Are you a tailgater?

[ZLFancyPaint]

Just wondering - saw a few too many tailgaters today.
Started me wondering if motorcycle riders are any better in their cars than the average joe.

 

[tmdoth]

hahaha, just voted without looking at the votes already placed. Not surprised to only see two of the categories chosen. The exact two I expected to see chosen too. It is a really bad habit of mine that I need to break, especially after what happened to my parents last summer.

 

[kawboy]

- saw a few too many tailgaters today.

That's what rocket launchers are for.

 

[WillyD]

I never do....Not in the car and no way on the bike....I have seen other motorcycle riders do some seriously stupid things while riding...

Case in point:
Driving my pickup one day and this guy comes up in the left lane as I am in the right lane....speed limit 55 and I got the cruise on at 60. 4 lane highway, two westbound, two eastbound, no median or divider....This guy is on a Harley with a female rider...He comes up to pass me and is barely going faster than I am. As he approaches I see him and he gets into my blind spot and is there for several seconds, then he is beside me, there for several seconds, then finally he is starting to get past my door and even with my front fender for several seconds....

Problem is....if I had to take evasive action from my right side to avoid something, this guy is blocking my route. If he had to take evasive action, I am blocking his route...I never sit in a blind spot and avoid driving next to a vehicle unless I get trapped there and even then I will do whatever I can to get out of that situation, especially on a bike....at 60mph this guy was in the danger zone for a good 15 seconds and there was no traffic ahead of him. I would have approached the car and as soon as I was getting close to the blind spot, I would have accelerated past the vehicle to be completely past it. I know this guy was on a Harley, but he never once adjusted his speed...Had I been someone not paying attention it would have been easy to come over and hit this guy and never even have seen him....

 

[furchin]

I thought tailgating only involved drinking beer in the parking lot while rooting for your favority team.

 

[zlMark]

I always try to be cautious, especially when merging in front of trucks. Here in Akron we even have pictograms on the freeway to help reminds drivers to leave truckers room to stop behind them. I love it when i'm keeping assured distance with the car in front of me and moving at the same pace and some jackass tries to take me on the right and jump in front of me.....rocket launchers come to mind

 

[markus56]

I always try to be cautious, especially when merging in front of trucks. Here in Akron we even have pictograms on the freeway to help reminds drivers to leave truckers room to stop behind them. I love it when i'm keeping assured distance with the car in front of me and moving at the same pace and some jackass tries to take me on the right and jump in front of me.....rocket launchers come to mind

I keep a handful of those big, heavy chrome lug nuts in an accessible pocket while riding for just such occasions! When an idiot endangers my life out there, I make them pay with glass! I got at least a half dozen this season alone!!

 

[CHRIS]

i never tailgate while riding, or driving, but i always seem to be tailgated these days. people who tailgate should have their license revoked !!!! just absolutely no reason for it ! CHRIS

 

[tmdoth]

For me, one of the few things more dangerous than tailgating is when stupid people cut in front of truck drivers when coming up to a red light. Yes there is a big gap between the truck and the vehicle in front of it.... for a **** good reason. The sheer self-righteousness of acts like that make me wonder how they are still alive. True, from a legal standpoint, the truck driver might be at fault in that situation; but that doesn't mean that the driver of the now incredibly sub-compact car will be able to walk away from their steel accordion.

Buying and insuring a bike is a lot cheaper than a car usually, but I always recommend to any soon to be new driver I meet, that they should drive a cage for a year or two so as to get a feel for what the roads and, more importantly, the average driver on those roads is really like. It's a lot easier to make a mistake that you can live to think about when you drive a car than when you ride a bike.

 

[Blagadán]

I have a neighbour who makes a pretty good income from tailgaters.. He drives old beaters around and when he finds someone who is hopelessly close behind.. well, lets say he makes sure the beaters have really, really good brakes. I cant remember the last time I saw him where he wasnt wearing a whiplash collar.

 

[paulfun]

Since I dont have rocket launcers I do tailgate the dumb people who like to cut out in front of a fast moving car only to never really accelerate or do 30mph in a 50 or 55 zone!! These yahoos really irritate me! and it seems for the first 12 miles on my way to work, when there isnt a friggin car behind me for miles they cant seem to wait for me to pass by at 55 before they get out there and do 30- 35 the hole friggin way into town!

Today I actually had the pleasure of telling one off in kind when I stopped for coffe and smokes! Bet they wait for me tomorrow!!

Then there is the people who dont seem to know how to hold a steady speed (even remotely) You know the type tooling along at 30 in the 55 zone and they suddenly drop to 20 for no f___in reason then out of the blue they are doing 50 for exactly 2 seconds and then back to 30, this happens repeatedly for miles and always on one of those roads where the passing zone is a rare sight!!


If your being tailgated check yourself as it might be you doing something silly thats ****in them off to begin with!!

Dont matter the speed limit on a highway! If a car is approching dont stay in the left lane! Get the F--- over and let the faster movin traffic by and quit holding up the works!!!!!!!!!!

When you are the car creating the 20 car line up of tailgaters behind you
pull over and let the people pass!!!

