How to handle tailgaters?

[RJ2112]

Weaving. Riding like you are intoxicated. Drifting in your lane, like you are distracted on a cell phone.

The very sort of behavior that alerts drivers to pay extra attention to other cars, will work on them if you are the source of the communication.

Obviously, the best choice is to get the tailgater out from behind you. If you speed up, they will speed up. If you drift in your lane, they think something is wrong with you, and become concerned that you might damage their car. They will back wwwwaaaaaayyyyyyy off.

 

[Davey]

Tailgating in France seems almost part of the culture. I've seen and experienced some of the most dangerous tailgating here, both in cars and on the bike. It scares the crap out of me sometimes.

On the motorway if you pull into the outside lane to overtake, the car behind you will come screaming up, brake at the last possible second a couple of metres behind you and then get closer almost trying to push you out of the way! They are alongside you before you have even pulled back into the other lane.

Incredibly arrogant, selfish and dangerous. It's one of my biggest hates. There's such a contrast in mentality between French and English drivers, and it takes a bit of getting used to. Of course tailgating happens in the UK, but until you've driven here you don't know how good you've got it!

 

[Kazza]

Had one up my date today. I looked over my shoulder at him a few times then lightly hit the rear brake. It worked and he dropped back. If he hadn't I would have pulled off until he passed.

Not worth risking anything with those idiots.


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[Taku]

Usually when someone is trying to sniff my exhaust fumes I just briefly stand on the pegs and they will back off.

If that doesn't work I'll just pull over to let them pass.

 

[crazy dave]

If its safe to do so i usually turn around and give them one of these

 

[youngy]

There was a similar discussion on a forum I used to frequent. One guy from Arkansas or Alabama or summat said it was quite simple.................. he carried his loaded handgun on a holster on his tank and just turned and pointed it at any tailgaters. He felt it worked effectively.

 

[Kazza]

There was a similar discussion on a forum I used to frequent. One guy from Arkansas or Alabama or summat said it was quite simple.................. he carried his loaded handgun on a holster on his tank and just turned and pointed it at any tailgaters. He felt it worked effectively.

Yeah, not everyone carries a gun

 

[paper]

There was a similar discussion on a forum I used to frequent. One guy from Arkansas or Alabama or summat said it was quite simple.................. he carried his loaded handgun on a holster on his tank and just turned and pointed it at any tailgaters. He felt it worked effectively.

That's just a one way ticket to not being able to legally own a gun.. Brandishing a firearm is a felony unless someone's threatening your life, and tailgating isn't threatening your life unless they start to make contact with your bike..

Enough soapbox gun stuff..

Actually, I don't very often go slow enough to be tailgated..:BLAA:

 

[DDS]

I'm finding people a lot of people just want to see what sort of acceleration your bike is capable of.

If it's safe and a straight road i'll make some distance, and after that i'll just stick to the speed limit + 10% I haven't had anyone dangerously tailgating though. If I felt safety was a issue i'd slow down and wave him round. I'm conscience about pulling to the side giving up the dominant riding position, and keep would keep that until he made his move to overtake and then move slightly over, and also be ready for him to jam on the brakes, at the annoyance i've obviously caused him by obeying the law!

 

[Protaper48]

Was out on the bike yesterday in town and some jerk was right on my ass, speed limit was 25 and I was going around 30. I just kept going checking my mirrors frequently. Honestly I wanted to stop in the middle of the road and start screaming at the idoit but that wouldn't get me anywhere. What do I do next time?

It wont due you any good yelling at this clown. Remember he is an Idiot they don't speak the same language as you and I. Next time pull over and let this character pass.......don't worry cops will get him a nice juicy ticket now that is a language Idiots understand.:cheer:

 

[Neal]

If you don't want to drive at the other drivers speed slow down, move to the side or the road and wave for him/her to pass. Don't take it personal that you are being tailgated, the driver doesn't know you or have anything against you personally they are most likely just in a hurry.



My story of being tailgated.

I was out mountain riding on a road i know pretty well and came across a slow moving truck which I passed. After being passed the truck suddenly sped up considerably and started tailgating me.

I took first corner at a decent speed the truck managed to keep on my tail, then I took second corner deliberately slower then normal to give the driver the sense he could tail me through turns, the third turn I took much faster.

My ruse apparently worked, the truck was so intent on tailgating me he didn't think about having a reasonable entry speed for his vehicle. The truck came around the blind corner crossed half way over into the other lane tilted hard nearly on only two wheel heading towards the guard rail on the other side. After that truck slowed down and started driving back to normal again.

 

[rjo3491]

Well you could run it up to 14k in a few gears but in a 25 speed zone that may be a unwise decision. The best thing to do is pull over and let the butthead go by. Last thing you need is him on your a$$.
I used to get all uptight over people like this but now I just let them go-most of the time.

Yep, you cannot win on a bike. Piss him off and you increase your odds of getting hurt or worse. Move over, let him by and faggaboudit.

