Tailgater Tagged
6th Gear
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 3,902
Likes: 2
From: SoCaL (Agoura Hills)
My Wife's x-boss owns a Hummer H1. When the office would get all a-chatter about SUV's and gas mileage, he would proudly proclaim, "I do not really care about the gas mileage. I just wanted something I could tailgate with and get people to move out of my way.".
In another discussion with a truck owner, he proudly proclaims, "I can't stand to have anything in front of me. It pisses me off. So I drive faster and faster and tailgate people until they move out of the way."
I could write pages of quotes like the above. The police will not do anything about it here. They would have to pull over the entire freeway if they did.
People need to be educated that driving bumper-to-bumper actually causes traffic jams to occur. All it takes is someone in the left lane of the freeway trying to make thier exit at the last second and the whole freeway will get backed up for hours. Where as if everyone was driving with a reasonable distance between thier cars, it would not even be noticed when someone makes that last second exit.
I just turn up the stereo. Drive with the flow and leave room in front of me. I am going to be tailgated, no matter what, so I just leave a lot of room in front of me so I can stop safely without being run over.
In another discussion with a truck owner, he proudly proclaims, "I can't stand to have anything in front of me. It pisses me off. So I drive faster and faster and tailgate people until they move out of the way."
I could write pages of quotes like the above. The police will not do anything about it here. They would have to pull over the entire freeway if they did.
People need to be educated that driving bumper-to-bumper actually causes traffic jams to occur. All it takes is someone in the left lane of the freeway trying to make thier exit at the last second and the whole freeway will get backed up for hours. Where as if everyone was driving with a reasonable distance between thier cars, it would not even be noticed when someone makes that last second exit.
I just turn up the stereo. Drive with the flow and leave room in front of me. I am going to be tailgated, no matter what, so I just leave a lot of room in front of me so I can stop safely without being run over.
6th Gear
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 1,542
Likes: 0
From: Central Texas
NPR did a story from London. They like SUVs, Mercedes, stuff like that at $10/gallon (their quote-I haven't tried to exactly translate Pounds and Imperial Gallons). Everyone will adjust and spend a few more bucks.
4th Gear
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 454
Likes: 0
From: New Jersey, USA
A long time ago, I was driving in the right lane of a three lane highway and there was a van that was tailgating me. I had nowhere to go but the shoulder as opposed to the van who had two lanes on the left in which to pass me. But he/she was persistent and I was intimidated so I pulled over to the shoulder and the van passed me. As he/she passed I noticed that the side of the van said, "Newsweek." Then he or she proceeded to tailgate the car that was in front of me, but that car didn't move. Finally the van pulled into the center or left lane and passed correctly. To this day I have no idea what that idiot was trying to prove. But if it happened now, I don't think I would be so intimidated. In more recent news, I managed to display my family police shield out the back window of my MINI (without drilling any holes) and so far I haven't had any more tailgaters. Only time will tell if it's working.
4th Gear
Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 468
Likes: 0
From: San Diego, CA
I was in my classic Mini with my little son once, and a female driver in a Suburban decided to tailgate me very closely in crowded traffic for about 2 miles - I happened to glance over to the right side side as we were merging with another freeway, and a motorcyle cop was idling along three or four lanes over. He just then looked at us - our eyes locked and he whipped across all the lanes with his lights on and nailed that broad! My son, who was getting a little scared, just whooped, and said, "Wow!" He talked about that for weeks.
6th Gear
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 6,056
Likes: 0
From: Sacramento, CA
or words to that effect.
6th Gear
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 1,542
Likes: 0
From: Central Texas
I have some little-car stories too. Kid in a green 2002 is behind me, me on bike, he decides to share my lane. Comes up next to me. I'm in the left lane, three lanes, so he's about half-way on the shoulder. Then he decides that he wants the whole lane and starts squeezing. I feel his car against my leg. I slow to keep him from squeezing me to the next car over, there are cars in front so I can't go there.
