Do you "brake check"?

[JMortensen]

An armed society is a polite society...

[smokeybear]

I have road rage and I rarely brake check anyone, but when I see that guy coming from 10 cars back, weaving in and out of traffic like a mad man and he gets to me and tries to push me out of the way, I push back. I despise bad drivers because I think I am a great driver (although my driving record would probably disagree, but all of my violations were almost 5 years ago now) and have no tolerance for people tail gating or even following very basic speed limit laws (I can understand 5 under, but anything more you are slowing down traffic progression and wasting others time) so I usually use the bright lights technique. I doubt I brake check anyone in the Z because of how hard parts are to find and I don't want to have to do any body work.

 

The last guy I can remember brake checking was in a 2500 dodge dually and I was in a 95 240sx, he tried to swerve and hit me so I slammed on the brakes, passed him, and locked them up. We pulled up to the next stop light and exchanged words. I guess my tone/loudness/talks of getting out of my car and pulling him out of his truck shut him up pretty fast. Hands down my lowest point of road rage.

[mikeatrpi]

once it was a cop in an unmarked tailgating me on an onramp.. so close I could not see his HOOD!

 

Whoah! I had a cop, in a marked car, do this to me in the Z late at night. Literally as I reached for the gear shift he passed. I wasn't stopped.

 

It certainly seems like a bait and switch tactic, or entrapment - one of those fancy terms. I'm very disappointed to hear that the judge was not reasonable enough to see your side of the case.

[Flexicoker]

yes, but only when I'm sure I'm not the ******* (ie. being the slow guy in the passing lane) and when they're really freaking close.

 

I will only brake check if I'm being tailgated in a slow lane (they can and should get in the passing lane and pass me) or if I'm being tailgated in the passing lane when I'm stuck behind someone else. Riding my ass isn't going to make the people in front of me go any faster.

 

The passing lane is called that for a reason, you use it to pass someone who's going slower than you, then you get out of the way. On the Autobahn its illegal to be in the left lane unless you're passing someone, as it should be here.

[RTz]

I've done it twice.

 

Once, to a very young lady, being discourteous to a number of other drivers. Afterward, she was clearly much more respectful of 'others'. I never lost any sleep over that one.

 

The other time... well, I won't do it again.

[gnosez]

My late father thought there were only two types of drivers; ones that were so slow you had to get on their back bumper and those idiots that drove too close to your back bumper.

 

His solution to tailgaters was quite simple - he kept a few eggs in each vehicle and when all else failed they got send rearward, or in the case of the open sun roof driver who cut him off while he was driving a semi, down the hatch. When he sold his '69 Volvo it had over 800,000 miles, the original clutch and 4 eggs in the glove box.

 

Loose change works wonders as well, but that is a very aggressive move.

[260DET]

I usually ignore tailgaters but if they are really intrusive for a length of time then I slow down gradually, until they get the message and move on. Most of them are either attention seekers or just bad drivers, the above seems to work most of the time.

 

Brake checking is a too obvious reaction which can lead to an escalation of the situation, in my experience.

[hughdogz]

Unless you're Maverick and need to brake check "the enemy" why play around like that?

[ckolander]

I recently moved to North Dakota from California, and boy did I have to get used to the differences in driving styles. Here, if you are speeding and/or tailgating, people will kindly pull over and call the state patrol. Or they will pull over and wave you by(usually the case with elderly people)

As for brake checking, not since I got rear ended by some moron(who was tailgating) cause I had to slam on my brakes when a guy a couple cars ahead of me got brake checked.

Edited April 17, 2009 by ckolander
Couldn't type right, was bein harassed.

[MoNkEyT88]

I ride a lot in the summer, and I try not to be grouped up with the cars. I just use the throttle to put some distance in between me and whom ever is behind me.

 

I really don't think slowing down in front of someone quickly is a chance I'd like to take if they're not paying attention.

 

My friend was driving on the highway in his Z28 and the police had someone pulled over on the side of the highway. Everyone began to merge to the far left lane, and slow down because he was out of his car on the road at the other car window.

 

Well he's watching his mirror and notices the truck behind him is approaching kind of quickly from 10 cars back in the same lane. Well finally he thinks WTF, and tries to move over to another lane and gets rear ended. I couldn't believe it. How do these people even stay on the concrete if they suck at paying attention.

[cygnusx1]

Nobody tailgates me. I drive faster than them.

