getting what they give, tailgaters

[addictionMS]

I am all for that, wave thanks (can't tell you how many time I have smacked my hand on the windoe trying to wave only to find out the window is up ), use turn sigals, let people who are walking have the right of way ( after all you are sitting on your ass and only have to move a foot to slow or stop), enjoy the journey, and above all flash other porsches even if they don't flash back.


which gets me to another question, why do I feel compelled to trot across a street if someone is kind enought to let me cross? I know I always find it funny when other trot across when I stop for them, I was trying to be kind, instead I seem to force them to run. But I do it too, so I understand, but I don't get it. Iguess it is kindness being returned.


Jim

[porschenut]

Originally posted by addictionMS
which gets me to another question, why do I feel compelled to trot across a street if someone is kind enought to let me cross? I know I always find it funny when other trot across when I stop for them, I was trying to be kind, instead I seem to force them to run. But I do it too, so I understand, but I don't get it. Iguess it is kindness being returned.

That's exactly what it is Jim. When a driver extends courtesy for you to cross, you feel compelled to repay the courtesy by moving quickly and not holding him up longer than necessary.

I have found exactly the same thing to work on the highway. When I was a lot younger I used to tailgate very closely behind another car in the left lane so they would get the message to move over. Usually they did, but I got a dirty look and often they took their merry time doing it. Now I keep a respectful distance and they move over MUCH quicker. Trust me, they see you just fine and they know what you want. You don't have to fill up their mirror to let them know you want to pass.

Courtesy begets courtesy folks. There will always be rude drivers, but a lot of rude driving is done by otherwise courteous people who are badgered into rudeness by the actions of others. If you don't give them a reason to be rude, you'll find that driving will be a lot less frustrating. I did, and it took me a lot of years to figure it out.

[gerry100]

Great thread and enjoyable reading.

Two tailgater coping methods not mentioned-

- If they are close and it is daytime, turn on your headlights. You don't slow down, but they see red lights come on and react just like they are brakelights.

- If you are in the twisties and some nitwit is playing " look at me I keeping up with the Porsche'. Just slowly keep turning up the wick letting him stay close and build his confidence.

When a nice corner appears, demonstrate why we autocross and track Pcars and not Ram1500s.

Don't forget to look in the rearview to see the flying elbows.

[crashmy911]

Usually I take the next corner at a speed that I think they wont make it. When they **** themselves they stay away from my rear from there on out!!

[84toy]

The windshield squirters work great on the tailgater. I have been doing that for years. I just turn on the juice without the wipers and let it go over the top of the car and if you watch, soon they will have their wipers on and you get a good chuckle without causing an accident. This works especially great for the driver of the real nice car behind you and they will immediately brake to avoid getting anything on their car.

Now I don't agree with the comments that people do not treat you differently with the P-Car. Since I bought mine 6 months ago, I have had more people try to race me than you can imagine. They just figure if they can keep up with a 911 they must have a pretty cool car. You just have to grit your teeth and ignore it.

[autobonrun]

but a couple years ago, a group of teens in a van was tailgaiting me for about 1/2 mile and would not pass even when I moved and gave them the opportunity. So with my lights on dim I sped up to about 45mph then moved to a left turn lane without signaling. Directly ahead was a median with plants, shrubs, trees, the whole nine yards, probably 6 or 8 inches high. Sure enough they stay behind me when I suddenly pop the steering wheel, make a 90 degree and accelerate into a shopping center parking lot. Direct hit. They ended up high sided on the median, smoke, sparks and steam everywhere. Kinda cruel but if you want to play, plan to pay.

[1980 911 sc]

We live in a world with no respect for others and since people view cars as a great equalizer, everyone who is tired of being pushed around thinks they have the right to finally push back in thier car...

