BS: How Should I Deal With Tailgating?

Subject: RE: BS: How Should I Deal With Tailgating?
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 23 Jun 14 - 06:14 PM

I stopped tailgating people years ago. Far better to lurk a bit further back so that you can more easily see your chance to overtake. Oddly, I get tailgated meself very frequently when driving the missus's Mazda MX5 with the roof down (seriously, btw, everybody reading this, you need one of those - now...). Dunno what that's all about. I never get tailgated when driving me Ford Focus. I never hang about, always exceeding every speed limit known to man, so it can't be that. Jealousy, I suppose. The stupidest thing is when you're being tailgated when you're in a stream of slow-moving traffic and can't do anything about it. I pull over and let the silly sod pass, so that the poor bugger in front of me gets tailgated instead of me. It may not be Christian but it does soothe the savage breast.

Subject: RE: BS: How Should I Deal With Tailgating?
From: Joe Offer
Date: 23 Jun 14 - 05:02 PM

I think I'm pretty good about moving out of the way of faster traffic, but it's hard to pull off the road when there's a car on my tail. I was in the fast land on the freeway last week when a Highway Patrol car came up on my tail, lights flashing and siren screaming. I couldn't move over because I was in the process of passing another car in fairly heavy traffic. I went off onto the left shoulder, but almost hit a curb in the process.

Thanks for the worst cars link, Ed. I had forgotten that the Lada was modeled after the Fiat. I think the Soviet auto brand I heard of most was the GAZ and ZiL- among other things, they built limousines for party potentates.

-Joe-

Subject: RE: BS: How Should I Deal With Tailgating?
From: Ed T
Date: 23 Jun 14 - 04:56 PM

I noticed invrecent years that some folks tailgate (espevially younger), but don't seem to desire to pass when an opportunity is presented. This puzzles me...maybe these folks are seeking excitement (to match the cabin music) versus being in a safer driving zone?

Subject: RE: BS: How Should I Deal With Tailgating?
From: Rob Naylor
Date: 23 Jun 14 - 04:14 PM

Stu:I can see the attraction in having a stonking shiny great motor called "BigCock" or "AlphaMale" I'm sure they make people feel like they're floated to the top of the ladder *boilk*. But they shouldn't be off road on this country's greenways and lanes.

But around my neck of the woods they're usually driven by "yummy mummies" and used mainly for shopping or school runs. None of the ones down our street would ever go off-road. In fact, twice they've had my wing mirror off on the local semi-rural "rat run" because they're so afraid of roadside twigs and leaves damaging their paintwork that they don't pull over far enough for on-coming traffic.

I've had estate cars for over 25 years now. until about 6 years ago, my car would normally have been one of the larger ones on our street. Now it's almost the smallest. In fact is probably *is* the samllest "prime car of the family" since smaller ones seem to be second or 3rd vehicles in a family.

When I've asked neighbours why they need them, the answer is usually: "they're big, so safe for the kids, and the high driving position means I can see things better".

Subject: RE: BS: How Should I Deal With Tailgating?
From: Ebbie
Date: 23 Jun 14 - 03:26 PM

Possible Tailgater reasoning: There was this fella that was driving way too close to me.

Subject: RE: BS: How Should I Deal With Tailgating?
From: Joe_F
Date: 23 Jun 14 - 03:14 PM

In hell, I suppose, there is a highway entirely devoted to tailgaters & roadhogs.

In my cardriving days, I used to wonder if it would be legal to have an electronic display on one's rear that could be used to flash polite messages for people who let you in, and impolite messages to tailgaters. (If you can read this, you are close enough to etc.)

In ancient times, I was in moderately heavy traffic on the New York State Thruway, in the left lane, driving at the speed limit, which was faster than the traffic to my right. That wasn't good enough for the driver behind me, who, after an insanely prolonged stretch of tailgating, pulled out onto the grassy median and passed me at something like 100 mph.

Subject: RE: BS: How Should I Deal With Tailgating?
From: Stu
Date: 23 Jun 14 - 03:04 PM

"4*4s are fun off road"

Well, since using them in the field in the USA it struck me most people with 4x4s in the UK don't even understand what their vehicles are actually for; not many drive miles over rough country or unpaved roads to et to distant sites. Unless you're a farmer, site worker or whatever you don't need one in the UK and they shouldn't be allowed off road except in provided areas, end of. They've been actively destroying a 1000 year old metalled green lane near where I live; walkers have to scramble up the sides of the hollow road. A shared heritage being destroyed for rich boy's kicks.