 

Seriously, I don't put myself into situations where I can't get out of someones way, wherever possible. I drive pretty fast but if someone want's to go faster than me, or is approaching me quickly from behind, it's either a cop, or someone that I am going to let by. I don't block. I hang in the right lane always, I'll go left to pass, and then back to right.

 

If a moron happens to be tailgating me on a road with no passing areas, like a country road, I will typically slow down and add more time between him and I. 30 feet at 60mph is much shorter, timewise, than 30feet at 30mph. If I have to stop short, I don't want this idiot (usually on the phone) in my backseat.

 

When I was younger, I used the handbrake technique on tailgaters. No brake lights and my car slows down. Now thinking back, that was certainly a wake up call for the tailgater, but a STUPID thing to do.

[Sparky]

I hang in the right lane always, I'll go left to pass, and then back to right.

 

Dave, we need more smart people like us on the road:) Too many times I see pepple merge onto the highway just to shoot over four lanes and sit at 5 below, while I'm passing them in the same lane I was in while merging at 5 above with everyone else. I tend to also just drive a bit faster than everyone else, I'm not out there to win a race, but to avoid everyone while trying to anticipate every stupid move.

 

 

as for brake checking, in my younger days I brake checked a truck full of rednecks after they reacted negatively to my passing them at the speed limit very late at night. They proceeded to pass me, return the favor, plus throw full cans a beer at my car. (Natty light of all things) they basically chased me for 20 miles...angry and drunk. I took an exit at the last minute while watching one of them trying to throw a beverage at me only to have it explode all over him. I spent the last 20 miles of my backroad drive thinking about how I could have avoided that and have not done it since.

 

It's only happened once since then but if your on my bumper, pass me enraged and I'll laugh at you when your getting pulled over by the obviously unmarked car you just flew passed. I hope for that everytime!

[iHeartTouge]

i've only been tailgated once by some idiot in an intergra. i changed lanes to let him pass, but apparently he wanted to race and changed lanes with me. so i pulled the ebrake up real quick. not enough to slow me down but enough so he hears the tires squeel and throw a little smoke his way...

 

...he backed off.

[AK-Z]

if someone is being a dick and tailgating me, I just drive the speed limit and if possible, try to box him in while doing it (if there is another car along side me going to limit, as any proper citizen would, hehe).

 

He does either 3 things

 

1. switches lanes and pass, and I don't have to deal with him again

 

2. Abide by my driving standards

or

3 continues being a dick and rides my bumper.

 

My DD is a 92 jeep, with a tailer hitch. had a guy actually try to ram me in a jetta (road rage). tipied his hood and totaled his car, while my jeep only had a slight dent on the rear bumper, all thanks to my trusty trailer hitch haha. Kinda wish there was some major damage, so I could collect on insurance because the car would of been considered as totaled because of how old it is ($5k for a $2k-$3k car lol).

[Leon]

I was driving about 5-6 years ago on 280 in San Francisco and I was in the left lane passing other cars. I see this black Mercedes coming up, cutting off and tailgating every car in his path. I really thought the guy was drunk because he was the most insane driver I had seen on the road at that point. He was missing other cars by inches! Of course he starts tailing me and I would not let this idiot harass me so of course I hit the pedal enough to make the lights come on. The guy swerves onto the left shoulder and then continues to pass me on the right getting very close to my rear bumper. As I look over, he just stares coldly ahead. It was a very close call.

 

I find it works to drive a bit slower than other traffic because I really don't have to worry about all the assholes, they just pass me. I try to keep it at 65-67 on the freeway and this way I save on gas and don't get bothered by anyone. Whenever I have to drive faster I find I'm always more high strung, especially as I do a good number of long drives every year. I started doing this on trips from SF to San Diego, and I found that it really calms me down to stay right and let others pass instead of having to continually pass people because I'm going faster. Yeah, sometimes they tailgate and I usually just try to make eye contact through the rear view. Honestly, I feel like that works a lot of the time. I think I cured my semi-road rage problems by just calming down and driving slower.

[cygnusx1]

I was driving about 5-6 years ago on 280 in San Francisco and I was in the left lane passing other cars. I see this black Mercedes coming up, cutting off and tailgating every car in his path. I really thought the guy was drunk because he was the most insane driver I had seen on the road at that point. He was missing other cars by inches! Of course he starts tailing me and I would not let this idiot harass me so of course I hit the pedal enough to make the lights come on. The guy swerves onto the left shoulder and then continues to pass me on the right getting very close to my rear bumper. As I look over, he just stares coldly ahead. It was a very close call.

