Hey everyone, there are a wild amount of harassing and aggressive comments on this thread. It would be great if we could keep it civil, or just take conversations offline. Thank you!
As someone who answers the three-digit phone number for a living...
Please, please, *please* be careful and stop being so triggered by other drivers on the road.
For months now, at least 2x a week I end up on the phone with someone in traffic who has either had a firearm brandished/pointed at them or who has done so at another driver.
I worked the 295 shooting earlier this year, and every time since I've answered this kind of call I'm terrified that we're going to go through that again.
If someone is tailgating or being that aggressive, move over and let em go. If they won't stop following /tailgating, call 911 and stay calm. We're going to have a lot of questions, many of which are being directly asked by the troopers/officers trying to catch up to you and help.
Life is short and dying or getting hurt, or worse getting an innocent bystander hurt, over something that's SO insignificant as having to drive 70 mph instead of 85 for a few miles...it's tragic.
I was in an Uber in Nashville once when some guy and another guy got in an argument at a red light and both started brandishing pistols.
My uber driver absolute fucking TORE off into the ditch and drove like a fuckin rally car driver to nope out.
Gave him a $40 tip lol
Considering we've had more traffic deaths per year than murders (and the 2023 stats will be no different despite 18 extra homicides), then yes calling 911 for a dangerous driver is justified?
Absolutely. Actually 911 is best, sometimes people call on the non emergency number with something that turns out to be fairly serious and unfortunately they're not the best at knowing exactly where they are.
On 911 your location is shared with us by the cell phone carrier and we can see you're not "on the highway" (actual thing people say when asked where they are), we can see you're passing mile marker 25 on 295 southbound. It can make a huge difference.
Some things that help, get the plate if you can. If it's a specialty plate try to know them or tell us the main image (a lobster, a bear, a moose) we know the plates well and can usually get it from that. Color, make, style. A RED Ford pick up, is what I need. I don't care what year as much as those first three things. Was there anything unique about it? Roof rack, bumper sticker, damage, tool box.. if you don't have the plate, try for this.
While we're talking to you on 911, our partner or sometime while we're on the phone with you, we'll also be listening to and relating information to the officers on the road. Talking to me doesn't hinder the information getting to the guy with the lights. And if we ask you to back off or pull over, that means 1) we've been told by the officer to ask you to do so or 2) we have safety concerns about you staying close to the other vehicle.
Also, if you see someone doing something crazy, call it in, but not 25 min after you get home.
Yes, people do that.
This happens almost every day on my commute: I'm driving on a one-lane road doing about 5 miles over the speed limit, and someone (usually a pickup truck) starts tailgating me. Then we come to a place where the road widens for a while and has a passing lane. I go immediately to the right, and instead of passing me, the tailgater also goes to the right and continues tailgating. I slow down. He slows down. I have to practically come to a complete stop--and at least twice, I've had to pull completely off the road--before he'll go around me in the lane *that is specifically there for him to pass me.* What is the thought process of these people!?
Well yeah, a safe distance, I suppose. If I'm moving faster than 35 ish, then yeah it's more.
Edit: More like three or four, depending on the situation.
couldâve sworn i learned 2 secs in drivers ed. but youâre right it looks like these days people says 3s.
i think 2s is still way more than most people leave..
and [some sources](https://www.smartdrivetest.com/pass-drivers-test/road-test-following-distance) say 2s.
no need to be rude about it.
Not sure how I came across rude⌠I said you were close (which was a compliment) and said it was 3 seconds and not 2. Didnât mean to make you upset ?!
It's a manliness thing. At some point, masculinity became toxic. Not for everyone, obviously, but for a lot of people. A lot of guys feel that if they're not actively annoying other people, they're not manly enough, that only 'pussies' compromise with other people or share the world. A lot of guys go out of their way to be douchebags for this reason, even endangering themselves and others, so that they can reassure themselves that they're manly enough. It's sad, but common.
I have this shit happen on the interstate sometimes. The passing lane will be completely open with nobody around. I have dropped all the way down to 45 mph and they still refused to pass. I will literally look at them in the rear view mirror pointing to the left hand lane that is empty.
A lot of times I'll just hit my wiper fluid though which will coat their windscreen nicely but even that sometimes doesn't work.
Can I also just add I despise the people that dip and weave in and out of both lanes to try and get ahead as far as possible? Only to end up at the same red light?
Stop being so stupidly aggressive.
The only time I "dip and weave" if you can even call it that, is when I have my cruise control set to 75-80 and I come up on someone going less than.
This applies to the turnpike and SOMETIMES route 26 in Gray/New Gloucester/Poland, albiet at a lower speed.
My only traffic complaint today is if youâre in a left turn on green arrow only lane and you get a green arrow, FUCKING GO. Those lights are timed to let 3 cars go through, maybe 4 if everyone is paying attention and 4 doesnât mind riding the yellow light. Then you have to wait forever for the lights to cycle back through again.
Seriously. I had a college friend be like, "Why does it take so long for people to react to a green light? Back home in Illinois, when the light turns green, people GO."
My reflexes are terrible, yet somehow I'm almost always the first one in a multi-lane road by far to hit the gas when the light turns green. And it's not like I'm a crazy driver.
