Tailgaters

[yg17]

And why do you feel that it is your right to go faster than the speed limit?

Because when practically everyone else is, it's more dangerous for me to only go the speed limit rather than keep up, I don't need some jerk making it unsafe for the both of us.

I don't even pay attention to speed limit signs, I pay attention to the cars around me and keep up with them.

 

[mattscott306]

And why do you feel that it is your right to go faster than the speed limit?

Why do you feel like it's your right to stop me?

 

[yg17]

Why do you feel like it's your right to stop me?

THANK YOU

Leave the enforcement up to the police. Its their job. Your job is to stay in the right lane and scream "OH MY GOD LOOK AT THAT *******!!!!!" when I'm going a bit faster than I should be.

 

[EricNau]

Because when practically everyone else is, it's more dangerous for me to only go the speed limit rather than keep up, I don't need some jerk making it unsafe for the both of us.

I don't even pay attention to speed limit signs, I pay attention to the cars around me and keep up with them.

Doesn't that contradict this post of yours...

I slow down, let them start to pass, then hit the gas so they can't pass

Usually my weapon of choice If it's a 1-lane-each-direction road and they can't pass, I'll either brake check or just slow down below the speed limit alltogether. Keep in mind that I'm usually at least 5 over the limit, so if someone's tailgating me, they're even more of a dumbass than I am. The road that leads to my house is a 40mph zone, and I usually do at least 45, but if someone's tailgating me, I've been known to slow down to 30.

 

[yg17]

I assume I'm 5 over the limit. Give or take. Who knows. As I said, I keep up with everyone else. If it's 5 over the limit, 10 over the limit, whatever. If I'm the only one on the road, then yes, I pay more attention to the speed limit signs since I don't really have anyone to base it off of. And yes, I probably go a bit over. But I really can't remember the last time I payed attention to speed limit signs on a busy highway.

 

[OutThere]

Drop the question of whether or not it's someone's 'right' to break the speed limit/act as a vigilante. That's not important. Tailgating is rude.

I drive faster than the speed limit most of the time, but if there's someone ahead of me doing the speed limit (or less...gah), I don't tailgate them. I can drive just as fast back 30 feet. There's nothing to be gained by riding their tail, other than, perhaps, a fender bender.

 

[mattscott306]

There's nothing to be gained by riding their tail, other than, perhaps, a fender bender.

Except for the subtle (ok not so subtle) encouragement to speed the F up.

 

[yg17]

There's nothing to be gained by riding their tail, other than, perhaps, a fender bender.

Better gas mileage

On the subject of tailgating, why is it that at stoplights, people find the need to get about 4 inches from my back bumper? Leave a bit of distance people. One of these days they'll get behind someone in a manual on a hill and will regret that.

 

[MACDRIVE]

I HATE TAILGATERS!!!

 

[TheMonarch]

Press on the break enough for the light to come on without actually slowing down. The freak, and back off most of the time.

 

[MACDRIVE]

Just once I'd like to pull out shot gun and blow a hole through their radiator, but with my luck, I'd probably miss and kill the person; sending me to prison for the rest of my life.

 

[OutThere]

Better gas mileage

On the subject of tailgating, why is it that at stoplights, people find the need to get about 4 inches from my back bumper? Leave a bit of distance people. One of these days they'll get behind someone in a manual on a hill and will regret that.

Haha. I wonder how well drafting actually works at highway speed for gas mileage? Mythbusters should get on it.

I had someone stop right behind me at a stoplight on a hill when I was first learning and couldn't start without dropping backwards a little....I decided to burn out instead of risking hitting the person behind me.

 

[EricNau]

Haha. I wonder how well drafting actually works at highway speed for gas mileage? Mythbusters should get on it.

They already proved that drafting behind a large truck at 55 mph did indeed save gas (and is very stupid).

 

[OutThere]

They already proved that drafting behind a large truck at 55 mph did indeed save gas (and is very stupid).

