Tail-gaters

[crashhelmet]

Some people tailgate because they think you'll move out of the lane so they can go past you. They're douchebags. Others tailgate because they think they're NASCAR drivers and can "draft" you. They think they can save gas that way, when they don't realize it takes a long distance to save anything substantial.

[TheHuckster]

I've heard the rule is don't pull anyone over if they aren't doing at least ten over, but when you are doing the speed of traffic, they won't pull you over.

That's my experience, too. On a clear day where traffic's mostly light, and everyone is going 75-80, cops barely blink. However, as soon as you do something like weaving between lanes, or being aggressive, they won't hesitate to pull you over. In fact, if you're in the fast lane doing 65 when everyone else is doing 80, they just might pull you over for abusing the passing lane.

It's also never a good idea to overtake a police officer who is doing 70, regardless of what anyone else is doing.

[protege]

That's my experience, too. On a clear day where traffic's mostly light, and everyone is going 75-80, cops barely blink. However, as soon as you do something like weaving between lanes, or being aggressive, they won't hesitate to pull you over.

That's what I was told as well. One of my college classmates was married to a state trooper, and she said that they usually don't bust people unless they're going over 75. Inside town and city limits, it's a different story. I know for a fact that my borough will bust people for going as little as 2-5mph over the limit...and yes, I have been pulled over for that. Little crime means that the cops have nothing better to do, than set up speed traps everywhere.

In fact, if you're in the fast lane doing 65 when everyone else is doing 80, they just might pull you over for abusing the passing lane.

It's against the law to do that here in Pennsylvania. However, I have *yet* to see that law enforced. No wonder then, that so many people seem to enjoy doing 66mph in the passing lane, and will *not* get the hell out of the way.

It's also never a good idea to overtake a police officer who is doing 70, regardless of what anyone else is doing.

Depends on where you are, and if the officer in question can actually do anything about it. For example, there's nothing a West Virginia trooper can do if he's driving through Pennsylvania (some of them cut through the SW PA area to reach the northern panhandle of WV) and you pass him. Here, he'd be just another driver...at least until you hit the state line

But, back to tailgating. Not a good idea, folks. If you rear-end someone, it's automatically your fault. Doesn't matter if they stopped suddenly, the road was slick, or other circumstances. Sure, a slick road might be a factor...but if it is, you can be busted for "failure to control your vehicle" and possibly reckless driving.

I've had people get on my ass constantly when driving. They all seem to think that they can stop on a dime, and/or that I'll get out of the way. If can I move over, I will. However, if we're on a two-lane road...that's not happening. Not much you can do about it, unless you *really* want to pass on the double-yellow. I'm not going any faster. Don't like it, tough. Also, don't start with the high-beams either. I'll either use my mirrors to point it back at you, or I'll slow down. We don't have minimum speed limits outside of the highways--I'm not in a hurry, and I can easily cruise along at 35mph. Don't like it? You should have left earlier.

[Greenday]

It's against the law to do that here in Pennsylvania. However, I have *yet* to see that law enforced. No wonder then, that so many people seem to enjoy doing 66mph in the passing lane, and will *not* get the hell out of the way.

I know one person who has been pulled over and ticketed for it. She was doing 70 in the middle lanes of the parkway, but was still going slower than the rest of traffic so she got pulled over by a state trooper and given a ticket.

I just don't understand why slow people drive in the passing lanes. Unless there's a merge and you are leaving room for someone to merge in, there's no excuse.

[DGoddess]

Was I the only one who had a driving instructor who said, "If you don't want to get caught speeding don't speed. Also keep yourself a couple miles under the posted limit so that if you do get into a accident the other person can't say you were speeding and that's why you stopped unsafely."

Cause folks...most of y'all that think its fine to go above the speed limit you scare me.

Actually, I've heard that one. And it's good advice.

Another thing my instructor always says is that if you stop at an intersection, stop far back enough from the white line so that you can see it over the hood of your vehicle. That way, if at least two other nimrods decide to have a wreck in the intersection, you'll have a lesser chance of getting hit in the crossfire.

But the tailgaiters suck . . . and why do they especially like to do this when it's not only winter time and we've still have scattered patches of black ice on the roads, but they also like those long, straight roads that go over lakes and it's two lane and DARK OUTSIDE???

Reason I ask this is because my Mom and I had one particularly bothersome ride home late one night. We'd run a few miles up the road from my store to go pick up a couple of ad items at Blowes (which is roughly 6 miles straight above us.) Getting there wasn't so bad, but on the way home (and part of Church St. is 2 lanes and narrow with trees on either side when you're not crossing over Lake Townsend or Lake Jeanette) we had a truck following our bumper the entire 6 miles back to the intersection where the Litter Box is.

He tried every intimidation tactic he could think of: flashing his high beams, backing off a touch and then coming toward us again. You name it, he tried it - all to no use.

Mom just kept a steady speed (and she wasn't going that fast but slightly below speed limit due to the road conditions and darkness) while I kept watching him from the side view mirror and LMAO.

Perhaps if I'm travelling alone and have this happen to me, I might call 911 for police assistance - I mean wouldn't that be a form of stalking?

[Mytical]

On the way back from WV I hit a long stretch of downhill road. I mean it was solid down hill, no break, for miles. It was one of the roads where ever 1-2 miles there was an emergency place that is supposed to stop semis if things go wrong (little side dirt roads ..forget what they are called). Riding my back the whole time was a semi. Since the side dirt roads where 'emergency only' places..there was no place to pull off, and it was a two lane road (one lane per direction). Talk bout having my nerves wrecked by the time I got to a gas station where I could pull off and let the semi pass...

