Odd experience with tailgating yesterday

[Hadelson]

Couple of years back I had a Mazda Protege Speed. It was a nice tight package, handled well and quick. I was travelling home early morning July 4th and know one on the interstate. Bird dog was up and scooting along at good clip. Off in the distance is a car in right hand lane and as I approach to pass in left lane the idiot pulls in front of me with massive brake check. I went from relaxed to PO that fast. It was some young kid being a huge ass.

He takes off and I just latch onto him about one car length away until he maxed out well north of 100. About this time, Bird Dog gives me one Laser Chirp and off in the distance see an overpass. I immediately dropped a gear and stand on brakes and dumb feces is still going for all he's worth. Bird Dog goes to full laser lock and I'm doing about 75. Throttle down to speed limit and come out other side of over-pass to see Trooper rolling onto interstate full out. Dumb feces still oblivious and going for all he's worth about 1/2 mile out in front. Trooper pulls up next to me and waves index finger at me like Mom when I did something wrong and then to my surprise takes off after dumb feces. I'm positive he clocked this kid over 110MPH in 65 zone - In this state means he's in huge trouble. Trooper pulls this kid over and I expected him to wave me over as well. To my surprise, he again waves index finger like I'm a bad boy but lets me roll by.

You bet I did speed limit remainder of trip home. Sometimes there is justice and you do get lucky.

PS: I know not the best thing to do...….

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[Mr. Brutus]

For those who do run front and back dashcams: Did you do your own installation?
If not, what kind of business did you approach for purchase and/or installation?
Anyone with experience with a commercial purchase and/or installation,
what was the cost? Was it worth it to you?
Any hints, tips, tricks, warnings with regard to commercial purchase/installation?

I'm convinced by the comments in this thread that front and rear dashcams
might be an essential option; shouldn't the manufacturers offer it/them?

Costco has these right now for $99, pretty feature rich, small, and easy install. I bought to upgrade from my 5 year old units. they don't offer a direct wire kit, but it is easy to do. Just go to your fuse box with a tap. Use their 12V plug, chop off the end because you need their 5V, 1.0 amp step down to work correctly. Tuck the wires under your trim. I have front and rear, they come on with the car, very discreet, and have a phone app to view, capture, edit, etc....
You can pop off the magnetic head to take to your PC very easily.

https://www.costco.com/Whistler-D28RSCX-HD-Dash-Camera-Bundle.product.100474775.html

and in the store, they come with 16GB memory cards

 

[Blown86GT]

Fuck both of those vehicles and the people that drive them. Also fuck Yaris and fuck Elantra. All of them are weapons and I don't want any of them behind me.

I don't know whether it's because it's a cheap car or inexperienced drivers like them or what, but those 4 vehicles are easily the worst piloted on the road. At least here in Ontario, Canada.

Here in Florida as well. Not sure why but folks in Yaris' seem to be the most aggressive! Its not my fault you purchased a turd box of a vehicle and are angry about it!

 

[RugbyRef]

For those who do run front and back dashcams: Did you do your own installation?
If not, what kind of business did you approach for purchase and/or installation?
Anyone with experience with a commercial purchase and/or installation,
what was the cost? Was it worth it to you?
Any hints, tips, tricks, warnings with regard to commercial purchase/installation?

I'm convinced by the comments in this thread that front and rear dashcams
might be an essential option; shouldn't the manufacturers offer it/them?

Very easy installs. I have Blackvue 900's in all of my vehicles (wife's too).

 

[gqneon]

I have a Blackvue 1080p 60fps front cam in my daily driver (a hand me down from my last Mustang convertible) and wish it had a rear camera. I have a 4k Blackvue 2ch on the 18 GT. It's worth every penny. My hardest question to answer is whether I leave speed display enabled or disabled. Installation is a breeze. I hardwired all mine but you can literally run a plug to your cigar lighter outlet as it comes.

 

[Massman]

I had an state cop in an unmarked car (a Mustang, no less) do this one time. No way to tell from the front that it was a statey, but after he passed me I could see the borders of the police lights in his back window. I assumed he was trying to get me to do something stupid but got bored after a minute or two.

They've stopped using the unmarked Mustangs around here now, and they've moved on to Malibus.

They are still using some older Taurus models in WM. Mostly the Explorers though.

 

[TorqueMan]

I don't understand that from cops. If it's an unmarked car tailgating my car and I decided to speed up to get away and he pulls me over isn't that instigating you to break the law? Is it still your fault?

I had a really weird experience with a cop recently. I sometimes commute on my motorcycle. I live in Illinois, but I work in Saint Louis across the river. When I ride the bike, I usually stay in the left lane away from all the lane jockeying around the slower traffic. Sometimes idiots will get right on my ass, so I back off the car in front in case we all do one of those mass emergency/not an emergency rush-hour stops. Some people get pissed about me making more room, but it's life or death for a biker, and I'm not getting squashed between two cars because of some impatient moron.

So driving home (east toward IL) one evening, the moron de jour in a minivan gets right on my ass, so I made room between me and the car in front. When I did, the idiot in the van got even closer. I turned to look at him over my left shoulder and gave him the universal what-do-you-expect-me-to-do shrug, them held my left arm out, with my palm facing back; the universal please-back-off-a-bit signal. As I turned back to my front I heard a siren. I looked in the mirror to see the van lit up like a blue and red Christmas tree; the van was a goddam unmarked car with a plainclothes cop driving. And he was apparently pulling me over. Mind you, we were part of a line of maybe 20 cars in the left lane, all of us going 75 in a 60. And this asshole was pulling ME over. So I swore out loud, hit my turn signal, and started moving to the right. As soon as I was out of the left lane this dickhead turned off the light and sound show, then passed me to get behind the car I had just been behind. I'm like, WTF? So I got back into the left lane behind him. And I was fuming.

