Do you "brake check"?

[ktm]

Attworth, I had a tool in a Jeep SRT-8 do the whole bumper ride/accel and pull in front/brake check thing too. I aa driving my wifes Prius and have NO idea what set him off.

 

After doing that insanity he pulls up along side my passenger side with his window down, mouth just a' flappin'. I nonchalantly looked over and blew him a kiss.

 

He went apoplectic and kept trying to get me to acknowledge/respond to him. I basically neutered him and demonstrated that he was powerless in affecting me.

 

Made my day.

[mikeatrpi]

Not worth it. Neither are any antics the media calls "road rage".

 

Sometimes though, its interesting to observe events unfold. I saw a couple of skin head dudes hop out of their truck at a redlight and run up to a car that had cut them off a few miles earlier. I was sitting a few cars back, in my Z - windows open, t-tops off, alone... basically defenseless. If they wanted to cause me harm they easily could have. Sorta put things into perspective. Drivers forget that every other car on the road is driven by another person just like themselves. Some of 'em are crazy enough to jump out and assault you.

[attworth]

Drivers forget that every other car on the road is driven by another person just like themselves. Some of 'em are crazy enough to jump out and assault you.

 

Exactly!

 

Not saying I'm one of them, but they're out there.

 

I like KTM's solution. Dude driving a Prius throws me a kiss - I might go home and reconsider my life.

[SuperPickle]

Brake-checking's never really given me any sort of pleasure. If I see someone coming up in the fast lane, I get out of their way (usually by accelerating), knowing how annoying it is when I'm the guy in a hurry and someone is being a pretentious douche.

 

Every once in a while, however, I'm alone with another car behind me at the light and, when the light turns green, he immediately hits his horn. There are other situations where I feel my upcoming behavior is warranted, but this happened the other day. I moved forward a couple feet, then stopped. Six inches off my bumper, this guy is fuming. I then roll down the window, light a smoke, then give him a "what do you think of that?" look in the rearview. Then I usually just leave. Never fails to put a smile on my face.

[SuperPickle]

BTW, fphtom. How exactly can you be proactive about law enforcement? That would be like a tech-support center that calls you when you appliances are about to fail.

 

Law enforcement is in its very nature meant to be reactive.

[m4xwellmurd3r]

I don't really brake check, instead I just lift off the gas and tap the brake just enough to kick it off the switch so my lights come on without the brakes actually being used.

 

it's enough for most people out here to get the message and back off.

[GLSHLE]

Yes, It's not the first thing I do and if it doesn't work I'll lockem up.(not in the Z) I drive 40 miles one way on a 2 lane hwy. between 2 towns. Lots of moose and deer so there's always a reason to hit the brakes. It's all the same people at the same time and some of them need to learn. I'll watch two cars way ahead of me. one right up the others butt for miles with no good reason and I hope that guy doesn't do that to me. I'll try the passive ways to get them to pass or back off. Some are stupid, some are pricks. The basic ways (and my German Shepard) generally work on the pricks, sometimes you have brake check the stupid. This only happens when there are no other cars. If I'm in traffic and can't do much, they all stop somewhere, then I can explain it to them.

On the freeway (closest one 60 miles) it doesn't apply, not enough traffic. Passive methods work.

[ZR8ED]

Once upon a time, I would get tailgated while in my Z, and I would get the "So ya wanna go fassstt do ya?!" thoughts, and drop a gear or two, and see ya later charlie. UNTIL once it was a cop in an unmarked tailgating me on an onramp.. so close I could not see his HOOD! needless to say, it took him 5km to catch back up to me (I had tromped on 2nd gear on a long 270 degree slow sweeper onto the highway) At which point I was in the slow lane driving the limit. Long story short, car impound fees 150.00, lawyer 100.00 and 6 months worrying about court, then the crown losing the case, then appealing and losing again.

