Paula** » Tue Jan 04, 2005 9:35 am

People are in a hurry these days, you either move with the traffic or get off the road! Its all about flow, keep up with the rythym or you will be squashed??? Pedal to the metal, or take the back roads, if your not in a hurry?

Bill Sikes · Post by **Bill Sikes** » Tue Jan 04, 2005 9:45 am

LottomagicZ4941 wrote: It is supposed to be 1 car lenght for every 10 MPH. But if you do that people sweep in infront of you.

Over in the Yook, "only a fool breaks the two second rule". When driving, note when the car in front passes a landmark (such as a side turn, road sign, bridge, etc.). Count two seconds ("0, 1, 2" NOT "1,2"). If you have passed the same thing inside two seconds, you are too close.

Bill Sikes · Post by **Bill Sikes** » Tue Jan 04, 2005 9:48 am

Paula wrote: People are in a hurry these days, you either move with the traffic or get off the road! Its all about flow, keep up with the rythym or you will be squashed??? Pedal to the metal, or take the back roads, if your not in a hurry?

Hi Paula, happy New Year. The OP seemed to be talking about tailgaters on multi-lane carriageways, where it is easy to overtake. If people are in a hurry, they can easily overtake, surely, esp. in the 'States, where the roads are much wider and straighter than in the UK... can't they?

Paula · Post by **Paula** » Tue Jan 04, 2005 10:38 am

You know the size of my brain, i didn't realize the roads in the UK were different? I don't like anyone riding my butt either. Just my 2 cents? Is a dufus a small minded person? :driving:

cars · Post by **cars** » Tue Jan 04, 2005 10:42 am

Paula wrote: People are in a hurry these days, you either move with the traffic or get off the road! Its all about flow, keep up with the rythym or you will be squashed??? Pedal to the metal, or take the back roads, if your not in a hurry?

Excessive speeders are hurrying to their graves these days! :wah: (Just hope they don't take innocents with them)

I was doing "65" in a "55" speed zone, IN THE RIGHT HAND LANE! :-2

"Tailgating", as well as "Speeding" is against the LAW!!! :-5

gmc · Post by **gmc** » Tue Jan 04, 2005 11:47 am

Pet hate of mine but I've come to the concluscion that the majority that do it do so not to annoy but because they are too thick to realise the consequences of drivng too close or that you really can't go any faster because there are cars on the inside lane and cars in front of you. I'm lucky in that I have only had one serious road rage incident with somebody trying to force me off the road. I wasn't particularly intimidated but he was the kind of clown who should be banned from driving.

Second pet dislike is overtaking lane road hogs.

valerie · Post by **valerie** » Tue Jan 04, 2005 2:07 pm

Der Wulf wrote: Iwas so teed off one day that I wired an independent switch to my back up lights. Slow down, hit the switch, and watch the fun. I'ts great therapy, and much better than road rage.

HEEEE! Now I really LIKE that idea!!

Tombstone · Post by **Tombstone** » Tue Jan 04, 2005 2:40 pm

Has anyone ever noticed that it also depends on the car you are driving?

Any stories to tell about that? My wife has problems with tailgaters in her car, but almost never in our larger truck.

I tap my brakes. If they don't back off and there are no cars behind them then I give them a scare. It always works like a charm.

cars · Post by **cars** » Tue Jan 04, 2005 2:44 pm

Bill Sikes wrote: Sounds exactly the right thing to do. Other options are: looking out of the rear window and then resuming normal driving position and making a "too close" gesture (hold steering wheel with knee, move both hands under rear-view mirror, bring palms together/apart a few times - only if safe to do this); weaving gently from side to side in your car; driving in the gutter to throw up debris into the path of the following car; lobbing handfulls of gravel out of the sun-roof; getting your passenger to shoot at the tail-gater.

Now you have come up with some really good options there!

Better not mess around with you Yook guys!

Cars

cars · Post by **cars** » Tue Jan 04, 2005 3:07 pm

Tombstone wrote: Has anyone ever noticed that it also depends on the car you are driving?

Any stories to tell about that? My wife has problems with tailgaters in her car, but almost never in our larger truck.

I tap my brakes. If they don't back off and there are no cars behind them then I give them a scare. It always works like a charm.

Yes "Size" does matter!!

Forget about the cars, when an "18 wheeler" dufus doing 65+ zooms up 10ft behind my back bumper when I'm in the "center" lane on the thruway for any length of time, and there is a slow car in front of me I usually will pull over into the Right hand lane. And let that "18 wheeler" dufus move up to ride the back bumper of that slow car.

Cars :driving:

PS: these are the times I wish I had "lady cop" as my co-pilot in the front seat, so she could wright these dufuses a ticket!!!

LottomagicZ4941 · Post by **LottomagicZ4941** » Tue Jan 04, 2005 3:28 pm

Forgot to post the bumper sticker that has been croping up here.

"Keep honking I"m relaoding"

Colorado is one of the worst places to drive because people come from different places with different driving styles.

One thing I hate almost as bad as tail gaters is the people who flash their brights before they try to pass you.

I work nightshift so my eyes do not fair well when blasted with bright lights.

Lotto

http://www.flalottomagic.net/cgi-local/ ... elcome-344

MagicZ4941A

Bill Sikes · Post by **Bill Sikes** » Thu Jan 06, 2005 2:08 am

Paula wrote: You know the size of my brain, i didn't realize the roads in the UK were different?

I hear that in comparison, they're a lot smaller and more twisty (all different).

Paula wrote: I don't like anyone riding my butt either.

Ah. Cough.

Paula wrote: Just my 2 cents? Is a dufus a small minded person?

In this context I take it to mean "idiot".

Der Wulf · Post by **Der Wulf** » Thu Jan 06, 2005 10:31 pm

Our area has what I think are some "unique" problems. First, in order to "not be like California", we neglected to build freeways, now we have enormous congestian and few options. Nearly everyone comes from someware else, so we have 50 driving styles. We have very young, very old, and everything in between. We have high riders, low riders, big and small, fast and slow, we even have some areas where golf carts are licensed. When the freeways actually open up, the cop's move in like a school of sharks, and it's bottled up again. If we have an accident, 3 fire trucks, 10 cop cars, and the "lookie Lou's" move in, nobody directs traffic.

This normally occurs at 110 degrees, now comes the special part, a rainstorm: suddenly the normally dry road surface is awash in water, the dried oil particles and tar from the road mix with the water to behave like black ice. funny if your watching, scared s___less if your driving.

The result is a "meeting" between the cowboy in his pickup, the 17 yr old in his lowrider, Ethel, Al, and their motorhome from Manitoba, the yuppie in his BMW, the old hippie in his mini bus, and the soccer mom just trying to get to work. They will have plenty of time for socializing.

Now the dufus in his ford focus that tried to drive across the suddenly flooded wash, he will meet some nice fireman, the, garageman who needs to send his daughter to Harvard, the nice policeman with a ticket, and the judge who will give him a $3500.00 bill for his rescue, plus a $250.00 fine for violating "the stupid motorist law".

:-6 Welcome to Phoenix.:yh_rotfl