Excellent. *abandons all of drivers ed in search of better fuel economy*

 

[MACDRIVE]

A lot of you people are saying you just change lanes and let them go by. What if there's no other lane to change into?! What if it's one lane in one direction and one lane in the opposite direction, then what do you do? Yeah, lets see you answer that question shall we?

 

[TheAnswer]

A lot of you people are saying you just change lanes and let them go by. What if there's no other lane to change into?! What if it's one lane in one direction and one lane in the opposite direction, then what do you do? Yeah, lets see you answer that question shall we?

Then you pull off the side of the road and let them go by. If it happens frequently, you consider selling your car and using public transportation.

 

[MACDRIVE]

Go ahead. . . tailgate me while I'm in this - I dare you.

 

[TheAnswer]

Go ahead. . . tailgate me in this - I dare you.

Looks like I'd just need the right car...with some hydraulics on the front end and rear wheel drive, I could just pop up onto your bed and have my grill against your backside.

 

[Coolnat2004]

Looks like I'd just need the right car...with some hydraulics on the front end and rear wheel drive, I could just pop up onto your bed and have my grill against your backside.

Now that's how to get good gas mileage!

 

[takao]

I had someone stop right behind me at a stoplight on a hill when I was first learning and couldn't start without dropping backwards a little....I decided to burn out instead of risking hitting the person behind me.

rolling backwards at a stoplight on a hill is an "instant fail" for the driver exam around here

for tailgaters:
no matter how fast you drive there will always be one tailgating you ..driving 150 km/h when 130 are allowed on the austrian autobahn i got tailgated quite a lot just like you get it on the german autobahn while driving 180-190 km/h yourself ...

actually it's an offense around here especially when the front lights are used to harass the other driver and can cost you your driving license in the worst case like 1-3 months and in germany it can cost you up to 2 month salary if you get sued

hint for the tailgaters: just because you can drive faster doesn't mean you have more rights than the guy in front of you

 

[ChePibe]

The ultimate solution

A friend of mine in high school got tired of people tailgating him (he seemed to be a magnet tailgaters, even though he was invariably going 5-10 over the speed limit), so he did what any reasonable geek would do:

Wire a toggle switch to his brake lights

He wired it in such a way that it did not interfere with the normal function of the brake lights, and boy did we have a good time with it. Everytime someone tailgated him, he would flip the switch on causing the brake lights to come on. Then, he would accelerate like mad. This often left the guy behind us with burnt rubber and a very confused look on his face =)

Of course the legality - or intelligence - of modifying your vehicle in such a way is highly debatable, but when you're a high school geek it's all good fun.

 

[mad jew]

...Wire a toggle switch to his brake lights

When I learnt to drive, the instructor had a similar switch.

 

[iz3r]

Go ahead. . . tailgate me while I'm in this - I dare you.

Actually I WOULD tail gate you especially on a highway....

Saves me gas money bigtime!

 

[Roger1]

Then you pull off the side of the road and let them go by. If it happens frequently, you consider selling your car and using public transportation.

Screw that. If I'm in front of them and doing the speed limit, they can go around, or wait. I've have stupid people pass me on back streets where the speed limith is 25 mph, and I was doing 25 mph. If they are in that much of a hurry, it's their problem. I'm not going to break the law by speeding up, or pull over and make myself late because they are in a hurry.

 

[mattscott306]

Screw that. If I'm in front of them and doing the speed limit, they can go around, or wait. I've have stupid people pass me on back streets where the speed limith is 25 mph, and I was doing 25 mph. If they are in that much of a hurry, it's their problem. I'm not going to break the law by speeding up, or pull over and make myself late because they are in a hurry.

The issue with that in Georgia is that going anything less than ten over is a secondary offense, meaning they can't pull you over for it unless you are doing something else illegal. If the laws in Michigan are similar then you could speed up a touch....