What Would You Have Done?

[DIGGER]

This morning I left out on my Valkyrie headed west on hyway 2920 in Tomball.   I crossed Muesche Rd headed west on 2920.   I'm going the speed limit 55 mph.  There are two cars ahead of me going 55 mph.  I leave about 10 car lengths between me and the car in front of me.   A Ford dually 4 door truck comes up about 6' off my taillight.   He is not going to be able to pass for a couple miles where there is not a double stripe.  I put up with it for about 1/2 mile then I put my hand down and wave him back.  This pisses him off and he gets about 3' off my taillight.  I let off the throttle and start slowly slowing down.   At 40 mph he is really pissed and honking his horn.   We enter a passing zone and he has plenty room and time to pass but he stays on my bumper.    I slow down to 20 mph and he is going beserk behind me honking and shooting the finger out his window.    We enter another double stripe and in about a mile at 20 mph he enters a passing zone and shots around me trying to cut in on me but I continue at 20 mph and let him go.   where are the cops when ya need them?  He was on my tail for about 4 or 5 miles.   What would you have done?

[..]

This morning I left out on my Valkyrie headed west on hyway 2920 in Tomball.   I crossed Muesche Rd headed west on 2920.   I'm going the speed limit 55 mph.  There are two cars ahead of me going 55 mph.  I leave about 10 car lengths between me and the car in front of me.   A Ford dually 4 door truck comes up about 6' off my taillight.   He is not going to be able to pass for a couple miles where there is not a double stripe.  I put up with it for about 1/2 mile then I put my hand down and wave him back.  This pisses him off and he gets about 3' off my taillight.  I let off the throttle and start slowly slowing down.   At 40 mph he is really pissed and honking his horn.   We enter a passing zone and he has plenty room and time to pass but he stays on my bumper.    I slow down to 20 mph and he is going beserk behind me honking and shooting the finger out his window.    We enter another double stripe and in about a mile at 20 mph he enters a passing zone and shots around me trying to cut in on me but I continue at 20 mph and let him go.   where are the cops when ya need them?  He was on my tail for about 4 or 5 miles.   What would you have done?

Pulled out my 10" barrel S&W and popped a couple of caps in his radiator.

Then in real life I would have waved him by and eased off the gas if he did so.

You saw what happened when you slowed down. Thankfully he didn't take the final step and bump you.

[Patrick]

Just goes to show that there are a assholes everywhere.  He is a lot bigger than you and the bike will always lose a fight like that.  You did what you thought was best. I now would have probably just pulled over and let the nitwit go by.

[Valkorado]

Yup, wave him by and if he doesn't want to pass pull over.  Trailing that close is a definite threat to your well being!

[The emperor has no clothes]

Pulled off

[Toledo Mark]

I would have never let anyone in a cage get that close to me.  I would have figured out how to pull over and then get behind him.  Then I would lay back and follow him.  At a later time I'd go back and insure that truck does not get on the road again.  Time is on my side.

[DIGGER]

I would have never let anyone in a cage get that close to me.  I would have figured out how to pull over and then get behind him.  Then I would lay back and follow him.  At a later time I'd go back and insure that truck does not get on the road again.  Time is on my side.

Good idea      I was hoping when he came around it would be a company truck with the logo on the side but it wasn't .  Didn't figure he would bump me as there were multiple cars behind him .  I couldn't get to my cell phone to try and film him as it was in the saddle bag.    Would have liked to get a film of how close he was and his license plate to take to the local Waller Tx police.  Don't know that they would have done anything about it or not.  I could almost reach back and touch him.

[Oss]

someone just posted about a front back camera

That is a nice idea

[J.Mencalice]

Some thoughts:

Do the laws there allow you to file a written complaint against the truck driver through either the local police or with the state patrol?  If you were to get the license plate and description of the truck and driver to submit in your complaint would that empower the law to act on your complaint?   Sitting down with an officer for he/she to take a statement takes time and effort.
 
That may generate a court appearance by both parties and let a judge decide who's description of the event is the truth; it would cause a judgment in your favor or a dismissal of the accusation.

To me, it is worth the time and effort to get someone like that charged with a road rage incident and hit where it hurts most...in the wallet.   Also, he's gonna do it again to someone else and maybe the end result would be either sad or tragic.

Having the presence of mind to get that plate number and remember it is absolutely necessary for your complaint to be heard.

Today I believe that opening distance by falling back 3-5 car lengths aids in deescalating the immediate threat.  It gives one a second to rethink the situation and maybe shake it off with a calming of oneself.

