You cannot intimidate me with tailgating!

[Crossbow]

I love the camerphone approach. Gotta remember that one.

I still like my wife's method. Her first vehicle was a 1980 3/4 to pickup that was not in the greatest of condition, but it was cheap. The previous owner had, um, modified it a little (read: he screwed up the electrical system doing his own repairs) and had to put the reverse lights on a manual toggle.

Some jerk decided that tailgating close enough that she couldn't see the driver (much less his headlights) was a good idea, so she gently tapped the brakes. He backed off for about 3 seconds, then got even closer. So she switched on the backup lights.... Funny, he backed off really quickly then...

Of course he just *had* to swerve around her and slow down to 30 mph on a highway. So he got a taste of the other electrical mod on the truck: the high-intensity floodlights. He probably would have been fine if he hadn't been looking in his rear view mirror and gloating....

It was juvenile and potentially dangerous, I know, but it was still enjoyable to see one of these jerks taken down....

[Andara Bledin]

Ooooh, I really hate the ones that not only ride your bumper, but have their high beams in your eyes, too.

I've gotten really good at flipping my mirror only partway up so that the light is reflected pretty much right back out the rear window.

Managed to get one salad-tosser to switch back to his regular lights by doing that.

^-.-^

[DeltaSierra]

This happens a lot at night when I'm out driving. 4 lane highway, we're the only 2 cars in sight and he's riding my ass. I found the easiest way to deal with this is to quickly switch lanes and brake. They fly past. I then get back into the right lane and continue my merry way.

[Sunflash]

Hilariously enough, whenever I'm most often tailgated is on a two-lane highway going between two small towns, late in the evening/night (anywhere from 8:30PM to 11PM). I'll be the only one on the road for MILES, and I'll see a set of headlights coming up from behind. Speed limit is about 65MPH, I'm doing 70~, and this punk is STILL catching up. Fine, whatever. S/he catches up and then starts riding my bumber with his BRIGHTS on. S/he continues this past SEVERAL passing lanes, and contiues to hug me dispite tapping the brakes.

So, I let off the gas and ssttrreeaattccchhh.

I ended up spending about fifteen mintues going 25MPH before whichever idiot it was FINALLY passed me. Got a good amount of horn-honking from it though.

[TheTigress]

I found a new method for getting a tailgater to back off. Works best when a passenger does it, though, so as to avoid the driver getting distracted.

Take their picture.

Seriously. Chances are you've got your cellphone, and it has a camera. Just take their picture. Hell, delete it right after if you wish. The other driver will notice, and is very unlikely to want to risk more of them, so backs off.

Actually, you don't even have to push the button. Just make like it's happening. It's all a psychological game, anyway

That's a brilliant idea! I'm doing that next time my friend is in the car with me and end up getting tailgated.

[the toy guy]

There was a really cool bumper sticker I saw once that I regret not buying.
Can't remember the exact wording but it was along the lines of
"If you can read this I can brake and then sue you"

I like "The closer you are, the slower I go.", and "I brake for tailgaters."

[the lawsmeister]

There was a really cool bumper sticker I saw once that I regret not buying.
Can't remember the exact wording but it was along the lines of
"If you can read this I can brake and then sue you"

Still I doubt it would work as sucky drivers are no doubt like sucky customers and cant' read signs

[TravisRB69]

If it's a highway or something with one lane I'll slow down a little so they can pass me.

In my town, there is a road I take often because it bypasses a lot of side streets and is the quickest way to get to the main street from my house. Part of it is a 35 mph speed limit, then it goes around a corner and changes to 25 mph. It is one lane for each direction, with NO PASSING allowed.

Go ahead and tailgate me. I WILL slow down to about 10 mph.

Some asshole tailgated me right after it was freezing rain in the 35 mph part, the road was slicker than snot, I had 4 wheel drive and was still fishtailing, and he proceeds to ride my ass like a pony. So I let off the gas and gradually, gradually, gradually slow down. By the time I reach the turn that switches to the 25 mph part, I'm doing about 5 mph.

I'm not going to risk my life because YOU are so stupid that you can't look outside, see the weather, and think "Gee, maybe I'd better LEAVE A LITTLE EARLIER if I want to get where I'm going on time"

[mikoyan29]

Saturday night as we were heading back to my mom's, I was on a two lane highway that occasionally has passing lanes. So I had this person tailgate me. I was staying at 55 because it's up north and there are deer. Plus it being Memorial Day weekend, there are usually a few cops out. So finally we get to a passing lane...He doesn't pass me. We get to the freeway, he's still tailgating me....Finally he decides to pass me but he takes his sweet time...so I hit the breaks so that he finally passes me.....

Jesus Christ, he must have been tailgating me for a good 20 miles....It's not like he didn't have plenty of opportunities to pass me. What a douche.

[blas]

Haha, a Duckling....that's funny.

[wolfie]

When someone is tailgating me, I go slower and slower and slower.

One of my "dream gadgets" is a scrolling LED sign in the back window, hooked into the car's data bus (to pick up speed info) and a radar/sonar/laser distance measuring device. Hit a switch on the dash and it would show this message:

Minimum safe following distance at current speed: <distance> Maximum safe speed at current following distance: <speed> Will you increase the distance, or do I need to reduce the speed?

[LewisLegion]

I've gotten a couple people in the dead of night on a clear freeway who will not only feel the need to tailgate me, but will flash their headlights repeatedly trying to get me to speed up.

Dude, the ENTIRE EIGHT LANE FREEWAY is clear! Pass me, because I'm NOT going any faster than I am now. And I may go slower, just because you're being a twerp.

[Bandit]

I never understand why, when I'm commuting to work sometimes at night, there will be NO ONE for miles and someone has to tailgate me and stay behind me, even though we go 10 miles or more on a 4 lane freeway with little to NO traffic that time of night.

Ah - you have picked up a Duckling. It happens a lot at night, I've noticed. Dunno why.

B

[blas]

I call the drivers who come right up on your ass then literally dart into the other lane and whizz around you "Emphasis Drivers".

They somehow feel the need to show you and put emphasis on just how slow you're *supposedly* going and how much you are in their way, so they will get right up on your bumper and then erratically wind into the other lane and rocket past you.

I never understand why, when I'm commuting to work sometimes at night, there will be NO ONE for miles and someone has to tailgate me and stay behind me, even though we go 10 miles or more on a 4 lane freeway with little to NO traffic that time of night.

[McGoddess09]

I make sure no-one else is around. If there are other people, I just keep the same speed.