I can see the attraction in having a stonking shiny great motor called "BigCock" or "AlphaMale" I'm sure they make people feel like they're floated to the top of the ladder *boilk*. But they shouldn't be off road on this country's greenways and lanes.

Subject: RE: BS: How Should I Deal With Tailgating?
From: GUEST
Date: 23 Jun 14 - 02:57 PM

Anyone care to add anything from a 'tailgaters' point of view - why ???

Subject: RE: BS: How Should I Deal With Tailgating?
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 23 Jun 14 - 02:42 PM

The only time I got really worried by a tailgater was in Scotland, on one of those narrow windy roads with occasional laybys. We were in a rather small rental car and a Rolls got on our tail and the driver acted like he was going to push us off the road. Got to a layby and were able to pull off. We had to stay there a while to recover.

I am a pretty fast driver, and used to mountain roads in the Rockies, but this guy scared us.

Subject: RE: BS: How Should I Deal With Tailgating?
From: Richard Bridge
Date: 23 Jun 14 - 02:30 PM

I have towbars on my Volvos. A light touch of the brakes, just to turn the lights on, not cause retardation, usually gets the point across except to giant 4*4s. 4*4s are fun offroad but WHY do people need them for the swamps of Waitrose carpark?

Subject: RE: BS: How Should I Deal With Tailgating?
From: GUEST,p
Date: 23 Jun 14 - 02:23 PM

my dad ran a lada for years quite happily, so I bought a new one and it rusted in no time at all!.
luck of the draw ,I suppose.

Subject: RE: BS: How Should I Deal With Tailgating?
From: Stu
Date: 23 Jun 14 - 12:34 PM

We live near a posh village that has plenty of huge 4x4s. We were driving home one night down the A-road when a 4x4 came into my rear view mirror and tailgated me for about three miles. I was scared witless and was sure we would crash but there was nowhere to stop or pass. Eventually we reached the village centre where there roads met at a mini roundabout. As I slowed the dickhead behind pulled out onto the wrong side of the road, went past the bollards separating the lanes, around the roundabout the wrong way, past other bollards on the wrong side of the road and accelerated up the road.

Then . . . the village lit up with blue flashing lights and lo and behold a plain clots copper screamed off after him. When we passed the guy, pulled up buy the police we cheered out the window.

Subject: RE: BS: How Should I Deal With Tailgating?
From: GUEST
Date: 23 Jun 14 - 09:49 AM

I'm a cyclist, never owned a car or driving license, so don't keep up with auto technology..

But I'd think it common sense that all new cars be required to be factory fitted
with front/rear impact resistant mini digital cam recorders
like the after sales kits I mentioned earlier..

[even side cams so all angles are covered ?]

The cams would be auto activated on ignition, and the flash memory cards
auto erasing previously recorded earlier footage, keeping adequate memory capacity constantly available
so that the vital minutes before & after any incident are always preserved.

Same as Cyclist helmet and handlebar cams are becoming increasingly popular and essential.

for instance:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ECs8ZrmH8D8

Subject: RE: BS: How Should I Deal With Tailgating?
From: Mr Red
Date: 23 Jun 14 - 09:31 AM

get a dashcam. Mine cost 16 GBP but there is one at about 45 that has two cameras in one device, one pointing forwards and one points backwards to the rear window. Then Put a sticker in the back window saying something like "the video of you breaking the law is now on the internet. The police can view it any time"
Sort of "if you can read this - you are too close" with a bit more byte (sic).

My fantasy is to devise a peashooter type tube that will fire stink bombs at the guy's radiator and air vents. & don't think I won't make one!

PS I have only had one useful video clip from it, and not an accident. Just a load of fire engines near the canal that tells a story. I video canal restoration.
PPS it does make you observe the speed limits a lot more closely.

