Tailgaters on the Road

[masak_aer]

Understood...and I agree masak_aer. I never stated that it is my province to catch speeders, or to yell at them or discipline them. But courtesy is not confined to slow drivers...those that choose to speed and put other's lives at risk could pass courteously, and/or courteously forewarn the front driver that he desires to pass. And it is my province to call in reckless driving...as it is anyone's.

The thing is JohnD..many times the drivers in the "front" of traffic choose not to let the ones who want to pass that easily. That is what cause road rages most of the time. They don't realize that they too are NOT safe drivers if they drive like that...

 

[Joe Schmoe]

Welcome! You are one of those ignorant guys on the road that impede traffic...You are called the instigator...

Spoken like someone who actually believes he is within his rights to openly violate the law by going over the speed limit. In fact, nobody has that right. It makes me happy to see people get speeding tickets, because they deserve it, and I wish more would get caught. No, driving at the speed limit is not "impeding" traffic. It only impedes those who falsely believe it is OK to go faster.
(FWIW I don't go below the limit, just right at it, and none of the other parts of your "definition" apply in any way.)

 

[Johnd]

The thing is JohnD..many times the drivers in the "front" of traffic choose not to let the ones who want to pass that easily. That is what cause road rages most of the time. They don't realize that they too are NOT safe drivers if they drive like that...

Perhaps. We all have to coexist peacefully...right?

You seem to infer that the slow driver is the cause of road rage in the fast driver...sounds like you're a fast driver. Did it ever occur to you that the fast driver is the cause of road rage in the slow driver???

Just a little food for thought.

 

[Kolia]

This is a fun topic.

Arguing about stuff that are rather clear in the Law!

 

[masak_aer]

Spoken like someone who actually believes he is within his rights to openly violate the law by going over the speed limit. In fact, nobody has that right. It makes me happy to see people get speeding tickets, because they deserve it, and I wish more would get caught. No, driving at the speed limit is not "impeding" traffic. It only impedes those who falsely believe it is OK to go faster.
(FWIW I don't go below the limit, just right at it, and none of the other parts of your "definition" apply in any way.)

To make this clearer for all of us here...are you saying that you don't care if someone want to pass you since you are already driving the speed limit? Even if there's a chance for you to move to the right? A simple YES or NO will suffice.

 

[masak_aer]

Perhaps. We all have to coexist peacefully...right?

You seem to infer that the slow driver is the cause of road rage in the fast driver...sounds like you're a fast driver. Did it ever occur to you that the fast driver is the cause of road rage in the slow driver???

Just a little food for thought.

I am a fast driver most of the time but i can be slow as well. If i drive slow, i try to be on the left whenever possible. Hell, many days i have drivers drive a lot faster than me. They want to pass me, yes, I will move out of their way. I don't want to piss someone off just because of that. Never in my driving time I purposely piss someone off by not giving ways.....

By slow I mean about 10 under limit...driving at speed limit i won't consider slow.

 

[Johnd]

I don't want to piss someone off just because of that. Never in my driving time I purposely piss someone off by not giving ways.....

And that's just it. I'm not directing this at you masak_aer, but it has dawned on me that there are members here that are not too...how should I put this...worldly. For that matter, this is true throughout the world...not just here.

That was the point of my previous post in this thread. Some people have never seen someone snap...others have. When one speaks from experience it is prudent to at least listen. You never know what might make someone snap...and if it's your unfortunate day...you just might be the one getting shot in the face for your driving habits. Just something to ponder next time one gets the urge out on the road. Peace out.

 

[Joe Schmoe]

To make this clearer for all of us here...are you saying that you don't care if someone want to pass you since you are already driving the speed limit? Even if there's a chance for you to move to the right? A simple YES or NO will suffice.

No, I don't care. I usually have a reason to be in the lane I am in. Changing lanes is something the speed demon is welcome to do, not something they should expect me to do for them.

 

[masak_aer]

No, I don't care. I usually have a reason to be in the lane I am in. Changing lanes is something the speed demon is welcome to do, not something they should expect me to do for them.

Thanks..you made your point..

 

[rnatalli]

Some people have never seen someone snap...others have.

I surely have. Once I had someone snap at me because I didn't use my blinker. Fact is, I did use my blinker, but the bulb was out. I'm glad he let me know in such a nice way As he approached me unarmed, he changed his tune when he found out I WAS armed. I feel bad because he probably went home and beat who presumably was his girlfriend or wife in the car with him. But hey, he was twice my size and I had to defend myself.

This is a good lesson as if I had been a nut, I could have really hurt or killed the guy. He's lucky I didn't have him arrested. And for what, he went off because of a burned blinker bulb. No way he could have known and it surely wasn't the blinker that set him off that day. Keep a cool head when dealing with people on the road.

 

[Johnd]

I surely have. Once I had someone snap at me because I didn't use my blinker. Fact is, I did use my blinker, but the bulb was out. I'm glad he let me know in such a nice way As he approached me unarmed, he changed his tune when he found out I WAS armed. I feel bad because he probably went home and beat who presumably was his girlfriend or wife in the car with him. But hey, he was twice my size and I had to defend myself.

This is a good lesson as if I had been a nut, I could have really hurt or killed the guy. He's lucky I didn't have him arrested. And for what, he went off because of a burned blinker bulb. No way he could have known and it surely wasn't the blinker that set him off that day. Keep a cool head when dealing with people on the road.

Hmmmph. Certainly and unfortunate event. Just out of curiosity...how did he know you had a weapon? Did you get out of your car?

