through research and field testing

[Lithium381]

I have a long drive home at night(1am) and i take a three lane highway. To conserve gas, i sit in the right hand lane with cruise control at 60mph (which nets me an average mpg of 45 on the tank). For reasons i don't understand, people insist on tailgating me. Using the speed control, i slowly lower my speed; most drivers pass me about when i hit 45mph, i've gotten some people down to 35. When they go to pass me, i accelerate next to them so i can see their faces; they're mostly pissed off....


edit - speed limit is 65 for reference

 

[amish]

Originally posted by: Lithium381
When they go to pass me, i accelerate next to them so i can see their faces; they're mostly pissed off....

you are scum.

 

[KLin]

Have you ever had anyone pass you, get in the right lane, then brake check you after speeding up next to them?

 

[JohnCU]

what was the speedlimit?

 

[HardcoreRobot]

they are scum for tailgating you in the right lane, but you sink to their level when you change your speed

 

[nakedfrog]

Tailgating in the right lane? They're the douchebags.

 

[effowe]

You're both douches, if I were you I would maintain speed.

 

[lizardth]

I just tap my brakes repeatedly to make them back off. That usually works.

 

[joesmoke]

why not just tap your brakes a few times just so the lights come on. sometimes people dont notice how close they get.

 

[dainthomas]

Slowing down is fine, but it's the speed up afterword that turns the OP into a tool.

 

[nakedfrog]

Originally posted by: HardcoreRobot
they are scum for tailgating you in the right lane, but you sink to their level when you change your speed

So is he supposed to just deal with somebody following much too closely and risk being hit if anything happens, or speed up to appease them?
I do the same thing as the OP (minus cruise control)

Edit:
I don't accelerate back to normal speed until they're done passing, though.

 

[Lithium381]

Originally posted by: joesmoke
why not just tap your brakes a few times just so the lights come on. sometimes people dont notice how close they get.

then they shouldn't be driving




i maintain speed for a while, if they continue to tailgate, then i pull my stunt. The majority of people realize that i'm NOT going to accelerate and pass me or change lanes before they even get to me. It's the ones that just sit on my ass wishing i'd go faster that get the treatment.

 

[keird]

I thought you were talking about tailgate parties when I read the thread title. So I voted you were an Asshat. Yeah.

 

[Tiamat]

you are an idiot. Way to disrupt traffic flow you selfish bastard. Of course, they are also wrong for driving so closely to you.

 

[amish]

Originally posted by: nakedfrog

Originally posted by: HardcoreRobot
they are scum for tailgating you in the right lane, but you sink to their level when you change your speed

So is he supposed to just deal with somebody following much too closely and risk being hit if anything happens, or speed up to appease them?
I do the same thing as the OP (minus cruise control)

so you slow down when someone is tailgating, understandable. do you speed up when the tailgater passes you just to see their face? if so, if unfortunately going to have to cast you in the same light as the OP, scum.

there isn't any point in speeding up to piss someone off after they were trying to pass you.

 

[dougp]

Originally posted by: nakedfrog

Originally posted by: HardcoreRobot
they are scum for tailgating you in the right lane, but you sink to their level when you change your speed

So is he supposed to just deal with somebody following much too closely and risk being hit if anything happens, or speed up to appease them?
I do the same thing as the OP (minus cruise control)

Slowing below 15mph below the limit can be considered reckless driving - pretty sure the cop would get you instead of the person tailgating you as long as they weren't speeding. I know two girls who were killed because the person tapped their breaks while going 10mph under in the left hand lane - story is they weren't that close, but the lady got pissed, and would tap her brakes, then speed up, etc. and they lost control because she hit her breaks too hard. If someone's tailgating you, either speed up to speed limit or hold your ground - if you choose to speed up, you're being a bigger douche than they are.

 

[joesmoke]

Originally posted by: Lithium381

Originally posted by: joesmoke
why not just tap your brakes a few times just so the lights come on. sometimes people dont notice how close they get.

then they shouldn't be driving




i maintain speed for a while, if they continue to tailgate, then i pull my stunt. The majority of people realize that i'm NOT going to accelerate and pass me or change lanes before they even get to me. It's the ones that just sit on my ass wishing i'd go faster that get the treatment.

well thats a fantastic attitude and all but i was being realistic. whats funny is that the guy tailgating you is prolly thinking "if this i love you cant drive faster than 60 mph then he shouldnt be driving blah blah etc"

 

[spidey07]

You're going to get shot one of these days doing that.

