I Thought I Was Going To Have To Kill A Tailgater This Morning!

[Cherry Bomber]

Getting tailgated is one of the few things I can't stand, I can deal with it when I am in a cage but when I am two wheeling it really steams my clams. I have been bumped and dumped by a tailgater in the past and have had several friends killed like that. So this morning while I am on my way home from work on the bike I had a woman who would just not get off my behind. Motioned for her to back off several times but she insisted on staying less than 10 feet from my back tire for several miles at speeds of up to 45 mph in heavy traffic on a 4 lane road. Every time I touched the brakes or rolled off the throttle to keep from hitting the car in front on me she had to lock her brakes to stay off of me, by the time we got stopped at a light I have had enought  and got off the bike and told her thru a partialy open window to "GET OFF MY ASS BEFORE SHE KILLED ME!!!!". I know not a smart move and one that could have got me shot but I figured she was out to get me one way or another so I didn' have much to lose. After remounting the bike and the light turning green I finely got a hole in traffic big enough to slip thru and got away from her, tried to run away sooner but traffic was just too heavy and I could not get an opening to duck into and out from in front of her. So far I have not felt the need to ride armed but I am begining to wonder if I need to rethink that decision for my self protection.
Hope that everyones ride today is safe and sane.
Peace
Spike
P.S. I somewhat expect to get flamed for this post and my actions, so be it, hopefully next time she will think twice before tailgating a motercycle like that and putting the riders life at risk like she did to me.

[LOKi]

Never thought of getting off the bike at a light.

I just keep slowing down. If she tailgates at 45 how about 40? Of course with the usual gestures to back off. Still tailgates at 40 how about 25?

But really if traffic was that heavy the first time it came to a stop I would just filter to the front of the line.

[cmyers]

I expect some flaming for this, BUT this is one of those times that it is probably safer to lane split past a few cars. The other option is to pull over for a few moments, if there is a decent shoulder available.

I would probably lane split to deal with the issue, confronting someone at a light is just escalating the aggression.

[Cherry Bomber]

Hi Loki
Tried slowing down but she just got closer when I did, was waiting for the bump the entire time plus traffic in the next lane over was sometimes cutting it close trying to fill the gap in front of me. Lane splitting in Houston is suicide (and not legal), especialy in fast rush hour traffic (7 am) on a major road with few traffic light thru an industrial area at shift change times.
Peace
Spike

[fishball]

I'm with LOKI, slowing down in small increments tends to work to get tailgaters off your tail.  So what was the drivers reaction to you?  Did she behave better after the light?

[Me]

..., confronting someone at a light is just escalating the aggression.

Who said she was aggressive?  Maybe she was just plain stupid!  Not all tailgaters are aggressive roadragers, some just don't realize what a stupid thing they are doing.  Did she back off at all after you "talked" to her or didn't you stick around long enough to find out?

I am sure you probably surprised/scared the heck out of her when you walked back to her car.

Honestly I don't know how I would have handled a situation like that........ not nearly as congested with traffic where I live.  Glad she didn't hit you and that you made it to your destination safe.

[Bumblebee]

Confronting drivers in some states will get you shot, assaulted or dealing with the police out to get you for attempted assault. There's nothing wrong ethically with what you did though and you might have saved another rider from becoming a speed bump.

One nasty trick against cagers is to suddenly stand up, swerve in your lane, add a slight amount of throttle and light up the brake light without actually slowing. Anyone close behind will lock all 4 tires trying to not hit you. Sometimes they'll stay at least another 5 feet back afterward or at least give you a chance to escape before they recover from the heart attack.
Often you can force the cagers in the next lane to open a slot for you. The trick is having the opening before the tailgater passes you.

and not legal

To heck with legal. This is survival. Physics and ethics overrides rules designed to kill you.

Ugh. Just make me king. The first rule would be all DL's are invalid and violators would be put in stocks in the town park with a box of tomato's 10 feet away. Second offense punishment would be the same only the tomato's would be replaced with rocks. Anyone with a motorcycle license or higher rating can pick stuff out of the boxes. All drivers would be required to go through real training then they'd have to ride motorcycles for 2 years before being allowed to drive a cage with additional training.