 

[mfletch69]

weaving always works for me. They are not quite sure of what you are doing and will usually back off.
If they are just assholes and keep on you....pull over if possible to let them by. shake head as they pass...OR if you are feeling sporty - use middle finger

 

[Kazza]

Be careful with the middle finger.

I did that years ago when a cyclist cut in front of my car. He was totally in the wrong and he was lucky I didn't hit him with the car.

Next set of lights - smashed my window and punched me in the head. Cops never got him, even though they staked the area out for about 4 weeks. That's why I hate people on bicycles :rant:

End of the day, you're on a bike - they can do more damage to you than you can do to them. Let them pass and get over it - safest option :thumbup:

 

[bobvilla]

Be careful with the middle finger.

I did that years ago when a cyclist cut in front of my car. He was totally in the wrong and he was lucky I didn't hit him with the car.

Next set of lights - smashed my window and punched me in the head. Cops never got him, even though they staked the area out for about 4 weeks. That's why I hate people on bicycles :rant:

You gotta realize that cyclists who ride on the main roads are almost hit or buzzed on every other ride they go on. If you think that people don't see you on a motorcycle you should try it on a bicycle. It will either scare the crap out of you or you will become the most defensive biker ever. Cagers will pass in blind turns, going completely in the other lane...it's crazy stuff sometimes. Any intersection of roads is the worst...ie driveways, joining roads, parking lots, any traffic pattern change. Anyway, just saying some people snap after awhile...no excuse but just giving some background as to why the biker may have lost it.

 

[paper]

You gotta realize that cyclists who ride on the main roads are almost hit or buzzed on every other ride they go on.

That's because something that's taking up half (or all) of a lane, and travelling at 15mph isn't a vehicle.. It's a traffic obstruction..:mikebike:

I have nothing against people on bicycles.. I do have something against stupid people who obstuct traffic, don't obey any stop signs, and cause something travelling at the speed of traffic to be forced into oncoming traffic..

Yep.. That, I have a problem with..

I know.. They don't have any place to ride.. :shakehead: I didn't design the road, but I'm travelling down it at the posted speed limit, and not obstructing anyone, or putting anyone in harm by making them change line or lane.. Bikes do, pretty much all day long..

 

[zmeiaspas]

If someone tailgates me on the highway I show them why exactly my bike > their car. If someone tailgates me in 25mph zone I let them go.

 

[cap'n]

I spend my time about 50/50 between bicycling and motorcycling, so I see this from both sides. And what I notice out on the road (and here in this forum) is that drivers see 1 or 2 cyclists do something that isn't safe, and I mean blatantly bad, and say:

"That's why I hate people on bicycles"
"Bikes do (obstructing, putting others in harm), pretty much all day long.."

Meanwhile, the other 98% of cyclists on the road quietly go about the business of trying to get from point A to point B without using gasoline, obeying traffic laws, hugging the right side of the road where all the broken glass and potholes are, so that you can not have to touch your brakes ever, for any reason. You get that, right? When someone says "and cause something travelling at the speed of traffic to be forced into oncoming traffic", nobody forced anyone into anything. What you're actually saying is "I am not willing to go from 5 over the speed limit to 5 under for 5 seconds while I pass you, so I have NO ALTERNATIVE but to swerve dangerously into oncoming traffic." Again, if some guy is taking up the full lane (which, by the way, is absolutely his legal right, even though it's usually a dumb idea and most of us don't do it out of courtesy / self preservation), then yes, you have been inconvenienced. You will probably get to that red light a quarter mile down the road a good 6 seconds later than you otherwise would've, meaning you only get to sit through 96% of the red light instead of 100%, which I can only imagine is going to get you fired at work and cause your marriage to break up.

- Bikes are allowed to take the full lane. They almost never do, for obvious reasons. But they are allowed it (in the US).

- Whoever punched Kazza is a jerk, and needed some jail time - that is inexcusable. But I strongly suspect that not every cyclist Kazza has ever passed has gone on to knock out the car window and deliver a punch... the rest of us aren't hyper-agressive jerks.

- The person on the bike is dad, a mom, etc. Most of the time I have a 2 year old between my elbows, and I'm just trying to carefully go to the store, to daycare, or to go home. If I cause you to have to touch your brakes for literally 4 seconds, and you blow your lid, you may need to take a hard look at your temper. Is 4 seconds really worth hating someone?

Sorry to get all wishywashy on you guys. Bikes have it rough, and they're doing you a serious favor - if they weren't on that bike, they'd be one more damned car in your traffic. You should be high-fiving them.

 

[cap'n]

I mean I literally regularly watch guys in cars get all pissed off and floor the gas as they pass cyclists, only to see them 1000 feet down the road stuck at the next red light. And the bikes go right past them and keep on trucking at 12 mph. I beat cars down the street all the time in Boston - it's not even difficult. So when they get all antsy about making it to the next red light 3.4 seconds quicker, I have to chuckle.

 

[Kamloops]

I am most times speeding 10 to 20 over, so if someone is tailgating me I slow down to 10 under, might as well give them a reason to tailgate me. I do that is my car, on my bike I let them pass if I can pull to the side.