How Do You Deal With Tailgaters?

[newbury]

My last accident happened about 30 or so years ago.
We (me, spouse, 4 kids) were in an 1988 Olds Cutlass SW (built like a tank). I was stopped on a 2 lane road, waiting to make a left turn (blinker on) and the Chevy sedan behind me was still moving, and then HE got hit from behind, driving him into my rear bumper fairly hard. Nobody badly hurt, a couple of bruises maybe.
The police got there quick, the car behind me had his front caved in to the radiator, his rear damaged badly. When the police looked our cars were ~ 3 feet apart and we had difficulty telling exactly where the impact point was on my bumper, hardly a scratch. As the cop and I squatted there looking at my bumper, then the crushed front of the other car the cop questioned me again, almost not believing the lack of damage.
I make it a point to leave plenty of room in front when coming to a stop.

 

[MossRoad]

Moss, I think either I didn't explain it very good, or you didn't understand what I was trying to convey ...

If I'm in the #3 lane, and overtaking another car in the #3 lane, but there is a additional car in the #2 lane either pacing beside me, or slowly overtaking me, but the #1 land is COMPLETELY EMPTY ... And the idiot in the #2 lane refuse to move over to the #1 lane!

I'll pass on the right if the lane is open, and I'm not allowed in the #1 lane, and the #2 lane is being an idiot going under the speed limit ...

I know that in quite a few states that I drive in that semi-trucks are not allowed in the left, or 2 left lanes ... Which I think is STUPID & UNSAFE, providing the truck can actually pass!

Then there are the idiots that INSIST on running in the #1 lane, even when there is plenty of room for them in the #2, #3, #4, #5 lanes ...

I know what you said. But the idiot in the #2 lane shouldn't pull into the #1 lane to let you pass him on the right. He should (but won't) adjust his speed, move over to the #3 lane, and let people pass him properly. I bet it's aggravating as heck to have to deal with cars while driving a truck. It would be about impossible to maintain a safe distance because as soon as you start backing off, some other car will slip into the spot.

 

[rontaki]

All of this thread is a strong argument for autonomous vehicles, as no one else but me knows how to properly drive.
Of course, I'm kidding about that last part.

 

[MossRoad]

All of this thread is a strong argument for autonomous vehicles, as no one else but me knows how to properly drive.
Of course, I'm kidding about that last part.

On one of the maybe three times I ever rode a city bus, the driver nodded off and hit a bunch of tree branches. The old lady sitting behind him started hitting him with her umbrella to wake him up and cussing up a storm.

 

[hube2]

That is a great point. One of the advantages of driving a manual car is that in "stop and go" traffic I can just put it in first and let it idle along, but, like you said, I'm not using the brakes much. Sometimes if I'm last in line in that situation, but see someone coming up behind me fast, I will tap the brakes just to flash the tail lights.

I drive a manual as well, the only time I ever touch the brakes is if I'm coming to a complete stop, or some jackass does something stupid in front of me. I actually got pulled over once by a cop following me because he thought my break lights weren't working.

 

[Jstpssng]

I've seen a few comments about police cars riding your bumper. As near as I can tell, when they are doing that it's to get a radar reading which will hold up in court.
Of course you might argue that you sped up in an attempt to get him off your bumper...

 

[hube2]

All this talk about rear end accidents reminds me of the time I was in a long line of cars on an icy road all doing about 40 when I saw the guy in the front of the line hit his breaks. I hit my breaks and the car started to slide and immediately took my foot of the break and steered my car into the snow bank on the shoulder. The guy that was on my butt hit the car that was in front of me. No damage to my car. When the cop got there the only thing he asked me was "how the he|| did you avoid that?"

 

[BnRidge]

Tail gaiting, I don't ever have a problem with it. Turn the mirrors out, and only look way over if I need to change lanes. It eventually becomes no fun and "they" go away. Thought about getting a ponytail to let fly out the back with a sign - if your going to ride my a--, least you could do is pull my hair.

 

[lman]

No filter, no flavor, just burning toilet paper....

At least that's the little jingle we'd sing when we were kids.

Hard to believe anybody would want to suck that crap into their lungs.

 

[Jstpssng]

Hard to believe anybody would want to suck that crap into their lungs.

A lot of things are hard to understand, excepy to those who are doing it.
I started at 15, at a Demolay conclave because well; everybody was doing it. Later that year I was sitting on a log with a lit cigarette in my hand and said
"This looks ****ty." I left the rest lf the pack under my seat. 50+ years later when I drive by that patch of woods I still think about that pack, still setting there. On my 85th birthday I plan to go back and finish them.