Forty years ago, I would have launched a loogie skyward/backward compensating for windage and towards his windshield...but....with age comes different choices.

It's all in a person's own choice; to be or not to be. ...part of the crazy.

[Jess from VA]

As soon as he got 3' off my tail light, I would pull off immediately.  No matter how much that rubs me wrong and makes me feel like I'm showing pure chicken.  (And I wouldn't then run up behind him either, continuing the dispute).  

Then I'd make a big show of writing down his plate number (even though though my pen, paper and revolver are in my saddlebags).  

With humans you can just never know how crazy or demented they are, and I would not take a chance on a continuing/increasing dispute, and being rammed.  On your bike, it's not a fair fight (not even close).  Even if you had the strength and skill to kick 1 to 3 guy's asses, how do you do that after being wrecked off your bike?

I've honked on it and passed on the double yellow (or otherwise unsafely, exceeding the limit by a sh!tload) in such situations in the past, but that also presents great risk, and he's still back behind you.  

I'd pull over today instead.  Sit for a few minutes to cool off, maybe have a drink of water, and then try to enjoy the rest of my day.  I'm not Mahatma Ghandi (I'm more Old Testament by nature), but sometimes his advice is sound.

If I did get a plate number, and good description of the vehicle and could ID the driver, I might take JMencalice's advice.  I'm good with cops and prosecutors and know how to win cases.  But then I'd be reliving this incident for weeks or months to come.  Life is short.  And even if I could get them to charge him with some kind of menacing, he probably gets a plea to following too close.

The devil in me likes ToledoMark's plan, but in life it really often is only the last punch that gets flagged.  I can see me now standing in front of a judge at 66 explaining why it was imperative I pour three lbs of sugar in his gas tank, and getting referred for a psych eval before my sentencing.  And being ordered to pay for his truck repair or do 30 days.

[DIGGER]

As soon as he got 3' off my tail light, I would pull off immediately.  No matter how much that rubs me wrong and makes me feel like I'm showing pure chicken.  (And I wouldn't then run up behind him either, continuing the dispute).  

Then I'd make a big show of writing down his plate number (even though though my pen, paper and revolver are in my saddlebags).  

With humans you can just never know how crazy or demented they are, and I would not take a chance on a continuing/increasing dispute, and being rammed.  On your bike, it's not a fair fight (not even close).  Even if you had the strength and skill to kick 1 to 3 guy's asses, how do you do that after being wrecked off your bike?

I've honked on it and passed on the double yellow (or otherwise unsafely, exceeding the limit by a sh!tload) in such situations in the past, but that also presents great risk, and he's still back behind you.  

I'd pull over today instead.  Sit for a few minutes to cool off, maybe have a drink of water, and then try to enjoy the rest of my day.  I'm not Mahatma Ghandi (I'm more Old Testament by nature), but sometimes his advice is sound.

If I did get a plate number, and good description of the vehicle and could ID the driver, I might take JMencalice's advice.  I'm good with cops and prosecutors and know how to win cases.  But then I'd be reliving this incident for weeks or months to come.  Life is short.

The devil in me likes ToledoMark's plan, but in life it really often is only the last punch that gets flagged.  I can see me now standing in front of a judge at 66 explaining why it was imperative I pour three lbs of sugar in his gas tank, and getting referred for a psych eval before my sentencing.

I was pretty rattled and looking back I should have pulled over and been done with it .   I would in the future .   I didn't even have presence of mind to get his license plate number .   I will in the future have my cell phone accessible

[John Schmidt]

Probably 20 yrs. ago headed for Ft. Lauderdale on back roads I had much the same situation but with a guy in a big Caddie. We were on a two lane much of the time and I was following two semis. I figured he didn't have a CB in his nice car but I did on my Wing so I tried calling the truckers for suggestions and they both told me to pass and pull in between them which I did. The Caddie tried to follow me but they wouldn't let him in. As we entered a different county the two lane widened but still a two, and now had a paved shoulder to boot. I told the truckers I was going to pull off and let them go by as soon as we lost the double yellow. It worked....the truckers backed off a bit, I pulled off and the Caddie went roaring by. As he did so, I noticed he paused as he passed the open area between the trucks. The truckers got a chuckle out of it and as I continued I never saw the guy again.

As a teenager, I used to carry either a handfull of heavy steel washers or ball bearings. All you had to do was flip them straight up like flipping a coin. Momentum worked in my favor, I continued on down the road but the washer or bearing would usually drop down to windshield level about the same time the jerk following you passed by. Usually it was good-bye windshield.

