How do you handle tailgaters?

Post by **Darth Wong** » 2004-04-25 01:25am

Just in case this particular form of slang is not universal, tailgaters are those FUCKING IDIOTS who follow your car so closely that their headlights appear to fill your entire rear-view mirror.

Do you slow down? Ignore them? Hit the brakes? Give them the finger? I'm just curious what the mixture of response tactics is.

darthdavid · Post by **darthdavid** » 2004-04-25 01:27am

At night it's good for the passenger to use their vanity mirror to flash their headlights back at him/her as signal to back the fuck off.

Joe · Post by **Joe** » 2004-04-25 01:33am

I won't slam on my brakes, although I've been tempted to do so. Not worth getting rear-ended just to stick it to some asshole, you know?

If I'm in the left lane and am going a bit under the speed limit, I'll usually just change lanes and let Speedy Gonzalez be on his way. If I'm in the left lane and going the speed limit or a few MPH above the speed limit, he can just wait, because I'm not going anywhere. He gets the finger if he honks or when he changes lanes and passes me. If I'm in the right lane and getting tailgated, I slow down by at least 5-10 MPH. Again, he gets the finger when he honks or passes.

The Kernel · Post by **The Kernel** » 2004-04-25 01:47am

It's best to just let them by, assuming of course that you are in the passing lane. If you are on a single lane road and you have room to pull over, just do it and let the idiots by. Sure you might have a moral victory in getting them to slam into your rear bumper and be at fault when you hit the brakes, but in my book, it really isn't worth it (especially since you have no way of knowing if said tailgater has insurance).

Post by **Darth Wong** » 2004-04-25 01:49am

BTW, in case you're wondering, yes. I did post this thread because some fucking idiot in an SUV was riding my bumper tonight. I chose to drive at exactly the same speed as the guy in the right-hand lane for several miles, just to piss him off.

Joe · Post by **Joe** » 2004-04-25 01:53am

Actually, the kind of car the asshole is driving has a lot to do with it also. If he's driving say, a BMW, well then I'll be damned if I'm not gonna draw that shit out and really fuck with the dickhead.

SpacedTeddyBear · Post by **SpacedTeddyBear** » 2004-04-25 01:55am

If it's during the day, I would turn on my headlights and let go of the gas. This usually get a few people off my butt. For the major assholes out there, I I just let go of the gas, and when they try to go in another lane, I would just punch it. I've actually trapped people behind 18-wheelers before for miles and miles.

The Kernel · Post by **The Kernel** » 2004-04-25 01:55am

Joe wrote:Actually, the kind of car the asshole is driving has a lot to do with it also. If he's driving say, a BMW, well then I'll be damned if I'm not gonna draw that shit out and really fuck with the dickhead.

Drug dealers and other people who carry guns drive BMW's too. Especially in places like LA where it is best to just let the asshole by rather than start an incident.

Joe · Post by **Joe** » 2004-04-25 02:01am

The Kernel wrote:
Joe wrote:Actually, the kind of car the asshole is driving has a lot to do with it also. If he's driving say, a BMW, well then I'll be damned if I'm not gonna draw that shit out and really fuck with the dickhead.
Drug dealers and other people who carry guns drive BMW's too. Especially in places like LA where it is best to just let the asshole by rather than start an incident.

I live in Georgia, dude. I think I'll survive the big bad BMW driver.

Post by **Darth Wong** » 2004-04-25 02:04am

The Kernel wrote:
Joe wrote:Actually, the kind of car the asshole is driving has a lot to do with it also. If he's driving say, a BMW, well then I'll be damned if I'm not gonna draw that shit out and really fuck with the dickhead.
Drug dealers and other people who carry guns drive BMW's too. Especially in places like LA where it is best to just let the asshole by rather than start an incident.

I keep forgetting that there are places in the world where driving strategies must be mixed with military tactics.

The Kernel · Post by **The Kernel** » 2004-04-25 02:07am

Darth Wong wrote: I keep forgetting that there are places in the world where driving strategies must be mixed with military tactics.

Remember that when you decide to take your trip to LA this summer. Granted, I've driven down there and I've never been shot at, but I DID cut someone off once (totally by accident) and they accelerated next to me and made a short attempt to run me off the road before screeching away.

Arthur_Tuxedo · Post by **Arthur_Tuxedo** » 2004-04-25 02:20am

I just move over and let them pass. If they change lanes along with me and continue to tailgait then I take my foot off the gas and slow down until they get fed up and pass.

Hyperion · Post by **Hyperion** » 2004-04-25 02:25am

I will brakecheck the bastard if it's a large SUV like a Suburban, and will frequently do it to the asswagon drivers.

I don't actually slam on the brakes though since I don't want them firmly lodged up my tailpipe, but I take full advantage of the small zone of "lights on, brakes off" my car has to make them hammer their brakes.