Subject: RE: BS: How Should I Deal With Tailgating?
From: GUEST,Eliza
Date: 23 Jun 14 - 09:18 AM

I fantasise about being a plainclothes copper in an unmarked car. Imagine the satisfaction if one could press a button to turn on the hidden blue flashing lights and a nice loud siren, pull over the cretin and ask politely, "Is this your vehicle, madam?" Sheer joy!

Subject: RE: BS: How Should I Deal With Tailgating?
From: Ed T
Date: 23 Jun 14 - 06:51 AM

worst cars 


I dont believe Ladas were imported into the USA. Only a few models (I believe three) made it to Canada for a few years in the 70s, mostly the early low horsepower models. Because of poor quality and design issues andpremature rusting at that time, the cars popularity and reputation was low and remain low. In fact, the name in Canada is often associated with very poor quality autos...see link.

One of the main models, the signet, was rear wheel drive..they generally perform poorly in winter snow conditions.

I recall, on Canada east coast, many used ladas were scooped up from wrecking yards by visiting Cuban fishermen in port, and taken back home on their ships for spare parts. When visiting Cuba, quite a few still can be seen on the roads, from the Russian co-operation era. However, they seem to be in poorer shape than the 50s era north amerian vehicles still in daily use.

Subject: RE: BS: How Should I Deal With Tailgating?
From: GUEST
Date: 23 Jun 14 - 06:43 AM

But how to deal with tailgating?
Weld an RSJ to the chassis and brake hard?
Fit a flamethrower?
Caltrops?
EMP his computer?

Subject: RE: BS: How Should I Deal With Tailgating?
From: MGM·Lion
Date: 23 Jun 14 - 05:15 AM

I ran a Lada for a year or two back then. Remember it as a perfectly reliable, unexciting car which got me where I wanted to go. That's all I ever want of a car. I'm not any sort of 'exciting' driver. I have been running the same 1997 Vauxhall Astra automatic, which I got 2nd-hand when it was a couple of years old, for 15 years now.

But I don't tailgate; nor [touch wood!] has anyone ever tailgated me so far as I recall.

~M~

Subject: RE: BS: How Should I Deal With Tailgating?
From: GUEST,Peter Laban
Date: 23 Jun 14 - 05:04 AM

'Dave, how did you ever end up owning a Lada? I didn't think those things were ever sold outside the Warsaw Pact. Are they seen very often in the U.K.? How about East German Trabants?'

Ladas were exported to most European countries during the eighties and they were popular because they were cheap. They held the market segment Dacia is now occupying. You'd get a new one for a price below that of a decent second hand car of another make.

A neighbour here in Ireland bought one every few years and drove it until it fell to bits, at one point there were three or four of them sitting outside the house, rusting away. The man, an old farmer, drove them into town to do his shopping and to socialise at the weekend. One night he was stopped by the guards, 'have you had anything to drink, sir?' 'I had four whiskeys guard' 'do you think you can drive this way?' 'well I have been doing this every saturday for twenty years, guard'. They let him go on home without a fine.

I remember Trabants from the sixties, they too were relatively popular as a cheap car. A neighbour at the time (around 1965, at a guess), not in Ireland, had one.

Subject: RE: BS: How Should I Deal With Tailgating?
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 23 Jun 14 - 04:50 AM

BTW - For those concerned with people traveling too slow I must point out that the speed limit is a maximum, not a minimum or compulsory speed. There are laws which govern obstructing the flow of traffic which cover the situations where someone is causing a serious obstruction.

Oh, and Steve, If I have my grandchildren in the car I feel much happier doing 40 on rural roads. If someone wants to pass me, fine, they are welcome to. I will assist in SAFE way possible. I usually catch them up again when they come up to the next lorry, bus or tractor anyway.

Cheers

DtG

Subject: RE: BS: How Should I Deal With Tailgating?
From: GUEST,Eliza
Date: 23 Jun 14 - 04:03 AM

LOL Guest!!
Our roads here in Norfolk are lovely (to me). Most are only single carriageways, and with the exception of Norwich, have very little traffic on them. We don't have even a smidgeon of a motorway. The main A road which bypasses our village for example is nearly always empty, and one never has to wait to join it. But as with all rural roads, one has to expect the unexpected. There are loads of farm vehicles of all types trundling along, but the tractor men are very good and pull over regularly into lay-bys to let the other motorists pass. One can encounter horses, and lots of pedal bikes. At night, the deer, foxes, badgers and hares throng the place, you can hardly move for them. As in anything else, one only needs a bit of my old mate Common Sense.
My old dad used to say that one drives according to one's personality., and aggression, impatience etc will out. This woman obviously had 'issues' which made her a dangerous and bad driver.
Thank you everyone for your advice and comments. Another time (hope not!) I'll be even more defensive and turn off safely out of the way. People like that are better miles in front of one than right up one's bum!