 

Not worth it for me, or the cop who "appeared to be driving recklessly/drunk/agressive" and I thought I was being carjacked/robbed etc and defended myself by getting away from the clown. BIG hassle for everyone.

 

Lesson learned: 1 You never know who may be in the agressive car.

2 You never know what the passive car may think/react to the situation.

 

I just move out of the way when I am able, and if you continue to hassle me, I will dial 911, get your plate, and then I will put 350ft/lbs to the ground and get away from your dangerous ass.

 

Scott.

[misterZ]

Depends...You could give them the brake lights without actually engaging the brakes. If they panic, spin out and die they deserve it.

 

lol... that's cold but I'm the same way. I will brake check you so be warned! Something about the vehicle getting all squirrelly when they see the lights come on tickles my funny bone.

 

What I hate worse is those in a hurry at a red light that insist on creeping up on your bumper to push you along. In which case, I like to rev the engine and do a semi-jack rabbit start then let off and take my time while the other lane moves quicker. When the car behind me gets frustrated and sees a break to shoot around me, I blow him away and wait for them at the next light... ROFLMAO.

[skib]

my 240 is my daily. uni-body + brake check + slow reacting driver = dead Z

[SuperDan]

Did it once when I was 16. Guy in a toyota truck was about a foot off of my bumper doing about 70 mph.

I touched the brakes just to turn on the tail lights, he over reacted and spun out into a ditch.

He was not hurt but his truck was trashed.

 

At the time I thought that he was an *******, looking back I realized he was just stupid and I was the *******.

[Vintage]

I'd rather be a smart ******* than an idiot anyday. I think brake checking is stupid though, as is tailgating. I just dont care enough to even notice if the guy behind me is pissed.

[misterZ]

 

At the time I thought that he was an *******, looking back I realized he was just stupid and I was the *******.

 

He broke the law, you didn't; if it was me, I'd do it again with a clear conscience. However, if you were just stuborn and didn't move over to allow him to pass well, then... Here in FL there is a move-over law that you can be ticketed for staying in the hammer lane if a faster vehicle is behind you and you can safely change lanes to allow them to pass.

[SuperDan]

My point was, I could have been partialy responsable for killing that guy.

Like the old saying goes:

2 wrongs do not make a right.

[Roostmonkey]

I'll only do it if a car that I'm passing on a secondary single lane road decides to speed up while I'm passing.I slowly depress the brake pedal to get their attention and then progressively apply more brake . If it was an all out drag race to get by them, I have done this to a complete stop. Then I sat there and stared at them in my rearview and watched them lose their mind.The two times I did this, there werent any other cars present.If someone gates me on the highway, I just move over and let them by.

[woldson]

I've done this alot.

On my previous job I would run a 2 lane highway for 50plus miles.

55 and I would do 60.

I would come up on a guy doing 50 often, not a very busy road, and when I went to pass THEY SPEED UP!!!!! EVEN IT THERE IS ONCOMING TRAFFIC!!!!

 

I don't understand why people do this. I got into the habit of clocking there speed for consistency, then when I passed I give it hell (small pickup) and once passed with about a cars length in front I can tell they sped up so all I do is slow quickly back to 55 or 50 ( the speed they were going).

 

You can see them on the binders hard!!

 

Look when someone is passing me, cause he caught me, even if he is speeding, I get over a bit in the emergency lane and slow down.

No biggie. Yet others can just not stand being passed!!

 

These same creeps will being doing under the speed limit holding everyone up until a passing lane, or where the road goes into a four lane. I just don't get that.

 

 

Had the same thing happen with a semi, I will admit it is a little un-nerving to have him probably a foot off my bumber and them I let off the gas to help close that distance for him.........

 

Besides, never get on someones butt, don't you know you are pretty much guilty if you rear end them???????

 

 

Most of the time I let things go on by, but when you want to put my life in peril for some retarded reason, I will let you know it is unappreciated.

