Road Rage Uptick

[Badger]

We had someone tailgating us a few months back but we were in the back of a line of about 5 cars with a double line no passing lane.

The guy just roars past on the shoulder, all 5 cars, half his wheels are in the dirt.

Is it wrong to sort of wish he had ended up in the ditch?

I usually cheer for the tree or telephone pole.

Cheers!

 

[Badger]

Decades ago I drove around the country in my 71 VW bus. Most years I couldn't get up enough speed to reach the speed limit unless it was downhill. Other years when the speed limit was 55 mph on the highway I was able to drive at the speed limit. Anyone tailgating was taking their chances that parts wouldn't fall off my bus.

Cheers!

 

[d.davis]

Assume you're doing the speed limit for road conditions or higher. Tailgating is either an immature driver who doesn't know better or an aggressive driver attempting to intimidate. Ignore them both and keep focused on the 8-10 seconds in front of you. They have the problem not you.
If you're not ignoring them, their tactic is working. You reacting to what's behind you makes it your problem.
LEOs do ticket for following too closely.

BTW, my friend and his permitted son that were raged upon (#73) were on a divided 6 lane road that separates two blocks of a huge shopping mall.

Sent from my moto g power using Early Retirement Forum mobile app

 

[GenXguy]

Negative reinforcement. Let the tailgater know that doing so will not result in anything favorable for them. You ride my bumper I will slow down. Don't like it, get off my bumper. Tailgating is probably the most dangerous behavior out on the roads and needs to be stopped by any means necessary.

Well said. Not sure how someone thinks that looking out for your own safety means you are a self-appointment traffic cop. lol

 

[marko]

Negative reinforcement. Let the tailgater know that doing so will not result in anything favorable for them. You ride my bumper I will slow down. Don't like it, get off my bumper. Tailgating is probably the most dangerous behavior out on the roads and needs to be stopped by any means necessary.

I don’t see any reinforcement here, negative or otherwise.

Unfortunately, we now live in a world where "it's never your fault" and everyone else is the problem. Slowing down on a tailgater isn't going to "teach him a lesson". Instead it's only going to enrage him further.

He's not going to say " Gee, I need to back off", instead, in his mind, you're the aggressor (who might need to be dealt with firmly)

Just beeping at someone texting when the light turns green will get me the one finger salute. As noted above, just accidently pulling into the wrong driveway can now be fatal.

Be careful.

 

[GenXguy]

As noted above, just accidently pulling into the wrong driveway can now be fatal.

Many things can be fatal, driving among them. But you can't barricade yourself at home. Get out and live. Don't let those very very rare incidents scare you from living your life.

 

[marko]

Many things can be fatal, driving among them. But you can't barricade yourself at home. Get out and live. Don't let those very very rare incidents scare you from living your life.

I'm not afraid of living my life. However, going around antagonizing bad drivers thinking you're teaching them to not tailgate etc holds the possibility of shortening my life. Nothing but downside in that approach.

My point was that there's too many crazies out there to go poking the bear needlessly. The subject here is about an increase in road rage afterall.

 

[Music Lover]

Well said. Not sure how someone thinks that looking out for your own safety means you are a self-appointment traffic cop. lol

I made the comment about self-appointed traffic cop but it had nothing to do with looking out for one's safety. Not sure how you made that leap?

We've all seen them...people that drive exactly the speed limit even if the person in the next lane is going the same speed and everyone is blocked from passing. Or, the ones that deliberately slow down in front of someone if they think they're going too fast. Driving slow in the left lane, etc.

Those people are either oblivious or too full of themselves. Either way, they're bad drivers.

