Getting old and grumpy.

[bonester]

I'm wondering if I'm starting to get a bit old, grumpy and less accpeting of shit. It is against my nature, but I have done this twice in the last year. I wonder if it does any good? I have stopped in front of tailgating drivers, dismounted the bike, and said my piece to the driver involved.
Story one:
I have a little quiet area that I use for my motorcycle training in Toowoomba, that is a scenic one-way run with lotsa corners and straights and I use it for people who are just up to a quiet road ride. It has a 40km/h limit, and as I mentioned mostly one way. Anywho I took a cleint there about 6 months ago and I was leading. A bloke in a Nissan Exa (non-turbo model) with a huge, and I mean massive spoiler on the back came up behind my client and proceeded to run with 1 metre of his tail and tried to overtake on the bends. We were doing close to the limit (40) so weren't holding him up. If he succeeded in passing my client, he would have run him off the road and over the cliff face. I got a bit annoyed at seeing this, so I stopped the old GT I was riding and said thus:
"Do you think it is smart to follow learner riders so close?"
"I wasn't following too close."
I said " within a metre is too close. Use your fucking brain."
Guy was a cock- tailgated me where he could keep up. My client had got ahead to a safe distance.
Today's story:
Travelling in 60 zone- commodore ute up my arse 1-2metres. I used acceleration to get away from him, but he kept catching and driving up my arse. Stopped at lights and front bumper was 50cm from my rear tyre.
Me: (not good at coming up with new script...)
"Do you think it is smart to follow motorcycles so close?"
Dude denied it. I steamed even further. "you are parked less than a metre from me NOW! I would suggest that you follow a bit further away or I will get cranky."
I would consider following further away if a 120kg motorcyclist suggested it to me. I turned the corner to get away from the wanker but I wonder how long it will be until he tailgates someone again. (seconds probably.)
A friend of mine was in hospital this week with whiplash after someone hit her from behind in her 12 day old Hyundai. Pushed her into the car in front. $8-9k damage. $4500 in labour alone. Police won't book someone until they cause an accident. Too late then.
Unfortunately for me today I was riding my ZZR with my business name on the back. Guess it shows that I have a short fuse for people who put my well being in danger. Would you do the same thing?

[Felix]

Unfortunately this is what happens when governments demonise speed so they can justify using revenue raising speed cameras, instead of doing anything else.

Problem is everyone runs around thinking they have the "right" to do what they want, and everyone else is just an inconvenience to them...shoot 'em all and let god sort 'em out!

[Rusty]

An awful lot of people do it without thinking. I've usually found that waving a car back has good results.

[Barrabob]

I think i mentioned i have taken to punching car windows when ever someone trys to run over me while talking on their mobile phone, i dont wear anything with the company name on it in plain veiw though.

Probably the wrong thing to do in my case but if they come close enough to me that i have to take evasive action i get pissed off, especialy if i look for eye contact and there looking at there phone.

[photomike666]

It's tempting to fit a shotgun under the ducktail and fire salt pellets at them when they get too close. Australia is the worst country I've ever driven in for tailgaters, and yes it annoys me greatly. I have never taken physical action yet, but have locked the wheels on the cage a few time to give them a heart attack.

[Neka79]

mate i ussually turn round whilst riding (im competent enuf to do this- unlike most learners) and point my finger- this USSUALLY alerts them that im not impressed..or i trail my rear brake and accelerate....

i have been known to pull up, get off the bike and approach the car screaming tho...

[Smitty]

i have been known to pull up, get off the bike and approach the car screaming tho...

I am with neka

[Gosling1]

...but I wonder how long it will be until he tailgates someone again. (seconds probably.)

Mate, once a wanker, always a wanker !! I got tailgated by some fuckhead in a new Commodore ute last week, he got the message when I braked *right* in front (but still on the gas, so no loss of pace) - he backed off then.......and promptly did the big *wanker fly-by* after I had changed lanes,........so he could tail-gate the next car which was about 50 meters in front of him what a fuckstick !!

I better stop now, if I start on roadrage stories, I will still be typing at midnight ( All from many years ago of course )

[z900/zx9]

I had a mate who used to carry a machete in the side of his bmw fairing (mad french man) He said he got sick of punching mirrors so he decieded that wacking them with a really big knife was better

[Gosling1]

I had a mate who used to carry a machete in the side of his bmw fairing (mad french man) He said he got sick of punching mirrors so he decieded that wacking them with a really big knife was better

La Frog has been watching too many re-runs of MadMax !!!

One bloke I knew used to carry old spark-plugs in the inner-fairing pockets on his ZZR600........they did much damage when hurled at windscreens, windows etc.

[seraph]

I had a mate who used to carry a machete in the side of his bmw fairing (mad french man) He said he got sick of punching mirrors so he decieded that wacking them with a really big knife was better

that is so damn cool... -J.

[stevew_zzr]

Luckily I haven't been riding lately, all the work i've been doing has badly short circuited my stress coping mechanisms. If someone tailgated me, i might just spontaneously combust.

Having said that my tactic in the past is usually just to look back and wave them to slow down (of course, this looks like I'm trying to waft a fart away from my ass). Short of that I will pull over and let them go by and give them a look .... only to realise that my tinted visor is down.

One time a cop crappydore was tailgating me for about 2km in a 60 zone about a metre from my arse .. . WHEN I HAD MY Ls ON ... so I pulled over to the side of the road and locking the rear up as i broke and slotted in behind them about ... 2-3 seconds back so as to show them how to fuggen drive (stupid dipshits). So they decided to slow down to 35 in the 60 zone to tempt me to over-take (double white lines).

HELLO !!! You might be a total wanker but that doesn't mean everyone else on the planet is a complete tosser and/or moron.

No offence to the cops that do their job right.

[MG]

[mick_dundee]

I simply reached in, turned his car off, pulled out the keys & fucken threw them as far as I could (other
side of intersection). Got back on my bike & waited for lights to change green again.

classic, rpoblem is does he know why you did it??

[FrogZ]

Most ppl dont expect the confrontation at the next set of lights... They are lovely and safe in their cages unitl someone walks over and rattles it.
Rocky doesnt really have enough traffic for tailgates (very often) but no one uses blinkers or understands giveways or roundabouts.
And NO Bonester anything less than assault is not overreaction, its YOUR life they are threatening with their intimidation tactics.