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Post by tyrssen on Jan 8, 2008 17:58:30 GMT -5
A few ball bearings in your pocket can work wonders, when tossed over your shoulder. That, plus the brake-tapping trick, will cure tailgaters. So will wearing a toy cap gun in a very obvious holster.
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Post by ireland2004 on Apr 5, 2008 8:54:14 GMT -5
I also slow down in advance of a red light. Not only does it prevent a complete stop, it's also better for fuel economy.
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Post by magnaman on Apr 5, 2008 19:54:32 GMT -5
A few ball bearings in your pocket can work wonders, when tossed over your shoulder. That, plus the brake-tapping trick, will cure tailgaters. So will wearing a toy cap gun in a very obvious holster. I used to know a HD rider that kept truck lug nuts where he could reach them while riding. He would toss them over his shoulder if needed. He figured that a lug nut was a commonly found thing on the highway, so he couldn't possibly be blamed. Not so sure about that logic, but it worked for him.
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Post by griff10 on Apr 7, 2008 20:37:34 GMT -5
Aggressive behavior on your part will eventually get you dead, maybe not the first time, but you have no protection from an aggressive driver and don't have an excess of power to get away from one like the motorcycle riders do. And some of them ride like idiots, not something I'd mimic.
Bill H.
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Post by xmirage2kx on Apr 9, 2008 8:15:45 GMT -5
Ball Bearings! Lug Nuts! Fake Gun! Thats some pretty stupid stuff to pull. Just tap the brake a few times and if they don't take the hint then just pull over when you get a chance. Two can play the throwing stuff game, and anything I would throw causes you a lot more damage than anything you would throw does to me. I would hate to lose that battle on a scooter.
The only thing being an @$$ is gonna get you while riding a scooter is a large hospital bill or a pine box
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Post by rontopia on Apr 24, 2008 17:21:05 GMT -5
I had a friend that rode a MC on the east cost. in his chest pocket of his leather jacket he use to carry quater size nuts and bolts. if someone tail gated him to close he would just reach in his pocket and flick a bolt in the air.. he says it would usually hit their windshield and not many want to risk a cracked wind shield on their 50K suv so they would back off.
im not suggesting anyone here try this. but he said it was effective at freeway speeds..
I use to let my anger get the best of me and hit the gas and zoom up ahead. today.. I just pull over and wave them on ahead of me. kind of lets them know they are being smack-tards .
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Post by griff10 on Apr 27, 2008 2:53:30 GMT -5
Aside from the fact that's it's pretty hard to zoom ahead with 9 hp Bill H.
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Post by johnnyscoots on Apr 27, 2008 14:06:07 GMT -5
Even with an amazing 18 hp, the Kymco People 250 won't get out of an SUV's way quickly enough, especially if said SUV is ridden by an irate a$$. I used to tap the brakes, but figure it's better to just get outta the way...an SUV is basically a V8 powered 5,000lb battering ram...my little 400lb Kymco don't stand a chance...and neither do I...now a 36hp People 250 would be a different story ;D
Johnny
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Post by griff10 on Apr 28, 2008 1:35:34 GMT -5
It's dangerous behavior to get into even if you're riding a liter sport bike, eventually dealing with aggressive drivers by being more aggressive will get you hurt, or worse.
It's also a really easy habit to get into when you're riding something with alot of power, been there/done that and got lucky and lived thru it.
Bill H.
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Post by cprevost on Jun 12, 2008 13:29:41 GMT -5
Don't piss off tailgaters! If you are being tailed too closely you MUST increase your following distance so that you don't have to stop short. More often than not I'll decrease my speed enough so that they pass. It almost always works. If not I'll turn and make a block. Karma catches up to you. I figure they'll get theirs eventually. Braking early at lights is also a must when being tailed. One fingered salutes are tempting but not advised when they outweigh you by 10 fold. Oh, I teach driver ed so I'm not afraid to ride a scoot.
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Post by Aerostudent on Jun 12, 2008 16:20:32 GMT -5
Even with an amazing 18 hp, the Kymco People 250 won't get out of an SUV's way quickly enough, especially if said SUV is ridden by an irate a$$. I used to tap the brakes, but figure it's better to just get outta the way...an SUV is basically a V8 powered 5,000lb battering ram...my little 400lb Kymco don't stand a chance...and neither do I...now a 36hp People 250 would be a different story ;D Johnny What about my 72HP Honda (CB750K, DOHC, inline 4, 748ccs of fury)? 0-60 yesterday and tops around 130. ;D J/K. while it is SLIGHTLY safer to mess with cagers when on a more powerful bike, it is still just askin' for trouble, either from the cager the NEXT time you happen to be on the same road as them, from the local law, or just from going to fast and hitting gravel or a seagull or something Aero
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Post by jrsharp21 on Jun 15, 2008 17:06:29 GMT -5
This is where splitting (where allowed) helps out. If there are is already some cars at the stop light, splitting to get up to the front puts you out of harms way of cars behind you (for that light at least).
