Sometimes.

Agree with what you are saying, but one thing you learn is that the other guy is JUST as afraid your as crazy as he is. Especially as you get older.

Works like a charm.

But the better part of it all is to let it pass. That is another thing about aging, it gets easier to accept stupid things folks do from time to time.

+1 on all the above !

Nice thread! You guys ought to try driving in Atlanta! With the unenviable combination of botox-pumped airheads driving sugar-daddy-provided Benzes, former cop car crown vics turned into hoopties with 24" rims worth triple the value of the car itself, unlicensed and uninsured illegals bearing down on you in overloaded unregistered and untagged landscaping vehicles and city cops who don't realize that cars have turn indicators it is a wonder I ever let my baby out of the garage.

Ditto on the "bikes also" comment as well. I have resorted to wearing adult diapers when I venture onto the downtown connector on my bike--I am certain that I age a year for every hour spent in this ridiculous traffic nightmare.

Goes to show what happens when basic driver's ed classes are no longer required in order to get a license.

Rubber side down, boys!http://forums.pelicanparts.com/suppo...leys/pint1.gif

Don't do it, they do not care and may not even notice because they are such poor drivers. Poor driving habits are just that, poor driving habits. Nothing you do will change or educate them.

Sunday evening I had someone tailgating my 911 at 45-50 mph on a deer filled secondary road, leaving only 1 to 1-1/2 car lengths. When 10 minutes later we both caught a red light I saw an opportunity to gain a margin of safety. The light turned green and I floored it with a pretty good 0-60 time, and held it at 60 mph for a good five minutes. Their car was a tiny dot 1/2 mile behind me when I eased off the gas and shifted up into a higher cruising gear.

Sure enough, my tailgater shows up 10 minutes later, but this time maintains a 3-car length (double of before), but still too close at 50 mph, on a dark road filled with curves and deer.

We come up to the last red light before town (Dexter, MI), and the fool behind me inches up over and over to see how close they can get to me before they make contact. They did not bump me, but I do think their bumper was over mine by the time the light changed.

Moral of the story, you can shake off a tailgater for a short while, but their aggressive habits will come back, and maybe even with a vengeance.

It will never happen.

I have seen one tailgater, tailgate another tailgater. They seem to make a happy couple of fools rather than get on each other nerves. Proving to me, that tailgaters see no danger in what they are doing, and are oblivious to the dangers.

Kinda interesting thread to read. My philosophy on tailgaters behind me is "what is behind me is not important". (cannonball run I believe) I drive right lane, don't tailgart and use the fast lane to pass then back right. Served me well for 35 years and I do pass right lane also. Don't bother trying to "educate" left laners. Most other poor driving habits I observe are just lazy drivers. We as Porsche drivers are so much more involved to handle our cars safely and stay out of harms way so of course we see it all. I prefer to not be crushed by a large vehicle and get a line or two in the paper.

if i can get out of their way I do. let them run into somebody else. the worst is when you can't.
if you know the merritt parkway in connecticut, that ias a perfect example of a place that can get dicey because it is only two lanes. traffic moves along pretty good. I mean 70 to 80 in the fast lane. keep your distance and cover some ground. but no, there is always the idiot who tail gates. I wish I could as these knuckle heads where exactly they plan to go? lol.
I brake check them a little bit to see if they just lost attention. if they stay on my tail after that I know they are retarded and try not to antagonize them any more because they will more than likely do something even more stupid.
then I just flip my mirror up so I can't see them and wait for a chance to get out of the way. I do wish at times I had a coffee can full of nails to drop out the window.

This thread is giving tailgating a bad rap. I enjoy tailgating especially before a Pat's game or before a Jimmy Buffett concert (Finz Up!). Instead lets just say that the car following too close is "Drafting". :D

Rarely do I get peeved with all the 'bobo's out there but one time I had the last laugh (although I too was a 'bobo').

During a heavy morning rush hour on a multi-lane, traffic was actually running OVER the posted speed limit... all cool except for an idiot in a large truck carrying sheets of glass / windows. It was the type of truck that has racks mounted on the side and the sheet glass sits exposed in the racks.

In my rear view mirror, I could see him squezzing and weaving his way between others (no signals either) and then eventually he was on my tail.... way too close. Mind you, I was in the right lane, cruising with the flow. I continued on and then drove closer to the left lane to get a better view behind me and the 'bobo' truck driver. It seemed enough space was behind him and then when the timing was right, I dropped a gear but kept the speed, did a real hard brake check and then jumped back on the right pedal. Yea, he came close to nailing me but he swerved towards the shoulder, smoke billowing out from his now flat spotted truck tires and wishfully thinking broke up his fragile cargo. He then backed waaaaaaaay off and cars behind him began merging around him. Sure 'cracked' me up! (pun intended).

BTW: What the #uck is it with Cadillac drivers? New ones or old ones? Are turn signals an option on those rolling garbage cans? They never use a turn signal! I hate them.