[Crackerborn]

I have pulled over on a number of occasions already this year, both on the ladies and in a cage when traveling 5 to 10 MPH over the posted speed limit. Last week, on a county road I was not real familiar with, a cage was on the back seat of the local girl which has no rear pillion. I took the first turn-off I could find after about a mile of that nonsense while doing 65 in a posted 55. I thought the donkey's derriere was going to follow me into the parking lot and was getting ready to pull the 10 mil as I stopped. Whether donkey boy saw me reaching or he decided some codger wasn't worth his time I really will never know since he didn't pull all the way in behind me but spit gravel at me as he resumed the highway at speed. I may be actually getting more cautious as I fight the concept of growing up, but it seems there are more congenital mistakes on the road every year.

Pennies also did wonders for cars following too close. 

[DIGGER]

Probably 20 yrs. ago headed for Ft. Lauderdale on back roads I had much the same situation but with a guy in a big Caddie. We were on a two lane much of the time and I was following two semis. I figured he didn't have a CB in his nice car but I did on my Wing so I tried calling the truckers for suggestions and they both told me to pass and pull in between them which I did. The Caddie tried to follow me but they wouldn't let him in. As we entered a different county the two lane widened but still a two, and now had a paved shoulder to boot. I told the truckers I was going to pull off and let them go by as soon as we lost the double yellow. It worked....the truckers backed off a bit, I pulled off and the Caddie went roaring by. As he did so, I noticed he paused as he passed the open area between the trucks. The truckers got a chuckle out of it and as I continued I never saw the guy again.

As a teenager, I used to carry either a handfull of heavy steel washers or ball bearings. All you had to do was flip them straight up like flipping a coin. Momentum worked in my favor, I continued on down the road but the washer or bearing would usually drop down to windshield level about the same time the jerk following you passed by. Usually it was good-bye windshield.

manoman....iffin it didn't break his windshield now he would really be out to get ya.....of course I was riding a valk.....surely i could have left a Ford dually in the dust.....

[fudgie]

Ida chucked a handful of change.

[FryeVRCCDS0067]

someone just posted about a front back camera

That is a nice idea

That was me. Reading this just affirmed it was a good way to spend a little money.

[Patrick]

Probably 20 yrs. ago headed for Ft. Lauderdale on back roads I had much the same situation but with a guy in a big Caddie. We were on a two lane much of the time and I was following two semis. I figured he didn't have a CB in his nice car but I did on my Wing so I tried calling the truckers for suggestions and they both told me to pass and pull in between them which I did. The Caddie tried to follow me but they wouldn't let him in. As we entered a different county the two lane widened but still a two, and now had a paved shoulder to boot. I told the truckers I was going to pull off and let them go by as soon as we lost the double yellow. It worked....the truckers backed off a bit, I pulled off and the Caddie went roaring by. As he did so, I noticed he paused as he passed the open area between the trucks. The truckers got a chuckle out of it and as I continued I never saw the guy again.

As a teenager, I used to carry either a handfull of heavy steel washers or ball bearings. All you had to do was flip them straight up like flipping a coin. Momentum worked in my favor, I continued on down the road but the washer or bearing would usually drop down to windshield level about the same time the jerk following you passed by. Usually it was good-bye windshield.

Thats a good idea !

[cookiedough]

I know some would not agree, but you were in the wrong as well doing under say 40 mph in a 55 mph speed zone.  Doing 20 mph  and knowingly pissing him off even more puts you in the wrong as well.  Just glad you did not get run over or bumped for am sure he was thinking about it and accidents do happen and him that close would be very easy to do that bumping you, even if by accident.

I would have kept waiving him on by and did you try waiving him on by doing say 25-30 mph at that same time? 

I pissed off a guy once me passing him doing 50-55 mph on my 250cc scooter and easily blew by him doing 75 mph near top speed of my scoot and he got pissed off and sped up on my tail VERY close as well for 2-3 miles.  I kept going 75 mph and he was on my butt all that time.  Now that is WRONG, he was doing under the 55 mph speed limit, so let me pass which I did easily.  I guess he did not like such a small cycle passing him embarrassing his slow keester.  A vehicle of any kind within say 10 feet or less of my cycle really makes me nervous like what should I do?  If I pull over to side of road, will he notice and hit me from behind?  Do I speed up doing 20+ mph over speed limit and see if he also follows me closely?   Maybe I should for rare instances like that carry some pennies in my pocket or marbles and toss them at his car behind me, that would piss him off right?

