Road rage incident

[newmoon]

I find when driving my Shelby folks just love to tailgate me or brake check in front of me, seems mainly guys in pickups. It's really tough not to loose your mind though.

Takes me back to my teen years when my best friends Dad got into a road rage incident that quickly got out if hand. It ended when they both pulled into a rest area on 95 where my friends Dad popped his trunk, pulled out a hunting bow and put an arrow through the other guys skull killing him instantly.

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[RonsterGT]

I find when driving my Shelby folks just love to tailgate me or brake check in front of me, seems mainly guys in pickups. It's really tough not to loose your mind though.

Takes me back to my teen years when my best friends Dad got into a road rage incident that quickly got out if hand. It ended when they both pulled into a rest area on 95 where my friends Dad popped his trunk, pulled out a hunting bow and put an arrow through the other guys skull killing him instantly.

Brutal.

 

[FruityJudy]

A few marbles in the motorcycle jack will do the works also. Ive never had to do it but lord knows I wanted too. Ive seen a fair number of guns flashed at drivers tailgating motorcycles, they usually back off then too. I feel like some of you guys are trying to make the biker the "bad guy" but usually these scenarios happen after youve sped up, slowed down, crowded the right line, tried everything to get them to pass but they would rather act like they are going to push you. I usually cruise at 10 or more mph above speed limit on the bike because Id rather not have to stare into my rearview waiting for someone to run up on me. Even then there will always be that one to run up on you and stay on you rather than pass

 

[Strokercrate]

I definitely have my issues on the road, but the thing I always try to remember is that everyone has a different idea of what is the CORRECT way to drive. Some people think it's ok to hang out in the left lane driving under the speed limit. My wife is one of them. And NO ONE in the world is going to convince her to change her way of doing things.

Just because someone thinks it is correct doesn't make it correct. Your state may not be one but most states have laws that stipulate that driving in the lefthand lane is unlawful and a traffic infraction unless passing. Georgia takes it a step further and also made it a driving to slow and impeding the flow of traffic infraction to ride slower in the left hand than the righthand. Sadly its not enforced as much as it should be. Mainly because the police use it as a clock hiding shield. They will ride behind those slow moving left lane people clocking on coming traffic.

 

[food_fanaticz]

I find when driving my Shelby folks just love to tailgate me or brake check in front of me, seems mainly guys in pickups. It's really tough not to loose your mind though.

Takes me back to my teen years when my best friends Dad got into a road rage incident that quickly got out if hand. It ended when they both pulled into a rest area on 95 where my friends Dad popped his trunk, pulled out a hunting bow and put an arrow through the other guys skull killing him instantly.

That's horrible. And I agree, I've also noticed more drivers in pick ups tend to be pretty aggressive. This is why I let people pass me by and I don't try to antagonize jerks on the road. I don't brake check I just slow down more and eventually the tailgaters or impatient drivers pass me. Of course, this only applies to when I'm driving in the right lane. If I'm in the left lane and I don't have a left turn coming up I'll move to the right to let them pass me then get back in the left lane.

 

[ICU812]

As if driving two inches from my rear tire at 70 MPH in your car isn't dangerous. Fool.

Anyway, still following me around posting your illiterate banter I see.

Right, you're a hazard on the road.
Keep trying to justify your actions.

That crap might fly in cuba, but not here.
Even IN FloriDUH.

 

[K4fxd]

I've ridden motorcycles for most of my life, never have I ever had anyone tailgate me 2 inches from my rear tire.

 

[2016S550]

Ive been tailgated plenty of times, maybe not 2” but 5’-8’ give or take and that is entirely way too close. Perception time, plus reaction time is usually around 1.5 seconds. At just 45 mph they are traveling 100’ during that perception and reaction time period before taking ANY action. I would not condone tossing spark plugs, ball bearings, or any other projectiles at cars behind me but have felt like it many times. Bike vs Cage never ends well for the rider in road rage scenarios hence riders resorting to stupid retaliatory sources to leveling the playing field, at least that is the mindset. Ive never read that kind of commentary on a Goldwing or BMW forum but seen it on the HD Forums, not to stereotype…..

 

[ICU812]

Ive been tailgated plenty of times, maybe not 2” but 5’-8’ give or take and that is entirely way too close. Perception time, plus reaction time is usually around 1.5 seconds. At just 45 mph they are traveling 100’ during that perception and reaction time period before taking ANY action. I would not condone tossing spark plugs, ball bearings, or any other projectiles at cars behind me but have felt like it many times. Bike vs Cage never ends well for the rider in road rage scenarios hence riders resorting to stupid retaliatory sources to leveling the playing field, at least that is the mindset. Ive never read that kind of commentary on a Goldwing or BMW forum but seen it on the HD Forums, not to stereotype…..

I don't think so.
No matter if I'm on 2 wheels or four, if another driver of any type vehicle is driving like a dope, I tend to move away from them.
It is simple, And it works. on bike and someone in my 6 too close, I move over or pull over and let them by, same in a "cage" 4 wheel.
There is ZERO excuse for actions that might cause others not involved to be harmed. You can't defend these type actions.
Having a plug, bearing, what have you, already, ready. Shows that you planned on pulling crap like this before even starting the vehicle.
AND when on 2 wheels it is ALOT easier to get away from a problem be it a tailgater, a brake checker, or a clown playing games.
Tossing a plug, bearing, pulling a knife and "key'n" the side of a vehicle, knocking mirrors off or kicking cage drivers body panels then running away ,Anyone that defends this type actions. I'd not want to be around. As they are trash.