Why did your story remind me of this? I kept a souvenir-his right side mirror.
Bad drivers use all kinds of vehicles.
Why did your story remind me of this? I kept a souvenir-his right side mirror.
Bad drivers use all kinds of vehicles.
I mentioned this one somewhere else, but if you're into photography, you have a great anti-tailgate measure at hand.
An electronic strobe flash!
One night years ago, I was on Hwy-16 heading towards Sacramento from the foothills. No one in front of me, and I was doing a little better than the speed limit. Warm summer night, top down.... and up from behind comes a jackass in some big sedan, flashing his brights at me. The road was dead straight, NOTHING coming the other way. He wouldn't pass, just kept flashing his brights.
I had been up in the mountains photographing wildflowers. My equipment bag was on the passenger seat. I reached in, felt around, pulled out my Vivitar 283 Flash, and charged it up.
He flashed again. I turn the strobe around to point backwards, and fired it off at full strength. The headlights in my mirror got reeeeaaalllly tiny really fast.
Edit: I forgot to mention, I was in my MGB, which is lower yet, than a Mini.
An electronic strobe flash!
One night years ago, I was on Hwy-16 heading towards Sacramento from the foothills. No one in front of me, and I was doing a little better than the speed limit. Warm summer night, top down.... and up from behind comes a jackass in some big sedan, flashing his brights at me. The road was dead straight, NOTHING coming the other way. He wouldn't pass, just kept flashing his brights.
I had been up in the mountains photographing wildflowers. My equipment bag was on the passenger seat. I reached in, felt around, pulled out my Vivitar 283 Flash, and charged it up.
He flashed again. I turn the strobe around to point backwards, and fired it off at full strength. The headlights in my mirror got reeeeaaalllly tiny really fast.
Edit: I forgot to mention, I was in my MGB, which is lower yet, than a Mini.
Last edited by Gromit801; May 5, 2007 at 12:05 PM.
4th Gear
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 454
Likes: 0
From: New Jersey, USA
I mentioned this one somewhere else, but if you're into photography, you have a great anti-tailgate measure at hand.
An electronic strobe flash!
One night years ago, I was on Hwy-16 heading towards Sacramento from the foothills. No one in front of me, and I was doing a little better than the speed limit. Warm summer night, top down.... and up from behind comes a jackass in some big sedan, flashing his brights at me. The road was dead straight, NOTHING coming the other way. He wouldn't pass, just kept flashing his brights.
I had been up in the mountains photographing wildflowers. My equipment bag was on the passenger seat. I reached in, felt around, pulled out my Vivitar 283 Flash, and charged it up.
He flashed again. I turn the strobe around to point backwards, and fired it off at full strength. The headlights in my mirror got reeeeaaalllly tiny really fast.
An electronic strobe flash!
One night years ago, I was on Hwy-16 heading towards Sacramento from the foothills. No one in front of me, and I was doing a little better than the speed limit. Warm summer night, top down.... and up from behind comes a jackass in some big sedan, flashing his brights at me. The road was dead straight, NOTHING coming the other way. He wouldn't pass, just kept flashing his brights.
I had been up in the mountains photographing wildflowers. My equipment bag was on the passenger seat. I reached in, felt around, pulled out my Vivitar 283 Flash, and charged it up.
He flashed again. I turn the strobe around to point backwards, and fired it off at full strength. The headlights in my mirror got reeeeaaalllly tiny really fast.
6th Gear
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 1,146
Likes: 0
From: show me state
I mentioned this one somewhere else, but if you're into photography, you have a great anti-tailgate measure at hand.
An electronic strobe flash!
One night years ago, I was on Hwy-16 heading towards Sacramento from the foothills. No one in front of me, and I was doing a little better than the speed limit. Warm summer night, top down.... and up from behind comes a jackass in some big sedan, flashing his brights at me. The road was dead straight, NOTHING coming the other way. He wouldn't pass, just kept flashing his brights.
