Tailgaters

[PhatPhizzixxer]

Do you see this very often? This past weekend, I'm riding in a residential area, speed limit is 35, one lane going both directions...doing the speed limit. I look in my mirror & see a white car trying to pass me - in the same #@$% lane as I'm in & it's a no passing zone - and he's mere inches from my left rear! It shook me up, not just because I'm new to riding, but also because he seemed so angry about having to drive the speed limit. I turned around briefly to look at him & he's back there throwing his hands up in the air, beating the steering wheel & he's literally trying to pass me. I just thought I'm not dealing w/ this maniac...I don't want to speed, we're going around alot of curves, there's a light coming up...so I pulled over & stopped, let him pass. The funny thing is, as soon as I got going again, when I got to the light to turn right, he's now stuck at the red light (going straight). Karma, dude...what a freak!

How do you deal w/ that?

 

[davidrosso]

You handled that the correct way. You never want to let someone "push" you to do something you don't want to.

Of course the other way to handle that situation is to grab a handful of change from your jacket pocket and throw it at the guys windshield.
But if you do that you better be ready to run, this tactic is best applied on the highway where there is ample room to get away

 

[dart1963]

You did the right thing, best to let the moron go around you instead of running you off the road trying to pass you in your lane.
And yeah, we have many lights around here, so when someone flies around me, I see them at the next light and just grin in my helmet that all they did was burn more gas trying to beat me to the light...

 

[fstrthan_uthink]

Yea you did the right thing. Best thing to do with idiot cagers is to get away from them. In a residential area pulling over and letting them go by was the best option.

 

[99vengeur]

+1 to what everyone else said. If you can get over to let them by, that's the best thing to do. NEVER speed up; that only encourages them to tailgate at a higher rate of speed.

 

[cbzdel]

the problem with you going the speed limit, your really NOT.. The speeo is almost 10% off, so if it says 35, you were really doing 31.5..

If you are going 60mph you are really only going 54...

Once I kicked it up to always go 5mph above what my speedo said I didn't have any problems..

But now that I have my +1 front sprocket my speedo is 100% correct

EDIT: I am not saying speed up to get away from him, just saying your not going as fast as you think..

 

[PhatPhizzixxer]

EDIT: I am not saying speed up to get away from him, just saying your not going as fast as you think..

Ok - I'll keep that in mind. Good input to know!

 

[Craxican]

I would like to divulge some information that my riding instructor told me (Florida requires a riding class)...Golf Balls are a wonderful accessory, however, if you do not want to start a fight, then you did the right thing. Road rage is BAD...but some people just don't learn. I had a guy throw his drink out the window at me one time...ON PURPOSE! I sped up, got in front of him, slowed down and waited from him to try and intimidate me...at the next red light I did a burn out on his front bumper...this is bad...VERY BAD:spank: The best thing to do is ignore such people and just let them be.

 

[stuna]

paint ball gun:wav:

 

[DragonBlu]

Take it from an old fart that has made all the mistakes. You did the right thing. Some of us have learned the hard way and now I just pull over and let the cagers fly their way into a ticket.

 

[davidrosso]

paint ball gun:wav:

That'l get you a night in the slammer.

 

[fz6rwolf]

Yesterday on the slab in Mass. was in far left lane keeping good distance behind other cars, woman in a Trailblazer just came from right to my side. Fortunately no one too close behind and did a pretty hard braking while heading to left shoulder (which there's only about 2 feet of before jersey barriers),this was at about 65mph. No time to even hit horn until I was able to get behind her. Never had a clue I was right at her window. Was a pucker moment, don't know how I was able to get left braking hard while she was coming into my side. Mile later she went back to right lane and I went by pointing at her mirror and shaking my head, just had stupid blonde look on her face like had no clue she just about killed me.

 

[Reddog]

I think you have gotten great feedback from all the posters - you did the right thing. I too am an old fart that has seen most of the wrong responses to tailgaters. In the old days some guys (not me) use to carry ball bearings in their coat pocket and just throw them up in the air. I definately don't condone this because it creates a dangerous situation that could lead to accidents, fights, arrests etc. However, a buddy of mine carries a pocket full of chicken feathers in his jacket - I gotta tell you -you will LYAO, when you see that tailgaters face when a big handful of feathers come flying at him.