Middleclass · Post by **Middleclass** » 2004-04-25 02:27am

I am very cautious about tailgaters, primarily because I live in an area that is notorious for gun ownership and short tempers. Oh yes, and the highest murder rate in America is next door, I think. If not the highest, then one of the top 5, certainly.

Once I slammed the brakes and gave the finger. I got followed 15 miles back to my house, and eventually just pulled in to the police station's parking lot. It was frightening.

Post by **Zaia** » 2004-04-25 02:52am

I slow down a lot, so he'll either go around me or get mega-pissed off because he's stuck.

El Moose Monstero · Post by **El Moose Monstero** » 2004-04-25 03:05am

Stay at the same speed and generally do as much as possible to piss them off without doing anything.

Nathan F · Post by **Nathan F** » 2004-04-25 03:18am

I'm usually the one flying, so...

Actually, if I'm in the right hand lane and somebody gets on my tail instead of passing, I just sorta slow down. If I'm driving along at a good speed in the left land and someone won't get over, then that gets annoying.

But if I'm in the left hand lane and going around the speed limit and see someone coming up behind me, usually I'll get over to the right lane.

Post by **The Yosemite Bear** » 2004-04-25 03:25am

I am well practiced at the art of thee turnout...

just ease off the gass pull over, flip off the impatiant assholes who insist on crossing double yellows while going 30mph/45kph over the limits....

personal pet peeve are the fuck nuts who insist on tailgating with highbeams on....

Johonebesus · Post by **Johonebesus** » 2004-04-25 03:26am

I'll slow down. Then, if they flick their lights (which for some hateful reason has become fashionable) I will start braking to go as slowly as possible. The ruder they get, the slower I go. Probably not smart on curvy two lane roads, but I can’t stand it when they flash their lights at me because I'm not speeding enough for their tastes. I'm getting mad right now thinking about it. O I hate people!

Dargos · Post by **Dargos** » 2004-04-25 03:40am

Depending (if kids are present I let them pass without incident).

I simply let them get as close as they want and then down shift from fifth to third gear. That usually cures them of their dumbness.

Post by **The Yosemite Bear** » 2004-04-25 03:41am

Mind you darth wong, this is aa personal pet peeve of mine, we get so many tourists up here who bring their urgan only SUVs up here to yosemite, and while it's technically wilderness, it's very discerting to have one of these fuckheads on my tail, blinding me, so badly I can't see the turnouts, throught the clare comming back from my front windshield.... there is nothing for me to do but slow down to where I can still see the road ahaed and put on my emergency blinkers.

Once when I had one of these basteards follow me into a rest stop turnout at the middle of the night and ask me why I was driving so fuckin slow. I pointed out that the road's a steep winding grade, with a 20mph speed limit, and there are settings lower then HIGH INTENSITY for your headlights. He called me unsafe infront of his kids, and Me and my passengers pointed out that we KNEW the road, that the streach claimed lives every year, etc.

Passed the fucktard a mile later after he blew out his tire, on a rockslide rock in the middle of the road way.... (didn't want my help there either, even though I keep a 12 ton lift rolling jack)

PeZook · Post by **PeZook** » 2004-04-25 03:42am

This thread reminds me why I hate driving...
Fortunately, tailgating isn't very popular here (probably because cars are expensive, people usually don't earn much money or are driving leased cars and don't wanna risk an accident)

It only happened to me once, and I let the asshole go on his merry way. I was going at the speed limit on the left lane, and the fucker behind me seemed to think that left lane = speeding lane. He actually had the gall to yell at me for going too slow when he was passing...

Dahak · Post by **Dahak** » 2004-04-25 03:53am

I usually switch to the right lane, let them pass, and then switch to the left lane again. So you can cling to the tailgater, and he bullies the slow-drivers from the lane, without you having to do you.
Slowing him down purposefully (like driving the same speed as the one on the other lane) would be an offense here, as would tipping off the brakes or the like. And overtaking on the right is also illegal, though those tailgaters tend to do it, if they're really into it.

Though it is strangely unnerving to see a Mercedes or BMW come zipping at you at 200+km/h...

Rogue 9 · Post by **Rogue 9** » 2004-04-25 03:53am

Personally I have a caltrop deployment system, but the closest thing on the poll is oil slick, so I went with that.

Seriously, I just go slow until we hit a passing zone, then stomp on the gas until they can't pass me anymore then go slow again.

Post by **Darth Wong** » 2004-04-25 03:54am

These idiots seem to think that deliberately risking an accident by following too close is the most appropriate way of expressing impatience. As rude as the flashing headlights may seem, at least it's just pushy instead of recklessly stupid and irresponsible. That's why a tailgater is a much bigger asshole than someone who merely flashes his lights.

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How do you handle tailgaters?