Break checking, do you know what break checking is? (first vehicle, 1975, tickets)
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I first heard of "break" (I'm assuming you intentional used the wrong word) checking back in the '70s when I first started racing motocross. It has a legitimate purpose in competition when fighting for position and is typically done only when entering a corner. Employing this technique on a straight is consider bad sportsmanship.
I didn't hear the term used for driving in a non-racing environment until decades later.
well first off, it is in fact Brake...yes....(kidding)
and 2nd, this isn't a race track nor am I racing motocross....whole different ballgame...
However, I know that my father taught me, what his dad taught him...however, perhaps way back then it different, or perhaps he taught me the wrong way, regardless...that is the way I do it...have done it for years...
no one enjoys having someone crawling up their rear while driving, especially in the dark, on a back road where deer are likely to run out in the road, (which they do) I've had a whole heard walk out in front of me, and I had stopped....fortunately, I didn't have one of those tailgaters, behind me, it is so annoying and dangerous to do...
My son and I were discussing the general fact of tailgaters, and he to said, he doesn't understand, what they are teaching people now adays, as he sees it as well. (he is a police officer) so I'm going to ask him about this...and see what he says...but rest assure, I tap my breaks lightly, I do not slam on my breaks, for goodness sakes. That would be a direct invite to hit me, and I wouldn't think of doing so....so? But it is certainly possible that times have changed things.....
rest assure, I tap my breaks lightly, I do not slam on my breaks, for goodness sakes.
Classic definition of a brake tapper. A brake checker does, indeed, stand on the brakes enough to cause his own car to slow down. The first is just annoying with a potential for being dangerous, depending on the reaction of the person behind. The second is outright dangerous, both in motorsport and real life.
As for getting rid of tailgaters, the new-age way to do that seems to be spraying windshield washer fluid. Clean your own glass and send the hint to the person behind you that (s)he is a bit too close if the spray makes its way over to his/her car. Win-win.
However, I know that my father taught me, what his dad taught him...however, perhaps way back then it different, or perhaps he taught me the wrong way, regardless...that is the way I do it...have done it for years...
no one enjoys having someone crawling up their rear while driving, especially in the dark, on a back road where deer are likely to run out in the road, (which they do) I've had a whole heard walk out in front of me, and I had stopped....fortunately, I didn't have one of those tailgaters, behind me, it is so annoying and dangerous to do...
Sometimes Dads teach us crazy dangerous stuff that should not be adopted and certainly should not be taught to our kids. For tailgaters, my Dad taught me to drop one rear wheel off into the gravel on the shoulder. It will throw a shower of gravel all over their car if they are too close. That is assuming it is not a soft shoulder that causes you to lose control of your car and end up int he trees or rolling over in a ditch.
I did that for years without thinking about how risky it is, even taught others how to do it. Then I thought about it, almost as crazy stupid as brake checking.
Tailgating has always been a problem. We had all kinds of crazy remedies. My big prother used to keep a box of fireplace ashes in the back of the station wagon. Tailgater? Mod cut..
We also use to set the passenger side windshield washer nozzle to shoot over the top of the car. You passenger window stayed dirty, but you could squirt a tailgater at will. At least that one was not so crazy dangerous stupid, just a little bit.
Last edited by PJSaturn; 03-05-2018 at 12:23 PM..
Reason: Advocating illegal activity.
In my view, Brake checking always meant checking that the brakes work. In other words, pushing the pedal enough to feel them work. Flashing the brake lights is not checking the brakes. Maybe you're checking the brake lights? When someone is following closely, you can tap the pedal and see the reflection off their car.
Coldjensens Sometimes Dads teach us crazy dangerous stuff that should not be adopted and certainly should not be taught to our kids. For tailgaters, my Dad taught me to drop one rear wheel off into the gravel on the shoulder. It will throw a shower of gravel all over their car if they are too close. That is assuming it is not a soft shoulder that causes you to lose control of your car and end up int he trees or rolling over in a ditch.
so that's why people do that to me? LOL, just kidding, actually "WOW"
I did that for years without thinking about how risky it is, even taught others how to do it. Then I thought about it, almost as crazy stupid as brake checking.
yeah, and there are tons of really crazy people out there,, they could have stopped and given you a real hard time....
Mod cut.
Quote:
We also use to set the passenger side windshield washer nozzle to shoot over the top of the car. You passenger window stayed dirty, but you could squirt a tailgater at will. At least that one was not so crazy dangerous stupid, just a little bit.
yes, just enough to let them know....right?