 

[PhatPhizzixxer]

I think you have gotten great feedback from all the posters - you did the right thing. I too am an old fart that has seen most of the wrong responses to tailgaters. In the old days some guys (not me) use to carry ball bearings in their coat pocket and just throw them up in the air. I definately don't condone this because it creates a dangerous situation that could lead to accidents, fights, arrests etc. However, a buddy of mine carries a pocket full of chicken feathers in his jacket - I gotta tell you -you will LYAO, when you see that tailgaters face when a big handful of feathers come flying at him.

Yes, definitely good feedback. And I agree that the ball bearings are not a good idea for the reasons listed. The feathers, though...how funny

Has anyone tried the hyperlites.com (for more visibility) and if so, how hard would it be to attach/connect to the Targa FE?

 

[cbzdel]

Speaking of tailgaters I had a ASS today.. It was a lady in a military uniform (camo outfit).. She was behind me and swerving between both lanes in a hurry trying to pass everyone.. I noticed it going on in m rear mirror and decided to just play it safe, she wanted to pass but though $hit! I was already going 65 in a 60 (and my speedo is accurate). The car next to me started to pace me and gave me a thumbs up, he must of seen the lady in behind him as well..

She ended up passing us on the shoulder!!! and then caught the red light up ahead. I pulled up next to her at the light and she rolled the window down screaming at me for my "bad" driving.. I bit my tounge, mostly because it was a female butalso because I am trying to change. i have been know to dismount a bike and have a 1 on 1 convo with drivers which usually ends with 1) the driver running the red light or 2) the shut up and keep their thoughts to themself.. but again I am trying to change haha!

So anyways she is yelling at me and the light turns green and as I leave I give her the "to hell with you wave" not the middle finger just the push you away style wave.. She pulls out of the turn lane and FOLLOWS me!!!

I then pull into the gas station and she follows me in. I park at the pump and she pulls along side, continuing to yell at me.. She just keeps going and I am ignoring her.. A police officer pulls in from the other side to a pump gets out of his car and notices her, I doubt she noticed him.. He walks over and asks her what the problem is. She said "this asshole made me late to work" and the officer looked at me and the bike and looked back and her and said wreckless driving? She said you could say so, he was driving like a grandma! He looked confused and told the lady to stay there, he walked over to me and asked for my license and quietly asked how fast were you going? I said on or off the record, he said I just want to make sure it was reasonable. I said 65mph tops, but I was with the flow of traffic, and she passed me on the shoulder to.. He smiled and said ok. He walked backed over to the lady and said how fast was he going, and she said about 45mph and he asked how fast she was going and she said "70 until I got to him, then I had to pass his ass on the shoulder because he wouldnt move out of the way" (the speed limit was 60 in this area) The cop then walked back over to me and handed me my license and said your free to go, as I was gearing up and mounting he had asked her for him license/reg/insur. and started to write her a ticket!!

 

[dart1963]

true karma cbzdel....
I love it when people admit to police just how bad they were driving... like they're immune to getting in trouble.

 

[Craxican]

Wow...ok..i guess i'm just bad...my cruising speed is between 70 and 80mph...and that's through traffic...on the insterstate its usually about 85...my big bike buddies have to slow down through traffic because I refuse to go faster than that

 

[99vengeur]

Ok, as I'm reading some of these encounters, I can't help but remember another one....a more sobering one.

There was an encounter where a motorcyclist got into an altercation with a cager that was driving erratically. The motorcyclist followed the cager to wherever they were going and an argument ensued. The cager backed his vehicle over the motorcycle and rider, killing him at the scene.

Please, please, PLEASE just let them be. Your life and motorcycle are far more valuable than the few seconds or minutes it takes to move out of the way and let a cager fly past. If I have someone tailgating, I give them a few flashes of the brake light. If that doesn't get them to back off, I move over or turn off and get out of the way.

 

[BluePill]

Please, please, PLEASE just let them be. Your life and motorcycle are far more valuable than the few seconds or minutes it takes to move out of the way and let a cager fly past. If I have someone tailgating, I give them a few flashes of the brake light. If that doesn't get them to back off, I move over or turn off and get out of the way.

+1. I can't count the number of times I've either sped up (when safe) or just pulled off on the shoulder to get away from fools. Surviving on a bike requires the ultimate in defensive driving.

 

[bsoder]

About 2 months ago here in Ventura County there was a guy that supposedly brake checked an RV on the freeway. The photo in the news paper showed the RV with half a bike sticking out the front of it. The rider didn't make it. I've been trying to keep that picture in my memory every time a jackass in a cage starts driving like an idiot.