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Pickup tries to kill biker - Ohio version


Scruit

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From my experience on a bicycle shoulder shrugs and serious glances in their direction seems to only make them more upset/aggressive.

Obviously based on his reaction he took issue with the slow down/brake check. I'm kindof surprised he didn't try to pass at that point, though he may not have though of that at the time.

Some drivers take very little to go off the handle. My wife had someone try to run her off the road because she flashed her head lights to indicate she wished to pass someone going slow in the left lane. Who knows what goes through their minds.

I think most tailgaters are aggressive drivers but are not usually at that point intending to injure you. My solution to a driver like that is just open a very comfortable margin between myself and the car ahead and use brakes early when slowing to ensure he/she has time to react. That kind of driving does not give one much reaction time :(

Not much more you could have done in that circumstance without lane splitting to get away from him.

Craig

I find that if done gently it works for me. Some people don't realize how much of a sick move it is to tailgate and it let's them realize you will go faster when you can. It's just one option. Let them by and stay well clear also works.

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I was on my way to a friend's house to bake a pie once and when some dickhead tried to run me off the road I pulled the rolling pin I had tucked in my jacket out and shook it at him. Dude was not expecting that. I've also taken my shoes off and thrown them at people.

But these days I'm not quite as dumb and I mostly do the things people have said here. In extreme cases I'll just let go of the throttle until someone passes me even if it means pulling to the side of the road. If they want ahead, fine. It's not worth losing my life.

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I was on my way to a friend's house to bake a pie once and when some dickhead tried to run me off the road I pulled the rolling pin I had tucked in my jacket out and shook it at him. Dude was not expecting that. I've also taken my shoes off and thrown them at people.

But these days I'm not quite as dumb and I mostly do the things people have said here. In extreme cases I'll just let go of the throttle until someone passes me even if it means pulling to the side of the road. If they want ahead, fine. It's not worth losing my life.

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Did he not notice the 10 cameras mounted to your bike?

 

You mean the 3 shitty chinese non-name ebay cameras of which only one actually gave me video - and even that was blotchy?

 

No, he must not have seen them.

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Sort of know the feeling after that black Impala caught up to me and moved over into my lane this morning. Didn't care. Ignored him.

 

Calling their bluff. Just another reaction I don't recommend.

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I never brake check a tailgator when I'm riding. I always speed away then lane change to let them pass.

A speeding ticket is far cheaper and hurts way less than a hospital stay, no matter who's at fault. Had that been me getting merged into, I'd have flipped that guys mirror forward as I sped away. Just keep the speed up enough to get away from them, if I see that they choose to remain assholish and try to catch back up, then just safely swing it into the berm and outbrake them so they have to go by. Unless I'm feeling froggy and traffic is light, then they can simply sit back and watch my little tail light fade off into the distance. Careful out there folks, there's stupidity everywhere

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Yup, I put him in front of me and got on his tail for fun. Basically, a clown show is best viewed forward, not in your mirrors.

 

...until he brake checks you...   If he's willing to run me off the freeway, I don't wanna be behind him.

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Tailgaters are annoying, and distracting,  I agree, but if they are not touching you, or making false attempts at ramming into you, where is your complaint?

 

This happens, we all know it, and have experienced it a time or two... as a matter of fact, many on here, has most likely, been the accused a time or two themselves, I would make a substantial wager on this by the way.

 

My question is, what was your intent by slowing to a crawl, what was you going to do at that point?  Were you bored, or were you trying to make them aware of something they obviously seen no problem with, you in fact, are now the dick to them, and at a huge disadvantage, to say the least...you taunted a bear, and you almost got bit, fortunate this time!

 

Throwing something, or waving a firearm at a tailgater, or even someone who just tried to crash you...hahaha...good luck with that...let me know how that turns out...great advice right there!

 

My opinion, you left a good amount of space between the car in front of you, and yourself, plenty of options for an easy out, sometimes all that you can do on a busy roadway, and a very effective method too! 