Last edited by PJSaturn; 03-05-2018 at 12:23 PM..
Reason: Orphaned (reply to comment which has been deleted).
In my view, Brake checking always meant checking that the brakes work. In other words, pushing the pedal enough to feel them work. Flashing the brake lights is not checking the brakes. Maybe you're checking the brake lights? When someone is following closely, you can tap the pedal and see the reflection off their car.
Hah, well that makes me angry, who in the world do they think they are, did they get their licenses from Pep boys? How idiotic....
We had a snow storm out here in PA, and you wouldn't believe the crazy stories I'm hearing about how stupid people drive....unreal....
when I lightly tap my breaks, and I say, Lightly it isn't anything like that, but I will tell you this, I had some smart arse following me so close, I couldn't see his headlights???? And he gave me the finger....I swear, where is a cop when you need them?
and this my friends, is why you have traffic pileups, b/c of tail gaters...they are so rediculously stupid....and endanger not only their own lives but the lives of others and don't care.
Brake/tap checking should be illegal when someone is close behind you since nothing, nothing good could result out of it.
Most likely results into an accident and at least infuriating all the drivers behind you.
I've seen people being cutoff and run off the road for brake/tap checking others.
When you do that, you show how egotistic you are and ask for troubles while being responsible for creating accidents!
I'm positive lives have been lost because someone choose to be above everybody else and police the road.
It happen to me when an idiot was driving 65 in a 70 MPH zone on passing left line for miles and I was behind him with an 18 wheeler on my right and lots of cars behind me while no car in front of him.
At some point the idiot slammed the brakes which forced me to brake hard (road was wet) as well. It was a miracle I did not end up under the big trailer but I'm sure people behind were not happy (hope nobody was hurt)...
Brake/tap checking should be illegal when someone is close behind you since nothing, nothing good could result out of it.
Most likely results into an accident and at least infuriating all the drivers behind you.
I've seen people being cutoff and run off the road for brake/tap checking others.
When you do that, you show how egotistic you are and ask for troubles while being responsible for creating accidents!
I'm positive lives have been lost because someone choose to be above everybody else and police the road.
It happen to me when an idiot was driving 65 in a 70 MPH zone on passing left line for miles and I was behind him with an 18 wheeler on my right and lots of cars behind me while no car in front of him.
At some point the idiot slammed the brakes which forced me to brake hard (road was wet) as well. It was a miracle I did not end up under the big trailer but I'm sure people behind were not happy (hope nobody was hurt)...
oh I see, and the person running up your butt at 45 55 MPH isn't egotistical....sorry dude, and you thought by tail gating you'd make him go faster....? and you call him the idiot....if you were going 65 or 70 MPH, you could have taken your time, backed off, etc....what, you think you own the road, and everyone should do to please you? you should have never been tailgating and if a cop had seen you, you would have gotten a ticket....now, I'm not at all for slamming on my breaks, but I will blink my lights if someone is that stupid to drive that closely behind me.
what if a deer had run out in front of him? And btw, you hit him your at fault for driving so closely behind.
People driving like you should be fined heavily, and loose your license, that to me is putting someone else's life in danger.
Regardless of your choice of terminology. Causing your brake lights to come on for no reason but to scare the guy behind you and possibly cause him to jam the brakes in a panic is dangerous and foolish. He does not know what you are doing. HE sees your brake lights suddenly come on for no apparent reason. Are you slamming to s stop? Did a deer jump out in front of you? He is most likely to hit his brakes hard and likely lose control, or cause the person behind him to hit him (or someone further back). You can claim well it is not my fault he was so stupid, but the reality is, it was your fault. You caused it by doing something unnecessary without thinking about the consequences. Call it brake checking, brake lighting, brake tapping, brake light testing, it really does not matter. It is still foolish and can get you a ticket and potentially civil liability. It serves no purpose, accomplishes nothing. There are sensible ways to deal with the problem without putting anyone in danger.
I hate tailgating with a passion. I see it as a personal threat to my safety and the safety of my passengers. To me it is akin to pointing a gun at me. Still I do not react to it by trying to injure or kill someone. If someone pulls a gun or knife on you in a bar, do you punch them, whip out a gun of your own and blast away wildly shooting all the other patrons and getting shot yourself, or do you try to get them calmed down, try to get away, or otherwise diffuse the situation with no one getting hurt?
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so that's why people do that to me? LOL, just kidding, actually "WOW" 