A true story, I was on my way to work on the PA turnpike when a guy in the left lane was doin 10 under the speed limit. I go to pass in the slow lane after flashing Hbeams once and waiting a bit; and he speeds up and flips me off. Because there is traffic I have to let off and get behind him, where he slows back down to 10 under the limit. I get past him on the third pass, cursing, but not outward aggresive gestures as my wife is also in the car. this is very good for me as I feel he is threatening my familys life by doing this. after I get by he follows me from a distance (over a 100 yards back). 10 miles later I get off the exit and go to pay the toll when he jumps out of the car and come to the window yelling and pointing. I am a hair over 6'4" and keep my weight around 300, ok 310 in December. As his pointing finger enters my car I reach out grab him by his button collar and slam his body into the side of my Aurora 3 times. I can see his head bouse off the roof a few times throught the sunroof glass and then grab his neck and pin his head to the roof of my car. I can see the look on his face now, which was terror. He reaches into his pocket for his swiss army knife. I see this and let go and step on the gas and stop the car 20 down the tool both lane. At this point I am enrage to the point I want to kill this guy. I jump out yelling I am gunno stick that pen knife up... well anyway he runs back to his car...


Now I say this, why is it the person who would never butt in line at say the supermarket or movies, because they would have to actually explain thier actions, is willing to cut you off on a whim on the highway... I think it is because ultimately they are not finacially liable, i.e., in PA you must pay EXTRA to the insurance companies for the RIGHT to sue them personally...


Well anyway, I still wonder how many years it will take till I can have the mind to just drive away, for that I am guilty...

[markwemple]

What I think is the real heart of the problem is lack of personal accountability. People don't have to come face to face with you to act like a jerk in the car. A driver's license should be a privilage and one should have to work to keep it. Our country has been in a downward spiral in regard to accountability, morals and behavior towards others. I'll never be ceased in amazement at how often I remind people to do unto others, just after some jerk has pulled one. As a judge recently said, two wrongs don't make a right. Problem is, once we reach the golden age of 16, we forget (I'm guilty too). We need to start by electing law makers that get it and follow up by doing it ourselves. This has nothing to do with church or anything, just good common sense and humanity.

[Bob's Flat-Six]

Originally posted by 1980 911 sc

Well anyway, I still wonder how many years it will take till I can have the mind to just drive away, for that I am guilty... [/B]

From the mid 40's on up you'll start to chill because you won't want to waste the energy

[RSBob]

As a 20 and 30 year old, I tailgated to give people the message to move over. They either moved over because they had a clue, or flipped me off, and eventually moved over. I just thought they were jerks for slowing me in the fast lane. In my 40s I learned that getting worked up over slower drivers wasn't really worth it and realized I wasn't saving that much time anyway by tailgating and sprinting. Now I just bide my time, sometimes flash my 100 Watt highbeams, and will usually just blast by them on the right when there is an opening. How ever, last week there was an exception where a woman in a Civic on a cell phone drove 5 MPH below the speed limit for 7 miles on a 2 lane windy road with a double yellow and no place to pass. Since this road is out in the country, 99% of people drive it at 10-15 MPH over. I was ready to spit nails by the time I could finally get around her and saw her talking on her phone wildy gesturing. I took me a half hour to calm down. Hang up and drive, damn it!

[GSpreeman]

Tailgaters here in NJ are all over the place. What's better, last summer I was on I-80 and was in the far left lane. I had to get over to the right to make an exit. So, of course there is a jerk in a van right next to me. I speed up, he speeds up, I slow down, he slows down. Finally I look up to give him a "what in the F*** do you think you're doing look" and here he is in his 1980's van giving me a thumbs up admiring my car. I acknowledge, he lets off gas, I punch it over to the right somewhere between the road rage and humbled exits.

[DavidI]

On the freeway I like to pace the car next to me when I get tailgated. Keeping right beside another car keeps the idiot from getting past me. Should they come up alongside me, I smile and wave as the happy go lucky guy that I am. It pisses them off more than flipping them off or yelling at them. Kill 'em with kindness.

