tx-skydiver said:
I'm curious to know how you would have handled it.
Most of the time, I've had good results from using my left hand, palm back, sort of by my hip, to wave them back. (Like the hand signal for "slow", only 'pushing' back.)
When they give more distance, I give a thumb's-up & a big nod.
Most of the time that works.
Sometimes I flash the brake lights, slow down a little or speed up a little, or pull over.
Then there was the guy in VA, who was behind us in traffic, tried to hit my then-BF (who managed to get out of the way), then tried to hit me (going into the grassy median to come at me from the side... failed), & when we followed him to get the license plate he led us to the police station!!!
We (BF & I) were both honking all the way, hoping to attract the attention of a LEO or five. We weren't close enough to the car that he could have harmed us by stopping quickly.
The officers standing out back of the station when we all pulled up managed to separate him from us, get the story, and ended up charging him. Then we had to wait several months for them to find him again before we could go back to VA (from WI) & go to court.
He had probably 20 different counts against him that day, & I was absolutely
infuriated when the "judge" gave him time served (60 days, IIRC) for every last one of them.
He could have killed both of us, and AFAI'm concerned he
tried to kill us.
:cuss:
4angrybadgers said:
The best response in such a situation is to disengage and evade the road-rager as quickly and safely as possible, preferably in a place with witnesses in case the road-rager decides to jump out of his car or do something similarly stupid.
+ 1000
D94R said:
No cell phone on you?
I've learned to just call the police when someone is making it a point to blatantly tail gate...
On a motorcycle, it's next to impossible to use a phone*. And if you pull over, you risk the car also pulling over & escalating to an in-person attack.
ETA - not sure that's really 'escalating'... you can get dead a lot faster being hit by a car than by a person.
*
Next to - I know of a guy (who teaches motorcycle cops to be better riders) who has done it to report a dangerous driver, by shoving the phone in his helmet. And of course, the passenger (pillion or sidecar) could call. I've done that. Surprised the dispatcher when I described our vehicle. :lol: It was great seeing the cruiser light up & the dangerous driver pull over.
hogeater f6 said:
He could have easily taken you out.
... ball bearings or spare change that 'fall' out of my pouches at bad times.
A friend of mine who is a motorcycle cop says he keeps the dead D-cell batteries from their work flashlights for just such an occasion.
CO-Joe said:
...feral spark plugs with unusually high delta-v...
LOL!!!
road rage is also another in a long line of good reasons to wear a helmet.
hogeater f6 said:
Cant use my helmet for defence. We dont wear any! lol I guess I could whip him with my bandana! 'If' we did have a helmet it wouldnt do any good since its a novey one. Probally break on one swing!
And what would it do when it hit the pavement?
And what will your head do when
it hits the pavement?
If you're over 18, it's your choice what to do with your body, but I think you're making a bad choice.
I know a couple people with brain injuries, & have met more (including people who had crashed while riding w/o a helmet), & I
never want to be like them. Heck, the one real crash I've had, I was wearing a helmet & still got a concussion.