 

[Bit_the_Bullitt]

So, tailgating a motorcycle with an automobile isn't moronic and extremely dangerous?

I hope you are not one of the car drivers that treats all motorcycle riders like they are in some biker gang and we all should be looked down upon and thought of as a bunch of hooligans splitting lanes.

Actually, you seem more like the oblivious car diver who will just claim, "I didn't see him" after running a motorcyclist over.

I've taken many advanced motorcycle safety training and riding courses where I've been taught by experts from race bike riders to active duty state police motor officers. Some were multi-day courses. I can turn figure-8's all day long inside the lines of a parking spot on a 900lb Valkyrie to dragging a knee at 100mph in a turn on a Hyabusa. I've never been ticketed while riding and I've never crashed in close to a million miles on a motorcycle.

So, basically your assumptions are 180 degrees out of phase.

Wait, from which of my previous statements do you assume that I would be an oblivious driver or would run a motorcyclist over?

Just for the record, I am not condoning tailgating in my post by ANY means. Tailgating is dangerous and is one of the reasons I got a dual dash cam, not just front.

I simply stated that throwing a spark plug at a tailgater is moronic. So is tailgating. My point was that you should not respond in-kind to road rage. Escalation of the situation NEVER yields positive results.

And what exactly is wrong with that? Having a gap, for some clown-like. OH, I do not know who? That would, could not, and unable to make that maneuver in the first place.

Presents a disaster just waiting for some simple-minded idiot, to jump the gun, and take out some good folks.

So to that clown, I say that is a safer way for a crowd of bikes. To move down the road. They pay and own as much of that asphalt as you do........ wait your turn like everyone else.

Sometimes ass holes get what they rightfully deserve. Drivers crowd bikers all the time. See these jerkoffs tailgate 2 up riders, rain or shine.

They're mad for a few reasons, the guy has the balls to ride, IS not putting up with traffic jams, and is most likely just a plain happier person.

I was the 30 years I road, Helmet protest, 100s of bikes and all.

I'm not implying that bikers don't deserve to be on the road, sorry if that was what you got out of that.
Sure, there's stupid people that take advantage of small gaps messing it up for everyone.

However, wouldn't driving/riding really close up together (have seen it, am not making sweeping statements that "all" bikers are like that) be a form tailgating in itself, i.e. the reason some people throw spark plugs out the window for?

But, you are right, I retract my statement, you're right that passing into those gaps is not ideal nor safe. Never done it, I just always assumed there's supposed to be a gap regardless, for emergency vehicles or something, but now that I think of it, probably not logical.

May as well direct this thread towards "In which U.S city or state do the worst drivers exist?" I have traveled coast-to-coast on business almost all of the last 40 years, so have some definite opinions: Best, most polite and safest drivers: Seattle area: Worst, most dangerous, most hateful drivers: Boston.

You know what? Lately, meaning in the past about 3yrs, have really paid attention to this and I feel people are just less and less considerate.
Even when I fly back home, European highways used to be so "polite" and people driving with fair amount of consideration for others, I feel is no longer the case. Every mile in my car is now extreme level of defensive driving, always looking around, etc. It's getting brutal out there in some places.
Oh, don't get me started on brights in oncoming (or rearview) traffic. That's an epidemic in OH.

 

[Bit_the_Bullitt]

Dear fellow form members, I apologize if I kicked off a tirade of comments car vs bike with my comment. Was not my intention nor to imply that one is better than the other or one group is more dangerous than the next.
I definitely did not in any way insinuate tailgating is okay, it is not. But neither is tossing an object that can truly do some damage to a car or a biker.

I think we all are bit more invested in driving/riding - we are passionate about wheels, regardless of how many, at least that's why we're on a car forum, right? So let's be the examples of courteous/respectful driving we want to see out there; letting people merge, moving over, throwing a thumbs up instead of a spark plug.

As hard as that is to do, it never pays off to engage in road rage. My road rage ends with swearing inside my vehicle and then promptly deleting the audio files from my dash cam, but never actually physically doing anything. Even flipping the bird can set off the wrong chain of events.

When in doubt, dash cam up and enjoy the drive/ride!

 

[K4fxd]

Maybe it's because I ride a Hog, I have never been tailgated while on my bike. Car, pick up, all the time......

 

[ICU812]

Maybe it's because I ride a Hog, I have never been tailgated while on my bike. Car, pick up, all the time......

I've never been tail gated on any bike, a Honda touring, a v twin, or a crotch rocket. They may get close while at a stop light/sign , but not while moving .
Something tells me, a person's actions of someone else's property damage was why someone was on that person's 6 tight.
Just a hunch.

 

[K4fxd]

They may get close while at a stop light/sign

Only time anyone has ever gotten close to tailgating me is in rush hour traffic, even then they keep a respectful distance.

 

[Strokerswild]

As for a couple of my older Harleys, you best not tailgate as there's always the chance something will rattle loose and fall off.

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