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Post by ScootCouple on Jun 17, 2008 11:38:12 GMT -5
I was driving my GrandVista to work one morning on a two lane county highway with a double yellow line. I wast driving the speed limit at 45mph when a big Toyota SUV came up to within 10 to 15 feet of my rear and stayed there trying to push me down the road. There was no oncoming traffic at all and he wouldn't go around so I figured he was just being a butthead. I lit my brakelights by barely squeezing the levers and gently eased the throttle and let my scoot gradually slow down to around 35. The idiot didn't get the hint so running at a steady 35mph i took my left hand off the grip and held it to my side and shook it off, stretched and moved it around leisurly for a good 2-3 minutes, no reaction from numbnuts - he's still on my butt. I put my left hand back on the grip, flashed my brake lights again rapidly and let go with my right and did the same thing with it (not as long though) long enought for the scoot to slow to 25, I put my hand back on the grip and kept speed steady at 25 - he still held his ground. I repeated the flashing and right hand release down to 15mph and the dummy finally got the idea and backed off. As he backed off I increased speed, once he started closing the gap and I started slowing so he backed off again. When the road widened up to two lanes at a traffic light I stopped in the left lane right beside him and he stopped to my right he just kept drinking coffee and yakkin' on his cell phone. Wouldn't even look at me.
Since there was no oncoming traffic I was hoping he would go around when I slowed the first time. With no shoulder and only dirt or gravel side roads I really didn't want to pull off and stop. I have no idea what he was thinking or doing, I have driven everything from 2 wheels to 18 wheels and have seen some crazy drivers, this guy was just plain strange...
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Post by isawhim on Jun 17, 2008 11:51:41 GMT -5
Best way to handle tail-gaters, is to move...
Don't EVER slow down on a scooter! If they are un-aware, or just stupid... Their bumper will catch your rear tire, and suck you under, chew you up, and spit you out...
Not that big of a deal in a car, because you are protected a little more... But not much... You will still get chewed up. In the end, they will get the ticket, for following unsafely, when they rear-end you. Won't matter if you are on a scooter. You may not be alive to collect.
Next time, just do the turn-thing...
The triple tap on the breaks, while your turn signal is on. Turn into any side road, hang a u-turn, and get behind the @$$ hole. Give strange hand signals, that make no sense... "Stopping", "Road debris to the left", "Take the lead", "Y - M - C - A", and possibly the @-Hole salute... "Extended middle finger"...
If you were a stunt-man, I would have suggested that you jump off the scooter, at 15 MPH, and let him crush it... as you attempted to roll safely to the side... (But the moron would have possibly turned towards your direction of fall, trying not to spill his coffee, while he kept driving, wondering what a huge squirrel that was, that he just ran over.)
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Post by ScootCouple on Jun 17, 2008 14:33:44 GMT -5
I would've, but as I said the side roads were loose dirt/gravel up until the road widened. The slowdowns were a slow bleed of speed and I was watching him closely to make sure he didn't gain on me.
He know what he was doing and was doing it intentionallly, and had every opportunity to pass and go around (even though it was double yellow line) he chose to stay and tailgate.
I for one do not agree with never slow down, you need to slow down to lessen the effects of what might happen if you have to make an emergency stop, which in turn will give the a-hole behind more time to react so he doesn't squish you into that dump truck stopped in the middle of the road with no lights on.
Slow down, but make sure to keep an eye on him and make sure he slows down too. I think the nut thought he would play games with me the first time I slowed and try to "push" me along. When I finally got down to 15 he decided I wan't going to be "pushed" and backed off. Once I got up to speed again he resumed his "normal" driving habits and started to close on me again and was chastized for it, which he backed off and we went along fine.
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Post by isawhim on Jun 17, 2008 16:46:39 GMT -5
Time for a James-Bond scooters... Oil-jets, Rockets, Barbed-spike-balls, Smoke-screens.
Double solid yellow = no passing. (Dangerous to pass, blind-spots, unavoidable collisions, etc...)
From the drivers manual, provided by DOT.
"A single solid, broken or dotted line may be crossed with care. In yellow, it means pass with due care. In white, it means to change lanes with due care.
A double solid line may not be crossed. In yellow, it means no passing. In white, a double solid line means do not change lanes. However, a double solid yellow line may be crossed in making a left turn.
A dotted line is used to guide vehicles into particular paths such as through intersections where solid or broken or skip lines would be confusing.
A solid line with a dotted line has several meanings. Passing or crossing is prohibited if the solid line is on the side where the vehicle is traveling."
Hehe... Why would he do that... it is against the law... Um, like following too close... LOL
Don't worry, he will loose his job, have his gas-guzzler reposessed, and join you on your scooter touring. Karma Baby!
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Post by ScootCouple on Jun 18, 2008 11:43:30 GMT -5
LOL - after the Army I drove a wrecker for a few years. The boss, owner, always said if anyone ever cut you off or did anything stupid to you while driving in the wrecker to smile and wave to them as I'd probably see them again sooner or later, wrapped around a telephone pole. We didn't want to upset our future customers!!
You know something - he was right!!!! There were a few that I definitly remembered encounters with!