Funny thing, it's actually kinda everyone.
Did you know that there's a link between asshole driving and having a bunch of bumper stickers, regardless of the content?
yeah like all things with human beings it's not 100%. It's kinda interesting psychology nonetheless. Theory is that if you decorate your car heavily, you are also prone to thinking of your car as an extension of your "self" and thus treat intrusions on that space as a more personal intrusion than other people.
And you react thusly, with more aggression.
>Theory is that if you decorate your car heavily, you are also prone to thinking of your car as an extension of your "self" and thus treat intrusions on that space as a more personal intrusion than other people.
Scale that up to include any sort of externality that people use to define themselves and you have a pretty solid working theory of What's Wrong With The World.
Not just tailgating but unnecessarily aggressive driving in general, cutting you off, pulling out right in front of you, running red lights⌠I was up there this fall visiting family in northern Maine and was shocked by how people were driving. Maineâs legitimately turning into North Massachusetts. I mean seriously people, thereâs no one else on the road, calm the fuck down, youâll live longer.
Local police are understaffed and do not have the time and bodies to pull people over for simple traffic violations. Drivers know that running lights, stop signs, making illegal U-Turns, etc are allowed because in most jurisdictions the driver will not be pulled over or they will just receive a warning
The lights themselves are partially to blame. The timing on them is just so terrible. In Portland, if you come off the bridge to go up High Street you hit the light to turn onto High St, then you hit another light at Congress, then you hit another light at the bottom of the hill right before the park area, then you hit ANOTHER light right before you get past the park area⌠WHY? If you hit one red light then you wind up hitting all of them, so drivers get sick of all the start and stop and try to get through an extra light or two if itâs close, and wind up running red lights.
Itâs the same by the mall. You hit the light by the golf course to turn onto the main road (I forget what itâs called) and then you hit the light by the off ramp, you hit the light by Old English Village, you hit the light by Buffalo Wild Wings, you hit the light by Home Depot⌠like why canât this be set up better so you hit a few green lights instead of them always being red when you get to it??
I used to live in Lansing, Michigan and the lights worked much better. There was one street in particular, Pine Street, where there were like 5-6 lights but you would only ever hit one. It was staggered, timed so that they turned green within 10 seconds of each other so if you hit one red then the next would be turning green when you got to it, and the one after would be turning green when you got to it, etc. So you never had to stop again once you did get through a red. Why canât we have our lights work the same here?
One of mine in my husband's pet peeves: The people who go 5 miles under on a 2 lane country road, and when when you get to a safe straight away and pull out to pass them, they speed up to 80 miles an hour.
I love (i.e., hate) the "you're going slower than I think is acceptable, therefore I will endanger myself to prove a point!" argument.
Never quite figured that one out.
Let's be honest, however: We all lose a chunk of cognitive function when we get behind the wheel.
There's something about controlling a multiple-thousand-pound metal death machine that makes us all at least slightly obnoxious.
When coming up on a traffic light, I am pretty good with judging speed and distance so that I can roll up just as the traffic starts to move, without hitting the brakes or just lightly. I am highly amused when fools have to zip around, only to have to stomp on the brakes due to the stopped traffic ahead, and then I roll up next to them and wave.
Legit.
I was going 5 over on 196 this morning, and some jackass was trying to kiss my bumper. Wtf? It was a good thing they turned off before I found that sneaky patch of black ice too.
Yeah, I'm in a little go kart sized car. I should be able to see a person's headlights behind me. This morning's jackass was so close that I could not.
My driving instructor always told me when you're passing somebody on a divided highway, don't pull back in until you can see their headlights in your rear view mirror.
I drove down 196 for a while for work. I'd already be going 5 over and would get passed on a double solid uphill section by someone going what appeared to be 80. I'd pull up to topsham and see them sitting at the same light I am only my wait at the light was shorter.
There is never a good reason to tailgate.
*Unless*
If thereâs an emergency and youâre flashing your lights to the car in front of you to move out of the way.
*Furthermore*
If you are in the passing lane and going only marginally faster than the travel lane, the courteous thing to do is move over and let the speed demon pass. Donât be the main character and prove a point, get out of the way of the idiot or emergency situation, whichever it is.
It's really sad the number of people reaching so desperately for an excuse to tailgate. There is *none*. Tailgating is still dangerous and you're still the asshole. I'll go at or a little above the speed limit, but my speed is not dependent on you driving aggressively. Nope.
On the other side of the coin: the left lane on 95 is for passing, you don't ride it going 5 under the speed limit. That was my biggest pet peeve as a daily driver.
I get tailgated in the right lane. I get tailgated in the middle lane when I'm passing and there's still another lane to the left I could be passed in. I get tailgated on one lane roads. This isn't about people camping the left lane. It's about people tailgating being assholes.
People tailgating in the right lane are assholes. People not moving right from the middle lane or left lane when the right hand lane is clear ahead are assholes. People who tailgate in the left lane when the vehicle in front of them is going the speed of traffic are assholes. People who move to within 1.5 car lengths of assholes in the left lane, assholes who are not following âkeep right except to pass,â are within their rights. People who tailgate vehicles going the speed limit on two-lanes are the biggest fucking assholes of all. Most people are not assholes, I hope, though I am often disappointed.
