Tailgaters on the Road

[rnatalli]

8 of 10 times I see someone tailgating me, I notice it's a women. Does driving a car make women feel physically empowered or something that they feel the need to tailgate?

 

[stratman]

8 of 10 times I see someone tailgating me, I notice it's a women. Does driving a car make women feel physically empowered or something that they feel the need to tailgate?

That's not tailgating! She's drafting!!! She loves her NASCAR!

 

[OttoMatic]

8 of 10 times I see someone tailgating me, I notice it's a women. Does driving a car make women feel physically empowered or something that they feel the need to tailgate?

Are you driving too slowly in the fast lane? That's generally the only time I tailgate anyone. I'm not a woman, though, so maybe they just do it because...

 

[Swerd]

I think they just aren't paying attention. By the time they notice you, they are so close that letting up on the gas pedal has no effect.

I've often wondered if most people drove stick shift instead of automatic transmission, would there be as much tail gaiting? There was less tail gaiting in Europe, when I drove there, which was some time ago.

 

[Joe Schmoe]

The only time I tailgate is if someone passes me, pulls in front of me, then slows down. I hate that enough that I refuse to slow down unless I am literally about to hit them.
I have learned to avoid expressing my opinion of other drivers with hand gestures D). The last time I did that, the guy wanted to start a fistfight over it. To fight over important things is acceptable, but not over something so trivial.

 

[Johnd]

8 of 10 times I see someone tailgating me, I notice it's a women. Does driving a car make women feel physically empowered or something that they feel the need to tailgate?

Well rnatalli, at first blush:

1) Where are the brats and beer?
2) You have sugar in your blood. Would you rather have it be a man on your behind? I'm just kidding.
3) In this neck of the woods, no tailgating is complete without beer, brats and women. I'd say you have it made.

Seriously though, I don't know about the aggressive driving habits of women, but I've always found it safest (albeit somewhat self serving) to let them get ahead...it immediately quells the "incident," and is the surest path to an undesirable confrontation over road rage.

As I side note: I know a man that shot a driver in the face in 1992 on I-43 because he didn't like the way he passed him. Served 14 years in prison...I don't know if that was long enough. So a word to the wise: the crazies are out there. Don't question their motives or their display of self-importance (@ 60 mph). Let the tailgaters and roadragers pass you without incident...defuse the situation. You never know who's packing...or who is just about to SNAP. Just my $0.02 for the day. Happy Day.

 

[rnatalli]

I'm a defensive driver and will always let someone pass if possible as it's not worth my time. But sometimes that isn't possible and I'm sure as hell not going to get a speeding ticket because of the moron behind.

 

[Tarub]

Slam on your brake pedal if she hit you from behind it's her fault and her insurance will pay for fixing your car. That will teach her a lesson.

What I do sometimes is step a little bit on my brake and I can see it on my rear view mirror that car is swerving and tire screeching. After that they gave way enough distance.

 

[Pyrrho]

8 of 10 times I see someone tailgating me, I notice it's a women. Does driving a car make women feel physically empowered or something that they feel the need to tailgate?

Curiously, most of the people who I have seen tailgating, either me or someone else, have been men. Still, though, from what I have seen, it is certainly not a fault based on gender. Perhaps taking a tally of it for a few weeks would be in order, if one could have a precise method of determining who is tailgating, and if one could do so in a safe manner. (Without a precise method of determining tailgating, one would need to decide if the car was tailgating before determining the gender of the driver in order to avoid a biased study.)

 

[masak_aer]

8 of 10 times I see someone tailgating me, I notice it's a women. Does driving a car make women feel physically empowered or something that they feel the need to tailgate?

Probably you need to ask yourself first. What could you possible do to make them tailgate you? If you are driving ridiculously below speed limit on the passing lane, you should be ashame that you have 8 out of 10 tailgaters are women..

I hate slow drivers using the passing lane and pretend that they own the road even after a mile of backups caused by them. They don't move after a honk, a high beam signal and a quick tailgate (I honk and signal only when i am really frustrated)...now that warrants my road rage......i don't shoot people though...I can be honest here, can't i? I, by no means, am a bully on the road. I don't drive fast cars but I know when to let people pass me. When to let go of the pedal and when to hit the gas/brake. If you drive like what i mentioned to you rnatalli and i happened to be driving behind you, you may expect to find me tailgating you. And no, i am NOT a woman...

 

[Johnd]

Slam on your brake pedal if she hit you from behind it's her fault and her insurance will pay for fixing your car. That will teach her a lesson.

What I do sometimes is step a little bit on my brake and I can see it on my rear view mirror that car is swerving and tire screeching. After that they gave way enough distance.

Oh yeah..that's realllll smart. I don't know where you live, but that's real bad for your health in these parts. And I don't know where you got your law degree Tarub, but just because someone rear ends you does not make it a no fault incident for the front driver...especially if there are witnesses (or videotape) to the infantile and stupid act you just suggested. Fixing the car, huh? What about fixing the head with half of the brains strewn about because of a silly stunt? Bravissimo!

