I don't think its restricted to small cars. I had simular things happen when I was driving my Ram 3500. Usually with ricers doing the dirty tricks. Obviously these are morons who don't understand the fundamental laws of physics. When a 7K lb object hits a 2K lb object. The 2K lb object looses. End of story.
I had small cars so close to my rear bumper that I could not see them over the tailgate. I am starting to like Germany's traffic laws. they help keep the idiots off the pavement.
I don't like people that drive in the left lane at whatever speed and assume that since they are going "fast enough" they shouldn't have to move. That doesn't mean that someone has to get up on your ass to do a light flash [like described above], but if they are approaching, and provide one, it's much less rude (for all) to just move aside and let them by. Let's not forget, being passed on the right, is not the safest move for anyone involved on a freeway. Doesn't matter what the speed is. There is a reason that you aren't supposed to be passed on the right.
That said, driving from Fort Worth to Uptown Dallas everyday, I know I've gotten quite aggressive behind the wheel. I'm constantly in a big hurry for very little reason, and I've become a terribly addicted lane jumper. At least my goal in doing it all is to not cut people off, but I'm sure people are still saying "what a lunatic" when I work my way through traffic. It's effective to a point... I can still make Lemmon/75 to 2 miles north of 820/377 (garage to garage) in 50-55 minutes in the 5 o'clock/6 o'clock traffic most days.
Todays commute in the Miata was 78 miles one way and took 1 hour ten minutes. I encountered less than 5 cars before the city limits. Had the cruise set at 4200rpm. Almost all of the pickups gave me the 2 finger how do you do salute from the steering wheel and smiled as I zipped by. I grew up driving in the Metroplex and....don't miss it one bit.
7K? Try driving a straight truck with about 20K and having to deal with the same crap. I'm glad I've only had to do that in traffic very few times. While you're trying to allow a reasonable amount of space between your front bumper and the vehicle in front of you, there's always someone who thinks that space is reserved for them. I cannot begin to imagine what it's like for the big rigs.Quote:
Originally Posted by HudsonHawk
What's funny is that then the guy in the TOYota, whose maneuver might have resulted in him being the meat in a tin can sandwich, gets pissed off at the big truck whose driver skills just avoided an accident.
Regarding flash to pass, I think it is very appropriate. However it is appropriate as you approach, if they don't move over, flashing your lights is still the legal way to notify a driver you want to pass. Brake checks are never an appropriate response and will typically instigate road rage.
Lots of times, I think people don't realize they are following to close. I have found that tapping my flashers when tailgated is a gentler way of telling someone to back off and usually works for me.
Maybe you would like to drive this?Attachment 4424Quote:
Originally Posted by gabkwong
I always try to give motorcyclists as much room as possible. And even when I do have my music blasting, and all the road noise in the car, I can still hear them.Quote:
Originally Posted by jeepinbanditrider
I was actually pondering the possibility of making a system for preventing tailgating.Quote:
Originally Posted by gabkwong
Two boxes behind the rear wheels, with a drop door for each of them. At the push of a button, the doors open, and sharp spiked metal objects come out. The driver behind runs them over and blows out all of their tires.
One of my cousins has a hay spike, for moving round bales, on the back of his pickup. Lowering the spike has never failed to cause tailgaters to back off.
http://defrangeauto.com/sitebuilder/...98-600x450.jpg
Quote:
Originally Posted by aalvarez04
shit works... you'd be surprised ;) lolQuote:
Originally Posted by jrj512
also try masturbating your ebrake/shift knob... suddenly surrounding drivers give you a lot more distance and nobody wants to race you... wierd lol
I personally know somebody who feels "big and bad" in his big truck and does use "his" size to intimidate small cars..."you don't want to tango with me!". He made comments about that the last time I was in his truck with him and he KNOWS what I drive. There is a reason people drive the size/type of car that they do. Seldom do they think about the reality of the consequences of their driving "skills". I have to wonder too, how many people out there really know driving etiquette. I will be the first to admit that while I thought I knew all the "rules" I have learned some new ones. Flashing lights is definitely more courteous than tailgating which causes an unsafe situation. And for those people that don't secure their loads on their vehicles, creating potentially deadly hazards, should really be sought after and cited. I am really surprised how often I hear people say they do "brake checks" to "teach a lesson" - heard that just this week from a coworker. I just shook my head. The roads are public domain, and the only people that should be teaching lessons are the authorities that are supposed to make the roads safer for everyone. There are too many crazy people out there that you just don't have a clue about what they are capable of doing or what their intentions are, maybe they are looking for trouble or an insurance payout.
My dad tells a story about how he used to brake check tailgaters all the time as a young punk, and being a macho tailgater himself he finally got a taste of his own medicine, he was in an old 60's chrysler land yaht and he was tailgating somebody in a sports car, the guy brakechecked him, he locked up all four wheels and had to steer that huge chrysler almost into a ditch to avoid hitting the guy. After checking his drawers he decided not to tailgate anymore, and the thought of a 4,000 lb chrysler trying desparately not to cream a tiny sportscar changed his mind about brakechecing too.
I've only realy brakechecked someone once when I was a punk teenager, it was stupid to say the least. I thought about it later, what would have come out of it if he hit me?? A police report, insurance claim, rental car, a huge ticket...and that's only if the guy wouldn't have got out and kicked my ass.
This is why like I said earlier I mainly hit the brake on a tailgater just to flash the lights, I don't brake check. Most of the time, like BR said, they don't realize they're too close and back off, every now and then you get a jerk that takes a little more persuasion to go around, that's when I let off the gas.
Maybe the police and state troopers should be less concerned with writing revenue tickets and enforcing more safety oriented measures.
^good point. My mom who is a very nervous driver in the first place was following me through Dallas when a lady in a minivan just got a ticket on I 20. The cop was still there when the lady literally cut her wheels and pulled out on to the freeway starting at zero MPH, like pulling out of a parallel parking job....right in front of my mom. Let's just say my mom doesn't drive in dallas anymore, she hit the brakes so hard and abruptly it bent a ball joint or something in the front suspension, she had to take her SUV to a mechanic after that.
The officer didn't do anything, saw the whole thing and, just exited casually off the highway.
I've also witnessed very many obvious road rage incidents and take place in front of a speed trap officer who did absolutely nothing at all.
I never understand when trucks and the might as well be trucks brake check me for no reason. It's like really? You are going to stop faster than me? idiots.
This is a very entertaining way of dealing with tailgaters.Quote:
Originally Posted by Jiggerachi
The last time I did this, I failed to notice the cop stealthly watching for speeders up ahead. I got rid of the tailgater, and he got a ticket. It took quite a while to wipe the grin off my face.Quote:
Originally Posted by BFPW
Well I'm heading off to the real screaming bridge tonight...
get boost, no more worries...you can blow away most anything on the road and those who do beat you will be shocked you have as much power as you do.
People who tail gate and see you take off at the speed of sound then slow back down usually lose interest.