Stupid Kids, Gotta Vent

[Nightrage]

I just drop back a bit. Usually they slow down with you to pace you and let you know how tough they are . That's when you plant the gas pedal and scream around them, assuming it's safe to do so. That maneuver may have saved my life. One night i was driving home from my girlfriends house. I get on the parkway and suddenly, an SUV comes from behind me out of nowhere in the next lane, swerving all over. He had to have been drunk. I noticed a pattern- he'd start to come over to the left lane where i was, get partially into the lane, then swerve back into his, then swerve back and eventually would straighten out. He was about 50ft in front of me. I take it up to about 70MPH and start downshifting. I left it in 4th until he swerved back again, then dropped it into 3rd and punched it past him. That was probably the only time i've ever been scared while i was driving. Of course i kicked myself in the teeth when i realized that i never called the police to report him Ah well, the moral of the story: torque saves lives and frustration when used properly. Be safe everyone. Even though i don't know anyone here personally, i'd be pretty upset if i heard that a member of the board was injured in an accident.

[Steel2686]

Here in western Connecticut, we're between New York and Mass! Talk about being stuck between a rock and a hard place! (No offense to the Mass and NY people on this board. Most car enthusiasts can drive anyway). If you even think about passing someone around here, they'll do anything to prevent it.

[TODD 2000 V6 CAMARO]

One night i was driving home from my girlfriends house. I get on the parkway and suddenly, an SUV comes from behind me out of nowhere in the next lane, swerving all over. He had to have been drunk. I noticed a pattern- he'd start to come over to the left lane where i was, get partially into the lane, then swerve back into his, then swerve back and eventually would straighten out. He was about 50ft in front of me. I take it up to about 70MPH and start downshifting. I left it in 4th until he swerved back again, then dropped it into 3rd and punched it past him. That was probably the only time i've ever been scared while i was driving. Of course i kicked myself in the teeth when i realized that i never called the police to report him Ah well, the moral of the story: torque saves lives and frustration when used properly. Be safe everyone. Even though i don't know anyone here personally, i'd be pretty upset if i heard that a member of the board was injured in an accident.

I had something like this happen when my wife and I were driving up here to Canada from Texas. We were in kansas, I think, at about 1 in the morning and were on just a long stretch of 2-lane highway. We are coming up on this truck and I change lanes to pass him only to have him swerve into that lane and then back. I was like..."Whoah, lets give this guy some room." So I backed off and watched and he swereved back and forth a few times. I actually had to slow down from about 75 to about 40 to keep from having to pass him. They say that the safest thing to do in that situation is to just hang back and not try to pass. Anyway, just about that time there was another car coming up behind us and, even though I couldn't see any overhead lights on it, I was like.."Man, wouldn't it be cool if this was a cop." Right about then, the red and blues come on and he comes flying by me and up on the butt of that truck. It was a Highway Patrol ghost car. My wife and I were just like..."Sweet!" Anyway, yeah...drunk drivers are dangerous bunch,. It is definitely better just to give them room and call the police if you have a call phone, if not get the plate # and description and stop and call.

[Roger in Kensington]

S-s-s-s-PLAT!

At least ten years ago. Outer loop of the Washington Beltway. Four lanes. Approaching the American Legion Bridge. Moderate traffic.

I'm in the driver's seat of my 1978 Trans Am. Wife Ann riding shotgun. Leisurely pass of a Ford Explorer. Simply going with the traffic.

Next thing I see is the Explorer tailgaiting me. Two front seats occupied and some (unbelted) yukka-putz over the center console giving me the finger.

Lane in front of me is relatively clear.

"Hold on, Ann," I said.

Without changing speed, I downshifted to third.

Then I tapped my brakes.

Driver of the Explorer hit his brakes. HARD!

I tromped it.

I see yukka-putz go right into the windshield, middle finger and all.

They never caught me and we exited onto Gallows Road.

Ah, life is good.

[RyanB58]

At least ten years ago. Outer loop of the Washington Beltway. Four lanes. Approaching the American Legion Bridge. Moderate traffic.

I'm in the driver's seat of my 1978 Trans Am. Wife Ann riding shotgun. Leisurely pass of a Ford Explorer. Simply going with the traffic.

Next thing I see is the Explorer tailgaiting me. Two front seats occupied and some (unbelted) yukka-putz over the center console giving me the finger.

Lane in front of me is relatively clear.

"Hold on, Ann," I said.

Without changing speed, I downshifted to third.

Then I tapped my brakes.

Driver of the Explorer hit his brakes. HARD!

I tromped it.

I see yukka-putz go right into the windshield, middle finger and all.

They never caught me and we exited onto Gallows Road.

Ah, life is good.

Had I been in the TA, I may have pulled something like this. Actually with me in the car alone I may have just let him hit me. New car for me and maybe a lawsuit since i had injured my knee just a few nights before and was contemplating getting an MRI on it anyway.

[Steel2686]

About four or five years ago, I was with my brother in his '77 Camaro. We were heading down a long, but narrow and winding road. Some kid in his Mommy's Volvo was tailgaiting us for a couple miles. My brother break-checked him a couple times, and he would back off for a second, then resume tailgaiting. Finally, the kid pulls out into the other lane, with cars coming towards him, and gets as far as his back bumper to the front fender of the Camaro. My brother gets on it and hangs the kid out to dry in the oncoming lane. I've never seen such a look of panic on anyone's face as this kid had. He swerved hard back into our lane and just stopped the car.

Nothing like a little V8 reality check.

[TODD 2000 V6 CAMARO]

I see yukka-putz go right into the windshield, middle finger and all.

They never caught me and we exited onto Gallows Road.

Ah, life is good.

LOL!! That's awesome! Good job, man. I would have loved to have seen that. I think tailgaters are probably one of my biggest driving pet peeves.

Props to you, Ryan for not pummeling that moron when he had the gall to yell at you about that. Alo tof people wouldn't have had that kind of restraint.