 

On the interstate, the only thing that bugs me, is when there is a mile of clear road behind me, an someone is going like hell just to get in front of me to hit an off ramp, or merge. Like in the order of 20 to 30mph over just to,,,,,,,,,,, oh well.

 

Once again if I'm in the fast lane and see someone coming like hell I get over so he dose not have to ware out his breaks, make no never mind to me.

 

Any build I do will have cruise, gives me an excuse to not bother;)

[ShaggyZ]

I've done this alot.

On my previous job I would run a 2 lane highway for 50plus miles.

55 and I would do 60.

I would come up on a guy doing 50 often, not a very busy road, and when I went to pass THEY SPEED UP!!!!! EVEN IT THERE IS ONCOMING TRAFFIC!!!!

 

I don't understand why people do this. I got into the habit of clocking there speed for consistency, then when I passed I give it hell (small pickup) and once passed with about a cars length in front I can tell they sped up so all I do is slow quickly back to 55 or 50 ( the speed they were going).

 

You can see them on the binders hard!!

 

Look when someone is passing me, cause he caught me, even if he is speeding, I get over a bit in the emergency lane and slow down.

No biggie. Yet others can just not stand being passed!!

 

These same creeps will being doing under the speed limit holding everyone up until a passing lane, or where the road goes into a four lane. I just don't get that.

I have a theory about this. I don't think it's folks being jerks most of the time. Instead, I think there are one of two things going on:

 

1. Your faster speed, whether you're passing or catching up to them, is a conscious or unconscious reminder to them that they are going too slow.

 

2. There is a bond of sorts that is created when you get close to them. Passing fast and suddenly breaks the bond or reaching an absurd speed too fast to maintain the bond (ie they become aware how fast they're going) breaks the bond.

 

I find myself doing this sometimes and proactively have to cancel or defeat it so I only go the same speed I was already going. However, most of the time I don't allow myself to be the slow, passive vehicle on the road; instead, I'm proactive, but not necessarily FAST, just faster.

[stravi757]

if someone tails me just say on a 50mph road. what i usally do is i let off the gas untill im going about 15mph and i just stay at that speed. i get a good laugh out of it...i only do it to assholes on the road

[woldson]

I have a theory about this. I don't think it's folks being jerks most of the time. Instead, I think there are one of two things going on:

 

1. Your faster speed, whether you're passing or catching up to them, is a conscious or unconscious reminder to them that they are going too.

 

2. There is a bond of sorts that is created when you get close to them. Passing fast and suddenly breaks the bond or reaching an absurd speed to fast to maintain the bond (ie they become aware how fast they're going) breaks the bond.

 

I find myself doing this sometimes and proactively have to cancel or defeat it so I only go the same speed I was already going. However, most of the time I don't allow myself to be the slow, passive vehicle on the road; instead, I'm proactive, but not necessarily FAST, just faster.

 

 

 

I have considered this.

Just that I always give it hell cause I do not know if their really gonna open it up.

If I don't have almost a surprise on them I would have not been able to get by.

 

I will give it more consideration in the future though.

[rustrocket]

I'll be honest, i've only brake checked somebody once and once only. I was in the bay area, on 280 north, passing where 87 merges onto 280. As i pass this dude, i accidently cut him off as he's trying to merge. He gets right up on me, turns his highbeams on (he's in a suburban). So i brake check him. I dont know why i did it because i'd never done it before.

The guy swerves, pulls up next to me...I didnt bother looking because i just thought he was going to yell or give me the finger. Next thing i know, i hear a loud BOOM and see a bright flash next to me. I look over, and the guy is pointing a gun at me...He'd shot at me, through his own passenger window. Talk about needing a change of underwear. I pulled over immediately to make sure my girlfriend was ok. Luckily, he missed my car completely. I was so frantic in pulling over that i forgot to get the guy's license plate number.

 

So, there you have it. I dont brake check. Getting shot at really puts road rage in perspective.