The first time I saw this, I was driving in the hill country. Having driven in only D/FW until then, I first thought something was wrong with their car. Since then I have seen it many times. I have come to appreciate the courtesy, and try to extend it to others. I am sorry to report that it is much less common in northern part of the state than it is in the east, south and west parts. Of course, once you are off the F.M. roads, it totally disappears. The rolling road block is sadly the norm on our multi lane freeways.

 

I've also noticed quite a few times when I pull off like that and hop behind that car and can read their plates, all of the sudden they become perfectly behaved little angels.
I get tailgated in the right most lane on a regular basis, but thats usually a cell phone driver who will snake around behind mimicking me until I hit the brakes and sound the horn, or find another car to pass them off onto. Also I find quite a few people that like to tag on behind me after they see me time the lights or know when to maneuver through traffic and when to be patient, these drivers typically aren't on cell phones, and I'll allow the behavior if they keep their distance.

I can generally keep my travel times off peak, which allows me to sort out and make changes well in advance and keep a decent speed differential getting my around the drunks and sleepers quickly and usually with a lanes worth of grace. However I have little issue of sitting behind someone safely until they move over (as legally required here). But after such a high quantity of highway driving this year, I really have no issue not taking things personally and get out of the "me me me" attitude in a hurry.

Been uncomfortably tailgated by a MINI once, was a CR/W MCS at a track day, trying to get around in the no passing section of the track, I held him off and handed out a point-by at the earliest point for him to safely get around me, that car crashed later in the day.

 

You are driving an automatic and can't drive fast.

 

Coops always get tailgated by MCS. I'm not a troll it all started as a joke but certain people's interpretations weren't the same as mines.

 

+1 +1 +1 +1 +1

For some strange reason, most drivers think that if they are ahead of you, it's their God-given right to stay there and keep you behind them. Potentially for many, many miles. What's especially amazing is the incredible machinations that they will go through (brake jobs, spinning heads, freaking out, etc) versus a simple move aside.... and then I'm gone. When I am driving my Tacoma on work duty, I'm always letting faster cars move along. It's so bloody simple. It's just basic courtesy to other people. You want to drive 25 in a 45 zone, God bless you. But don't torture me by not letting me by.

This is my greatest pet peeve with other drivers. YOU DON'T OWN THE ROAD BECAUSE YOU ARE AHEAD OF ME!!! It's especially bad where I live because the roads are often filled with sightseers, NYC weekenders, and retirees clogging up the twisties. With Lime Rock Park in our backyard, they should know better.

I heard that one of the Western states has a law that requires a driver to pull over if they've collected a bunch of cars behind them. Too bad that we need a law to enforce courtesy, but it sounds good to me.

Oooh, I'm all better now!

 

The same can be said for people traveling behind you.(or anywhere for that matter) I was on a two lane highway one day with light traffic. I was in the traveling lane and approached another slower moving vehicle in the traveling lane. I checked my rear view mirror and when I was sure there was no one in the passing lane I signaled and began to pass. I was probably going 5 mph faster than the vehicle I was passing. When I was about even with the car I was passing a pick-up truck came up on me from behind at a high rate of speed and slowed right down until they were right on my bumper. I didnt slow down or speed up but continued my pace until I had safely passed the car in the right lane then signaled and pulled over. The guy in the truck was livid, and I could see his lips moving a mile a minute swearing at me. Keep in mind that the guy who was in SO much of a hurry to get by me took the time to go slow enough to let out a torrent of words at me before beginning to accelerate again. I must admit I was juvenile at that point as I cruised in the traveling lane and I just smiled until he was done with his tirade and decided to move on.....then I saluted him. Which of course caused him to hit the brakes and start his speech all over again. I smiled for that too. I hope he was late to wherever he was going. I DIDN'T see him in the ditch up ahead.

 

Fast driving and reckless driving are not synonymous. There is a big difference.

Hey ACEkraut11... I have one of those Triumphs, too:
http://www.triumphowners.com/registr...&vehicleID=806

 

First of all, a Mini Cooper should not be on a highway; Secretariat didn't pull a hay wagon, did he?

On scenic byways, if somebody appears in my rear-view, I move aside (that hasn't happened in any of my Minis yet). I look for that courtesy in other drivers too.
If I get behind a slug, I move up fast on them and then drop back a bit --- I give them the signal that I'd like to pass and I don't try to pressure them. If we roll past a few nice areas to pull over and they don't, I start to weave a little in the lane; 9 out of 10 times they'll move aside.
Then again, our mountains have lots of experienced drivers and people are more used to seeing sports cars having a good time.