 

[nakedfrog]

Originally posted by: dreadpiratedoug

Originally posted by: nakedfrog

Originally posted by: HardcoreRobot
they are scum for tailgating you in the right lane, but you sink to their level when you change your speed

So is he supposed to just deal with somebody following much too closely and risk being hit if anything happens, or speed up to appease them?
I do the same thing as the OP (minus cruise control)

Slowing below 15mph below the limit can be considered reckless driving - pretty sure the cop would get you instead of the person tailgating you as long as they weren't speeding. I know two girls who were killed because the person tapped their breaks while going 10mph under in the left hand lane - story is they weren't that close, but the lady got pissed, and would tap her brakes, then speed up, etc. and they lost control because she hit her breaks too hard. If someone's tailgating you, either speed up to speed limit or hold your ground - if you choose to speed up, you're being a bigger douche than they are.

I would doubt that, typically when I see a minimum speed posted in a 60mph zone it's 40mph.

 

[dougp]

Originally posted by: nakedfrog

Originally posted by: dreadpiratedoug

Originally posted by: nakedfrog

Originally posted by: HardcoreRobot
they are scum for tailgating you in the right lane, but you sink to their level when you change your speed

So is he supposed to just deal with somebody following much too closely and risk being hit if anything happens, or speed up to appease them?
I do the same thing as the OP (minus cruise control)

Slowing below 15mph below the limit can be considered reckless driving - pretty sure the cop would get you instead of the person tailgating you as long as they weren't speeding. I know two girls who were killed because the person tapped their breaks while going 10mph under in the left hand lane - story is they weren't that close, but the lady got pissed, and would tap her brakes, then speed up, etc. and they lost control because she hit her breaks too hard. If someone's tailgating you, either speed up to speed limit or hold your ground - if you choose to speed up, you're being a bigger douche than they are.

I would doubt that, typically when I see a minimum speed posted in a 60mph zone it's 40mph.

Meh, driver's ed book here in Texas said more than 15 while passing is speeding and less than 15 while driving on a highway is reckless.

 

[Lithium381]

Originally posted by: dreadpiratedoug

Originally posted by: nakedfrog

Originally posted by: HardcoreRobot
they are scum for tailgating you in the right lane, but you sink to their level when you change your speed

So is he supposed to just deal with somebody following much too closely and risk being hit if anything happens, or speed up to appease them?
I do the same thing as the OP (minus cruise control)

Slowing below 15mph below the limit can be considered reckless driving - pretty sure the cop would get you instead of the person tailgating you as long as they weren't speeding. I know two girls who were killed because the person tapped their breaks while going 10mph under in the left hand lane - story is they weren't that close, but the lady got pissed, and would tap her brakes, then speed up, etc. and they lost control because she hit her breaks too hard. If someone's tailgating you, either speed up to speed limit or hold your ground - if you choose to speed up, you're being a bigger douche than they are.

hmmmm... hmmmmmmmmmmmm......

 

[nakedfrog]

Originally posted by: dreadpiratedoug
Meh, driver's ed book here in Texas said more than 15 while passing is speeding and less than 15 while driving on a highway is reckless.

Heh, Texas is actually where I got my first license, but that was a long time ago
Test might have even changed since then.

 

[AstroManLuca]

I say you're a douche for doing the speed-up thing, but I voted both because it also pisses me off when people tailgate me even when the other lanes are open for them to pass. I always keep an eye on my mirrors so I know when someone is coming up behind me quickly and I always get out of the way as soon as I can for them because I hate it just as much when someone is going slowly in front of me in the passing lane.

What really pissed me off a few days ago was I was on a long on-ramp that went from two lanes down to one (and had multiple signs to let you know) and some asshole screams around me at the last possible second, almost runs into the guy in front of me, and then wedges in between us while hitting the brakes. I leaned on the horn but good after that one.

 

[MotF Bane]

You're an asshat.

 

[lifeobry]

Originally posted by: Lithium381
I have a long drive home at night(1am) and i take a three lane highway.

Let me get this straight: at 1:00 AM people are tailgating you in the right lane when there are two perfectly good lanes to the left?

That would make me RAGE :|