My last comment on this topic:
Many years ago, I modified my Audi 5000-CS (commuter special) model. I installed an extra washer pump and resevoir in the luggage compartment, drilled a hole in the plastic rear bumper and inserted a nozzle. I'd fill the resevoir with battery acid (sulfuric). Used it often at intersections to get my squirts back at tailgaters. A new meaning to piss-off.

Okay about ten years ago I was coming up the interstate trying to pass in the left lane. It was one of those where about five cars are pretty close together but someone up the line is holding up progress. Up comes this guy, in a caddy curiously enough, and makes his headlights disappear in my rear view.
Okay, he wants to pass like all the rest of us... but the difference here is he's drinking his coffee gesturing rudely and yelling out obscenities- couldn't hear him, but he was that close that I could make out the words. He's flashing his lights and pulling up closer and backing off a little then pulling up closer. I'm thinking,"are you kidding!, can you not see the five or six cars in front of me?!?!"

Then it hit me. Time to teach this jackass some manners.

I punched the brake hard in my little beat-up-ass Toyota camry, hard. But just punched it and continued my speed.
I'm looking up in the rearview- coffee ejected (or thrown somewhere in the car), arms grabbing wildly to control the swerving, and mouth agape- eyes bulging out of their sockets, tires squealing and smoking- his car lossed about fifty feet of distance then continued in the right lane.

That lesson was for free! jerkbag!

Whoever drives slower than me is a ******* moron...............

Whoever drives faster than me is a ******* idiot............... :D

I just flip on my hazards and shut the car off. Reach out the window and wave them around, as if you're having a mechanical problem. Of course they can't get around, because they're right on your ass. And they can't back up, because of all the cars behind them. Now they have to wait for every car behind them to go around, before they can reverse, and then go around you. As soon as they do, I merrily turn the hazards off, and proceed on my way. After the second traffic light in a row, they get the "clue" and leave a nice big gap. :D

What are the dangers? Seriously, the closer the tailgater, the less impact he can have. The big problems are with the Chebby TaHoe (and such) ...driver riding behind the wheel. You can think that they have a safe distance behind you, but between that text to her BFF and those TaHoe absolute CRAP brakes... YIKES! --that's a slammer.

Close trailing distance? --As a kid, my friends and I would play bumper tag. ..meh.

From what I've seen tight tailgaters are almost always very engaged in their driving. (try driving in Rome)

So choose what to worry about. ..tailgaters aren't one of them, IMO.

The one benefit about driving at night is the moment a tailgater goes past me, the brights go on and stay on. (of course as long as nobody else is affected)

I wonder if addictionMS has the same opinion of "young kids" today as he had in 2004 (see post #75.)

I actually never get tailgated in my 911. Unless it is a Subaru blazing up behind me to prove how much faster his turbo is !! Seriously, when I drive fast on the highway which is at least 80% of the time, the cars in front of me pull over to let me by. Very nice of them.

Always depends on conditions and circumstances (with me). The notion of it pisses me off considerably and I've certainly altered my optional choices as age (wisdom and expertise) besets me.

I've always gone, first, with the visual (that is, when I can't get over quickly),..used to be the quick taps of the bake pedal. Now, I've opted to demonstrate some very quick (sometimes dramatic) left-right darts (within my lane, of course and always a sequence of 4 movements)...get her straightened back out,..then read the rearview mirror, rendering the shrugged shoulders, outreached arms and lips moving....attempting a rendition (to the Neanderthal behind me) in the form of a "question"...begging for a reconsideration of his/her ways...asking to give me time to get the F' over. I've had great results with this, especially with female Neanderthals. Unfortunately one will encounter the tetosterone-ridden male, who may persist, even after the demonstration of, both, my and the car's dislikes for their disregard. In the congested cases, I make the attempt to just get over. I used to hang the bird and then ask for an RSVP to a sidebar "discussion". These days are dangerous and unpredictable, much different than before, so "party" invitations are avoided, as best I can...........

Should there be open road, then a speed demonstration is in order, again, depending on the conditions,..then get back to normal speed and wave them around (or take the outer lane),..usually rendering a very big grin (as they pass), with the right hand pointer slowing giving them the no-no (left right finger-waving),..---it seems to go well with the big grin...sometimes I get a smile back! Imagine, a smiling Neanderthal?

One just has to be safe and try not to let the emotions overtake an intelligent, SAFE response. I think one can combine a memorable lesson to the Neanderthal with a "safe" response...I sure as hell don't lock the brakes up...

Anybody who lets me by (when driving a bit "above") always gets the peace sign in response!

Anybody who wants to have conversation (the bad kind, with the windows down, will get plenty of RUSH's "Tom Sawyer" and an inattentive (to them) Porsche driver.....Funny!

All of you: stay safe,..life is SO short,..it really isn't worth it, in the end. BUT, we all know that THAT'S easier said than done....

I really dig the swerving, in response to someone on my arse...an attention grabber, most of the time,..not always...

PEACE!!!!

Doyle

Speed

I sent a guy like you into the wall and spinning on his roof in the middle of the Southfield freeway about 25 years ago.

Come on by, I'll show you how I did it.