 

i have a 160 mile comute to work one way. i travel on a couple of the major highways here in south florida. i see alot of driving.i drive fast at times just to get away from the s.o.b. idoits that drive down here. the drunks ,the cellphoners , rubberneckers, warp speeders, and just plan *******es. oh and the very old that shouldnt be driving anymore at all. god bless them. all this comuting has given a good lesson in patients. if someone is riding my *** i show them what a mini can do and get out of their way as fast as i can and see if they can catch up. but all in all i try very hard to keep it civilized. i drove 300 miles last night dropping my son off at his mothers. as always i had alot of idiots to deal with. mostly rednecks in big 4x4 diesel trucks that have to take a good look at the back of my awesome lil bad a$$ mini and then watch it get smaller as i move it. i hope i havent offended anyone just adding a few more pennys to this 2cent rant. oh and i have had alot of the haulassers that get up on you fast and show you that you are number one and a lil later down the road see them with my buddys with the fancy blue lights writting them a good ticket.

 

Even though the motivation is increased revenue, I see it as beneficial that some states are finally starting to ticket motorists for driving too slowly and for cruising in the left lane.

 

How inconsiderate. If you see faster moving traffic coming up then add a little throttle and get out of the passing lane. It takes about 10 seconds to drive by someone at 5mph, it sounds like you passed that guy at a much slower speed.

Wake up, you are part of the problem--and that's the real issue here. The people that are the problem don't see it that way. I know this sounds harsh but maybe it'll wake a few people up.

It's not personal, the other driver isn't trying to "show you he's number 1," he's just trying to get somewhere quicker than you. Please, just move out of the way.

 

Hahaha, that's true... but if you're going 60 on MoPac, a queue will build up behind you... that' just how it goes.

(For the record, MoPac is a 65 zone, but for some reason, the right lane is constantly going 60, even when it's not busy)

 

<clapping> <clapping><clapping><clapping><clapping> <clapping> <clapping> <clapping> +1 very well said that puts the responsibility of being a safe drive back on the drivers head. Unless everyone wants their cars to be driving themselves in 2 years please become better drivers. Check your mirrors more often and get out of the way of unsafe drivers. If you are being tail gated chances are you are 1/2 responsible

 

+1

 

Shame on you you could have cause a serious accident. Your attitude was just as bad as the guy behind you. There seems to be 2 different views on tailgating. 1 Its all the guys fault behind me he needs to slow down 2 let me get out of the faster car's way so no one gets hurt what side of the fence are you ?????

 

What gives any of you advocating tailgating the right to endanger anothers well-being? (verbiage correction thx arnbut)

Answer me that robrob, duong56, astroblacks, & halifax.

 

That's what I'm thinking John. If the person in front of you is following the speed limit, you really have no right to go crazy being 'stuck' behind them. Sure, I get a little ticked when someone is driving exactly 55 on a country highway and there are no other cars around, especially if I don't have an opportunity to pass them safely. However, I follow the 2 car lengths law (yeah, isn't there a law about that?! which would, by necessity, illegalize tailgating) at all times. I love my car too much to endanger it by being too close to someone and pissing that person off enough that he/she will brake check me and send me flying into the back bumper.

I understand we all drive fast little cars, but no one has a right to try to force someone off the road if that person is following the speed limit. Now, if that person is doing 35 or 45 in a 55...all bets are off

 

Whine whine whine, if your in the wrong lane going to slow, move to the right, its not that hard!!!

Jack

 

You might mean advocating... ...abdicate means to give up a throne...

No; nobody should tailgate. And polite people should move over.
But you shouldn't really speed either... ...so we shouldn't mod our cars since they can all go 70 mph just fine the way they are... ...and we should all drive a Prius anyhow...

You have to deal with every rude, dangerous, discourteous, distracted driver on a 1-by-1 basis. Don't throw bacon fat onto the fire either; some of these folks are armed. And any of them might crash into you out of spite.

As Bill and Ted once said, "Be excellant to one another."

 

Please read my original post. You didn't answer the question either.

 

No one should knowingly endanger another person while driving but with that being said I think we all can agree there have been times when each of our patience has been tried and we have become aggravated with another driver. I drive a lot of two lane roads with limited areas to pass, everyone knows where the passing zones are and there are times I am following a slow vehicle (which is doing 10 mph less than speed limit), they begin to speed up before the passing zone and continue to accelerate during the passing zone so the cars following would have a hard time getting by in our short passing areas. They then slow back down again upon exited passing zone. That gets my blood boiling. And what about the driver who rushes to pull out in front of you so that you have to stand on your brakes then either drives very slowly in front of you or pulls off within 1/4 of a mile. Just my rant.

 

Again, +1.

Remember, "to each is own"

 

Im not going to answer your ?, because i dont care, if someones on your bumper, 9 times out of 10 you need to get over.

I really cant stand whiners on the forums

Jack

 

I only lived in Houston for 3 years (and drove a WRX at the time).

Tailgating in Houston was common and simple to understand for me.

It means:

A) I too have a quick car and would like to see what yours can do

or

B) Move becuase I want to pass you no matter what lane you happen to be in, and if you don't move, I will use the shoulder if I can.

or

C) I'm eating, talking on the phone, texting, fighting with my significant other and watching a DVD.

I'd normally glance in the rear view until I could determine A, B or C above.

I just move over, laugh, smile and wave.

 

I couldnt have said it better my friend, Welcome to the forums, there not nearly as whiny as it seems on here, just a few select


Jack