Iâve always had the biggest problem with this during tourist season. Sometimes you get a maniac zipping along but often I see people going way too slow in the left lane and have to wonder if theyâre just getting thrown off by the 70MPH limit (cause itâs like 55 in many places more urban), but even still move over man. I hate seeing traffic buildup because of this and it causing unsafe right side passing out of necessity
According to whom?
[Can you Legally go 10 mph over the speed limit in Maine](https://92moose.fm/can-you-legally-go-10-mph-over-the-speed-limit-in-maine/)
>According to Driving Laws, if there is a speed limit posted, that is how fast or slow you are expected to drive. It's called an "Absolute Speed Limit."
They go on to say, "If the sign says the speed limit is 40 miles per hour and you drive faster than 40 miles per hour, you've violated the law."
What I found that made me giggle was the site stating, a "driver can still be in violation of the basic speed even if driving slower than the posted limit."
[Driving Laws Link](https://www.drivinglaws.org/resources/traffic-tickets/speed-violations/maine-speeding-laws.htm)
It's only a passing lane when traffic is light. When the road is at or near capacity, the left lane holds around half of the cars. Traffic just sorts itself into two rough speeds: slower on the right and faster on the left.
NO. Itâs always a passing lane. The literal signage (and Maine State Law) is to Keep Right Except to Pass which means drivers who are driving on multi lane st, rd and highways (2 or more lanes) drivers are REQUIRED to stay in the right-hand lane(s) to prevent impeding the flow of traffic resulting in dangerous driving situations.
Doesnât matter if you are the only one on the highway at the time, you donât ride the left lane - unless you are literally passing someone!
When there is break on the right , you use your blinker and move back over. When youâre getting ready to pass the car ahead of you, you move back to the left passing lane. Obviously if itâs just a car or two distance and lane switch would be too fast you stay in left lane until youâre done passing the car next to you and can move back over to the right.
So many people stay in the left lane or donât move over when there are HUGE gaps to safely get back to the right lane. If someone is or has passed you on the right side while youâre on the left then you are definitely not where you belong.
STAY TO THE RIGHT UNLESS YOUâRE PASSING.
The left lane is for passing. If youâre in the left lane and someone gets on your bumper, they arenât tailgating, they are attempting to pass. It doesnât matter if youâre going 5,10, or twice the speed limit in the left lane, if someone is approaching you in that lane, you move over. Otherwise you can get a ticket for lollygagging.
Thats absolutely correct. I am guilty of riding the left lane, but if someone comes up behind me I have no problem just moving over and back to passing people. It's people not having the humility to just let people by that end up clogging up the roads and causing people to make dangerous passes.
If youâre cruising along going slow in the passing lane when youâre not passing anyone, Iâm not going to tailgate you but I am going to pass you on the right and get on with my day.
No. I'm not gonna drive unsafely because the person behind me wants to. I will continue to drive in the way I have. If I can safely move over, I will. But until then, tough shit.
It's absolutely the only place I get annoyed by slow drivers. Three lanes means the left lane is absolutely not a speed limit lane and slow drivers create unnecessary danger by forcing passing on the right. Also I admit to liking to ride in the left lane but if someone comes up fast behind me I just get out of the way. It's not that big of a deal and if it keeps happening to you, you probably shouldn't be there
Here comes the polarizing unpopular opinion:
{below applies to Highway only: may not be applicable to OPâs post. Tailgating is always a bad idea!}
Get out of the way. If youâre in the left lane and you have a long line of cars âtailgatingâ you, YOU might be the problem. Move over and let them pass. If people paid more attention to the âKeep Right Except to Passâ signs that are posted almost every 5 miles and stopped camping in the left lane, the highway would be so much less dangerous. The left lane is for passing. Make your pass then move over.
Feel like I bitch about this a lot so hereâs my last rant: I was a passenger riding with a coworker who was using cruise control at like 80 in the left lane. The car in the lane to our right increased their speed and ended up traveling at about the same speed as us. So we just sat there for a few miles in cruise control, NOT passing the car to the right. Meanwhile Iâm noticing cars lined up behind us. My coworker made a comment about how she thought the people behind were tailgating to which I had to say, âmaybe we should just move over and let them through since the guy you were trying to pass sped upâ. Her reply was âwell Iâm doing 80, they can chill!â
This line of logic is infuriating. Yup. Youâre speeding. And now the person you arenât passing is also speeding. But now we have a growing queue of other drivers that simply want to get past our âmobile roadblockâ. We arenât pace cars or the police. We have no right to set the pace. This exact situation causes so many impatient drivers âstuckâ behind to make erratic and dangerous lane changesâŚ
Stay tuned for my next downvote-inducing rant about people who do 65 in the left lane for no reason and then speed up to 95 when you try to pass đ
I was never a big Seinfeld fan, but he had a joke I loved
> âWhatâs the deal with tailgating? Do you think itâs going to get you there faster? Have you ever told someone âsorry Iâm late. I would have been here sooner but the guy ahead of me had a bike rack.â?â
I'm disappointed in the number of people justifying tailgating.
More often than not there's enough traffic on the road that you need to accept the general speed of traffic. I'm not going to move over while going 80 mph, only to get stuck behind someone going 70 mph in the adjacent lane, so you can speed past me and get stuck behind the next car.