 

[Pyrrho]

Spoken like someone who actually believes he is within his rights to openly violate the law by going over the speed limit. In fact, nobody has that right. It makes me happy to see people get speeding tickets, because they deserve it, and I wish more would get caught. No, driving at the speed limit is not "impeding" traffic. It only impedes those who falsely believe it is OK to go faster.
(FWIW I don't go below the limit, just right at it, and none of the other parts of your "definition" apply in any way.)

Unless you have a specially calibrated speedometer, you are unlikely to know what exact speed you are going. Most manufacturers purposefully make their speedometers inaccurate in such a way that they say you are going faster than you are. The reason is, a perfect speedometer is not that easy to make, and if it were wrong the other way, you could sue them for causing you to accidentally go over the speed limit.

Also, you might want to look at:

Actually, being "in the way" has very little to do with the speed you are going.

You should be on the right hand lane to start with (or middle or righ lane in 3 lanes highway).

If you obey that basic traffic rule (check your state traffic code again if you doubt me), you will NEVER be in anyone's way and can drive at whatever speed you fancy...

In most states, it is illegal to cruise in a passing lane. Consequently, if you are blocking people from passing, you are violating the law just as much as someone who is speeding (which they might not be if you are judging from a typical inaccurate speedometer).

Having said all that, I do agree with you that people do not have any legal right whatsoever to go over the speed limit even by 1 mph. But unless you are in a proper position to enforce the law, you should let people pass.

 

[Tarub]

Back to tailgaters. Im telling you, just try to slam on your break pedal and look on your rear view mirror and see if how many 360 that tailgater's car will do. It's fun, just like the video games. Bravissimo!!! Gosh, I like that word.

 

[trnqk7]

I think everyone can agree that you should let people pass-that isn't an issue. At issue is those people who tailgate incessantly, whether or not there is an opportunity for the person in front of them to get over.

Also, a few pages back, someone chided me for saying 10 over is fast...well, it may or may not be, but use it as an example, not a hard and fast rule. I'm all for "going with the flow" of traffic. If it happens to be 10 over, so be it.

I don't think this issue will ever get settled-fact of the matter is, we have a lot of people on both sides with valid opinions and there is real debate there. The problem is that we also have a lot of people with built up road rage that think they are "right" and therefore everyone else is "wrong" and no amount of arguing is going to change their minds. They think they own the highway and that the world bows to their whims. Well, thankfully, it doesn't and hopefully it will catch up with them someday.

 

[Pyrrho]

I think everyone can agree that you should let people pass-that isn't an issue. At issue is those people who tailgate incessantly, whether or not there is an opportunity for the person in front of them to get over.

Also, a few pages back, someone chided me for saying 10 over is fast...well, it may or may not be, but use it as an example, not a hard and fast rule. I'm all for "going with the flow" of traffic. If it happens to be 10 over, so be it.

I don't think this issue will ever get settled-fact of the matter is, we have a lot of people on both sides with valid opinions and there is real debate there. The problem is that we also have a lot of people with built up road rage that think they are "right" and therefore everyone else is "wrong" and no amount of arguing is going to change their minds. They think they own the highway and that the world bows to their whims. Well, thankfully, it doesn't and hopefully it will catch up with them someday.

Tailgating is bad. Is this even a controversy? One should be letting people pass, but if they insist on tailgating instead of passing, the driver's education advice I was given was simply to take one's foot off the gas pedal until they back off or pass. Slamming on the brakes would be illegal and stupid as it may result in serious injury to oneself as well as others. Is there any serious controversy over this?

 

[masak_aer]

I think everyone can agree that you should let people pass-that isn't an issue.

It is an issue...according to some folks......

 

[Johnd]

Slamming on the brakes would be illegal and stupid as it may result in serious injury to oneself as well as others. Is there any serious controversy over this?

In all fairness to the other members here Pyrrho, I believe the only one who suggested such an asinine move was Tarub.

Btw, I haven't heard from him in a while. I wonder if he just slammed on his brakes and got rear ended?

 

[rnatalli]

Hmmmph. Certainly and unfortunate event. Just out of curiosity...how did he know you had a weapon? Did you get out of your car?

He had pulled ahead of me into a parking lot I turned into to park. He then started screaming and yelling out of his window that he was going to kill me, etc... and then got out of his car and started coming towards me. I wasn't about to just sit there with someone threatening my life so I got out of the car when I realized he didn't have a weapon.

 

[Joe Schmoe]

In most states, it is illegal to cruise in a passing lane. Consequently, if you are blocking people from passing, you are violating the law just as much as someone who is speeding (which they might not be if you are judging from a typical inaccurate speedometer).

I only drive in the left lane if I am approaching a left exit. Since people are often merging into the right lane, I use the center lane most of the time.
There is no such thing as "letting" someone pass on a multilane highway, as there are always other lanes they can use for that.
The "left lane=passing" concept apparently never caught on here. People routinely pass on both sides, often at the same time, and often 30-40mph over the limit (Lanes clearly marked "turn only" are frequently used for passing, also.)

 

[Johnd]

He had pulled ahead of me into a parking lot I turned into to park. He then started screaming and yelling out of his window that he was going to kill me, etc... and then got out of his car and started coming towards me. I wasn't about to just sit there with someone threatening my life so I got out of the car when I realized he didn't have a weapon.

Closing the window wasn't an option? Or driving away to defuse the situation? Not trying to challenge you rnatalli (and the rest of this post is not directed at you, but is a response to your earlier post), but there are people that can maim, disfigure, and kill without a gun. For those in the arts, the safe zone is considered to be about ten feet. Anything less, one had better be quicker and better (and fully prepared) than the other guy...gun or not.

My point is, anyone that has been in these situations understands that is exactly how they escalate. It's that simply. Rather than walk away and defuse, some confront...to their own demise.