d10 drives home from work, a trip report

[IdealFugacity]

For the people who claim they use the 'brake check' occasionally, I'd like an opinion on this incident:

I'm going about 72 in a 65, passing a bunch of cars in the right lane maybe going 68,69ish. So it takes a good few minutes to pass the 3 or 4 of them. I don't feel like going faster, as I'm a young guy (pullover bait) who's already used up his 2 "plead careless driving and pay $400 instead of $100 and getting points for speeding/etc" chances that NJ so generously gives you.

Guy in some dark flashy car comes up behind me, tails me right on the ass, but I figure, if he's going to be a jerk about it, and to make him happy I probably have to go up to 80 or so, in a road I see cops on plenty of times, I'll just keep the cruise control on and he can wait his turn.

As the rear of my car passes the front of the frontmost car in the right lane, I put on my right blinker and turn my head to ensure my blindspot is clear. As I am doing so, HotShot zooms into the right lane, cutting off the driver there now, and then pulls in front of me. He then executes the most extreme brake check I ever saw, probably going from 90 to almost 40 pretty rapidly (tires squealing, burnt rubber smell). I slam and drop to almost 30 (thank god nobody else was behind us, and I didn't fishtail into either the left shoulder or in front of the cars in the right lane). I have time to yell a curse as the strawberry shortcake I am bringing to my girlfriend's flies around the car, and the guy then burns rubber peeling out to some insane speed, leaving my view in a matter of moments.

Standard?

If so, I really don't like you brake-checkers...

[d10]

[ QUOTE ]
d10,

Please tell me you're kidding. You got out of your car and picked up a [censored] cinder block? This is after making numerous moves on the road that make you just as big a jackass as the other guy. Passing in the turn lane then intentionally not letting him back in? Ever consider that you shouldn't be tailgating people so much?

I'm all for asserting your position on the road. I just don't need to pick up a cinder block and swing my dick around to prove I'm a badass.

[/ QUOTE ]

What else was I going to do? He was trying to follow me home. Cinder block was for my own protection, not to prove anything.

[Edge34]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
d10,

Please tell me you're kidding. You got out of your car and picked up a [censored] cinder block? This is after making numerous moves on the road that make you just as big a jackass as the other guy. Passing in the turn lane then intentionally not letting him back in? Ever consider that you shouldn't be tailgating people so much?

I'm all for asserting your position on the road. I just don't need to pick up a cinder block and swing my dick around to prove I'm a badass.

[/ QUOTE ]

What else was I going to do? He was trying to follow me home. Cinder block was for my own protection, not to prove anything.

[/ QUOTE ]

Other option: Pull into your driveway. Write down his license plate. Tell him, if he pulls into your driveway or makes any kind of move, that you have done so and will call the police if anything happens to you, your home, or your vehicle.

Seriously, do you not see how picking up a [censored] cinder block and going after this guy isn't going to help the situation?

I could even understand your driving moves if you didn't finish it off acting like the guy [censored] your wife and pissed on your father's grave. You aren't being any better at proving you don't have tiny-dick syndrome than he is.

[kipin]

[ QUOTE ]
For the people who claim they use the 'brake check' occasionally, I'd like an opinion on this incident:

I'm going about 72 in a 65, passing a bunch of cars in the right lane maybe going 68,69ish. So it takes a good few minutes to pass the 3 or 4 of them. I don't feel like going faster, as I'm a young guy (pullover bait) who's already used up his 2 "plead careless driving and pay $400 instead of $100 and getting points for speeding/etc" chances that NJ so generously gives you.

Guy in some dark flashy car comes up behind me, tails me right on the ass, but I figure, if he's going to be a jerk about it, and to make him happy I probably have to go up to 80 or so, in a road I see cops on plenty of times, I'll just keep the cruise control on and he can wait his turn.

As the rear of my car passes the front of the frontmost car in the right lane, I put on my right blinker and turn my head to ensure my blindspot is clear. As I am doing so, HotShot zooms into the right lane, cutting off the driver there now, and then pulls in front of me. He then executes the most extreme brake check I ever saw, probably going from 90 to almost 40 pretty rapidly (tires squealing, burnt rubber smell). I slam and drop to almost 30 (thank god nobody else was behind us, and I didn't fishtail into either the left shoulder or in front of the cars in the right lane). I have time to yell a curse as the strawberry shortcake I am bringing to my girlfriend's flies around the car, and the guy then burns rubber peeling out to some insane speed, leaving my view in a matter of moments.

Standard?

If so, I really don't like you brake-checkers...

[/ QUOTE ]

NOT STANDARD AT ALL.

I only brake check once or twice so they get the idea to back the [censored] off. I will get out of the left lane when I can.

[NT!]

picking up the cinder block is dumb, he can probably get away with shooting you. jesus christ this isn't berkeley, people are packing.

[JJSCOTT2]

[ QUOTE ]
For the people who claim they use the 'brake check' occasionally, I'd like an opinion on this incident:

I'm going about 72 in a 65, passing a bunch of cars in the right lane maybe going 68,69ish. So it takes a good few minutes to pass the 3 or 4 of them. I don't feel like going faster, as I'm a young guy (pullover bait) who's already used up his 2 "plead careless driving and pay $400 instead of $100 and getting points for speeding/etc" chances that NJ so generously gives you.