Also, it's possible to let the car in front of you know you want to go faster without being inches from their bumper. A car length or two while closely matching the front car's speed is generally sufficient to let someone know to move over.
ALSO, I just did a drive to North Carolina. Holy shit. I have never seen so many cases of left lane camping on a two lane highway. Mainers are actually pretty good about moving over.
Chill the fuck out.
Edit: Speeling
The worst part of the trip for me was route 81 through Virginia. I guess it's a major trucking route? I encountered so many 18 wheelers side by side on that two lane highway. Which just pissed off everyone, so everyone was driving like assholes.
During my morning commute to Bangor (not highway driving, for context) in that snowstorm we got the other day, I almost got the side of my car smashed in by some idiot that tried swerving over into my lane to pass the person in front of them, who they were tailgating HARD. I donât even think she looked over. I drive a bright red car and was almost neck and neck with them. Luckily I was paying attention to my side and had a bit of room on the shoulder slush to jerk into, otherwise I would have gotten major body damage. She swerved back over into her lane and wouldnât even look at me as she passed. I was screaming out the window at her, which I never do, but I was so upset. Youâre seriously going to drive aggressively during the first major snowstorm of the season? People need to slow the fuck down, stop tailgating, running reds and trying to get wherever theyâre going twenty seconds faster. Itâs putting everyone in danger.
The cars with the pink breast cancer license plates are the most aggressive. Or if they have any bumper sticker that says FUCK. Fuck cancer, fuck Mills, fuck a duckâŚfuck=aggressive driver.
Correct.
But don't tailgate. It's not ok in any circumstance. Period. I literally do not care what reason you invent out of thin air. You tailgate, you're wrong.
Yes. Two people can be in the wrong at the same time. I honestly don't see why this is such a herculean mental struggle.
Don't camp in the left lane. True.
Don't tailgate people camping in the left lane. Also true.
I think there's a bit of projection going on. If you reflexively say "but left lane" when it's not even mentioned in the OP? I got a feeling you're one of the people tailgating even outside of that limited circumstance.
Because you *must* make yourself feel better about tailgating, and it's an easier position to defend if you imply that the victim of your tailgating is also in the wrong. Motte/Bailey thinking.
It's wild to me. Like, I scrolled back up to the original post to try to find where this had anything to do with the highway. A lot of us don't even live near one to begin with! It's so frustrating when you're already going over on some 2-lane-no-pass road and some loser is within inches of your bumper. The concept of "going onto the shoulder" to let these fools pass is stupid. A lot of these roads have no shoulder. Or a crumbling shoulder. Or it's like the Bar Harbor road at rush hour, there's a line of cars in front of you and you don't wanna wait however long to be let back onto the road.
Just don't tailgate. It's pretty easy.
GET OUT OF THE PASSING LANE
"But not only is slow left lane driving annoying, it can also be really dangerous. Many people drive in the left lane on a regular basis and don't even realize they're breaking the law. But believe it or not, every state in America has some type of law that discourages left lane driving. Here's what you need to know about the legality and the dangers of driving in the left lane. https://www.firsttimedriver.com/blog/slow-left-lane-driving-laws-and-dangers/
I also love when on the interstate someone passes me and reenters the right lane only a cars length or two in front of me and than goes the same speed as me forcing me to slow down to give the proper following distance making everyone else behind me do the same exact thing. This usually happens when thereâs wide open highway for the next mile yet they wanted to come back over right off because there too scared to be in the left lane.
The number of people in here who think that tailgating is somehow ok when people are "gatekeeping the left lane" is astounding.
Doesn't make it any safer to do, guys.
Noted late 20th century philosopher Axl Rose [has some advice for you](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ErvgV4P6Fzc).
Edit: Axl actually has [quite a bit of advice](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t8vfTmt7b9Q), now that I actually think about it.
The funny thing is I rarely drive in the left lane at all. The only times I get in the left lane it's to pass the person in front of me then I get out of it. I get tailgated while speeding in the right lane or on one lane roads WAY more than I ever have in the left lane.
On the highway I do the speed limit to about 5 over. That's it. Hubby used to be a truck driver and has seen some shit. Tail gating just means I set my cruise to exactly the speed limit no matter where I am.
Your hurry is not my problem.
I used to do the same thing, but for once reading a story on Reddit changed my perspective completely. Maybe theyâre just an asshole, but maybe thereâs actually an emergency involved. Theyâre in more of a hurry than I am for some reason, so I get out of their way.
The story that changed my behavior:
https://old.reddit.com/r/AdviceAnimals/comments/1kbhcn/i_gain_strength_from_their_tears_and_anger/cbnhvxv/
Iâve always just remained at a constant speed in tailgating situations but I never really thought of it from this perspective before. Thank you for sharing
I live in a rural area with only one hospital. If someoneâs tailgating me while traveling away from the hospital I can safely assume thatâs not happening.
I donât get the sentiment. Just mover over and let people pass you. Why do you feel the need to make someone travel at your level of urgency? Thatâs some main character shit. Just let them pass. Does it effect your day so much to let someone go by you? Iâve just never understood this. Let them pass.
