Tailgater

[Charlie Bravo_imp]

On Saturday last, it was a sunny 67 degrees, and I was taking my usual Saturday ride down to my fave beach-side taco stand when I noticed a guy on a bike ahead of me, with a pillion passenger. I then noticed he was being closely tailgated by some nutjob in a rolling rustheap. I got up next to the rustheap and looked over at him, but couldn't see much through his crappy tint job, so I moved up next to the bike, got his attention, and pointed at the tailgater behind him. He looked in his mirror and saw the heap. The 'gater slowed waaay down and dropped waaay back there.

 

[GoldOxide_imp]

Good neighbour CB.

 

[Gone in 60]

Nice! The tailgater slowed way back... what, did you brick the guy?

 

[the Ferret]

Glad that worked out. I'm not fond of tailgaters

 

[Cormanus]

Me either. It’s a particularly irritating habit. It makes me hanker after owning the original James Bond Aston Martin so I could let an oil slick rip or drop a handful of those tri-pointed nails.

 

[Rocky_imp]

Glad that worked out. I'm not fond of tailgaters

Not fond!!! I have words for them that's not fit to print.
Whether I'm on two wheels or four, these idiots irritate me no end.

Good move by Charlie Bravo

 

[Charlie Bravo_imp]

Thanks to all; we gotta stick together. Through the years, I think I've noticed a certain phenomenon regarding tailgaters. I'm a SoCal native, and 'gaters are just a fact of life, as they are everywhere, I guess. However, I did note one thing; when I had a 1200 Sportster Roadster, I put a small H-D sticker in the rear window of my car, and over the three years I had it, I think I noticed a marked reduction in the number of tailgaters I got, and when I sold the Sportster, I removed the H-D sticker, and sonofagun, the number of 'gaters increased significantly. Then, some time later, I put a VETERAN - U.S. ARMY license plate frame on the Yammie FJR1200 I had. Since then, I've kept that plate frame on the Honda CB, and put another one on my BMW, and I think the number of 'gaters went down significantly. This is by no means a scientific study, just a perceived anomaly, if you will. Has anyone else seen anything like this? I wonder if someone has data on this type of thing.

 

[GoldOxide_imp]

Said select insignia(s) should keep the pick-up truck mammoths off the tail. But the tongue wagging "Okay Boomer" types may not be aware of the service significance.

 

[LongRanger_imp]

I just ease up on the throttle until they get frustrated and go around me.

 

[Cormanus]

I’m with you, LR. Out of town, if there’s nowhere to overtake, I often pull over so they can pass. It’s funny watching them get angry when they have to slow down—often suddenly—because they were too close in the first place.

The local auto club—the equivalent of AA in the US, maybe—occasionally runs a survey on what most irritates drivers and tailgating is right up there every time.

 

[noroomtomove]

Interesting observation regard the sticker and plate surround changing tail gating behaviour, I'm with Cormanus and pull over and let them pass when the road permits it.

Regards

 

[GoldOxide_imp]

Charlie B: Let 'em pass. Karma has ways of dealing with them in time.

 

[Charlie Bravo_imp]

Charlie B: Let 'em pass. Karma has ways of dealing with them in time.

I always let a tailgater go by if at all possible. Way back in the day, while on my commute on the local freeways, I always drove competitively, the "Your not getting in my lane in front of me!" kind of thing, and became pretty good at reading traffic and knowing which driver is likely to try to bogart right in there, and I arrived at work amped up, hot and sweaty, and it took a while to calm down. Then one day, I just let a guy in, and the next one, too, and didn't amp up about anything, and arrived at work cool, calm, relaxed. Been doing that ever since.

 

[pdedse]

Charlie B: Let 'em pass. Karma has ways of dealing with them in time.

I always let a tailgater go by if at all possible. Way back in the day, while on my commute on the local freeways, I always drove competitively, the "Your not getting in my lane in front of me!" kind of thing, and became pretty good at reading traffic and knowing which driver is likely to try to bogart right in there, and I arrived at work amped up, hot and sweaty, and it took a while to calm down. Then one day, I just let a guy in, and the next one, too, and didn't amp up about anything, and arrived at work cool, calm, relaxed. Been doing that ever since.

Ah, little things like this.:idea:

 

[peterbaron]

I let the idiots go, and have them in front of me rather than behind = I am in control to keep safe and proper distance, while watching IT = said deliberately
:idea:

 

[LongRanger_imp]

Not a tailgater, but I pulled alongside a Corvette on the freeway today in my Cayman. He slowed to put some room between himself and the traffic ahead of him, then looked over at me with a “Let’s go!” nod. I just sat there and minded my own business. I heard him downshift and then floor that Corvette, and away he went, thundering down the freeway, probably reaching 120 mph before changing lanes to avoid hitting someone. I didn’t take his bait (nor would it have been a fair race — he’s got twice the hp that I do). What an idiot.

 

[GoldOxide_imp]

Good to read LR regarding not taking the bait. Who knows? Maybe a life was saved.

- - -

Anyone can drive fast. Nothing special there. Some have the stash to accelerate faster than others to get to that speed. Great. Dude can buy a fast car. What a "show of skill", owning a fast car.

I think it takes some serious will and intelligence to not get suckered in.

Keep racing where it belongs - not on public roads.