How do you deal with tailgaters?
#21
01-31-2007, 11:17 AM
Ridiculously Active Enthusiast
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: Atlanta, Ga
Posts: 1,797
Re: How do you deal with tailgaters?
I'd probably get pulled over and arrested for police harassment or become a target myself.
It's the police in my area who are the worst for tailgating!
It's the police in my area who are the worst for tailgating!
#22
01-31-2007, 03:26 PM
Re: How do you deal with tailgaters?
I'm too impatient, if somebody is going the speed limit and they are holding me up, I try to pass legally, but if there isn't a place I'll go around them any which way I can as nice as possible. I don't have the time to sit there and annoy them with tailgaiting.
Oh and the best people to past are those that speed up once you pass them. Awesome, now I slow down below the speed limit. Yeup, 2 wrongs don't make a right, but I sure do get a kick out of that.
Oh and the best people to past are those that speed up once you pass them. Awesome, now I slow down below the speed limit. Yeup, 2 wrongs don't make a right, but I sure do get a kick out of that.
#23
02-01-2007, 12:50 PM
Re: How do you deal with tailgaters?
Here's how you do it. Don't tell anyone though, I don't like too many to know how it's done, since the trick might not work then. It was my old driving school teacher who taught me the trick around 20 years ago.
First, remember to only do this when someone tailgates for a long time, and on a piece of road where it's possible to pass.
What you do is simply adjust your speed very little upwards or downwards (doesn't matter which), keep it there for half a minute or so, then adjust it back. Repeat once or twice. Most tailgaters will shoot straight past. Keep in mind the speed adjustment shall be tiny, hardly perceptible - in my experience 2-3 km/h is good. Like two clicks on the cruise control.
Again, be prudent using this trick, some tailgaters go nuts and will try to pass you at any cost, it might get dangerous if there is no decent place to pass. In my view, you also have some responsibility to avoid that.
Try it, you will see it works every time. It's amazing.
First, remember to only do this when someone tailgates for a long time, and on a piece of road where it's possible to pass.
What you do is simply adjust your speed very little upwards or downwards (doesn't matter which), keep it there for half a minute or so, then adjust it back. Repeat once or twice. Most tailgaters will shoot straight past. Keep in mind the speed adjustment shall be tiny, hardly perceptible - in my experience 2-3 km/h is good. Like two clicks on the cruise control.
Again, be prudent using this trick, some tailgaters go nuts and will try to pass you at any cost, it might get dangerous if there is no decent place to pass. In my view, you also have some responsibility to avoid that.
Try it, you will see it works every time. It's amazing.
#24
02-01-2007, 01:47 PM
Re: How do you deal with tailgaters?
Rolf - I have tried that and it usually doesn't work for me, as I said in my post, because the person is engaged in a conversation with the passenger or is on their cell phone and mindlessly following the car in front of them no matter what speed it is. This is my point -- when I am on an Interstate (limitless passing with 2 lanes of travel) and someone is behind me for several miles I will go down 5 mph (not hardly noticeable but enough that they have to brake off of their cruise control or manually adjust) and then a mile later resume the original speed so up 5 mph and they just stay right with me. I then go up another 5 mph and they are still there. Ultimately, I pull to the left (passing) lane and they shoot right by me accelerating all the way. I just laugh as they could have passed miles earlier but were just mindlessly following someone going 5- and 10-mph under the speed limit.
#25
02-01-2007, 02:16 PM
Re: How do you deal with tailgaters?
Here's how you do it. Don't tell anyone though, I don't like too many to know how it's done, since the trick might not work then. It was my old driving school teacher who taught me the trick around 20 years ago.
First, remember to only do this when someone tailgates for a long time, and on a piece of road where it's possible to pass.
What you do is simply adjust your speed very little upwards or downwards (doesn't matter which), keep it there for half a minute or so, then adjust it back. Repeat once or twice. Most tailgaters will shoot straight past. Keep in mind the speed adjustment shall be tiny, hardly perceptible - in my experience 2-3 km/h is good. Like two clicks on the cruise control.
Again, be prudent using this trick, some tailgaters go nuts and will try to pass you at any cost, it might get dangerous if there is no decent place to pass. In my view, you also have some responsibility to avoid that.
Try it, you will see it works every time. It's amazing.
First, remember to only do this when someone tailgates for a long time, and on a piece of road where it's possible to pass.
What you do is simply adjust your speed very little upwards or downwards (doesn't matter which), keep it there for half a minute or so, then adjust it back. Repeat once or twice. Most tailgaters will shoot straight past. Keep in mind the speed adjustment shall be tiny, hardly perceptible - in my experience 2-3 km/h is good. Like two clicks on the cruise control.