PS. The speed limit was 65, it was a very curvy road, and I was doing 70 the whole time.

[AmbrosiaWriter]

Perhaps if I'm travelling alone and have this happen to me, I might call 911 for police assistance - I mean wouldn't that be a form of stalking?

It's not a form of stalking - unless he was purposefully following you and not trying to get to some other destination and happened to be behind you - but you can call the police because the driver behind you is making you feel unsafe, driving aggressively, and creating a hazardous situation.


On Topic:

I typically go around 5-10 MPH above the speed limit on clear days, and off the highway. When I'm on any highway, I'll go with the flow of traffic. When someone is on my bumper, I'll go 3-5 mph below the speed limit. Though one time I had a guy pull out, pass me on the left, then cut me off hard forcing me to come to a complete stop as he sped off.

Good news was that a police officer saw this. It was very vindicating to pass by his pulled over car with the police car right behind him. I waved at the cop. Cop waved back with a smile.

[HYHYBT]

I typically go around 5-10 MPH above the speed limit on clear days, and off the highway. When I'm on any highway, I'll go with the flow of traffic. When someone is on my bumper, I'll go 3-5 mph below the speed limit. Though one time I had a guy pull out, pass me on the left, then cut me off hard forcing me to come to a complete stop as he sped off.

Good news was that a police officer saw this. It was very vindicating to pass by his pulled over car with the police car right behind him. I waved at the cop. Cop waved back with a smile.

This is why I get nervous when people say they do things like flashing their brake lights and letting the car coast to a crawl when someone's tailgating them. I had something very similar happen to me once. I flashed my brakes a couple times, and they backed off then got right back on my bumper. So I let the car coast a while, then sped back up to normal speed (55 on that then-2-lane road.) They passed me, cut me off, and slammed on the brakes, as happened to you. Once we were back up to speed, they did it *again,* only of course this time I was further back so it wasn't as big a deal. Then they got on up ahead a ways, maybe a quarter mile, *parked their car diagonally across the road,* and got out. Fortunately, the ditch there isn't too close; I drove around them and I guess they got bored with their game after that because they weren't still back there by the time I got to town.

[AmbrosiaWriter]

They passed me, cut me off, and slammed on the brakes, as happened to you. Once we were back up to speed, they did it *again,* only of course this time I was further back so it wasn't as big a deal. Then they got on up ahead a ways, maybe a quarter mile, *parked their car diagonally across the road,* and got out. Fortunately, the ditch there isn't too close; I drove around them and I guess they got bored with their game after that because they weren't still back there by the time I got to town.

This is when you call the police. No ifs, ands, or buts. Give them a description of the car and the plate number.

The thing is, even if you aren't trying to get people off your bumper, if you're driving at or above speed limit and carefully, people will STILL get pissed at you.

I was driving in Boston, and I had to make a right (friend giving me directions was a bit late in telling me.) I doubled checked to change lanes, saw a car about a car-length and a half behind me, and so I sped up slightly, switched lanes over and then took a right. The jerk honked his horn, followed me down the road, passed me, sped up and crossed his car against the road so that I couldn't get by. He got out of his car (he was dressed as a "bro" if that means anything) and started to scream at me.

I pulled my cell phone up and held it up as a dialed nine-one-one. He got back into his car, so I didn't hit send and drove off again. He followed me, pulled up next to me constantly, and was screaming at me.

So yeah, even doing everything right will get people to harass you on the road.

[Lachrymose]

(little side dirt roads ..forget what they are called).

Runaway truck ramp.

I always wonder if they make it back home.

[AdminAssistant]

I always wonder if they make it back home.

They pay lots of $$$$ to get towed back out.

[bara]

Speaking of tail gating.

My tail gate got hit the other night. Luckily, he has insurance... well so do I. His fault. But I have a feeling Ill have to fight his insurance company to get my deductible back. I think the guy was on something but the officer said there wasn't enough physical evidence of it to arrest him on it.

[HYHYBT]

This is when you call the police. No ifs, ands, or buts. Give them a description of the car and the plate number.

There were ample ifs, ands, and buts in that incident, though. I didn't have a cell phone in the early 90s when it happened, the best description I could have given, especially in the dark, wouldn't have narrowed it down enough to be useful, and I wasn't about to either stop as I passed to get the plate number or let them back in front of me again.

[AmbrosiaWriter]

There were ample ifs, ands, and buts in that incident, though. I didn't have a cell phone in the early 90s when it happened, the best description I could have given, especially in the dark, wouldn't have narrowed it down enough to be useful, and I wasn't about to either stop as I passed to get the plate number or let them back in front of me again.

I would've been trying to get the plate number as the guy was flaunting his trunk at me, but you probably didn't think it would escalate past that. I guess I was taught while learning to drive that if someone is doing something dangerous (flashing break lights is not dangerous, passing someone, cutting them off then breaking hard is) that I immediately get as much information on the car - or tell my passengers to do it - as I can to inform the police.

Probably a generational thing.

[Andara Bledin]

This sort of thing is why I want to get a cam mounted behind my mirror. And I want the program attached to it that emails me the footage every time I do something outside of normal driving, such as braking too hard, or swerving.

^-.-^