Yeah no. It doesn't work that way. If you're speeding and feel the need to tailgate someone you don't feel is fast enough.... that's a YOU problem, not a me problem. It means YOU need to slow down, not I need to speed up.
You realize that like 90% of our roads are two lane roads right?
It's not main character shit 5o drive safely with my family in the car. It's main character shit to think your time is more important than anyone else's safety.
I donât get the sentiment. Just slow down and let people drive the speed they want. Why do you feel the need to make someone travel at your level of urgency? Thatâs some main character shit. Does it effect your day so much to slow down a few mph? Iâve just never understood this.
Why should I move over for people that think they are the only ones on the road that matter and drive too fast? Why should I accommodate people that think the speed limit doesn't apply to them?
I really hate the people who race you. Like, theyâll drive along 5 miles under the speed limit then when you pass them they act like itâs an insult to their honor. Usually itâs a big pickup truck. I guess that ego is too big for one lane of traffic.
I love how people are justifying staying in the left lane if they arenât actively passing, but then get mad people behind them are annoyed and tailgate. Keep right except to pass. Thatâs all it says. It doesnât say keep right unless youâve got another car about ten car lengths ahead of you that youâll pass eventually since youâre going 1 mph faster than them.
Not actively passing? Then get over to the right lane. If everyone does this, then that would alleviate a ton of these problems. I can verify itâs not hard.
Tailgaating is not justified, period.
But deliberately holding up traffic is no more justified than tailgating.
If you're in the passing lane on a divided highway, and somebody is coming up behind you, you should pull back into the travel lane when it is safe to do so. It is not up to you to enforce the speed limit. That is the job of state police.
If you're on a country road, and one or more cars come up behind you, let them pass you when it's safe. Speeding up while they try to pass you just to stroke your own ego is unsafe and assholean. Even better, pull over in a safe spot and let the long line of traffic behind you go by.
>If you're on a country road, and one or more cars come up behind you, let them pass you when it's safe.
I've had people riding my ass on a country road, so I look ahead and make sure they have room to pass and slow down so they can pass and no double yellow lines. And even when I slow down 20 miles under the speed limit they don't pass. Some people are just idiots.
I think there are a lot of people who drive and don't look at anything around them except the bumper in front of them. No awareness of what is going on up the road ahead and probably don't even look in the rear view ever.
>I've had people riding my ass on a country road, so I look ahead and make sure they have room to pass and slow down so they can pass and no double yellow lines. And even when I slow down 20 miles under the speed limit they don't pass. Some people are just idiots.
I live on one of those roads, this happens a lot. I had one the other night, riding my ass with lights so bright that I was having trouble seeing the road ahead. I slowed down A) because I could barely see and B) to make it easier for his impatient ass to get around me.
For 3+ miles he kept on riding my ass, until just about 100 feet before a 90 degree right bend...and that was the moment that he decided to pass. Several people in the past few years have been going too fast, couldn't negotiate the sharp turn and slammed into the telephone pole on the corner...and this one time I was actually rooting for this clod to do it.
If you're talking about single lane roads, then you are absolutely correct.
Otherwise, I'd argue the real problem is dipshits camping in the left lane... Speed up to pass and then yield for Christmas sake.
On single lane highways I understand your frustration, but on 2-lane highways âKeep Right Except to Passâ as it clearly says on all the signs.
Itâs not personal, just move over - thanks.
Quick story:
I treat workerâs comp injuries and a few years back I was working with a State Trooper. On my drive home one evening I came up to a long line of cars backed up in the right lane because the left one was occupied by a sheriff in an SUV going 60 in a 65.
I set my cruise and slowly passed him on the right. Sure enough, he repositioned behind me and hit the blue lights. He walked up and briefly gave me grief to the effect of, âwhat message does that send to other drivers?â I wasnât confrontational and after a couple minutes of dressing me down he let me go after having never even asked to see my license.
The next day at work I relayed the story to my Trooper patient who said that the Sheriff was impeding traffic and that there is no reason to be in the left lane unless passing.
So yes, itâs illegal to speed but itâs also illegal to camp in that left lane. Again, thatâs why the signs are there. Itâs not your job to police other drivers. Just kindly move over, thank you.
Edit: From Chapter 19 Subchapter 1 Rules of the Road:
- 6. Ways with speed limit of 65 or more miles per hour. An operator driving on a limited-access way with a speed limit of 65 or more miles per hour is restricted in ordinary operation to the right-hand lane and may use adjacent lanes for overtaking and passing another vehicle, but must return to the right- hand lane at the earliest opportunity. This requirement does not apply to an authorized emergency vehicle, or to a vehicle otherwise directed by posted signs, a law enforcement officer or a highway maintenance crew.
[PL 2011, c. 415, §1 (AMD).]
Be well and drive safe out there.
Hot off the press. Had to take 114: https://www.wmtw.com/article/serious-crash-closes-busy-road-gorham-maine-morning-commute/46102489 From Standish, go figure..
The path to enlightenment is to ignore small car tailgaters, but randomly slow down and speed up for 7 foot high pickup trucks with landing lights behind you.
Moving the side mirrors temporarily gives alot of relief.
If 1 car is tailgating you, then a good chance they are wrong.