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Post by olderthandirt on Jan 25, 2009 15:09:34 GMT -5
A few ball bearings in your pocket can work wonders, when tossed over your shoulder. That, plus the brake-tapping trick, will cure tailgaters. So will wearing a toy cap gun in a very obvious holster. ROFL..Like the way you think. When all else fails ya gotta cya.... rummer has it that a 147 gr. hp in the radiator works wonders out in one mans land.. I do prefer the brake light thing, do it all the time....
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Post by olderthandirt on Jan 25, 2009 15:12:45 GMT -5
A few ball bearings in your pocket can work wonders, when tossed over your shoulder. That, plus the brake-tapping trick, will cure tailgaters. So will wearing a toy cap gun in a very obvious holster. I used to know a HD rider that kept truck lug nuts where he could reach them while riding. He would toss them over his shoulder if needed. He figured that a lug nut was a commonly found thing on the highway, so he couldn't possibly be blamed. Not so sure about that logic, but it worked for him. Simple..rusty nuts, bolts, lugs are every where on the roads...a tire can pinch it object and throw it up in the air. Been there
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Post by olderthandirt on Jan 25, 2009 15:27:22 GMT -5
Ball Bearings! Lug Nuts! Fake Gun! Thats some pretty stupid stuff to pull. Just tap the brake a few times and if they don't take the hint then just pull over when you get a chance. Two can play the throwing stuff game, and anything I would throw causes you a lot more damage than anything you would throw does to me. I would hate to lose that battle on a scooter. The only thing being an @$$ is gonna get you while riding a scooter is a large hospital bill or a pine box For the most part I agree we shouldn't do stuff like this , as I hope the writer of the post you quote would. BUT, what do you do when your one the road out in the middle of nowhere, when a jerk in a pick-up comes up on your astric inches from your tail light honking his horn and laughing? Red lined my scoot and couldn't get away...only thing that kept him from getting 147 gr.hp in the grill was my wife was on the bike behind be and I can't shoot around her. BTW we ended up going over 100mph that night...had to rebuild my engine
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Post by olderthandirt on Jan 25, 2009 15:30:50 GMT -5
Don't piss off tailgaters! If you are being tailed too closely you MUST increase your following distance so that you don't have to stop short. More often than not I'll decrease my speed enough so that they pass. It almost always works. If not I'll turn and make a block. Karma catches up to you. I figure they'll get theirs eventually. Braking early at lights is also a must when being tailed. One fingered salutes are tempting but not advised when they outweigh you by 10 fold. Oh, I teach driver ed so I'm not afraid to ride a scoot. You teach drivers ed... ya must push a big wheel borrow to carry them around... ;D
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Post by choirguy on Jan 29, 2009 17:22:35 GMT -5
I'm with earlwb: I just slow down and they'll do anything but hang behind me. I also agree with richard about slowing down way before I get to the light: it gives the high-strung cagers a chance to around me, and it gives me a better chance to not have to stop at all. It's all about living another day to ride, isn't it?
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Post by scosgt on Feb 3, 2009 21:36:55 GMT -5
According to the OFFICIAL MOTORCYCLE MANUAL of the New York State Dept of Motor Vehicles:
Slow down when someone is tailgateing you. Because: 1. It is VERY dangerous to have someone hanging on your rear too close 2. Speeding up just makes it more dangerous, as the azzhole will speed up with you and stay just as close, but now you are going faster, making it more dangerous.
SLOW DOWN and hopefully the cager will get the hint. If you slow down, at least if he hits you it will be at a lower speed and be less likely to kill you.
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Post by nickiemcnichols on Feb 4, 2009 20:29:42 GMT -5
I once had a hardcore biker friend who chewed tobacco (I think it was Red Man, or something like that). I wondered why he did that, until a cager tailgated us one day. He turned around and spat a huge gob of the stuff right onto the hood and windshield of that car. I Laughed so hard I almost lost control of my bike!
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Post by spacecowboy on Feb 8, 2009 16:28:51 GMT -5
I deal with tailgaters by moving to the right if and when it is safe, and by using my superior acceleration to my advantage.
For those of you who resent the fact that we have to move out of the way of morons, here's something really gratifying about moving to the right. Everyone wants to pass the scooter and be in the left, "fast" lane.
In practice this means they pile 8/10 deep in the left lane at the next intersection, and have to brake earlier than you, and stop more often--wasting more time slowly accelerating. There is no such pileup in the right lane because 1) No one likes to go slow 2) People typically turn right on red 3) Right Turn Lanes. 4) Even if there are left turn lanes and protected lefts, the protected you can still turn right earlier than you turn left. The net result is that you will pass them -all- and usually get to be first in line at the light. And when it turns green your quick acceleration will leave all that traffic and tailgaters a good quarter mile behind you. All without any gestures, swearing, or throwing things.
With a bit of luck, you can make it through the next light on the road before it turns red, leaving impatient drivers far, far behind. I know these suggestions don't make sense for highway riding, but I'm not a highway rider
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Post by ♣Luke♣ on Feb 9, 2009 20:16:01 GMT -5
i usually let them pass and i blow my 2 loud airhorns when theyr'e in front of me then exit to the very next street as fast as i can. that'll do it.
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