The "road rage" could have been avoided here, from the clip that I watched anyway, it would seem some egos got in the way, or met at the wrong time, and the wrong place  ("my road, NO, my road")!

 

I was not there, so I could be way off base here, but once again, I would be willing to wager, even with the video evidence, that two different stories would be told.

 

 

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I would argue that a full size pickup tailgating a bike by less than a truck length at freeway speed is a more that simply "annoying". Textbook response in a situation where you cannot pull over is to slow down. When I did he got closer, less than 6' from my tire.

So what then? Just let him stay there? I continued to slow to a speed where it was safe for his following distance, which was very slow. When he stopped I gunned it to put distance between us again, and merged to a different lane to get out if his way.

How would you handle a tailgater at less than a truck length at freeway speed where pulling over is not an option?

Edited by Scruit
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I would have either put some distance, ignored him until I could put some distance, or if neither was an option and he really bothered me, I would slide over to edge line and slow down and wave him past

 

A reasonable suggestion.   In the same situation I would either pull over to the fogline and let him past, or create only enough distance ahead of me that both the truck and I have a safe stopping distance, but then keep up with traffic speed.

 

Oh, and get my rear-facing camera working.  

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...until he brake checks you...   If he's willing to run me off the freeway, I don't wanna be behind him.

I wasn't that close. Actually, having some one straddle lanes in morning traffic is quite common. Annoying, but typical.

 

Worse is sudden lane changes with no signal or warning, of course. Particularly multi lane weaving. I give those lots of room.

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On a more reassuring note - when the white pickup further down the road tried to block me in, I was able to get around him, and as I watched in my mirror he himself was intentionally blocked in by a black car, giving me enough of a head start that I could lose the pickup.  At the top of the freeway ramp he was 5 cars behind me and being able to lane-split through stopped traffic meant he was stopped dead and I was free to depart the area safely.  Dunno who that car was, but I owe him a beer.

Edited by Scruit
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I did not say I was on his side in any way, at least I did not mean for my opinion to come off that way.

 

This does happen, and people need to be aware, aggression and/or "I will show you" mentality, is not the answer, nor a solution, as you unfortunately received first hand experience of this.

 

Did the method you chose to use this time work?... Stopping the flow of traffic, as you mentioned, on a very busy and fast paced freeway, was that the answer?

Guess what, if you encounter another douche like this, and react in the same manner, the same thing could very well happen again, possibly worse results for you the next time, especially when you cause someone to get rear ended behind you.

 

What I would do in an accused situation like you mention, is without a doubt, excuse myself if I felt that I was in harms way, either by throttling out of it, or find a way to let them pass... I am on a motorcycle, there was several options that I saw in the video clip I watched, pissing someone off that obviously does not care about others safety on a roadway, would not be one of them, but that is me.

 

There are so many people out there today, that do not give a shit about you, or anyone else for that matter, while they are driving, and anything that you do or say to them, will NOT convince them into thinking any differently...all you can do is be aware, expect the negative, and avoid them as best you can...

Let them pass...

If you feel the need,follow them, they will eventually stop, then confront them with your thoughts on how they are doing things wrong...  fight them, shoot them, do whatever you feel necessary, but while you two are expressing your egos on a busy freeway, there are others that did not ask to be involved in your nonsense, and now you both have placed many others at risk!

 

I am by no means a good example for safety on the street with a motorcycle, I know this, and my comments above make me somewhat of a hypocrite too, but I do try my best ( that I know how, and still have fun riding) to not put others at risk....myself, not so much!

 

Good to see nothing worse happened, ride safe!

 

 

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I didn't mean to suggest you were on his side.  Just pointing out that some of the proffered options were not available to me - specifically letting him pass (unless I go over the fog line) and speeding up.  

 

Slowing down was the best option, but I took it too far.  Doesn't excuse him intentionally running me off the freeway, but it gives me something to think about next time.

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