Subject: RE: BS: How Should I Deal With Tailgating?
From: GUEST,.gargoyle
Date: 23 Jun 14 - 04:01 AM

There was a dwarf, driving a "smart car" ...   you know the type that could almost be an oversized roller skate.

He was rear ended, at a stoplight, by an oversized 4x4 with wheels that cost more than his whole vehicle.

He got out of his car. Walked over to the other vehicle and put his hands on his hips.and
looked up at the driver and saying, "You know, I'm not happy!"

The other driver looked down and said, "Well, which one are you?"

Sincerely,
Gargoyle

You might want to consider an anger management class, or meditation, or a good church. You appear to have "issues" that may be a danger others.

Subject: RE: BS: How Should I Deal With Tailgating?
From: GUEST
Date: 23 Jun 14 - 03:37 AM

You should have been cited.



Even if going the speed limit law enforcement had every right to pull you over for speeds so low they are dangerous or impede the normal and reasonable flow of traffic.

It is old people like you that are a hazard and should have their privilege to drive revoked. I hope she noted your number and turned it over to the police. A few more notices and perhaps we can get you off the streets.

Subject: RE: BS: How Should I Deal With Tailgating?
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 23 Jun 14 - 01:50 AM

They were very popular in the UK during the 1980s, Joe. And, unlike Eds view, they were a good car provided you didn't mind the 1960s technology!

Cheers

Dave

Subject: RE: BS: How Should I Deal With Tailgating?
From: Phil Cooper
Date: 22 Jun 14 - 11:51 PM

My favorite tailgating story involved a friend driving to Chicago on the expressway. Someone in a low slung sports car started tailgating him. He changed lanes, and the other person did to keep tailgating. He was driving along and saw that he was about to run over a muffler that had dropped in the fast lane. He swerved to avoid it and the other car didn't have time and went right over it, probably ruining his suspension.

Subject: RE: BS: How Should I Deal With Tailgating?
From: Joe Offer
Date: 22 Jun 14 - 11:17 PM

Dave, how did you ever end up owning a Lada? I didn't think those things were ever sold outside the Warsaw Pact. Are they seen very often in the U.K.? How about East German Trabants?
I knew about Trabants when I lived in West Berlin, but never saw one until I visited Prague a few years ago. And I've seen Ladas only in museums.
-Joe-

Subject: RE: BS: How Should I Deal With Tailgating?
From: GUEST
Date: 22 Jun 14 - 10:10 PM

Does any tailgater seriously believe it helps them economise on fuel
by slipstreaming so close behind...???

Subject: RE: BS: How Should I Deal With Tailgating?
From: Jeri
Date: 22 Jun 14 - 09:19 PM

The main hazard created by ridiculously slow drivers is the impatient people they piss off and what those people do because they can't control themselves or their car. Slow drivers are annoying, that's all, and yes, I've done stupid things because they irritated me. I really try not to be an idiot these days, because there are just so many opportunities that don't allow me a choice.

Using what other people do as an excuse for tailgating doesn't make sense. How is driving close enough to their car so you can't control it in an emergency EVER a good idea? If you say you're trying to give them a clue they should speed up, if they don't comply with your wishes in a couple minutes, maybe you should give up. All you're doing is reducing your ability to control your car.

Another thing is that if you hit somebody in front of you, legally (in all cases I can think of), you're the one who's going to be found to be at fault.

Subject: RE: BS: How Should I Deal With Tailgating?
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 22 Jun 14 - 09:02 PM

Several things. First, and let me make this clear, tailgating is stupid and dangerous.

But.