If I was on my bigger cycle,  I would have been doing 85 mph and see if he can keep up...

[DIGGER]

I know some would not agree, but you were in the wrong as well doing under say 40 mph in a 55 mph speed zone.  Doing 20 mph  and knowingly pissing him off even more puts you in the wrong as well.  Just glad you did not get run over or bumped for am sure he was thinking about it and accidents do happen and him that close would be very easy to do that bumping you, even if by accident.

I would have kept waiving him on by and did you try waiving him on by doing say 25-30 mph at that same time? 

I pissed off a guy once me passing him doing 50-55 mph on my 250cc scooter and easily blew by him doing 75 mph near top speed of my scoot and he got pissed off and sped up on my tail VERY close as well for 2-3 miles.  I kept going 75 mph and he was on my butt all that time.  Now that is WRONG, he was doing under the 55 mph speed limit, so let me pass which I did easily.  I guess he did not like such a small cycle passing him embarrassing his slow keester.  A vehicle of any kind within say 10 feet or less of my cycle really makes me nervous like what should I do?  If I pull over to side of road, will he notice and hit me from behind?  Do I speed up doing 20+ mph over speed limit and see if he also follows me closely?   Maybe I should for rare instances like that carry some pennies in my pocket or marbles and toss them at his car behind me, that would piss him off right?

If I was on my bigger cycle,  I would have been doing 85 mph and see if he can keep up...

No I didn't wave him by.   Was hping he would pass me on his own.  When he had a good chance to pass he chose to stay on my butt.     
After reading some of these posts I realize I probably handled it wrong     Happens again I'll pull off and diffuse the situation.Hard pill to swallow doing that but in reality my motorcycle is going to lose in a battle with a dually.  Thanks for all the responses on this subject as it helps set up a plan of action for the next time....and there will be a next time.

[The emperor has no clothes]

I know some would not agree, but you were in the wrong as well doing under say 40 mph in a 55 mph speed zone.  Doing 20 mph  and knowingly pissing him off even more puts you in the wrong as well.  Just glad you did not get run over or bumped for am sure he was thinking about it and accidents do happen and him that close would be very easy to do that bumping you, even if by accident.

I would have kept waiving him on by and did you try waiving him on by doing say 25-30 mph at that same time? 

I pissed off a guy once me passing him doing 50-55 mph on my 250cc scooter and easily blew by him doing 75 mph near top speed of my scoot and he got pissed off and sped up on my tail VERY close as well for 2-3 miles.  I kept going 75 mph and he was on my butt all that time.  Now that is WRONG, he was doing under the 55 mph speed limit, so let me pass which I did easily.  I guess he did not like such a small cycle passing him embarrassing his slow keester.  A vehicle of any kind within say 10 feet or less of my cycle really makes me nervous like what should I do?  If I pull over to side of road, will he notice and hit me from behind?  Do I speed up doing 20+ mph over speed limit and see if he also follows me closely?   Maybe I should for rare instances like that carry some pennies in my pocket or marbles and toss them at his car behind me, that would piss him off right?

If I was on my bigger cycle,  I would have been doing 85 mph and see if he can keep up...

No I didn't wave him by.   Was hping he would pass me on his own.  When he had a good chance to pass he chose to stay on my butt.     
After reading some of these posts I realize I probably handled it wrong     Happens again I'll pull off and diffuse the situation.Hard pill to swallow doing that but in reality my motorcycle is going to lose in a battle with a dually.  Thanks for all the responses on this subject as it helps set up a plan of action for the next time....and there will be a next time.

we live and learn. 

[semo97]

I pick my battles and with a nut in a truck is not one of them. Its hard to be humble but its beats in the hospital or coffin.

[RainMaker]

I pull off 99% of the time - I figure they need to get somewhere faster than I do.  I just say "it's not a race" in my head a few times and I'm good.

The one time I did challenge a cage on my bike was when I was following my wife home and an idiot pulled in between me and her car, started tailgating and flashing headlights.  I put the Valk between her car and his (tight, but doable) and flashed the brake lights without actually applying the brakes.  He backed off and went around.  Very, very stupid but I wasn't thinking with my head - just got mad.

[Pete]

As others have said --- get safe first.

What would you rather do   ---- remove the idiot for the earth and gene pool and improve society all with one action.

[..]

It is perplexing.

Are they going to then bully the vehicles ahead of you once they are past?

Do they just have a dislike of 2 wheeled vehicles?

