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Old 05-26-2010, 10:31 AM
 
Location: Raleigh, NC
12,475 posts, read 32,191,857 times
Reputation: 9450

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Quote:
Originally Posted by Sayantsi View Post
Technically you should be checking your rear view mirror every 5 seconds or so - as well as looking ahead and checking both your side mirrors - that is good situational awareness and is good driving behavior because you are keeping yourself abreast of conditions all around you. Your eyes shouldn't rest on any one spot for more than a second unless you need to assess something - next time you get in the car, pay attention to whether or not you're staring at stuff or looking all around you.

Too many people "zone out" and stare ahead down the road, or even worse, down the hood of the car, and become situationally unaware of what is going on around them. Don't get me started on attention-robbing activities such as talking, eating, reading, or worse! These people don't see cars behind them, or next to them, or the red light up ahead, and end up reacting poorly to a surprise situation. Fact is, when you are moving two-three tons of metal down the road at speed, you should be aware of everything around you.
Of course! I should have used a . My point is this...if you are FIXATED on the car that you THINK is tailgating you, your attention is diverted from what IS around you and your blood pressure is going through the roof, which isn't the best for YOU or the passengers in your car!

Vicki

 
Old 05-26-2010, 10:43 AM
 
3,743 posts, read 13,670,566 times
Reputation: 2787
Quote:
Originally Posted by VickiR View Post
Of course! I should have used a . My point is this...if you are FIXATED on the car that you THINK is tailgating you, your attention is diverted from what IS around you and your blood pressure is going through the roof, which isn't the best for YOU or the passengers in your car!

Vicki
Excellent point. The fact is, there are "bad" drivers everywhere - some people think others are too slow, some people think others are speed maniacs. There's nothing you can do about, but take your ego out of the equation and let faster traffic by, and get past slow traffic as quickly and eventlessly as you can. No one gets a prize for holding up traffic, cutting people off or speeding past the most cars, so there's no point in trying to do any of that.

Pay attention, respect others, and go about your way. Too many times people feel they have to intervene in other's drives and that just leads to hurt feelings and higher blood pressure on a good day.
 
Old 05-26-2010, 10:52 AM
 
1,424 posts, read 5,329,134 times
Reputation: 1961
OP, I completely agree with you. I encounter tailgaters almost every time I am on I-40 and it scares the heck out of me. I don't play power games with tailgaters (although sometimes I feel like "showing them"), I just get over into another lane as soon as safely possible. But for that time while I'm stuck with nowhere to go and a car/truck on my butt, it's very scary. I may wave at them to back off, which has worked on occasion, but usually I focus on finding a safe place to move to. And it's scary to me to see a tailgater tailing someone in front of me as well. I keep back a safe distance when I see this in case they crash. I learned long ago not to angrily communicate with them (we got bumped repeatedly and ultimately shot at after I "communicated" displeasure to the maniac behind us).

I hate tailgaters. If anyone knows of a *number to dial to report maniac drivers, I would like to know also.
 
Old 05-26-2010, 10:56 AM
 
Location: Marlborough, MA
871 posts, read 3,014,421 times
Reputation: 958
I feel bad for Happy Tees, the OP, because I, too, am ultra-super-sensitive to tailgaters and other aggressive driving behaviors. At the risk of alienating other C-D members, I'm gonna tell it like it is, and shed some of my personal light on the subject.

I drove from the ages of 16 1/2 to 45 primarily in and around the city of Boston, a city with a reputation for aggressive drivers. Some of it's earned, but exaggerated. I got into nasty tiffs with bully drivers on occasion and it shouldn't be dismissed as a macho thing or an unwise behavior, just like that <snap>. A little deeper thinking on the subject will allow that we are all conditioned to wait our turn and be courteous in our dealings with people, right from around nursery school. It should basically be part of your nature unless you have a gene which causes anti-social, aggressive behavior, which should be arrested in youth, but somehow many bullies fall through the cracks and turn into less-than-decent adults.

To elaborate on my point, I was bullied for a time in my youth, from about the age of 8 until 11 or so. Not constantly, but by a sub-group of schoolmates who followed a lout who made them feel safe. I deeply and profoundly resented and rebelled against the awful feelings being bullied instilled in me. Eventually, my WWII veteran Dad and others, through their words and actions, guided me to always stand my ground against bullies and defend myself and others from predatory behavior. Unfortunately, I will admit to overstepping appropriate responses to bully stimuli and I have lashed out accordingly. I strongly believe that there is a difference between a bully who constantly tries to victimize others, and someone who quietly (or otherwise) puts them on their back. Louis L'Amour novels are full of the type I describe. Our modern military is full of these people.

Being tailgated on the road, when you are already meeting or slightly exceeding the speed limit, and you're travelling in the only lane available in your direction (which the OP clearly indicated) is uncalled for. I no more accept someone riding my tail on the road as I would in line at the bank or at the supermarket checkout. In my personal viewpoint, the more leeway these jerks are allowed the more it reinforces their commitment to be jerks to those they feel are beneath them. They feed on weakness. They LOVE when people move out of their way and bow to them.

In Apex one night, on a dark 2-lane road, in a 45 zone, and at or slightly above the limit, a Harley came roaring up behind me and my family and rode me insanely close for a mile before finally passing. He must have been oblivious the the fact that one touch of my brakes and he was roadkill. Also, oddly enough, I find that most of the tailgating, weaving, no-distance-judging drivers are younger girls and soccer moms. They are frighteningly casual about harm to life and limb. There are others, too, to be sure.

So, take it as one may, being descended from Celts/Nordics/Saxons and so on, and a product of my somewhat fisticuff-burnished lifestyle growing up, I feel well within my comfort zone getting out of my vehicle to straighten out a rude bozo. Done it before, and will likely do it again. I have no fear, and, maybe in the eyes of some, no brains.