I had been up in the mountains photographing wildflowers. My equipment bag was on the passenger seat. I reached in, felt around, pulled out my Vivitar 283 Flash, and charged it up.
He flashed again. I turn the strobe around to point backwards, and fired it off at full strength. The headlights in my mirror got reeeeaaalllly tiny really fast.
An electronic strobe flash!
One night years ago, I was on Hwy-16 heading towards Sacramento from the foothills. No one in front of me, and I was doing a little better than the speed limit. Warm summer night, top down.... and up from behind comes a jackass in some big sedan, flashing his brights at me. The road was dead straight, NOTHING coming the other way. He wouldn't pass, just kept flashing his brights.
I had been up in the mountains photographing wildflowers. My equipment bag was on the passenger seat. I reached in, felt around, pulled out my Vivitar 283 Flash, and charged it up.
He flashed again. I turn the strobe around to point backwards, and fired it off at full strength. The headlights in my mirror got reeeeaaalllly tiny really fast.
Serves the jerk right. Headlights, especially those highbeams..from any car (usually taller in height than the Mini) can blind the driver and cause a hugh accident. Seems like this guy got a HUGH dose of Mini Justice!!! Yea Gromit!!
6th Gear
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 15,478
Likes: 2
You wont be driving a MINI long before they won't be driving their large SUVs. At what point will the price of gas have to be to limit your driving? $8 ... $10?
I'm not trying to burst your bubble but there are people with money who simply do not care about the price of gas. Its weekly pocket change to them.
3rd Gear
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 209
Likes: 0
From: San Diego, CA
Playing devil's advocate here, I put it to you: Why wouldn't the tailgater just pass instead of blinding the person in front of him (repeatedly)? The good will has to start somewhere.
4th Gear
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 454
Likes: 0
From: New Jersey, USA
Exactly! And that's why he deserved a taste of his own medicine. Maybe then he'd get the message that his behavior is unacceptable. If Gromit801 had just pulled over, this bully on the road would have another victory.
There was no shoulder to pull over on. Why didn't the jerk pass me, as they had all the room in the world to do so!
4th Gear
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 393
Likes: 0
From: San Francisco, CA
I have asked owners of large Expeditions and the like and there are a LOT of people with money. $4/gas is nothing.
You wont be driving a MINI long before they won't be driving their large SUVs. At what point will the price of gas have to be to limit your driving? $8 ... $10?
I'm not trying to burst your bubble but there are people with money who simply do not care about the price of gas. Its weekly pocket change to them.
You wont be driving a MINI long before they won't be driving their large SUVs. At what point will the price of gas have to be to limit your driving? $8 ... $10?
I'm not trying to burst your bubble but there are people with money who simply do not care about the price of gas. Its weekly pocket change to them.
Moderator
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 941
Likes: 4
About tailgaters in on the freeway, I think we can take lessons from the Europeans on this one. I was surprised at just how quickly I acclimated myself to driving in Europe because everyone there drives with common courtesy in mind (only on the freeways, city driving is entirely different). Canada's the same for the most part. The passing lane is reserved for just that, everyone keeps to the right and switches lanes to allow faster traffic to pass, and everyone still drives really close to one another (about 1.5 seconds if not a bit less). No accidents, no complaints, no arguments, and no road rage.
But I also suspect that people in Europe just plain feel differently about their cars than we do. I'd love to see some numbers about how many Europeans don't even own a car. What percentage of Europeans walk to work. The ones who own cars, how many miles they drive in an average year.
We Americans practically live in our cars. They become part of us. We tend to think of driving as a "right" more than a "privilege."
Anyway, since I got back from France, I'm trying to drive more like a European. Just get out of people's way. Don't let 'em bug me. Don't try to **** them off.
I did love reading the initial post in this thread. Nice to hear about somebody getting what they deserve for once!
Moderator
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 941
Likes: 4
Who was it - Rick Rockwell? Jerry Seinfeld? - used to say that in L.A., turn signals are how you tell the guy in the next lane over that he's following to far back and he needs to close that gap in front of him.
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