David

[kach22i]

I posted the thread as seen below before I read this thread. Great thread guys, I enjoyed it very much. Now back to figuring out that windshield washer thing.

A dangerous woman

[kach22i]

Okay, just one more story from me. Picture a 1985 diesel Golf doing the highway speed limit, and a tail-gating Ford Escort that bumps you so hard that you lose your steering for a moment.

He is following so close you can not get over, and he is going to bump you again.

You tap the brakes as he hits you. This time he is the one that loses steering, drifts into the freeway divider and flips over.

As his car slides on it's roof, it begins to spin, you see the look of terror on his face as the Southfield freeway traffic bears down upon him.

I wanted to get to class on time to take my calculus exam, so I kept on driving, after all pleanty of people would be stoping to help him.

[911Rob]

If you tailgate me you're gonna see brake lights until you back off or my car is stopped in the road and I'm coming out the door for you! EVERYTIME! especially when driving the Porsche.

I don't tailgate; if someone is holding me up in the fast lane, I'll flash 'em, but never tailgate. I also never finger anyone, ever.
If someone comes up behind me quickly, I'll pull over as soon as possible to let them by muttering something about them being better than my valentine.

I could care less about etiquette, I'm 6'4", 240Lbs and Irish raised in the 60's and influenced by Uncles raised in the 50's. Mess with me and your gonna get hit in the head. If you've got the guts to hit me back, I'll probably just smile. 'Rage', ya I've got rage.

Same goes for guys who leave their high beams on after I've passed them....... brakelights until they're off.

[Danimal16]

Some folks flick buggers, I flick pennies.

[84porsche]

Some folks flick buggers, I flick pennies.

so you are giving them your 2 cents.

[Wilhelm]

Friend of mine in college days had a rusty Ford Econoline van. That van just happened to have a perfectly placed rust hole in the drivers side floor pan. He always carried a container of BB's and would dump a few BB's out the rust hole in the floor pan when someone was following to close. Worked every time when I was riding with him and witnessed it !

[porschenut]

Originally Posted by Wilhelm

Friend of mine in college days had a rusty Ford Econoline van. That van just happened to have a perfectly placed rust hole in the drivers side floor pan. He always carried a container of BB's and would dump a few BB's out the rust hole in the floor pan when someone was following to close. Worked every time when I was riding with him and witnessed it !

Great idea! Next time you do this, it will be a guy who just got laid off, his bank just foreclosed on his mortgage, and his wife just took the kids and left him. He'll already be pissed off and distraught over his troubles, and he'll have a .45 caliber Smith and Wesson sitting on the seat next to him. Guess who's going to have a bad day when those BBs hit his windshield?

To all: next time someone tailgates you and you feel like "getting them back", think about how many crazy idiots are out there with guns and are in dire straits. Do you really want to risk pissing off the WRONG GUY?

Stay out of their way and don't provoke them further. Try to teach someone else a lesson, and you're likely to get taught one yourself. With tragic consequences.

[Wilhelm]

Originally Posted by porschenut

Great idea! Next time you do this, it will be a guy who just got laid off, his bank just foreclosed on his mortgage, and his wife just took the kids and left him. He'll already be pissed off and distraught over his troubles, and he'll have a .45 caliber Smith and Wesson sitting on the seat next to him. Guess who's going to have a bad day when those BBs hit his windshield?

To all: next time someone tailgates you and you feel like "getting them back", think about how many crazy idiots are out there with guns and are in dire straits. Do you really want to risk pissing off the WRONG GUY?

Stay out of their way and don't provoke them further. Try to teach someone else a lesson, and you're likely to get taught one yourself. With tragic consequences.

Roger that. I wouldn't recommend the BB's method that my college friend used over 40 yrs ago. Things were different then for sure. It was amusing at the time.
Might have a not so amusing outcome in the world we live in today.