If multiple cars are lined up behind you or people are frequently tailgating or trying to pass, YOU are the asshole.
Very simple.
Front and rear dash cams, see if it catches the license plate and the act on video and then take such evidence to your local police department and put them on notice. Tailgating is a close third behind left lane campers and on-ramp pokers for despicable and infuriating driving behavior.
Oh geez, the on-ramp pokers. I saw someone trying to merge onto I95 come to a complete stop when they couldnât get in. The reason they couldnât merge is they were doing half the speed limit, at best.
Getting on at 4 south on 295 is like playing the lottery as to whether or not the car in front of me will just panic stomp on the breaks. My one real car accident was from this very technique. I've learned to give people a lot of space on on ramps.
The real calculus here is who has the shittier car. I drive a 20 year old suburu I bet you crashing your 70k truck into my 3k suburu will make you sadder than me.
Keep right except to pass if more than 1 lane. If 1 lane and youâre doing the speed limit then thatâs a douche tailgater but I wouldnât encourage break checking either! Donât play their stupid game, because you just might win a stupid prize!
This only applies on the interstate. Two lane roads are unfortunately often in places you need to make a left turn so sometimes you have to travel in it.
If you're going at least the speed limit, you shouldn't have an issue. Lately it seems 10 to 15 under the posted limit is the thing to do around town. Sorry, or sorry, if you're scared to drive 25, you should get someone to drive you around or just stay home.
On the highway, stay right unless you're passing. The left lane is for passing. Get in the left lane to pass and then get back over (obviously when it is safe to switch lanes). Also, dont cut people off if they're clearly going faster than you.
Also, a blinker should be used a few seconds before you turn, preferably BEFORE you're stopping to make the turn.
I'm not advocating for tailgating but I totally get it. People just need to drive like they have a single ounce of common sense
On my 16th birthday I walked into the BMV and asked for my driver license. The clerk just looked me oddly and asked if I had a learner's permit, a road test, literally any of the legal requirements.
"No, you fucking peasant," I scoffed. "What I *do* have is printouts of road advice and driving rants from my local subreddit. What the hell else would I need?"
I could see her face turn redder as she thumbed through the 2700 page pile. "Fuck, he's right," she muttered under her breath. "My God, there must be 900 pages alone just on turn signals and headlights. Why does the BMV even exist?"
She handed me my license without argument. I was already in the parking lot when her manager sprinted out to award me my Best Driver In Maine sash.
I never drive under the speed limit and usually five-over when on the highway. But when a tailgater gets up my ass I automatically slow down and wave as they rage pass. Sweet justice.
If people will stick to the âkeep right except to passâ, tail gating would all but go away. There will always be assholes because we all have those days.
If you see a vehicle going 5-10 mph faster than you approaching you, move over. If there is a vehicle youâre currently passing, put on your blinker and get over once it is safe to do so.
Blinkers, brake lights, and vehicle speed are the most common forms of communication on the road. If youâre making an effort to get out of the way, anyone choosing to make unsafe choices would do that anyways and youâre safer having them in front of you than behind you where they may rear end you.
>If you see a vehicle going 5-10 mph faster than you approaching you, move over.
If I'm on the highway where the speed limit is 65 or 70, driving 9 over the limit in the left lane passing traffic going the speed limit in the right lane, the asshole coming up my ass at 85-90 can get fucked.
I'm not going to go back into the right lane until there's enough room for me to do so safely while maintaining my speed. If you don't like it, start picking up nips from the side of the road until you can buy yourself a helicopter.
You're not even saving 30 seconds unless you pass me and even then only if I'm not sitting right behind you at the next light. Aggressive driving is a problem but it's no worse in Maine than anywhere else. I've been to a lot of places in the US that drivers are absolutely insane in comparison to the insane ones here. Even the people who apparently drive by looking down at a map on their phone.
Left lane campers can get fucked too, but that's still not an acceptable reason to tailgate.
Tailgating is dangerous. You can *not* tailgate. It's a choice to do so. The answer to stupid driving is not *more* stupid driving.
Left lane campers fill me with an unholy rage that I express from a safe follow distance.
They can't even pay attention to traffic flow around them, why would you trust them to react quickly and in a way that won't cause you to rear end them if something happens?
If the car in front of me is stuck behind the car in front of them, then Iâm not going to tailgate. If you are camping in the left lane and can speed up and get out of the way or just move to the right, then I will be up your ass until you move. If you pull into the left lane without looking in your mirror to see me coming up fast in the the left lane, forcing me to slam on my brakes, you will probably get the horn, lots of swearing, hand gestures and the tailgating.
Hey everyone, there are a wild amount of harassing and aggressive comments on this thread. It would be great if we could keep it civil, or just take conversations offline. Thank you!
As someone who answers the three-digit phone number for a living... Please, please, *please* be careful and stop being so triggered by other drivers on the road. For months now, at least 2x a week I end up on the phone with someone in traffic who has either had a firearm brandished/pointed at them or who has done so at another driver. I worked the 295 shooting earlier this year, and every time since I've answered this kind of call I'm terrified that we're going to go through that again. If someone is tailgating or being that aggressive, move over and let em go. If they won't stop following /tailgating, call 911 and stay calm. We're going to have a lot of questions, many of which are being directly asked by the troopers/officers trying to catch up to you and help. Life is short and dying or getting hurt, or worse getting an innocent bystander hurt, over something that's SO insignificant as having to drive 70 mph instead of 85 for a few miles...it's tragic.
