I hate Tailgaters!!!
- Thread starter Mach12R
- Start date
righttoplay
Well-known member
#7 - Do a half turn and give them the 'wtf?' sign.
When you're on a bike doing anything that pisses off someone in a cage who's probably already ****** at you is unwise.
Cagers who tailgate motorcycles are inconsiderate idiots, but they're also driving a cage that can kill you in a split second if they do something dumb as a result of your response or actions. Tailgaters are bad enough, but a tailgating road rager is potentially deadly to a motorcyclist.
Swallow your pride, swear a little and call them names in your head, and then do whatever you have to do to let them by. Deep breath, smile, ride on. You might be right, but it won't matter if you're dead.
Good statement. Common sense.
You can be right or "Dead" right. You get to go home, no injuries or Funeral.
Roadghost
Well-known member
Friggin' Ontario is full of tailgaters. I find the best solution besides pulling over is to slow right down to a crawl for a long time to make it painfully obvious you know what he's doing. I never understood why people drive 12' from your rear, even when there's room to pass. I though it was because they have thick glasses and are near-sighted. Some sociopaths just like to get under people's skin.
Hope that continues to work out for you.
Yup ....I ride the two lane Capt Cook highway a few times a week and there are regular passing lanes on the twisty two lane.... otherwise it's zero passing - blind corners where I reaaaaallllly don't want tailgaters as there are pull offs for gawkers.
Australians tend not to tailgate and if a couple of braking flashes don't get the idea across.. a turn and a wtf arm out gets them 99% of the time to keep their distance the rest of the time to the passing zones which are short so requires them to come up.
One BMW driver today tho was persistently stupid and I suspect by habit trying to intimidate drivers....
In most cases it is flat out inattention ....I do think a WTF gesture gets the message across. You don't have to give them the finger just a part turn, arm out and head shake ....
Toronto is a different story ....at least there the CBF and the Vstrom have enough oomph to leave the scene if a warning brake flash doesn't work.
Riding a KLR as a "get away vehicle" nottahope.
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As we used to say, while sitting in the cruiser at the scene of a fatal. Well that driver was dead right, but now he is just dead. I move over and let them go by, no need to piss off an idiot in a cage, when your on a bike guaranteed you WILL lose every time.
StuckInWinnipeg
Member
Hate tailgaters as well, I'm sure everyone does. I won't really let my disgust with them known unless its really safe to do (like gridlocked traffic and 2 lanes over) otherwise, I just swallow my pride and do what I have to do to get them out of my life ASAP. In the city its move over and them pass or just turn off that road, on the highway its a bit more\less complicated since pulling over isn't really a good idea, but by the grace of god they still allow us to insure 1000's so creating space isn't all that hard.
If they're tailgating because they're "raging" -- you passed them too fast, you cut them off etc -- then anything other than just getting out of there (e.g. roll on the throttle and splitting lanes if necessary to put room between you and them) is asking for it, especially acts like a finger or "wtf arm" that's bound to make them even angrier.
And if they are raging because of your riding you might want to address that too
And if they are raging because of your riding you might want to address that too
If they're tailgating because they're "raging" -- you passed them too fast, you cut them off etc -- then anything other than just getting out of there (e.g. roll on the throttle and splitting lanes if necessary to put room between you and them) is asking for it, especially acts like a finger or "wtf arm" that's bound to make them even angrier.
And if they are raging because of your riding you might want to address that too
It's like the guys that have new crazy stories about almost being wiped out by some idiot every time you see them... if I happens to you that often you're either incredibly unlucky, or the idiot.
Anyway, the last time I was tailgated to a point I felt uncomfortable was ages ago. A gentle slow down/back off gesture was all it took, but he also wasn't mad at me or my riding... Situational awareness should dictate your decisions. No single solution is best.
StuckInWinnipeg
Member
The guys who always seem to a new story about some "******* driver" they ran into just help narrow down the list of who I'm willing to ride with. Most of my "issues" with other drivers have been my fault over the years, in my mind anyway. They are 3500 plus pounds, if they can't see me its my issue, not theres. Bikes are also pretty damn hard to see at times, and Canada is not exactly california with the number of bikes.
That sounds dangerous. People who tailgate know they're driving close and probably don't see anything wrong with it.
I'd say it's safer to move forward or find a gap with a bigger safety bubble. I have no proof or scientific evidence to back this up other than I'm very rarely ever tailgated on my motorbike. I never do that in my van and am tailgated on the daily.
If in heavy traffic, as NeilV said, a back off gesture usually works pretty well with out having to slow down. People are in a hurry and if you get in their way, they get even more mad.
If you meet one ***hole every day - they are the ***hole.
If you meet ten ***hole every day - YOU are the ***hole
If it's bad enough I split and get a few cars away. Especially if its some idiot in a lowered civic trying to 'race' me on the 403 at 7am. Wait for a bit of congestion and get far enough away that they can't chase
Splitting and zealous acceleration can be interpreted as "I'm going to play games in traffic. Want to play too?".
I'll turn and look at them for a second, and they usually back off then.
Otherwise, I change lanes or look for a spot to let them past; I can always use another remote radar detector ahead of me.
I'll turn and look at them for a second, and they usually back off then.
Otherwise, I change lanes or look for a spot to let them past; I can always use another remote radar detector ahead of me.
Stating the obvious but if you're in the passing lane and someone is tailgating you then move the hell over--whether you're in a car or on a bike.
While that sounds nice I don't think it's true. Driving in Toronto is a good example. Online communities are another. It might mean you are easily offended or it might just mean there are a lot of ***holes out there.
While that sounds nice I don't think it's true. Driving in Toronto is a good example. Online communities are another. It might mean you are easily offended or it might just mean there are a lot of ***holes out there.
Roadghost
Well-known member
You only do it if the guy has passing room. I'm talking the guys who sit on your bumper in the right lane with a left lane clear to pass. They do it just to be smartass jerks. I've never had a problem, they always move out and pass. As for the hotheads, they generally tailgate if they have no way out, for them you need to pull over.