But I will not let the bullies win without a fight.

Gotta run, late for therapy session........
 
Old 05-26-2010, 11:04 AM
 
Location: Hillsborough, NC
34 posts, read 102,231 times
Reputation: 25
Here are helpful tips on dealing with aggressive drivers, importantly as people have mentioned - do not challenge them and get out of the way:
Traffic Law Enforcement: Aggressive Drivers

And I found this, but cannot confirm that the number is still actively maintained:
Citizens may report crashes, drunk drivers, stranded motorists or other highway situations to the Highway Patrol by dialing *HP (*47) on their cellular telephones. This is a toll free call that connects the caller with the nearest Highway Patrol communications center.
I found this mentioned on a NCHP press release from 2005:
http://www.nccrimecontrol.org/NewsRe...SHP/easter.htm
and also in a WRAL story from 1999:
Study Ranks North Carolina Seventh in Aggressive Driving Deaths :: WRAL.com

but I don't see anything in doing a search on the current NCHP website, they have a webpage on aggressive driving here, but strangely no mention of *HP:
NC Department of Crime Control and Public Safety

Anyone know if *HP still gets you to the highway patrol?

If you're on local/back roads, though, check with your local municipality, they may have a separate number set up.
 
Old 05-26-2010, 11:15 AM
 
Location: Hillsborough, NC
34 posts, read 102,231 times
Reputation: 25
Quote:
Originally Posted by eloyfan View Post
So, take it as one may, being descended from Celts/Nordics/Saxons and so on, and a product of my somewhat fisticuff-burnished lifestyle growing up, I feel well within my comfort zone getting out of my vehicle to straighten out a rude bozo. Done it before, and will likely do it again. I have no fear, and, maybe in the eyes of some, no brains.
I've got some similar genetics working for me, but must have gotten the pansy genes. I subscribe to the mantra "he who runs away lives to fight another day."

The problem I see is when you get out of your car, he's still in his car. My math is:
1 Raging Lunatic + 1 Car >> 1 Proud Celt/Nordic/Saxon
Whether it encourages the behavior or not, I'd just rather get home safely and hug my girls. Though I might slow down to watch you straighten out a soccer mom...
 
Old 05-26-2010, 11:15 AM
 
305 posts, read 766,778 times
Reputation: 194
eloyfan, do you carry a gun? I don't like them, personally, but many people do carry them and the person you get out to confront may well carry one, so unless you want to get into a shootout I don't recommend getting out of your car.

At least Raleigh driving isn't as bad as Los Angeles driving! I lived out there for a brief time and have friends who still live there.

I have one friend in LA who is a horrible driver (hated riding with her) and she was tailgating one time (I'm sure she was too close) and she flipped her lights at the guy in front to try to tell him to move over or go faster. He rolled down the window and showed her his gun and she backed off pretty quickly. (Note, that I am DEFINITELY not advocating brandishing a weapon to get people to back off. Could easily backfire if the guy in the other car has a gun, too.)

The other LA story I have is from my cousin who was doing the tourist thing with her family. They were traveling in two cars down the freeway and I believe they got stuck in an infamous LA traffic jam. My cousin's teenage son (mouthful of braces) rolled down the window and stuck out his head to yell at the other car in their caravan (his mom, I think). Someone in a different car thought he was yelling at them and pulled their car up next to his and punched him straight in the mouth (with all those braces).

So, I don't yell at other drivers unless I've got the windows rolled up and they can't hear!

I'm not aware of any special number that you can call to report tailgating, but I guess you could dial *HP or whatever the Highway Patrol number is.
 
Old 05-26-2010, 11:45 AM
 
44 posts, read 87,842 times
Reputation: 34
I should just get a bumper sticker, "I BEAT THE S**T OUT OF TAILGATERS" That should keep things in check. BTW, for the ones who fear how safe I am, it's a joke. Trust me though, I am not afraid of who's behind the wheel when I see a nose picking, total crusty dweeb driving a Kia as the typical tailgater. Guy probably rushing home to have a date with himself by himself. Probably peed in his Jockys when he saw a 5'10 woman in heels coming at him. Probably never been so close to a woman.
 
Old 05-26-2010, 12:14 PM
 
Location: Marlborough, MA
871 posts, read 3,014,421 times
Reputation: 958
Quote:
Originally Posted by HappyTees View Post
I should just get a bumper sticker, "I BEAT THE S**T OUT OF TAILGATERS" That should keep things in check. BTW, for the ones who fear how safe I am, it's a joke. Trust me though, I am not afraid of who's behind the wheel when I see a nose picking, total crusty dweeb driving a Kia as the typical tailgater. Guy probably rushing home to have a date with himself by himself. Probably peed in his Jockys when he saw a 5'10 woman in heels coming at him. Probably never been so close to a woman.

I am going to plan a Meetup of Triangle Tailgater Trouncers. Who will join me?

p.s. pancho, I do not carry a gun with me, because of my temper. I know better. I can also add that my 5'4", 115 pound Italian wife is more brazen than I. She once tore out of the car to confront a punk who whacked her van with a key ring before I could even shift into park. The look on his face was priceless. So, I feel safer carrying my wife with me.

HappyTees and others: The local police will not mind a bit if you dial 911. Road rage is an emergency. Just call it, tell the dispatcher your location (town) and they will patch you through to the SHP or local police. I have done it several times, and gotten a drunk driver off the road at 7:40 a.m. while staying on the line and relaying my location. The local PD was waiting for us.
 
Old 05-26-2010, 12:58 PM
 
Location: Morrisville
1,168 posts, read 2,499,554 times
Reputation: 1115
the *HP still works. I witnessed an accident on 147 not too long ago and reported the location to the SHP using that number.
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