We were still headed east toward IL, about to the cross the river (the Mississippi). And I was still fuming...and thinking. The van had Missouri plates. So he was a MO cop. Then we were on the bridge, and this guy was still in front of me. And I was getting madder by the second. This asshole just abused his authority because he didn't think I was close enough to the car in front of me. Then we were across the bridge, into IL. The line of cars was still in the left lane, still going 75, except now the limit is 55...and we were also out of the asshole's jurisdiction. And I was still pissed. So I waited until the right lane was clear, moved over into it, pulled up next to the asshole. I moved over close to his passenger side and stuck the middle finger of my left hand as close to the passenger-side window as I could get without touching it. Then I accelerated past the line of cars in the left lane.

Unexpectedly, the dickhead turned on the light and sound show again, and moved behind me. So I ignored him. For about 2 miles. We were just going merrily down the interstate, with everyone moving out of the way. It must have looked fucking crazy; some dude on a bike is running from a cop! Except the cop was a van with MO plates, and the guy on the bike didn't look like he was in much of a hurry. It was surreal. Finally, I couldn't stand it any longer. I decided to pull over, get out my phone and record the conversation. I slowed, and moved over to the shoulder. What do you think happened? Yup, the dickhead turned everything off and kept going. I sped back up, passed him on the left and gave him another finger. He just laughed. I passed him, then got into the lane in front of him and ignored him. We were now going 70, and he seemed content to stay back behind me even though just a few minutes earlier 75 had not been fast enough. Eventually, he slowed down and took an exit.

Only thing I can think is he's a family member of a cop and was just having a bit of fun. Bastard.

 

[I Bleed Ford Blue]

Years ago I had a Paul Blart wanna be in a crown vic try to pull me over. I was driving a lifted F150 on 35's and I came up on a crown vic with a security company name on the side and across the trunk lid. He was doin 60 or so and I passed him doing 70, well he decided to get behind me and light me up at 4:30 on a Sunday morning while I was on my way to work. Since there was no other cars out there at that time, I waited until he got closer and brake checked him. Well that just pissed him off so he tried again to get me to pull over. The second time I waited again until he was close enough and this time I locked them up right in the middle of the freeway, got out and walked back to his car and told him he had a choice, get his ass beat or go to jail for impersonating a police officer. Well Paul Blart decided the best course of action for him was to just get the hell out of there, and I never saw or heard from him again.

 

[Shifting_Gears]

It was probably an LS1 GTO. There’s a strong chance the driver had just binge watched Days of Thunder and downed a 12 pack of piss lite. He probably thought he was going to bump draft you into turn 4 at Daytona.

 

[Coyote Red]

Yup, sometimes I wonder what strain these idiotic drivers are smokin? I drive for a living as a med tech and see and avoid accidents at least twice a week. Stay alert & calm.

 

[Ebm]

Steps to make the guy bored so he will get a life and move on

1) Get over in slow lane
2) Set cruise to 5 below speed limit(stop cruise if slowpoke in front of you)
4) If you come up to a car in your lane, don't switch lanes. Just stay behind the slowpoke in front of you
3) Don't speed up or brake check to provoke anymore crude behavior from the guy
4) Wait it out
5) Profit?

 

[Genxer]

Here in Florida as well. Not sure why but folks in Yaris' seem to be the most aggressive! Its not my fault you purchased a turd box of a vehicle and are angry about it!

My daughter had a Yaris, and while it was an ok car mechanically, I was relieved when she finally got a bigger sedan to drive. It was a tin can. The serpentine belt didn't even have tensioner. I had to apply tension manually and lock it down, lol.

 

[IPOGT]

I don't understand that from cops. If it's an unmarked car tailgating my car and I decided to speed up to get away and he pulls me over isn't that instigating you to break the law? Is it still your fault?

They're getting close to read your plate and type it in the system. Once you come up clean they move on.

 

[Johnnybee]

What works for me is a round or two of windshield cleaning. Usually does the trick at least temporarily.

I used to do this to BMW drivers who came up my ass behind our van. I would use the rear wiper and hold the spray on until they went around, and it was usually in quick fashion. At one point, when the van was long in the tooth, I was wishing it had a separate jug (like our old Aerostar did) and load it with brake fluid.

 

[CAL Captain]

Yesterday I was on the highway, wasn't flying but was going maybe 75-80 in a 65. I passed what looked like an early 2000's GTO. Didn't look at the driver, didn't slow down to look at the car...nothing, just noticed it while passing by. Within 10-15 seconds, the guy moves over from his lane and is riding my bumper. Couldn't have been more than a few inches of space. My exit was coming up so I moved over two lanes so I could get off. So did he and continued riding my bumper until I got off.

Now I've had other cars wake up and then cat/mouse while driving spirited but this was different. I actually thought he was going to crash into me and he didn't back off when I came down 30mph or so to exit. I almost got the feeling like it was important for him to show me he could keep up or in some way dominate even though neither of us were even remotely close to our top speed.

Was this guy just a jerk or is there some unwritten etiquette that when one muscle car tailgates another that's like a challenge to race or something?? What's your experience been here?

Thanks!

Just another a-hole with a side of flames.

Plenty of them out there.

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