No. I think I'll stick to my advice, thank you. The ICU's are already full of morons that have pulled stunts just as you described. The roads and highways are not a video game. When accidents happen (or intentional mayhem as you described), real injuries occur. I value my health.

 

[Tarub]

Oh yeah..that's realllll smart. I don't know where you live, but that's real bad for your health in these parts. And I don't know where you got your law degree Tarub, but just because someone rear ends you does not make it a no fault incident for the front driver...especially if there are witnesses (or videotape) to the infantile and stupid act you just suggested. Fixing the car, huh? What about fixing the head with half of the brains strewn about because of a silly stunt? Bravissimo!

No. I think I'll stick to my advice, thank you. The ICU's are already full of morons that have pulled stunts just as you described. The roads and highways are not a video game. When accidents happen (or intentional mayhem as you described), real injuries occur. I value my health.

If you value your health then dont be a moron and tailgate otherwise you will be will your fellow moron in ICU if you are behind me.

 

[Johnd]

If you value your health then dont be a moron and tailgate otherwise you will be will your fellow moron in ICU if you are behind me.

???

 

[masak_aer]

If you value your health then dont be a moron and tailgate otherwise you will be will your fellow moron in ICU if you are behind me.

It is pointless arguing this argument beyond this point..

 

[trnqk7]

I find that instead of "brake-checking" someone who is obnoxiously tailgating you (defined by me as closer than ~10ft, particularly at 60+ mph) is to just gradually slow down by taking your foot off the gas. They eventually catch on, even if they do get more upset. Afterwards, as soon as I have a safe place to change lanes, I do so. I'm just not going to speed up for them, that's all. I do not mind them wanting to get around me however.

 

[j_garcia]

It isn't just women that do this, but yes it does annoy the hell out of me. I call them sheep (no offense Sheep man), because they just "attach" to whatever car is in front of them and drive almost completely obliviously, often on the phone. These people are dangerous. I don't brake check them, I do what trnqk7 said, I just slow down until they go around, because I'd rather they hit someone else instead of me.

I also hate it when we come to a stop at a light an the person behind me has to stop RIGHT on my bumper, that drives me up the wall. I leave a small gap, say half a car length, since I have been hit and smashed into the car in front of me before, so this one is a pet peeve of mine. So I pull up and they close the gap again WTF?

 

[rnatalli]

I don't drive slow nor fast. Like this morning; on a winding road with a posted speed limit of 30. It's safe to do about 37-40 which is what I'm usually doing. There's no need to tailgate me there. Another example is on the highway when I'm in the right lane doing say 65 and someone is right on me and not even taking the next exit. Drives me mad.

In MA, if someone rear ends you, it's automatically their fault. Hey, didn't they see that cat run out in front of my car? Not smart to purposely cause an accident. I have a new car and an accident isn't something I want. Not too mention someone could get hurt. I'm not risking myself to educate the ignorant. I'll just get a sign that sticks to my rear windshield that has messages like "are you trying to hump me?" and "back off!"

 

[Thaedium]

Hehe, its funny that this thread has cropped up. Just yesterday I was returning from the nearest town with a mall and some old geezer in his buick was doing 20 under (Km/h) just because it was raining and dark out. There really wasn't any good excuse in my mind for that kind of sloth, especially since the road is practically ruler straight with good lighting from lamp posts. There was only one area along the 20k trip to pass legally, and I missed my opportunity as the car infront took it and then traffic moving in the opposite direction stalled me. I was pretty irrate, I understand slowing down in unfavorable conditions, in fact, I do it all the time. This however was just a light rain that had been going on nearly all day. Normally I wouldn't tailgate anyone, just to great a risk that those infront of you might make a mistake and your liable to end up merged to their rear-end in a bad way. But this just had me a boiling, so I got right up on him, good'n'close and focused heavily on spooking him.

Too bad the old bat was nearly blind, I don't think he even noticed the whole way through, even when I eventually passed him as he was slowing down to make a turn he didn't even give me the slightest dirty look.

So yes, I was being a jerk, and possibly endangering myself and potentially him. The worst part about it was that I didn't get an inkling of satisfaction out of it cause he responded no better then telling a brick wall you think its ugly. I think next time I'll keep my distance but throw on the high-beams.

 

[rnatalli]

I think next time I'll keep my distance but throw on the high-beams.

Wouldn't work on me as I have anti-glare mirrors

 

[chris6878]

If you see me speeding get the hell out of my way. Sometimes it seems like people have no where to go. I usually stay in the fast lane. I hate people that drive next to another car at the same damn speed. I cant pass or nothing and they refuse to move out of the damn way. I say if you see someone driving fast and you can move out of the way do it. If I am in the mood to cruise and a speeder comes up on me fast I speed up and get out the way. Why hold somebody else up. They might have a emergency.

I also hate the drivers that think it is there responsibility to make sure I a drive the speed limit. Get the F... out of the way!