[cmyers]

Lane splitting at speeds over 25 is dicey, but what is worse dealing with an issue using the bikes ability to accerlerate or waiting for the eventual hit from the rear.

In several cases here I will time it so that I pass just as the rear bumper of the car ahead passes the front bumper of the car beside me. It is still close but not as intimidating as outright lane splitting.

[Cherry Bomber]

Don't know traffic opened up enough for me to duck into the next lane and run away when the light turned green. Don't think she was realy trying to run me down, just clueless, in a hurry to get to work and not aware of how dangerous she was to me. Would have pulled off the road but there were no shoulders/center turn lane and I was in the wrong lane to pull off into a industrial plants driveway.
Peace
Spike 

[detdrbuzzard]

if you start carrying a weapon are you going to have a " pre- imitative " strike

[braceyoself777]

The unfortunate thing is when people are on the road is that they forget what is controlling the vehicle: a fellow human being. So when you get some jacked up prick that is selfish and cutting other people off, they don't think much of their life or other lives they are risking by driving irresponsible. I believe what you did by shouting at her gave her a reality check: she was endangering someones life and now knowing it because all she cares about is her schedule. I think you did the right thing, and fortunately, I have not run into idiots like that yet, but I have met people of the freeway try to speed test me in their moms and dads van. Fortunately my speedo doesn't work well above 80 cause it starts bouncing so thats a good sign to back off. ;)

[Cherry Bomber]

if you start carrying a weapon are you going to have a " pre- imitative " strike

I have had to shoot someone in self defense once in my life and I pray that I NEVER have to do so again. The last part about packing heat was just me venting and is not under consideration, I don't beleave in violence and think peace is the answer.
Peace
Spike

[detdrbuzzard]

if you start carrying a weapon are you going to have a " pre- imitative " strike

I have had to shoot someone in self defense once in my life and I pray that I NEVER have to do so again. The last part about packing heat was just me venting and is not under consideration, I don't beleave in violence and think peace is the answer.
Peace
Spike

i realized you were venting and i was joking with you. afterall you said you were hit by a tailgater before and if they keep going after hitting you there isn't much to shoot at anyway

[n5tbu]

Getting tailgated is one of the few things I can't stand, I can deal with it when I am in a cage but when I am two wheeling it really steams my clams. I have been bumped and dumped by a tailgater in the past and have had several friends killed like that. So this morning while I am on my way home from work on the bike I had a woman who would just not get off my behind. Motioned for her to back off several times but she insisted on staying less than 10 feet from my back tire for several miles at speeds of up to 45 mph in heavy traffic on a 4 lane road. Every time I touched the brakes or rolled off the throttle to keep from hitting the car in front on me she had to lock her brakes to stay off of me, by the time we got stopped at a light I have had enought  and got off the bike and told her thru a partialy open window to "GET OFF MY ASS BEFORE SHE KILLED ME!!!!". I know not a smart move and one that could have got me shot but I figured she was out to get me one way or another so I didn' have much to lose. After remounting the bike and the light turning green I finely got a hole in traffic big enough to slip thru and got away from her, tried to run away sooner but traffic was just too heavy and I could not get an opening to duck into and out from in front of her. So far I have not felt the need to ride armed but I am begining to wonder if I need to rethink that decision for my self protection.
Hope that everyones ride today is safe and sane.
Peace
Spike
P.S. I somewhat expect to get flamed for this post and my actions, so be it, hopefully next time she will think twice before tailgating a motercycle like that and putting the riders life at risk like she did to me.

I think you did the right thing,maybe now she'll know better.
After getting mowed down at a red light 3 years ago,I am still very nervous when anyone is on my ass.
I have got off the bike at red lights and walked to the car behind me and let them know they were stopped too close to me and that if they were rear ended,I was going down.
People need to be educated about motorcycles and I don't hesitate to try.
mod

[luckylindy]

 I absolutely hate riding in big city traffic.  I don't know how you can tolerate the Houston crazed cagers Spike.  I can vouch for Bumblebee's method though.  I have stood up and weaved a bit, I think the cager is surprised and wondering what is this biker going to do next, I better back off.  Glad we are a mature group, most forums advocate throwing rocks, ball bearings, etc at the tailgater.  Keep your head on a swivel Spike.