 

[ERObjd]

Not worth it to engage road ragers. even though wife and I do conceal carry we are not looking to escalate a road rager. I was sitting at a no right turn red lane a few weeks back and some impatient moron right behind me was honking at me, when the light turned green I turned right and he then passed me at a high rate of speed while rendering the 1 finger salute at me as he drove away..I just ignored him did not flip him off back or honk, I just mentally cataloged him as a dirtbag and went on about my day. then there he was at the next light right behind a truck,he maybe gained 1 or 2 car lengths at the most while driving like an idiot. Sorry not sorry I am not going to break the law at an intersection so a impatient road rager can get to Starbucks or BK drive thru 2 minutes sooner. Not worth it to engage these people too many are outright unstable.

 

[Moparguy392]

I usually do not "run up" to a stop sign or red light. I begin to slow down a bit as I approach the intersection. I have had situations where I am sure those following me too close interpret that as brake checking. People have a lot of faith in their brakes. They run up to an intersection and rarely come to a full stop in the case of stop signs. Saw a young man bail across an intersection the other day when the green turn arrow came on. He still had a red light. Could have been a serious collision.

 

[harley]

Back in my early days of driving (early 70s) I had a manual transmission Mustang. It took me 4 or 5 times getting rear-ended before I realized I needed to pump my brakes approaching a stop, as people were not paying attention to my car's speed. They needed the flash of a light to draw their attention. This part hasn't changed. People always rode up on your tail if you were coasting to a stop.

 

[MC Rider]

I try to use a turnout on our 2 lane roads, if I realize that car behind me is an a hole about to make a stupid pass. Get off my tail.



I have yet to find one that ate it after passing me. But, it could happen. Judy said so.

https://youtu.be/Gt9qvVt0E_Y

 

[youbet]

I try to distinguish between drivers doing things that bother me vs driving in a way that puts me at risk.

Smart Michael, very smart.

 

[old medic]

I try to use a turnout on our 2 lane roads, if I realize that car behind me is an a hole about to make a stupid pass.

I jumped an old lady's dumb ass yesterday... On the bike approaching a red light with several cars stopped. Im in the left tire line, and here she comes passing real close on the right. I expected she was squeezing by to get in the right turn lane, but no... she starts drifting left and pushes me to the left, pulls in front and slams on her brakes...
I'm sure she learned a few new words...

 

[Badger]

Back in my early days of driving (early 70s) I had a manual transmission Mustang. It took me 4 or 5 times getting rear-ended before I realized I needed to pump my brakes approaching a stop, as people were not paying attention to my car's speed. They needed the flash of a light to draw their attention. This part hasn't changed. People always rode up on your tail if you were coasting to a stop.

All the years of riding a motorcycle I did the same thing. Even while sitting at a stop light I would occasionally pump the brakes just to make sure I had their attention. I also kept in first gear. I would also leave about a car length in front of me and have my front wheel aimed to which ever side gave me the best chance of getting out of the way if the car behind started to move too early. I don't trust anyone driving a car.

Cheers!

 

[Venturer]

All the years of riding a motorcycle I did the same thing. Even while sitting at a stop light I would occasionally pump the brakes just to make sure I had their attention. I also kept in first gear. I would also leave about a car length in front of me and have my front wheel aimed to which ever side gave me the best chance of getting out of the way if the car behind started to move too early. I don't trust anyone driving a car.

Cheers!

I do the same thing on my motorcycle. I also have a flasher on my brake lights that I got at the Honda Hoot one year, and a headlight modulator/flasher that I run. Both of these items have saved me from being hit from the rear or pulled out in front of before. I also have an air horn that I will use in a heartbeat if the blind idiot insists on pulling out on me. It gets their attention quickly.

 

[GenXguy]

I do the same thing on my motorcycle. I also have a flasher on my brake lights that I got at the Honda Hoot one year, and a headlight modulator/flasher that I run. Both of these items have saved me from being hit from the rear or pulled out in front of before. I also have an air horn that I will use in a heartbeat if the blind idiot insists on pulling out on me. It gets their attention quickly.