Our roads are very crowded. Life can be fairly frenetic at times and there are people, rightly or wrongly, who need to get on, and fast. If you are driving at well below the speed limit for the road you're on, and the road is busy, you are in serious danger of being a twat. If there is a convoy of traffic behind you which had been behind you for a mile or more, and you are driving at less than the speed limit for that road, you are definitely a complete twat. Humanity is what it is, whether you like it or not. You are causing exactly the kind of frustration that could lead to a serious accident. It wouldn't be your fault, of course, humanity being what it is, but the naked fact is that the accident might well not have happened had you bloody well got out of the way. Wives may not have been widowed and children might not have been orphaned. Quite a thought, as you're sitting there doing 39 on a 60 road feeling all sanctimonious with a massive queue behind you. Pull over, fer chrissake, if you're a member of the Sunday velvet steering wheel club, and let us pass. Some of us can drive a bit faster than you, and yes, we left home two minutes later than we should have. But that's what being a human being is all about. Basically, eliminate your stress completely by getting out of the bloody way. Using your mirror once in a blue moon, and cutting the yap whilst driving, might help. Hope this helps.

Subject: RE: BS: How Should I Deal With Tailgating?
From: meself
Date: 22 Jun 14 - 08:48 PM

All my life, I've heard people expounding on the great danger posed by slow drivers. Funny though, in all the reports of accidents that I've heard or read, I've never encountered the phrase "lack of speed was a factor ... "

Subject: RE: BS: How Should I Deal With Tailgating?
From: Janie
Date: 22 Jun 14 - 08:45 PM

Know what you mean, Rob. I still drive that 40 miles once a week for the private practice I expanded to that locale after the clinic closed. (Fortunately I now control those hours and don't have to drive it at night now.) It's really irritating to be behind some one who speeds up to a reasonable speed only in the passing zones. I finally decided it is simply unconscious on their part, take a deep breath, and try to let rational mind be in charge of me when I am behind the wheel. Also helped that about a year ago I acquired my first car that doesn't need a long, running start to get up to passing speed, and if the passing zone is clear, is now enough length for me to safely pass in the few passing zones along that route.

Subject: RE: BS: How Should I Deal With Tailgating?
From: Janie
Date: 22 Jun 14 - 08:33 PM

I agree, Gbj. In some ways and at some times, slow drivers are even more of a hazard. Bad drivers are a fact of life. All good reasons to drive defensively.

Should confess that in my early 60's I am increasingly plagued by night blindness. Not a big problem on freeways because there are not approaching headlights directly in my line of vision. I fortunately changed jobs several months ago that mean I no longer have to drive 40 miles of 2 lane country road, infested by crossing deer on dry nights, and on which I was literally rendered blind by approaching headlights on rainy winter nights when it was dark by the time I left work at 6:00pm. Was wondering if I might have to resign simply from inability to safely drive come this next winter as I was well aware the night blindness was getting worse and worse. Although those were not heavily traveled 40 miles they were not lightly traveled either, and it was always a challenge to figure out, when traffic began to back up behind me, if and where I might be able to pull over to let cars pass. Has made me a bit more compassionate when I get behind an obviously elder driver who really can't safely drive the speed limit any more, even on dry rural roads in daylight. Easy to say they shouldn't drive. But also know that many in rural areas don't have alternatives to get around to the limited extent it is essential they do.

Subject: RE: BS: How Should I Deal With Tailgating?
From: GUEST
Date: 22 Jun 14 - 08:09 PM

I like to refer to drivers who follow the "Massachusetts Rule":

"You may drive at any speed you wish, EXCEPT within the range from ten MPH below the posted limit to ten MPH above it."

Problem is, Mass. drivers come to Vermont...

P.

Subject: RE: BS: How Should I Deal With Tailgating?
From: Rob Naylor
Date: 22 Jun 14 - 07:45 PM

The main problem I have around here is people who drive fairly normally on the straight bits then slow down really excessively on corners, accelerating away again so as to be impossible to pass safely/legally on the straights but slowing again to a real crawl into bends. I don't tailgate them or get aggressive, but it can be quite frustrating sometimes. I can undertand it (and do it myself) in areas where sight-lines are bad and there may be pedestrians, horses or wildlife concealed by a corner, but when sight-lines are good I find it a bit of an odd way for someone to drive.