 

I find it works to drive a bit slower than other traffic because I really don't have to worry about all the assholes, they just pass me. I try to keep it at 65-67 on the freeway and this way I save on gas and don't get bothered by anyone. Whenever I have to drive faster I find I'm always more high strung, especially as I do a good number of long drives every year. I started doing this on trips from SF to San Diego, and I found that it really calms me down to stay right and let others pass instead of having to continually pass people because I'm going faster. Yeah, sometimes they tailgate and I usually just try to make eye contact through the rear view. Honestly, I feel like that works a lot of the time. I think I cured my semi-road rage problems by just calming down and driving slower.

 

It definitely depends on where you live, and the population density. When there is a ton of traffic, it is much more relaxing to hang right and take a chill.

[280zx 2by2]

"So do you brake check tailgaters?"

 

HELL YES! lol that's the only thing the big 280zx bumpers are good for...

 

i could see why she was pissed, i mean if im getting on the interstate and there is a slow car in front of me i try to, as you did, let them make up there mind... but what if while you were doing this some A-hole speeds by you on the left lane? that's basically what you did, kinda...

 

but yeah im usually the one doing the road rage... i do the reverse tailgate, i get in front of them, get next to a slow semi and keep the same speed as it... then let the pissing off commence

 

also when im turning into school there is a 4 lane road and a shared turn lane in the middle... its common sence that you put your blinker on and wait until you get to the end of the turn lane to get in it (because someone in the on commming lane could have to use the turn lane too)... but of course fresshmen just learning how to drive dont know this so they ignor your blinker and pull up beside you...if theres no one in front of me and theres a green light i drop a gear and cut back in front of them mid turn... i have had to do thas twice this year...

 

 

 

 

 

[ShaggyZ]

"So do you brake check tailgaters?"

 

HELL YES! lol that's the only thing the big 280zx bumpers are good for...

 

i could see why she was pissed, i mean if im getting on the interstate and there is a slow car in front of me i try to, as you did, let them make up there mind... but what if while you were doing this some A-hole speeds by you on the left lane? that's basically what you did, kinda...

 

but yeah im usually the one doing the road rage... i do the reverse tailgate, i get in front of them, get next to a slow semi and keep the same speed as it... then let the pissing off commence

 

also when im turning into school there is a 4 lane road and a shared turn lane in the middle... its common sence that you put your blinker on and wait until you get to the end of the turn lane to get in it (because someone in the on commming lane could have to use the turn lane too)... but of course fresshmen just learning how to drive dont know this so they ignor your blinker and pull up beside you...if theres no one in front of me and theres a green light i drop a gear and cut back in front of them mid turn... i have had to do thas twice this year...

 

[The Infidel]

I was coming back from a group drive few years back in a group of three including myself. There was a woman in a gold accord in the fast lane going a bit slower than the rest of traffic. The lead car signaled to the right and we followed suit to passed her.

 

I hate being cut off, with a passion. So I try my hardest to not do it to others, I like to think im a descent driver. So being the the last car, I gave the accord a left signal and came over with several car lengths. No snap lane jerks or any of that bull. The woman snapped. Im assuming she was insulted we passed her. I take that back im not going to assume anything in that woman's head.

 

She proceeded to ride my ass for two miles. I tried to speed up firstly, then slow down trick and then the brake check. Nothing would shake this woman, she was firmly attached to my tail pipe. So as im brooding I see several cars in the right lane slamming on the brakes and jerking left to right. What do I see?

 

A 15lb mother F'ing wild turkey. In California. I was sure it was going to bound across like frogger and smash into my car. As it jumped across it looked like my car was doomed. Doing the only thing I could, I jerked my car into the yellow emergency lane. The turkey was inches away from my rear quarter panel and i swear to this day I could hear it gobbling before impacting that accord riding my ass. Pink mist everywhere and shards of glass. The turkey went flying into the air and into the right lane. The carnage was epic, the accords fender pealed back and blew out its tire. Couldnt have happened to a nicer woman.

[ckolander]

^^ Now if that isn't poetic justice I don't know what is. On the turkey side of things, here in North Dakota we have 45-50 pound "wild" mean turkeys running around, oh, and deer seem to be really attracted to headlights.