What to do if tailgated

[Speicher]

Magnatom, and anyone else this has happened to - did you lock the car doors once you were stationary alongside him?

This would stop him dragging you out of the vehicle, if he completely "lost it". I have wondered about doing this when in congested areas, with slow moving traffic. But then are your passengers in greater danger because they cannot leave the vehicle (unless they know how to unlock the doors.) Or are you in greater danger later if there is a shunt of some kind?

 

[magnatom]

Thanks for the replies guys. Yes I think slowing down was the right thing, I just wondered what other thought. My reaction wasnt the best, it would have been better if I had a camera in the car....hmmm!

Speicher, no I didn't lock the car and I don't think I would with the kids in. What if the guy came at the car with a brick etc. I was stuck in traffic. If I felt my kids were in danger this way I would want to get out and draw him away from the car. I do have some combat training (judo black belt) but I would still try and avoid the conflict rather than be involved in one.

I feel much much safer, and much happier being on the bike!

 

[Dayvo]

I do have some combat training (judo black belt) but I would still try and avoid the conflict rather than be involved in one.

What's considered a lot of training, Mags!

We can go and look for him tomorrow evening!

The best thing to do is to just slow down and avoid any kind of communication, except possibly for a withering look and a shake of the head.

Mind you, the w@nker sign is my favourite; unfortunately it's redundant in Scandinavia as no one knows what it is!
I did it once to a driver and he naiively waved back!

 

[fossyant]

I thought the 'banker' sign was universal..but you know those Scandinavian's eh.....

Same idiots, cars or bikes on the receiving end !

 

[magnatom]

We can go and look for him tomorrow evening!

Nah, we have a date with a few beers....not too many of course!

 

[PBancroft]

I can almost guarantee that he fumed later on about the idiot who gave him a w@nker sign for no apparent reason. There may even be a post about you on some other internet forum (but I doubt it).

I've been a passenger with a couple of tailgaters, and in those cases they had no idea they were doing it. They weren't being aggressive as such, except when people didn't move into the "slow" lane when there was space to do so. If there wasn't space, they just sat on the car's arse chatting happily to me whilst I hung on for dear life.

 

[yello]

You should drive here! The French have made tailgating an art form! Not to good at overtaking but they will sit right up your ar*e for mile after mile!

Here I make my mistake and give the internantional w*nk sign. I shouldn't have, I know.

Well, as you acknowledge, not the wisest thing to do. And, in honesty, probably the action that caused him to behave like one. I do think you inflamed a bad situation and put your family at greater risk.... as much as I can understand why you did it and can genuinely sympathise.

I've said before, and I've even told myself after doing similar such things, you really have just got to let such things go.

 

[Keith Oates]

Sitting here calmly in front of the computer, I would say you should have moved over at the first convenient and safe opportunity and not have given him the sign. If I had been in your driving seat I may not have been so calm!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[MessenJah]

Release the 'device'.

 

[wafflycat]

I had this happen to me on M11, going through roadworks, single lane 40mph limit, speed cameras. I was doing just under 40 and had twunt on my tail giving oral to my car's exhaust pipe. So I just slowed down. If I had to do an emergency stop, he'd have wrecked my car at the very least, so I slowed, so that any impact was hopefully reduced. Alas there are some selfish twunts out there who don't give a toss about safety, courtesy or the law.

 

[Mr Creosote]

In this sort of instance I will slow down and maybe give the brake a 'jab' with my left foot. That is normally enough to make them back off. However, I only do this on my own what I would do if I had the family in the car I don't know.

It's interesting because I think deep down most of these people know that they are driving like pricks. By way of an example I was on the M5 and my wife was driving. A black Audi four cars in front of us wanted to get off at the next junction but he wasn't prepared to wait, so he did some lane hopping cutting up two or three cars in the process just to get that one second ahead.

He must have sensed in some way me giving him a hard stare because as he went off the exit ramp he looked back to the motorway. I indicated that he might be a bit of a Gareth Hunt to which he just flicked the 'V' to me.

 

[BentMikey]

If you were of an evil mind, just fit a towhitch and screw him one in the radiator.

 

[gambatte]

Long time since I've been on here, Hi guys!

For me, the guys behinds supposed to maintain a safe distance for the speed travelled. If he 'misjudges' that distance, I'll just downwardly adjust the speed to an appropriate level

Plus I do have the towbar....

 

[HJ]

Aye the best thing is to slow down, it give you more chance of stopping safely if you need to, and try not to spend too much time looking in the rear mirror. You know they are there, if you keep looking it just makes you more tense which doesn't help the situation. Look ahead and sure you know what is coming up so that you can avoid stopping faster than he (or she) can. Basically put you self in a position where you are in control of the situation, a bit like riding in primary...

Oh and don't loose your cool and give silly gestures...

 

[BentMikey]

I'd like an LED rear display in my car, with selectable messages. Oh and a camera too. That'll fix em!