Subject: RE: BS: How Should I Deal With Tailgating?
From: Janie
Date: 22 Jun 14 - 07:31 PM

Good on you, Guy Behindju. Eliza made clear she does also.

Subject: RE: BS: How Should I Deal With Tailgating?
From: GUEST,Guy Behindju
Date: 22 Jun 14 - 07:03 PM

Janie, I (Guy Behindju) always endeavour to drive within legal limits. The problem I have is with people who drive excessively OVER and UNDER the given speed limits. This was the point I was trying to make i.e. slow drivers cause just as much chaos on the roads as the fast ones.

Subject: RE: BS: How Should I Deal With Tailgating?
From: Janie
Date: 22 Jun 14 - 06:37 PM

Eliza, you made abundantly clear that you were driving the speed limit. Guy Behindju apparently doesn't read first. Hope that is not a reflection of how he drives.

Subject: RE: BS: How Should I Deal With Tailgating?
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 22 Jun 14 - 06:29 PM

That reversing spot I mentioned had a dash mounted switch, Jeri. Like I said - Great to shine on tailgaters :-)

Ed - You don't know what you missed!

Cheers

DtG

Subject: RE: BS: How Should I Deal With Tailgating?
From: GUEST
Date: 22 Jun 14 - 06:25 PM

Plenty of affordable front and rear window mounted mini digital cam-recorder kits available these days.

Subject: RE: BS: How Should I Deal With Tailgating?
From: GUEST,Eliza
Date: 22 Jun 14 - 06:21 PM

Guest Guybehindju, I quite agree that slow drivers can be very frustrating. I never hassle them however, just overtake correctly when safe to do so. As for myself, I always drive up to speed (but never over the limit) if the road conditions permit (visibility, icy surface etc mean one should reduce speed a little) I'm quite a positive, confident and safe driver (if I say so myself!) but like Janie, when alone in the car I'm always thinking how to keep myself safe. There are some strange people out there, and one tries to avoid Big Trouble. This lass had a very scary expression on her face. She could have overtaken me in several places, but didn't.

Subject: RE: BS: How Should I Deal With Tailgating?
From: Jeri
Date: 22 Jun 14 - 06:15 PM

I used to know a guy who had a switch on his dash to turn his brake lights on & off.

Subject: RE: BS: How Should I Deal With Tailgating?
From: GUEST
Date: 22 Jun 14 - 06:10 PM

Get TWO of something like this- they aren't phenomenally expensive compared with a court case- and have one facing forwards and one backwards. Make them conspicuous- the idea is to prevent or at least deter bad behaviour, not gather evidence (though they do). If the rear facing one isn't obvious enough, attach a flashing LED to it.

And if anyone still misbehaves, post the footage on a public forum.

Subject: RE: BS: How Should I Deal With Tailgating?
From: Ed T
Date: 22 Jun 14 - 05:40 PM

Not only did I not own one of those DTG, I never saw one on the highways where I live. We just mostly had the annoying slow ("boxy") stereotype ones on the local highways for a very few years. Glad you enjoyed yours (though not persuaded to be envious).

I dont know much about the Skodas, they were never too popular in my local, not suited for our salty and colder winters, I suspect.

Subject: RE: BS: How Should I Deal With Tailgating?
From: GUEST,Guy Behindju
Date: 22 Jun 14 - 05:39 PM

Question 2 in the quiz:
What do you do about someone who drives at 20mph down a country road and there's a dozen or so cars backed up behind it?

I don't like tailgaters either but if you are being tailgated, have a look in your mirror and see if it's you that's the problem for driving ultra slow.

Just a thought.

Subject: RE: BS: How Should I Deal With Tailgating?
From: Janie
Date: 22 Jun 14 - 05:35 PM

Just glad you made it home, Eliza. I think we share the same approach - simply put, how do I keep safe in this circumstance? You were wise, imho, to not play games or try to teach the tailgater a lesson.

