Confronting Tailgaters

[ginkster]

Hey all,


First proper post but thought I'd gage your thoughts on tailgaters. Tonight I had a confrontation with one, He pulled over, as did I to have words after I let him pass, it did escalate to the point where he had his fist up in the air about to punch me (or at least my helmet) which I invited him to do calmly before calling him a c**t, I was a bit mad with how he was accusing me of being reckless for touching my brakes to try and get him to back off, even though he said through gritted teeth and anger how he wasn't anywhere close to me. How do you deal with them? Usually I just let them go by with my arm in the air but this guy was asking for a talking to.


Maybe I should invest in a GoPro or something.

[alexanderfitu]

I have front and rear cameras on my bikes and cars for this reason.

However, I used to get VERY angry with tailgaters, and at points (in the car) used to slow to a crawl if they insisted on doing it in the slow lane where I had no where else to go.

However now, I do my best to get them away from my arse, so either change lanes, or something like that. Let them crash into somebody else.

[ginkster]

I would usually change lane to let them pass but this was a single road that goes from 50 - 30, think he got madder when I went to 30 as most people speed through this section. What a nob. Like I said, most times I just ignore them and let them go by but sometimes I just can't let it go.

What cameras do you have?

[stevierst]

I wave the buggers back if I'm on the bike, it normally works, or just accelerate away from them.
 If I'm in the car, they can crash into the back of me if they like, my extended tow bar and rear door mounted spare wheel will wreck any normal car, then they can pay for the damage to mine

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[alexanderfitu]

I would usually change lane to let them pass but this was a single road that goes from 50 - 30, think he got madder when I went to 30 as most people speed through this section. What a nob. Like I said, most times I just ignore them and let them go by but sometimes I just can't let it go.

What cameras do you have?

Its a real pain. I have once done as Stevierst did and slowed down and waved at them, they got the message.


I have these: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/120-HD-720P-MINI-DVR-ACT20-Waterproof-Bullet-Helmet-Camera-Motorcycle-Bike-Cam-/290789597574?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item43b4692186


Wired into the ignition system, the rear one is under neath my top box mount. The front one is behind the front screen. I will be doing a fotifixes write up on them soon. They record in a loop onto 32gb sd cards.


Whilst I like the tow bar idea, I wouldnt want them smashing into my car either! Its worth more to me in sentiment, than the insurance company will pay

[ginkster]

I wave the buggers back if I'm on the bike, it normally works, or just accelerate away from them.
 If I'm in the car, they can crash into the back of me if they like, my extended tow bar and rear door mounted spare wheel will wreck any normal car, then they can pay for the damage to mine

I do try the accelerate thing but there was a car in front. I reckon a Tow Bar to the head would have been more efficient on this guy[size=78%] [/size]

Its a real pain. I have once done as Stevierst did and slowed down and waved at them, they got the message.


I have these: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/120-HD-720P-MINI-DVR-ACT20-Waterproof-Bullet-Helmet-Camera-Motorcycle-Bike-Cam-/290789597574?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item43b4692186


Wired into the ignition system, the rear one is under neath my top box mount. The front one is behind the front screen. I will be doing a fotifixes write up on them soon. They record in a loop onto 32gb sd cards.


Whilst I like the tow bar idea, I wouldnt want them smashing into my car either! Its worth more to me in sentiment, than the insurance company will pay

I drive the A14 to Cambridge every morning so know about asshole drivers.


They look to be a good cheaper alternative to GoPros, they ok in  the rain? A tow bar on a bike wouldn't work to well I reckon :P

[alexanderfitu]

Yeah they are pretty good, I had to hack the back cover so that the usb cable could connect whilst It was screwed on, but it works well. For the price cant go wrong really.

[spoonlamp]

Yeah they are pretty good, I had to hack the back cover so that the usb cable could connect whilst It was screwed on, but it works well. For the price cant go wrong really.

Don't suppose you have any footage you can share? This looks like a tempting cheap option...

[alexanderfitu]

Yeah they are pretty good, I had to hack the back cover so that the usb cable could connect whilst It was screwed on, but it works well. For the price cant go wrong really.

Don't suppose you have any footage you can share? This looks like a tempting cheap option...

ermmmm, I need to take the sd card out of them, I will try and do it tomorrow but im doing the drop links on my car, so if I get a chance.