Again, be prudent using this trick, some tailgaters go nuts and will try to pass you at any cost, it might get dangerous if there is no decent place to pass. In my view, you also have some responsibility to avoid that.
Try it, you will see it works every time. It's amazing.
I just ran into www.ecodrive.org. Do Europeans say "ecodrive" when we Americans say "hypermile"?
#26
02-02-2007, 07:40 AM
Re: How do you deal with tailgaters?
rgx,
I just ran into www.ecodrive.org. Do Europeans say "ecodrive" when we Americans say "hypermile"?
I just ran into www.ecodrive.org. Do Europeans say "ecodrive" when we Americans say "hypermile"?
There are other, slight differences. Ecodriving has been much focused on commercial vehicles, with the view that costs can be cut by 10-20%, not only fuel but also maintenance-, repair- and stand-still costs.
#27
02-02-2007, 08:34 AM
Re: How do you deal with tailgaters?
I suspected hypermiling was "edgy" relative to ecodriving, but was not aware of one being individual-driven, while the other is government or business-driven.
One of the earliest instances of hypermiling was the US during World War II. Gas was rationed, but saving rubber for tires was the primary driver. Another factor was the 1st couple of years, oil pipelines from Texas to the East Coast would not be constructed. This meant that tankers would have to deliver oil from Houston along the coast up to New York City. U-boats could (and did) torpedo tankers in the Gulf.
Americans were issued different levels of rations according to their need:
One of the earliest instances of hypermiling was the US during World War II. Gas was rationed, but saving rubber for tires was the primary driver. Another factor was the 1st couple of years, oil pipelines from Texas to the East Coast would not be constructed. This meant that tankers would have to deliver oil from Houston along the coast up to New York City. U-boats could (and did) torpedo tankers in the Gulf.
Americans were issued different levels of rations according to their need:
Originally Posted by Wikipedia
An A card was the lowest priority of gas rationing and entitled the holder to 3 to 4 gallons of gas per week. B cards were issued to workers in the military industry, entitling their holder up to 8 gallons of gas per week. C cards were granted to persons deemed very essential to the war effort, such as doctors. T rations were made available for truckers. Lastly, X cards entitled the holder to unlimited supplies and were the highest priority in the system. Ministers, police, volunteer firemen, and civil defense workers fell within this category. Something of a scandal erupted when 200 Congressmen received these cards. On June 1, 1942, Time Magazine published a brief story about a letter from a New Jersey woman to Senator W. Warren Barbour, upbraiding him for obtaining an X card for unlimited gasoline. The Senator replied by wire: APPRECIATE THOUGHTS GAS RATIONING. SOLUTION DUE SHORTLY TRANSPORTATION PIPE LINES. The Senator followed up his wire with a letter of explanation, reading in part: (see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gas_rationing )
#28
02-02-2007, 11:49 AM
Ridiculously Active Enthusiast
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Anaheim Hills, CA
Posts: 655
Re: How do you deal with tailgaters?
I had a very efficient method for eliminating tailgaters... but alas, it won't work on the HCHII. I used to own a 1982 Isuzu I-Mark diesel. This car had a high MPG (45 mpg) little diesel engine, but only 70 HP. Since it was an "early" generation diesel, it would tend to belch a nice cloud of black smoke under heavy acceleration. THAT was the solution to tailgating! The smokescreen I'd purposely lay out would immediately choke the 'gater!
Glad I've got a much cleaner exhaust now, but I do miss the "Tailgate Button" (full throttle acceleration)!!!
Glad I've got a much cleaner exhaust now, but I do miss the "Tailgate Button" (full throttle acceleration)!!!
#29
02-02-2007, 12:38 PM
Re: How do you deal with tailgaters?
I used to own a 78 Peugeot diesel. It got 36mpg in town or on the freeway. Not much power with it's little 4 banger, but LOL would it ever put out a "smoke screen" if you hit the "Tailgate Button". It really did work wonders 
#30
02-02-2007, 12:50 PM
Re: How do you deal with tailgaters?
Why not let the "gator" by with a friendly hand wave? If it's so annoying? You kill 2 birds with one act. You will no longer feel annoyed and the other driver will thank you for it and feel equally less annoyed.
I find most people that go at the speed limit enjoy having a convoy behind them, to the point that passing these idiots, they speed up all of a sudden.... hmmmmmmm.
I find most people that go at the speed limit enjoy having a convoy behind them, to the point that passing these idiots, they speed up all of a sudden.... hmmmmmmm.
