Do you get a lot of tailgaters? Maybe it’s just because it’s California with lots of traffic but I get tailgated almost every day. I’m stopped at a light with cars coming up to me in the distance and I look in my rear view mirror and I see the other drives eyes and they will accelerate and come right up on my tail very intimidating and aggressive. I’m not giving them a dirty look by the way so they have no reason to do it.
It is unprovoked bullying. About 50% of the time I can scare the crap out of them and they understand that they made a big mistake. In reality. I have a job to go to and I have errands to run and I have my life to live and I don’t need idiots bugging me. This is my life and they might think it’s funny or a big joke but to me I take my life seriously and it’s no joke for them to threaten me.
About 30% of these people don’t have a clue. They come roaring up and intimidate me at first and then the next moment I look at them and they are 12 feet away from a grown adult man and they are oblivious to the danger they’re in. I don’t know if they are on drugs or stupid or something else but they think they are safe. When this happens I will take advantage of them the best I can. And I will use them. Hey, they started it, its not my responsibility, I’m not their father or mother or friend.
Yeah I get tailgaters a fair amount. I hate to admit it, but I occasionally, also am guilty of tailgating others. I don’t tailgate on the highway, but on city streets, especially during rush hour traffic, I sometimes do. Otherwise, if you leave too much space, people cut over to your lane in front of you and slow your lane done even more
Don’t worry @77nick77, I’m not one of the people tailgating you cause I drive in a different part of the SFBay Area.
EDIT: Although now that I think about it, it never really occurred to me that my tailgating might be considered bullying or aggressive. So reading nick’s post really made me think and I’ll try to keep it in mind the next time I am thinking about tailgating.
Prolly won’t work in Cali but I get tail haters here I slow down to stupid speeds…and if they try to pass I’ll accelerate to stop them from passing…I’m a defensive driver who will ■■■■ with you twice as hard as you ■■■■ with me…lol
Or I’ll look 'em in the eye and laugh at them. I don’t care if they can beat me up, I’ll still look them straight in the eyes and laugh at them. And maybe they couldn’t really beat me up. I take normal precautions but sometimes I lose it and go a little crazy on them and they get a little scared. Everything is a learning experience.
Apparently my state is legendary for it. We’re pretty rural, and I guess we have a tendency to roar up behind people on dark country roads like something out of a horror flick.
I don’t tailgate and I do my best to let tailgaters pass me as soon as possible. It’s different than city tailgating in that here, it’s generally someone who feels they need to get there faster than you’re going. If they’re particularly aggressive, I’ll yell something rude at them.
I can’t stand that…that hasn’t happened to me now that I live in a small town. everyone is very safe and respectable in my town as far as drivers go. I get people that will pass me when I’m doing the speed limit but that doesn’t really bother me.
Be a little careful with that Nick, cause you don’t want to piss off the wrong person. You hear about road rage incidents fairly regularly in California.
When I was studying for my licence we learnt that their may be people out on the roads that do things that are not legal or to us correct but that we are to drive accordingly.
We are not to have road rage.
I do not have road rage.
I think let them be and drive as good as you can.
Road raging will not help.
If they make a mistake maybe they will correct them self.
Maybe they are aware of it or if opportunity given you could point it out in a polite and nice manner.
People have different views of how close one is permitted.
Different countries have different views of how they distance the car infront.
Maybe they were from overseas…
Try to be tolerant.
If its very bad the police may deal with it and correct them.
My area also have rather safe and respectable driving.
They seem to keep nice distance.
A visitor i had thought some cars drove to close but i did not actually agree.
Well, I’m kinda of a “turn the other cheek guy” type of guy but I don’t like being taken advantage of or ganged up on. Whenever I get in my car to go somewhere my intent is to not bother anyone else or cause any trouble. Unfortunately there’s always that faction out there who will try to take advantage of this.
My town needs to learn from your town. I wind up filing about four or five near miss reports every week at work because of people who constantly tailgate my truck and pass me in an illegal/dangerous manner. Apparently driving the speed limit is the best way to trigger road rage.
Trucker trick: All of our highways out here have a rumble strip at the side to let drivers know they are drifting towards the edge and they collects gravel. If you drive on the rumble strip, the vehicle behind you eats a LOT of gravel. They will back off pronto.
It works. (I’m in Cal) I always slow down when someone tailgates me. I’m not a slow driver at all, so if someone is ignorant enough to tailgate me, then I show them what slow actually looks like. They can take their chances and try to pass me. It’s fun to watch. Sometimes I blow them a kiss.
It’s dangerous out there because the really volatile people are the “normal” people who feel entitled and superior. But, I’ve had a death-wish for over 30 years, so it’s a win-win.
Thanks for the rant @77nick77. Good to group therapy on it.