[happycommuter]

One nasty trick against cagers is to suddenly stand up, swerve in your lane...

These two alone can be enough.  Stand up and you increase your profile.  You appear bigger.  It works on dumb animals, and isn't that who we're talking about?*
Swerving makes you erratic and forces attention.  It also proves you own the lane.  A horn bleep will usually also draw enough glares to shame any lunatic behavior, and again you get aversion therapy (stay back, no beep. too close HONK!).

*I've tried reasoning with cagers, but it is no more effective than talking at a dog.  I mean if you really believe they can care and are capable of learning, go for it. 

[84hawk650]

Man im with you, next time work up a loogie for about 5 minutes and letter fly into that cage windshield

[green427]

As much as we want to kill those that tail us, just remember one thing: No matter what happens, the motorcyclist will lose the battle, so you need to determine what you want to do: Swallow your pride and pull over to let the dumbass driver move ahead and you remain unhurt, or hold your course and piss them off even more.

I had a freaking nasty ##$%(& tail me on a country road, speed limit was 45, I was doing 55, and after about 4 miles, I pulled to the shoulder and motioned her to go ahead, she got really nervous and took off like a maniac. Probably was wondering what I am going to do once I am behind her.

Many people are LOOKING for a confrontation, the others are simply stupid. The stupid ones usually back off when you do something out of the ordinary, while the psychopaths continue to push your buttons.

Easier said than done, yes.

[Bumblebee]

*I've tried reasoning with cagers, but it is no more effective than talking at a dog.

Actually dogs and so called dumb animals understand a lot more than they're given credit for.
Cagers and people in general, not so much. The learning curve is pretty much zero as a species.

[gammer]

When I first read the title of this thread, I thought it said: "I Thought I Was Going To Have To Kill A Alligator This Morning!"

You could imagine how horrified I was at the thought of this!!

Now I know the errors of my ways  

[Cherry Bomber]

Man im with you, next time work up a loogie for about 5 minutes and letter fly into that cage windshield

Have you ever tried that trick while wearing a full face helmet? All you do is make a mess on the inside of the visor/chinbar/chin curtain.

I will try the trick about standing and weaving the next time something like this happens

N5TBU 73 de KC5LNN

Peace
Spike

[Cherry Bomber]

When I first read the title of this thread, I thought it said: "I Thought I Was Going To Have To Kill A Alligator This Morning!"

You could imagine how horrified I was at the thought of this!!

Now I know the errors of my ways 

Now why would I want to kill a harmless little Alligator? Hell we keep them as pets down here, they are just sooo cute and cuddly that its hard to let go.
Peace
Spike

[nodaclu]

Agree that confrontation is a dangerous proposition, but totally, completely, 100% understand how you were feeling and why you did it.

So many people live their lives on complete autopilot. When you point out what they're doing, they give you that "deer in the headlights" look. You're asking them to think, and when 99% of your life is on autopilot, thinking becomes difficult for a frighting percentage of the population.

I've been commuting 18 miles each way to work now for just over 4 months. In that time, I've witnessed 3 accidents happening in front of me or next to me, and have driven by at least one fatality.

This is why I keep a car. I just value my life too much too subject myself on the bike to thousands of 2 ton vehicles driven by the lowest common denominator.

[hppants]

Swallow your pride and pull over to let the dumbass driver move ahead and you remain unhurt,

This is my choice.  As I say to SOQS - "This is NOT the hill I want to die on."

[LOKi]

The other day I had a tailgater that not only didn't think I needed any space behind me but also thought the space next to me was a waste too. I move into the gap (be it small) in the far left lane. In the left lane I'll stay to the inside so if traffic in the next lane over starts moving faster I can switch. It also increases my visibility. The car behind me thought I didn't need any space on my left and the next thing I know I see a bumper even with the headers on the bike. I hit the horn and they slammed on the brakes like they hadn't even seen me. Once they gave me a little room I swerved back and forth in that land to show that I do indeed need the entire lane. The car then backed off a good 3 car lengths in tight traffic. There might have been some gestures too, not the one finger salute but the WTF gesture.

*I've tried reasoning with cagers, but it is no more effective than talking at a dog.

I'm with BB. That really isn't a very fair analogy. To the dogs that is. I mean comparing them to typical cagers.