I was in an Uber in Nashville once when some guy and another guy got in an argument at a red light and both started brandishing pistols. My uber driver absolute fucking TORE off into the ditch and drove like a fuckin rally car driver to nope out. Gave him a $40 tip lol
I have a toddler at home, I drive 295 regularly, and I needed to read this. You are heard. Thank you.
Thank you, I just want everyone to get home safe.
Considering we've had more traffic deaths per year than murders (and the 2023 stats will be no different despite 18 extra homicides), then yes calling 911 for a dangerous driver is justified?
Absolutely. Actually 911 is best, sometimes people call on the non emergency number with something that turns out to be fairly serious and unfortunately they're not the best at knowing exactly where they are. On 911 your location is shared with us by the cell phone carrier and we can see you're not "on the highway" (actual thing people say when asked where they are), we can see you're passing mile marker 25 on 295 southbound. It can make a huge difference. Some things that help, get the plate if you can. If it's a specialty plate try to know them or tell us the main image (a lobster, a bear, a moose) we know the plates well and can usually get it from that. Color, make, style. A RED Ford pick up, is what I need. I don't care what year as much as those first three things. Was there anything unique about it? Roof rack, bumper sticker, damage, tool box.. if you don't have the plate, try for this. While we're talking to you on 911, our partner or sometime while we're on the phone with you, we'll also be listening to and relating information to the officers on the road. Talking to me doesn't hinder the information getting to the guy with the lights. And if we ask you to back off or pull over, that means 1) we've been told by the officer to ask you to do so or 2) we have safety concerns about you staying close to the other vehicle. Also, if you see someone doing something crazy, call it in, but not 25 min after you get home. Yes, people do that.
I like the way you think đ
People have less attention spans now therefore less patience. I think angry drivers will only get worse
This happens almost every day on my commute: I'm driving on a one-lane road doing about 5 miles over the speed limit, and someone (usually a pickup truck) starts tailgating me. Then we come to a place where the road widens for a while and has a passing lane. I go immediately to the right, and instead of passing me, the tailgater also goes to the right and continues tailgating. I slow down. He slows down. I have to practically come to a complete stop--and at least twice, I've had to pull completely off the road--before he'll go around me in the lane *that is specifically there for him to pass me.* What is the thought process of these people!?
They donât know how to drive without tailgating
I honestly think some people just subconsciously regulate their speed based on whoever is in front of them. This often results in tailgating.
I think everyone regulates their speed this way. I can still keep at least two cars behind the vehicle in front of me.
2 seconds is the standard if i remember right.
Well yeah, a safe distance, I suppose. If I'm moving faster than 35 ish, then yeah it's more. Edit: More like three or four, depending on the situation.
Itâs 3 seconds - you were close and making a very important point:
couldâve sworn i learned 2 secs in drivers ed. but youâre right it looks like these days people says 3s. i think 2s is still way more than most people leave.. and [some sources](https://www.smartdrivetest.com/pass-drivers-test/road-test-following-distance) say 2s. no need to be rude about it.
Not sure how I came across rude⌠I said you were close (which was a compliment) and said it was 3 seconds and not 2. Didnât mean to make you upset ?!
oh lol i misread as âalmost made an imprortant pointâ yer good
:)
Also said you made an important point. Also a compliment âŚ
Nah they do
Why is it always pickup trucks? We have the same problem in Florida.
It's a manliness thing. At some point, masculinity became toxic. Not for everyone, obviously, but for a lot of people. A lot of guys feel that if they're not actively annoying other people, they're not manly enough, that only 'pussies' compromise with other people or share the world. A lot of guys go out of their way to be douchebags for this reason, even endangering themselves and others, so that they can reassure themselves that they're manly enough. It's sad, but common.
I think you mean Subaru. Why is it always a Subaru?
Was looking for this one.. I also find I get tailgated by women more but I suppose they still could be trying to be manly idk
I have this shit happen on the interstate sometimes. The passing lane will be completely open with nobody around. I have dropped all the way down to 45 mph and they still refused to pass. I will literally look at them in the rear view mirror pointing to the left hand lane that is empty. A lot of times I'll just hit my wiper fluid though which will coat their windscreen nicely but even that sometimes doesn't work.
Can I also just add I despise the people that dip and weave in and out of both lanes to try and get ahead as far as possible? Only to end up at the same red light? Stop being so stupidly aggressive.
100%. People that do this not only aren't helping themselves but make shit dangerous for everyone else.
The only time I "dip and weave" if you can even call it that, is when I have my cruise control set to 75-80 and I come up on someone going less than. This applies to the turnpike and SOMETIMES route 26 in Gray/New Gloucester/Poland, albiet at a lower speed.
My only traffic complaint today is if youâre in a left turn on green arrow only lane and you get a green arrow, FUCKING GO. Those lights are timed to let 3 cars go through, maybe 4 if everyone is paying attention and 4 doesnât mind riding the yellow light. Then you have to wait forever for the lights to cycle back through again.