Guy in some dark flashy car comes up behind me, tails me right on the ass, but I figure, if he's going to be a jerk about it, and to make him happy I probably have to go up to 80 or so, in a road I see cops on plenty of times, I'll just keep the cruise control on and he can wait his turn.

As the rear of my car passes the front of the frontmost car in the right lane, I put on my right blinker and turn my head to ensure my blindspot is clear. As I am doing so, HotShot zooms into the right lane, cutting off the driver there now, and then pulls in front of me. He then executes the most extreme brake check I ever saw, probably going from 90 to almost 40 pretty rapidly (tires squealing, burnt rubber smell). I slam and drop to almost 30 (thank god nobody else was behind us, and I didn't fishtail into either the left shoulder or in front of the cars in the right lane). I have time to yell a curse as the strawberry shortcake I am bringing to my girlfriend's flies around the car, and the guy then burns rubber peeling out to some insane speed, leaving my view in a matter of moments.

Standard?

If so, I really don't like you brake-checkers...

[/ QUOTE ]


Yes, the tailgate into brake check combo, such a classic move. This requires you to be insanely pissed off at somebody, I think I've done it once in my life, but it may not be exactly the same because after I aggressively passed the moron who was driving slow in the left lane, he then decided to tailgate me which makes no sense at all because if you're willing to drive at the same speed that I want to drive at then you should have just been doing that in the first place.

I do feel for you though with these [censored] who fly up behind you and expect you to immediately magically be out of the way while you're mid-pass. The best way to do this is to come up in such a way so as to make your presence known, but give them space and a reasonable amount of time to give into your demands, at which point if they don't you can then commence being an [censored].

[KotOD]

Wait a minute, people actually do this 'brake check' thing on highways? What purpose does it serve? Either continue at your speed and get out of the way when possible, or get out of the way now. So what if someone else wants to go faster, do you think that this is sending some sort of message? "Slow down or I'll break randomly?"

This thing really makes zero sense. If anything it puts the person performing a 'break check' in serious danger -- either the breaker is getting rear-ended at really high speed, or the breaker is going to get clipped at high speed. Have fun as you are sailing down the highway in 50 MPH circles.

Pride is such a foolish thing.

[IggyWH]

You know what I hate with a passion? When you're driving on a 2 lane highway in rain and there's a big rig in the right hand lane. You want to pass this truck as it's spraying water from the road all over your car and you can't see a damn thing, yet some jackass is driving the same speed as the truck in the left hand lane.

Why, oh why, do people drive right next to big rigs in bad weather?

[tuq]

Ugh, this thread makes me soooooo happy that I have a 1/2 mile commute, two miles when coming from my gym. And it's a six lane stress-free road with a median and well-timed traffic signals that I deal with. Hell, today I drove twenty minutes to Tempe and I felt like I was going to Tucson!

To all of you baffled by the driving in the passing lane action, I beg you to come to Phoenix and experience the "reverse lanes" on 7th St. and 7th Ave. in Phoenix. From 6-9AM and 4-6PM (the disparity is because there are three lanes northbound, thus no reason for an excessive time slot), the middle lane 100% belongs to one direction, including traffic signals! And while there is plenty of signage there are no blinking lights to inform you of the time! You must hope your watch is in synch with everyone else's, and that they're paying attention. It's like a legal game of "chicken". Awesome times.

[rjoefish]

[ QUOTE ]
For the people who claim they use the 'brake check' occasionally, I'd like an opinion on this incident:

I'm going about 72 in a 65, passing a bunch of cars in the right lane maybe going 68,69ish. So it takes a good few minutes to pass the 3 or 4 of them. I don't feel like going faster, as I'm a young guy (pullover bait) who's already used up his 2 "plead careless driving and pay $400 instead of $100 and getting points for speeding/etc" chances that NJ so generously gives you.

Guy in some dark flashy car comes up behind me, tails me right on the ass, but I figure, if he's going to be a jerk about it, and to make him happy I probably have to go up to 80 or so, in a road I see cops on plenty of times, I'll just keep the cruise control on and he can wait his turn.

As the rear of my car passes the front of the frontmost car in the right lane, I put on my right blinker and turn my head to ensure my blindspot is clear. As I am doing so, HotShot zooms into the right lane, cutting off the driver there now, and then pulls in front of me. He then executes the most extreme brake check I ever saw, probably going from 90 to almost 40 pretty rapidly (tires squealing, burnt rubber smell). I slam and drop to almost 30 (thank god nobody else was behind us, and I didn't fishtail into either the left shoulder or in front of the cars in the right lane). I have time to yell a curse as the strawberry shortcake I am bringing to my girlfriend's flies around the car, and the guy then burns rubber peeling out to some insane speed, leaving my view in a matter of moments.

Standard?

If so, I really don't like you brake-checkers...

[/ QUOTE ]

Not standard in my experience. There are people that will go slow in the left lane with the right lane free and clear for them to move over. I get pretty close up on them and most of the time they get over. If they don't however I'll switch to the right to pass them and then pull back over into the left lane quickly, like I'm cutting them off. I don't brake check them though, they're clearly retarded and don't know how to drive so they'd never see it coming and they'd just plow right into me.