If you cant do more than 45 on the highway when the speed limit is 65 dont get on the highway or at least use your emergency flashers!!! Your screwing up the works!!!!! and making people late for work!!!!!

And while I'm at it, the on ramp is for you to accelerate up to traffic speed so you can safely merge with existing traffic!! Dont go to the end of it and stop as your chances of getting onto that highway of fast moving cars froma dead stop safely is way less than doing a proper merge !!!

rant over I think!!!!!~

 

[kawboy]

. . . I do tailgate the dumb people who like to cut out in front of a fast moving car only to never really accelerate or do 30mph in a 50 or 55 zone!!

+1 on your rant, and I'll add one. The ones who just can't wait, pull out in front of you, go one block and turn right.

 

[paulfun]

+1 on your rant, and I'll add one. The ones who just can't wait, pull out in front of you, go one block and turn right.

the worst part with them is they dont even know that the turn signal should go on long before they brake.!!! and then they will hug the outside burm while they wait to turn and let some car come from a mile away before crossing the other lane which really befudles me since they will just cut out in front of you at scary close distances.

do people even know how long before a turn thier turn signal should be put on??
here is a hint its not 10 feet?
and there is no reason to come to a complete stop when making a right turn from the motorway.

I will have a better ride to work in the morning just knowing I am not the only one who gets fustrated with those who got thier license from the k-mart blue light special in isle 9!!

 

[rkerg]

The way it is here, if you aren't tailgating on the freeway, someone in one of the lanes next to you will soon pull in front of and fill the gap.
Its like a constant NASCAR race and everyone is drafting.

 

[gosupes]

Paulfun took the word out of my mouth. Rule of thumb, if you cannot do the speed limit, get off the highway. If the car behind you is closer to you that the car in front of you, move one lane to the right. If you want to do 5 under in the left lane, I am gonna get on your ass til you move over. I don't tailgate when I'm in the right lane, carpool lane, when the family is with me, or when weather or traffic conditions are keeping things bottled up. My biggest peave is people merging on a freeway full throttle, jumping in the left lane, then slowing down. Or little Asian ladies driving their Accords when they cannot hardly see over the wheel, doing 50 in a 60 zone. You want to do 50 in a 60? Move to the right lane. Nuf said.

 

[paulfun]

Must be a lot of people read this site!! After my little rant last night I had the most enjoyable ride in to work. Only one DumbA-- tried stopping on the on ramp, and just about every slow moving car pulled right as the faster traffic approched. The guy I told off yesterday morning waited patiently for me to drive by before he pulled out of his driveway and didnt bother to stop for his coffe! Not sure if he is scarred and thinks I'm a lunatic ready for some road rage or just realised he was wrong for cutting everyone off. Dosnt matter to me much, as long as he stops cutting people off like that.

 

[gds]

Paulfun's comments are right on for me.

I normally drive about 5-10mph over the speed limit.
If you are doing the speed limt, I will not tailgate.
5mph under and I will be tailgating.
10mph under and I will be up your rear and honking the horn.

No matter how close I get it's not so close that I can't stop before hitting them. I've already had several try.

In the mountains of Spain there are road signs that tell you that you have to move over if there are 3 or more cars lined up behind you.

 

[lowlife]

I have a theory....as all scientist do....everyone needs to ride motorcycle for 3 years at least. It will weed out the people we don't need in the gene pool and will make most a more respectful and better cage driver....that also goes hand in hand with mandatory military service too.....makes sense so Congress will never adopt it.....they will however find more ways to restrict my freedom.............

 

[CHRIS]

I have a theory....as all scientist do....everyone needs to ride motorcycle for 3 years at least. It will weed out the people we don't need in the gene pool and will make most a more respectful and better cage driver....that also goes hand in hand with mandatory military service too.....makes sense so Congress will never adopt it.....they will however find more ways to restrict my freedom.............

i like the way you think my friend ! CHRIS

 

[jmac]

The way it is here, if you aren't tailgating on the freeway, someone in one of the lanes next to you will soon pull in front of and fill the gap.
Its like a constant NASCAR race and everyone is drafting.

Speaking of nascar.I went shopping with the wife this afternoon.Had to drive 45 miles up I57(cause apparently there is nothing good around here)any way "Man Are People Stupid" the traffic was fairly heavy(witch I expected)I was not in a rush and was prepared for traffic.I set the cruise about 72(limit 65)after the first 100 cars or so blew by i kicked her up to 75mph.I'm pretty sure the only thing I pasted was big rigs,and a few guys towing campers.Plus it was spitting a little snow.These people are swapping lanes,like crazy,and the fast lane is groups of 7to10 cars running bumper to bumper,at 80plus.I just can't figure out why,when there is room these people have to bunch up like there drafting.The cops were out too,so every 10 miles you would have the entire fast lane doing a break check,and diving to the slow lane.

I'm all for driving fast,and I always drive faster than the posted limit(with in reason)If I was running 80plus I would be one of the 7or8 guys I saw talking with the state police.I just like a little room around my self I guess.You never know whats going to happen,or what someone else is going to do.The more room you have the more time you have to decide what to do.That's my tail of the shopping trip.