Night Elf Posted March 16, 2016 Share Posted March 16, 2016 Does the car behind me really think I'll speed just for them? I drive no more than 5 miles above speed limit. I slow down when someone gets so close I can't see the front of their car in my rearview mirror. Tough noogies. Back off! 10 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AK_Mom4 Posted March 16, 2016 Share Posted March 16, 2016 (edited) Drat - I thought this would be a discussion of tail gate parties. We are about to enter softball season and I was hoping to get food ideas for eating while we watch rather than grabbing fast food on the fly. But I totally sympathize - I hate it when folks drive too close to me. Edited March 16, 2016 by AK_Mom4 14 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carrie12345 Posted March 16, 2016 Share Posted March 16, 2016 I drive 5mp over the speed limit everywhere, as a rule. And, every single day (that I'm out driving,) I wind up getting passed on crazy, windy, country roads, over double yellow lines. People are insane. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Night Elf Posted March 17, 2016 Author Share Posted March 17, 2016 Drat - I thought this would be a discussion of tail gate parties. We are about to enter softball season and I was hoping to get food ideas for eating while we watch rather than grabbing fast food on the fly. But I totally sympathize - I hate it when folks drive too close to me. Did you start a new thread? You should. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted March 17, 2016 Share Posted March 17, 2016 I still have daily pain from an idiot who hit me going about 45-50 as I stopped at a stoplight...so my tolerance for tailgaters has gotten even worse. Its so dang dangerous. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
creekland Posted March 17, 2016 Share Posted March 17, 2016 I slow down for tailgaters. It's way too dangerous to do otherwise. :coolgleamA: I've been known to brake check too, but I do that less now that Road Rage has become a more major deal. I sometimes have fantasies wishing I had some tire puncturing nails I could drop out that would just hit the offending car. Fortunately, tailgating doesn't happen all that much where we live. Most were fine on a recent road trip too. It certainly is aggravating when it does happen, so you have my sympathy OP! 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lllll Posted March 17, 2016 Share Posted March 17, 2016 (edited) nm Edited November 14, 2016 by cathey 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laura Corin Posted March 17, 2016 Share Posted March 17, 2016 (edited) Drives me up the wall too. It's difficult here because we have generalised speed limits with a 'don't be a fool' expectation. That means that there are lots of roads with theoretical 60mph limits but where one is meant to take account of road conditions. This road for example. I quite like having my judgement respected, but there are some idiots around. I always used to think that it was definitely an agressive act. Then I drove with a friend who is the least agressive man you can meet and who was happily chatting whilst tailgating the person in front. He was just clueless or not paying attention. Edited March 17, 2016 by Laura Corin 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rosie_0801 Posted March 17, 2016 Share Posted March 17, 2016 My current pet peeve is people overtaking on the wrong side. Yeah, you could charge right through if you gave me enough time to switch lanes out of your way. No one is going to like me moving right in front of them. Some maniacs will pull in a metre in front of you or less. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JustEm Posted March 17, 2016 Share Posted March 17, 2016 I don't slow down for tailgaters because that makes them more aggressive sometimes. I love using my windshield wiper fluid to spray their window. They usually get the hint and back off 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skimomma Posted March 17, 2016 Share Posted March 17, 2016 After getting rear-ended by a tailgater last year, I have started just pulling over and letting them pass. Way less stress for me and safer for everyone. In my head I hope the offender just feels stupid but if not, at least it is not my problem anymore and it does not contribute to road rage. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laura Corin Posted March 17, 2016 Share Posted March 17, 2016 After getting rear-ended by a tailgater last year, I have started just pulling over and letting them pass. Way less stress for me and safer for everyone. In my head I hope the offender just feels stupid but if not, at least it is not my problem anymore and it does not contribute to road rage. I drive mostly on narrow country roads - if I stop, then I'm in the middle of the lane. Often the only way to get off the road is to turn into a field gate, then I need to reverse back out onto the road to get going again. So stopping often isn't a good idea. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JumpyTheFrog Posted March 17, 2016 Share Posted March 17, 2016 I drive a car on the smaller side in an area where about 50% of the vehicles are large pickups or SUVs. The men driving large pickup trucks seem to be the worst about tailgating. I think they must be trying to bully people around with their driving. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
38carrots Posted March 17, 2016 Share Posted March 17, 2016 I don't slow down for tailgaters because that makes them more aggressive sometimes. I love using my windshield wiper fluid to spray their window. They usually get the hint and back off I didn't know they could get so close to you! I was tailgated twice in the last 5 years of driving here, and hey, maybe I wasn't even tailgated at all. At least not by this definition. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pen Posted March 17, 2016 Share Posted March 17, 2016 It has become incredibly common here. I hate it. Also it is harder to pull over when someone is tailgating, and at night the headlights are often blinding in rearview mirrors making slowing down a necessity. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bluegoat Posted March 17, 2016 Share Posted March 17, 2016 It is so annoying. There seems to be a certain segment of them that just don't understand what a safe driving distance is. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Garga Posted March 17, 2016 Share Posted March 17, 2016 When we lived in the Baltimore area it was rampant. Everywhere I went, no matter how fast I drove, someone was tailgating. Like a PP said, people would say it's because they didn't wany someone squeezing in front of them. It was just stupid. Then we moved here (fields of PA), and it stopped. I hadn't realized I was a stressed driver until I moved away from all those tailgaters and could relax when I drive. Currently, I rarely get tailgated, even when I dip below the speed limit (!!!). But if I do, I pull over and let them go by. They seem a little taken aback, but I don't do it in anger. I do it because it makes me too anxious to have them right behind me. I'm happier just letting them go by. DH was being tailgated one day and I said, "Oh, just pull to the side and let them go by," but for some reason my normally very calm dh was angered by the tailgater, so he slammed on the brakes and pulled over. The tailgater almost smashed into us. At a light ahead, she got out of the car and came up to us and yelled at my dh saying, "I have a baby in the car! You almost caused an accident!" He told her she almost caused the accident and it was all just ridiculous. So, if you pull over to let them pass, don't turn it into a drama-fest by slamming on your brakes. In busy areas, it can be impossible to pull over because everyone tailgates and you wouldn't get anywhere, but if you can, just let them pass. Then there's no risk of whiplash if you have to brake suddently and someone is tailgating. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JumpyTheFrog Posted March 17, 2016 Share Posted March 17, 2016 No lie, but I have noticed (before you mentioned it) that middle-aged men, regardless of what they are driving, are by far the most aggressive drivers. Now that I think about it, the big trucks are usually owned by middle-aged men. I sometimes see 20 something men driving aggressively (speeding, weaving in traffic), but it's the older men with the big trucks who seem to tailgate on purpose. Of course, plenty of others tailgate because they aren't being attentive. It has become incredibly common here. I hate it. Also it is harder to pull over when someone is tailgating, and at night the headlights are often blinding in rearview mirrors making slowing down a necessity. Yes, the lights of a tailgating truck can be blinding. The same goes for cars or trucks with those annoying halogen lights. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fraidycat Posted March 18, 2016 Share Posted March 18, 2016 Now that I think about it, the big trucks are usually owned by middle-aged men. I sometimes see 20 something men driving aggressively (speeding, weaving in traffic), but it's the older men with the big trucks who seem to tailgate on purpose. Of course, plenty of others tailgate because they aren't being attentive. Yes, the lights of a tailgating truck can be blinding. The same goes for cars or trucks with those annoying halogen lights. These really need to be banned. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dirty ethel rackham Posted March 18, 2016 Share Posted March 18, 2016 Bummer. I thought this post was about tailgate parties! But, yep, it is a bummer when someone tailgates. I've flashed my brakes when someone tailgates and I have no option of getting into a slower lane. I don't go slower because it just seems to ramp up the road rage. I just keep my cool and go the speed I intend to go. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gingersmom Posted March 18, 2016 Share Posted March 18, 2016 I slow down if someone is dumb enough to tailgate me. If they are going to hit me at least it will be at a slower rate of speed. The stupid thing is I get tailgated on a two lane road. 99% of the time there are about 10 cars ahead of me then a stoplight you get stuck at 100% of the time. I can guarantee that me and idiot tailgater will both be sitting at stoplight together even if they attempt to pass me (so now they are in front of me with a row of cars in front of them). Since moving from east coast the times I am tailgated is minuscule. I just figure they are stressed out east coasters and feel sorry for them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThisIsTheDay Posted March 18, 2016 Share Posted March 18, 2016 I slow down for tailgaters. It's way too dangerous to do otherwise. :coolgleamA: I've been known to brake check too, but I do that less now that Road Rage has become a more major deal. I sometimes have fantasies wishing I had some tire puncturing nails I could drop out that would just hit the offending car. Fortunately, tailgating doesn't happen all that much where we live. Most were fine on a recent road trip too. It certainly is aggravating when it does happen, so you have my sympathy OP! It's been years (okay, more than a decade!) since I hit my brakes. Now I just slow down. Instead of inciting road rage, they just think I'm an idiot. I'm good with that. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
creekland Posted March 18, 2016 Share Posted March 18, 2016 It's been years (okay, more than a decade!) since I hit my brakes. Now I just slow down. Instead of inciting road rage, they just think I'm an idiot. I'm good with that. They probably consider me an idiot or they see that I'm getting older and file it under "old geezer" issues when they complain on their message boards. :lol: Either way it doesn't bother me. I still slow down for tailgaters and have no plans to change. If they're rude, I see no need to go faster than the speed limit. Fortunately, it doesn't happen often where I live. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Night Elf Posted March 18, 2016 Author Share Posted March 18, 2016 FWIW, I don't slow down under the speed limit, I just go close to it. I refuse to move aside because I have as much right on that road and I'm the one following the rules of the road. I do understand road rage but I don't think that would happen in my small corner of the world. Honestly, the worst drivers around me are teenagers. I live near a high school and shop near another one. They have two speeds, go fast and stop. Then I sometimes get stuck behind an older person going really far under the speed limit. Most of the time the roads are no passing zones. So I just toodle behind, way behind, and don't stress because I'm never in a hurry to get anywhere. I'm one of those people who leave the house extra early. I'd rather sit in my car and play on my phone at my destination waiting for my appointment, then drive hurriedly hoping I'm not late. Running late stresses me beyond imagination. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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