I don't have either of those (modulator/flasher) on my motorcycles, but I did a lot of city riding for many years and didn't have people pulling out in front of me or running into me from the rear. How can you say definitely those items saved you from being hit from the rear or pulled out in front of? I don't think that's possible.

 

[Koolau]

Only TRUE road rage incident I ever actually PARTICIPATED in was the time I was sitting in 4 lanes of traffic, waiting for the light to change to green. A woman had pulled up behind me but was almost 3 car lengths back (no idea why - I didn't care.) Suddenly, my eyes were dazzled and I was thinking all kind of things: Stroke, eye problem, heart attack - I had no idea. Then I realized there was light coming from my rear view mirror. It was a laser pointer being aimed at the mirror by the woman's back seat passenger - a kid probably about 11 years old.

I put my car in reverse and peeled back at the car stopping just inches from her bumper. I've never seen eyes in a mirror grow so wide. I bailed out of the car and ran to the back window of her car and started beating on it with both fists. I honestly don't know if it's possible to break Herculite glass that way - but I was trying. I was screaming at the kid (and the woman) "give me that laser." She turned around to the kid and he handed the device to her. She opened her window about an inching and threw the offending weapon out and then peeled around my car since the light had changed and she could join the moving traffic.

I don't recall ever being that angry or out of control in traffic. I'm so glad the window didn't break as I'm not sure what I would have done at that point. I half expected a visit from the police as there were lots of cars around - not to mention the woman in the car, any of whom could have gotten my tag number. Never happened. I was ready, if the police showed up as I had the laser ready to show them.

 

[Lewis Clark]

Just today, as a pedestrian, I was crossing a busy intersection with the "walk" light in my favor. Someone in the right turn lane of the facing traffic kindly stopped so that I could cross. The guy in the third car back laid on his horn the entire time while I crossed.

I see this occur quite frequently.

 

[Koolau]

I see this occur quite frequently.

Yep, I've seen it as well, but it's (fortunately) less common here as folks consider blowing a horn as very rude. After 15 years, I have seen "driving with Aloha" become more of a "guideline" than an un-spoken "rule." Too bad really. Bad as our traffic is, a little grace and aloha goes a long way.

 

[aaronc879]

Only TRUE road rage incident I ever actually PARTICIPATED in was the time I was sitting in 4 lanes of traffic, waiting for the light to change to green. A woman had pulled up behind me but was almost 3 car lengths back (no idea why - I didn't care.) Suddenly, my eyes were dazzled and I was thinking all kind of things: Stroke, eye problem, heart attack - I had no idea. Then I realized there was light coming from my rear view mirror. It was a laser pointer being aimed at the mirror by the woman's back seat passenger - a kid probably about 11 years old.

I put my car in reverse and peeled back at the car stopping just inches from her bumper. I've never seen eyes in a mirror grow so wide. I bailed out of the car and ran to the back window of her car and started beating on it with both fists. I honestly don't know if it's possible to break Herculite glass that way - but I was trying. I was screaming at the kid (and the woman) "give me that laser." She turned around to the kid and he handed the device to her. She opened her window about an inching and threw the offending weapon out and then peeled around my car since the light had changed and she could join the moving traffic.

I don't recall ever being that angry or out of control in traffic. I'm so glad the window didn't break as I'm not sure what I would have done at that point. I half expected a visit from the police as there were lots of cars around - not to mention the woman in the car, any of whom could have gotten my tag number. Never happened. I was ready, if the police showed up as I had the laser ready to show them.

If someone comes pounding on my window in traffic i'm shooting them in the face in self defense.

 

[marko]

If someone comes pounding on my window in traffic i'm shooting them in the face in self defense.

And in many states, including my own you'll be the one going to prison.

 

[aaronc879]

And in many states, including my own you'll be the one going to prison.

I would rather be judged by 12 than carried by 6.

 

[Alan]

We have decided to close this since it is now moving into a thread of members raging at each other online and away from the friendly atmosphere we normally see here.