[The emperor has no clothes]

I pull off 99% of the time - I figure they need to get somewhere faster than I do.  I just say "it's not a race" in my head a few times and I'm good.

The one time I did challenge a cage on my bike was when I was following my wife home and an idiot pulled in between me and her car, started tailgating and flashing headlights.  I put the Valk between her car and his (tight, but doable) and flashed the brake lights without actually applying the brakes.  He backed off and went around.  Very, very stupid but I wasn't thinking with my head - just got mad.

It happens to the best of us. 

[Mr Whiskey]

What would you have done?

If there was nowhere I could pull completely off to the right safely... whip'd it left across the yellow and tested the binders.
One way or another, he's gettin' off my a55

You're already breaking the law slowin' down like that, "Impeding/obstructing the flow of traffic" and on July 1st this year it will become illegal to have your cell phone in your hand period, while operating a motor vehicle in the state of Tn. (So much for video on the fly.)

Glad you didn't get hurt
Ride like your life depends on it

[Psychotic Bovine]

Had a guy in an SUV that refused to get off my tail on a curvy road.  I hit the kill switch for a second and the resulting backfire got the message through to him.  He gave me plenty of space after that.

[Moonshot_1]

In cases like these there are a few variables that would dictate the best response. If you had a paved, safe shoulder to pull off on, a number of different "outs" available, etc. things would have been different.

Given what you described it seems like you did all you could to de-escalate the situation, you slowed down to be safe and allow ample opportunity for the guy to pass safely.

You just can't fix stupid and the guy was stupid in spades.

[The emperor has no clothes]

In cases like these there are a few variables that would dictate the best response. If you had a paved, safe shoulder to pull off on, a number of different "outs" available, etc. things would have been different.

Given what you described it seems like you did all you could to de-escalate the situation, you slowed down to be safe and allow ample opportunity for the guy to pass safely.

You just can't fix stupid and the guy was stupid in spades.

Along with being stupid, I'm sure he has many other undesirable traits. But I disagree with your assessment of the situation. Mr Whiskey put it pretty well. We would all do well to learn from DIGGER's incident. Slowing down to the point of 20 just gave this idiot more reason to be angry. The point isn't right and wrong. It's surviving to fight another day. I hope all of us will reread Whiskey's response and take it to heart.

[Jess from VA]

Slowing down to the point of 20 just gave this idiot more reason to be angry.

(While we beat this to death) in line with the above, I have another observation.

When dealing with passive aggressive personalities (if you have to), the idea is not to give them a reason to focus their aggression on you.  (And that's what happened here.)

Of course no one knows the guy behind him is a maniac, until he is.    

Not trying to be critical of Digger (at all), but the first hand signal he made was to back off.  It's certainly reasonable, but it's a command rather than a request, and aggressives don't like being told what to do.  

With the trucks ahead on a double yellow there was nowhere to go but follow.  Instead of the command to back off, you point at your eyes, then point at the trucks then arm out palm up shoulder shrugged saying..... what are WE to do?  Maybe he doesn't move up right behind you.  Maybe.

And, now knowing he's a maniac, don't slow down to 20 (unless you are getting off the road).

I've used this technique in cars and bikes with tailgaters (or someone following you).  Making sure I have a clear lane either side (or the break down lane), I speed up a bit (and so do they), and quickly swerve to that position and stomp on my brakes.  They are past you instantly, and you keep it that way.

Many years ago in my car on the freeway, after being tailgated at night with brights, after tapping my brake lights many times to no avail, I did this maneuver, and kept him ahead.  He slowed, I slowed.  I took the next exit (behind him), and he jumped the exit curb to come down behind me.  And there was a red light with line of cars, and nowhere to go.  He got out of his car and began walking up to me.  I threw my revolver on the dashboard (which may still be brandishing, but better than pointing it at him), and he returned to his car.  I never had any idea what his problem was, all I did was tap my brake lights a dozen times, and there were open lanes to the left on the freeway.  Honestly, I think some people are such sh!tty drivers, they just want to get behind someone (taillights), and follow them.  

Life is just a box of chocolates.  

 

[gordonv]

Honestly, I think some people are such sh!tty drivers, they just want to get behind someone (taillights), and follow them.

One of my biggest pet bevies! Those A-holes on a double laned road, who come up behind me in the slow lane, and then camp there, following and/or tailgating. Then after someone faster passes, they move out and follow them instead. Why the F*#@ wouldn't you have just passed and continue driving at your speed? As bad as those others, who drive slow in the turns, and speed up to unpassable speeds in the straights, to make up the time.