Why do you tailgate?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Better question: what do you do to piss off the tailgater? I sometimes turn on my lights. Or slow down more.

I have off-road floodlights on the back of my Jeep.

If you tailgate me, I’ll give you some warning with a couple flickers of brake lights over a minute or two, and if you’re still back there after that, I’ll hit the switch for the lights and your pupils will instantly contract to the size of pinheads and then you’ll back off because you’ll be blinded!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:To communicate I would like to go faster.

I very rarely tailgate now, kids are teenagers so I try to emulate good driving, but I spent 4 years in Germany and this nit so subtle ‘communication’ took a while to integrate back into the terrible US driving norms.

If I am being tailgated, I will gradually slow down to accomplish 2 things:

1. Hopefully give me enough reaction time that I won’t need to slam on brakes if something unexpected happens, in which case I would almost certainly get hit by the tailgater

2. Add extra distance between me and the car in front so that not only do I have room to safely stop suddenly, if necessary, without hitting the car in front of me, but also to allow extra space if I do so that hopefully if I get rear-ended, it won’t domino and push me into the car in front.

My only concern as a driver is to be safe. I would much rather you be in front of me where I can keep an eye on your reckless driving and adjust accordingly, but if you insist on staying behind me and tailgating, the safest thing I can do is give myself more time and space to react safely, and that is accomplished by slowing down.

[Anonymous]

I take my foot off the accelerator and enjoy watching the glass bowl behind me lose his/her mind.

This also creates space in front of me for the moron to pass me. Which he/she eventually figures out how to do.

[Anonymous]

Because I'm not important than you. It explains much of how I drive. Be glad you're not a pedestrian.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Because I'm not important than you. It explains much of how I drive. Be glad you're not a pedestrian.

*not=more

Apparently I'm too important for spelling

[Anonymous]

There’s only one scenario where I tailgate: if I’m driving the speed limit or just barely over it, and someone rushes to pull out in front of me from a side street, necessitating hitting my brakes to avoid a collision, but then they drive below the speed limit. In other words, if you were in a huge hurry to cut me off, but as soon as you’re in front of me, you have all the time in the world, I’m going to give you the tailgating you wanted so badly when you put your rear bumper thisclose to my front bumper.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Better question: what do you do to piss off the tailgater? I sometimes turn on my lights. Or slow down more.

I drive exactly the speed limit for as long as it takes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Better question: what do you do to piss off the tailgater? I sometimes turn on my lights. Or slow down more.

I don't do this to p*** anyone off, but if someone is tailgating me they clearly want to go faster than me so I let my foot off of the gas which slows down which gives them an opportunity to pass if they feel like they need to

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DW is a lifelong tailgater and genuinely believes it is a generous educational gift to her fellow drivers. There's no convincing her otherwise.

She’s going to get an education in physics and reaction time one day, if she tailgates me. I drive a POS car I care nothing about. I’ll brake check her so hard the fillings will fly out of her teeth. Or she’ll hit me, and then she’s gonna pay up.

Either way, one day someone is going to educate her, too.

You seem a little turned on.

[Anonymous]

I brake checked only once when 19. I had a big Buick. Guy was right on my ass in a pretty new Chevy.

My brother said hit the brakes to shake him. Well my power brakes worked a bit too well I slammed the brakes and he plowed into my rear end. Pretty much totaled his car.

He was not looking and tailgating. Luckily no one hurt. First and only time.

[Anonymous]

Only time I do it is when someone is practically walking the car - like going 20 miles or less on a 35 mph zone. We are both going too slow to matter and I’m at this point pissed enough to do it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:To communicate I would like to go faster.

I very rarely tailgate now, kids are teenagers so I try to emulate good driving, but I spent 4 years in Germany and this nit so subtle ‘communication’ took a while to integrate back into the terrible US driving norms.

So pull around me into the passing lane and PASS me!

Why are you tailgating me in the RIGHT lane? You can go around! Why stay behind me? The passing lane’s next to you! Use it!


Why don’t you?

OMG, THIS!!!!!

I can be somewhat sympathetic to someone tailgating on a single lane road.

But a road/highway with multiple lanes? Why????? It makes ZERO sense. They can just go around you. Why do they sit there behind you????

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I thought this was a food and sports question (exiting the thread).

+1

Same, and was very confused about why anyone would pose the question (so much fun!).

+1 same lol

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:To communicate I would like to go faster.

I very rarely tailgate now, kids are teenagers so I try to emulate good driving, but I spent 4 years in Germany and this nit so subtle ‘communication’ took a while to integrate back into the terrible US driving norms.

So pull around me into the passing lane and PASS me!

Why are you tailgating me in the RIGHT lane? You can go around! Why stay behind me? The passing lane’s next to you! Use it!


Why don’t you?

OMG, THIS!!!!!

I can be somewhat sympathetic to someone tailgating on a single lane road.

But a road/highway with multiple lanes? Why????? It makes ZERO sense. They can just go around you. Why do they sit there behind you????

Weird. I’ve only seen tailgating in the left lane. And only when there wasn’t a way around a slow POS.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Better question: what do you do to piss off the tailgater? I sometimes turn on my lights. Or slow down more.

I just keep driving as usual, it doesn't take anything more than driving the speed limit and stopping at stop signs to piss off the average tailgater.

Same. I sometimes I slow down a bit so they can pass me more easily if the road is the kind where passing can be hard.