[ChristoT]

One rather dubious trick that I (and others, who will remain nameless) enjoy is kill switch backfiring.

A guy was tailgating a few days back, so I gave him the "treatment".  Slowing down for a junction, I hit the killswitch, and engine braked on the dead engine (has the same effect as usual, but the fuel goes into the downpipe and does not ignite). Then, when you've reached the desired speed, hit the killswitch to live again. If done long enough / properly, the result is a 20 / 30cm jet of flame aimed at their windscreen, and a sound like a gunshot going off!!

The driver backed off... 

[glynblue2]

I had a guy cut me up once when he overtook me quite deliberately blew my horn flashed my lights he stops i stopped he come walking towards me asking me what my fucking problem was replied not as big as yours and laid him out in the middle of the road ..end of story,,yes its all true,mate said all i saw was your shoulder move,game over,went home ...

[DryRob]

qualité, je fais une habitude d'ignorer la cloche se termine

[ChristoT]

qualité, je fais une habitude d'ignorer la cloche se termine

Nice try,but I don't really think "la cloche se termine" quite works!! 

[Bracechenko]

I had a guy cut me up once when he overtook me quite deliberately blew my horn flashed my lights he stops i stopped he come walking towards me asking me what my fucking problem was replied not as big as yours and laid him out in the middle of the road ..end of story,,yes its all true,mate said all i saw was your shoulder move,game over,went home ...

Love that! BOOM!!

[ponkster]

I work on the assumption that everyone on the roads is an idiot so when some one proves otherwise its a pleasant surprise !


Its a bad move to try and change someone else's bad driving - it tends to piss people off and make the situation worse - just stop spending  you time looking at him in you mirror ( and not the idiots in front of you) and they will pass you soon - normally at the worst overtaking point you can think of!


No point getting mad about it - it just ruins your day and makes you die younger than you should - chill!

[ponkster]

..... or you could just shoot them in the face!

[stevierst]

Christo, I love it! Does this work on all bikes? (fz1 owner?)

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[richfzs]

Think the fuel injection on the fz1 might stop it working? (as it'll stop fuelling, with the switch off)

Only one way to find out :-)

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[Jacko]

Kill switch trick, as fun as it is, can burn out your exhaust valves,
all things in moderation.

Careful confronting others, you may meet Glynblue2

[Dead Eye]

Christo, I love it! Does this work on all bikes? (fz1 owner?)

Sent from my HTC One X using Tapatalk 2

Killswitch backfire only works on carbed bikes unfortunately

[sure2ride]

It's a pain in the arse, but IMHO it's best to stick to the limit and ignore them. When they eventually overtake, which they probably will, stay away from them. As a mate of mine says, just keep out of their danger zone, which basicall means, keep away from them without putting yourself in danger or breaking the law. It's hard not to get the red mist when you see these tw**ts, but best to leave em alone and hope one day the'll get their cummupance. If I see a safe place to pull over and slow down I just let the tw**ts overtake, if not, they can wait. I pay my road tax same as they do.

[pilgrim]

In the car on motorways etc just get out of the way asap. on normal single lane roads, slow down to exactly the speed limit. Fuck 'em.
On the bike, I find the 'Wits Weave ' always works a treat as they have absolutely no dea what the fuck you are doing, and crap themselves
(For those who dont know, the Wits Weave is that slow swooping tyre warming thing that some plonkers who think they are on a race track do on the road. As parodied by a piss taking bloke from Wigan who is sadly no longer with us. )

[Chillum]

"Wits weave" aka chasing snakes. It works well on minor roads, less so on the motorways, but then you have other options.

I used to keep losing my spare nuts and bolts out of my pocket when people were tailgating me (assuming they didn't back off after the first warning).

[spoonlamp]

For those who dont know, the Wits Weave is that slow swooping tyre warming thing that some plonkers who think they are on a race track do on the road.

I didn't know about the tyre-warming, I've been doing it for ages just cos I like the feeling   

[peterjca]

Wasn't a tailgating, but I was cut up on the Staines M3 flyover in broad daylight. There was a traffic jam over the crest of the flyover so I filtered up to the dodgy driver and stopped. He wound down his screen. I roared: "Next time, watch where you're driving you stupid f*ck*ng c*nt". I started to ride off as he undid his seat belt, came out of the car and then decided that running down a hill between cars was not a good idea. I'd do it again.