Experienced a similar situation to that Frogprince related early in the thread, though even a bit more menacing. Dark, 2 lane highway in the country late at night. The guy was flashing his lights at me and occasionally pulling into the opposing lane and pacing me. Definitely trying to intimidate at best, and meaning harm at worst. To the best of my knowledge I had not driven in any way to provoke road rage - he had started following me in town though I didn't realize that until we got out of town a little ways. Was so close behind me when he was behind me that I could not even safely slow down and pull over or turn down another road without fear of being rear-ended (and then possibly assaulted.) Finally, at one of the times he was in the wrong lane beside me, I was able to make a turn onto a side road that he could not anticipate. Pulled into the driveway of the first house I came to with lights, and called the police.

Was even more frightening than the one time I was robbed at gunpoint on a sidewalk on a city street.

Subject: RE: BS: How Should I Deal With Tailgating?
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 22 Jun 14 - 05:30 PM

People with Ladas (older or newer) likely have many cars behind them, and speeding away is not an option:)

You have obviously never had a 1600 with twin Webber carbs, Ed. I have. 0-60 in less than 9 seconds. Used to really piss the boy racers in their Peugeot 205's off :-)

I suppose you think that Skoda are a laugh as well? Even though their pre-Volkwagon versions won the under 1300 class of the RAC rally 17 years running?

Sorry, but I really do get cheesed off with stereotyping. At least I suppose doing it to a car does no harm but it is a lazy shot and one that anyone with more than half a brain can do without.

Cheers

DtG

Subject: RE: BS: How Should I Deal With Tailgating?
From: Don Firth
Date: 22 Jun 14 - 05:24 PM

One afternoon in the early 1970s, while driving home from work (twenty-five miles on the freeway from where I worked near Everett to Seattle), as I was accelerating down the on-ramp to the freeway, a burly guy in a red Pontiac Firebird (muscle car—I was driving a Toyota Corona, not a muscle car) was about three feet off my rear bumper. I wanted to get out of this guy's way, and since I was going to be on the freeway for some miles, I checked to my left, saw no cars for several hundred feet, and cut diagonally toward the left (express) lane. When I got to the express lane, to my horror, I see this moron passing me on MY left—on the shoulder of the road. And he shot me a dirty look.

He was driving a hot car, and he wasn't going to have some stinkin' little Toyota beating him to the fast lane!

I held a steady 70 mph, the legal speed on this highway at the time, and maintained the correct distance from other cars. In the meantime, I watched this dude's progress.

If he had a clear stretch of the road, he accelerated, exceeding the speed limit, until he wound up tailgating someone. When he got the chance he would shoot around then and go to warp speed until he was tailgating someone else. He was a messy accident looking for a place to happen.

Over the twenty-five miles, he was never more than two block's distance ahead of me.

And the cute part was that he headed for the same off-ramp that I normally take.

There was a stop light at the end of the off-ramp.   Several cars were taking that same exit, and for all his risky, dangerous driving, he was only two cars ahead of me at the light!

========

I've had this situation a number of times. I'm on a freeway approaching the off-ramp I want to take and I'm moving to the right in preparation. But there is some guy in the right-hand lane I want to move to hanging right off my right rear quarter-panel, much too close. I speed up, he speeds up. I slow down, he slows down.

So I turn on my right turn signal and suddenly speed up. Then HE floors it to get ahead of me. Damned dangerous thing for him to do, if I were to actually change lanes right then, But I let him, then quickly move in behind him and take the off-ramp I want.

I just want to get him the hell out of my way!

Not speed and aggression. Tactics!

Don Firth

Subject: RE: BS: How Should I Deal With Tailgating?
From: Black belt caterpillar wrestler
Date: 22 Jun 14 - 05:17 PM

If you have rear fog lights they can be mistaken for brake lights when switched on and off.

Subject: RE: BS: How Should I Deal With Tailgating?
From: GUEST,Eliza
Date: 22 Jun 14 - 05:03 PM

My car's a very old Fiesta with over 100,000 miles on the clock, but it does have excellent acceleration. However, I was already doing the speed limit and would never, ever exceed that. I actually passed through two static permanent speed cameras with her on my tail, so I probably saved her an automatic fine through the post! She eventually turned off (phew!) down a side road to a village several miles from mine, and they're welcome to her. A silly and dangerous girl.

Subject: RE: BS: How Should I Deal With Tailgating?
From: Ed T
Date: 22 Jun 14 - 04:59 PM

I recall the 51-hp Chevette, that used to be at the front of every highway line-up during busy holiday week ends.