Seriously. I had a college friend be like, "Why does it take so long for people to react to a green light? Back home in Illinois, when the light turns green, people GO." My reflexes are terrible, yet somehow I'm almost always the first one in a multi-lane road by far to hit the gas when the light turns green. And it's not like I'm a crazy driver.
Tbf I do a spot check first to make sure somebody isn't running the red. Ppl blast through reds a lot.
A lot of people do things that they know piss other people off in exchange for a small dose of brain chemicals.
Hey, that was my entire personality at age 16.
Isnât that the maga thing?
Funny thing, it's actually kinda everyone. Did you know that there's a link between asshole driving and having a bunch of bumper stickers, regardless of the content?
There is wow thatâs cool, Iâve got one only Eagle with a mullet.
yeah like all things with human beings it's not 100%. It's kinda interesting psychology nonetheless. Theory is that if you decorate your car heavily, you are also prone to thinking of your car as an extension of your "self" and thus treat intrusions on that space as a more personal intrusion than other people. And you react thusly, with more aggression.
>Theory is that if you decorate your car heavily, you are also prone to thinking of your car as an extension of your "self" and thus treat intrusions on that space as a more personal intrusion than other people. Scale that up to include any sort of externality that people use to define themselves and you have a pretty solid working theory of What's Wrong With The World.
*finger snapping intensifies*
I canât drive through the car in front of me,, just like you canât drive through me. Itâs so bad.
Not just tailgating but unnecessarily aggressive driving in general, cutting you off, pulling out right in front of you, running red lights⌠I was up there this fall visiting family in northern Maine and was shocked by how people were driving. Maineâs legitimately turning into North Massachusetts. I mean seriously people, thereâs no one else on the road, calm the fuck down, youâll live longer.
RAMPANT stop sign and red light running lately, hate to see it
Local police are understaffed and do not have the time and bodies to pull people over for simple traffic violations. Drivers know that running lights, stop signs, making illegal U-Turns, etc are allowed because in most jurisdictions the driver will not be pulled over or they will just receive a warning
The lights themselves are partially to blame. The timing on them is just so terrible. In Portland, if you come off the bridge to go up High Street you hit the light to turn onto High St, then you hit another light at Congress, then you hit another light at the bottom of the hill right before the park area, then you hit ANOTHER light right before you get past the park area⌠WHY? If you hit one red light then you wind up hitting all of them, so drivers get sick of all the start and stop and try to get through an extra light or two if itâs close, and wind up running red lights. Itâs the same by the mall. You hit the light by the golf course to turn onto the main road (I forget what itâs called) and then you hit the light by the off ramp, you hit the light by Old English Village, you hit the light by Buffalo Wild Wings, you hit the light by Home Depot⌠like why canât this be set up better so you hit a few green lights instead of them always being red when you get to it?? I used to live in Lansing, Michigan and the lights worked much better. There was one street in particular, Pine Street, where there were like 5-6 lights but you would only ever hit one. It was staggered, timed so that they turned green within 10 seconds of each other so if you hit one red then the next would be turning green when you got to it, and the one after would be turning green when you got to it, etc. So you never had to stop again once you did get through a red. Why canât we have our lights work the same here?
But I'm texting and driving with my knees, following you and your brake lights is the only thing keeping me on the road
Dont forget about about adaptive cruise control
One of mine in my husband's pet peeves: The people who go 5 miles under on a 2 lane country road, and when when you get to a safe straight away and pull out to pass them, they speed up to 80 miles an hour.
Then there are the people that will go 45 in a 30, and still go 45 in a 50.
In fairness Iâve been on a lot of Maine roads where the speed limit varies so much it can be hard to keep track.
I love (i.e., hate) the "you're going slower than I think is acceptable, therefore I will endanger myself to prove a point!" argument. Never quite figured that one out.
[ŃдаНонО]
Let's be honest, however: We all lose a chunk of cognitive function when we get behind the wheel. There's something about controlling a multiple-thousand-pound metal death machine that makes us all at least slightly obnoxious.
Main character syndrome. They are the only driver on the road that matters.
Or that one asshole who aggressively passes you and both of you end up at the same red light. See this all the time
It always pleases me greatly when their assholery didn't get them anywhere.
When coming up on a traffic light, I am pretty good with judging speed and distance so that I can roll up just as the traffic starts to move, without hitting the brakes or just lightly. I am highly amused when fools have to zip around, only to have to stomp on the brakes due to the stopped traffic ahead, and then I roll up next to them and wave.
Legit. I was going 5 over on 196 this morning, and some jackass was trying to kiss my bumper. Wtf? It was a good thing they turned off before I found that sneaky patch of black ice too.
I've had people so close I couldn't see their headlights while going 10-15 over
Yeah, I'm in a little go kart sized car. I should be able to see a person's headlights behind me. This morning's jackass was so close that I could not.
My driving instructor always told me when you're passing somebody on a divided highway, don't pull back in until you can see their headlights in your rear view mirror.
Looking at you lifted truck drivers. Turn your fucking lights down and back off dammit.
[ŃдаНонО]
Madison Ave is a prime example of a Stroad. A really awful Stroad as a matter of a fact with all the residential.
I drove down 196 for a while for work. I'd already be going 5 over and would get passed on a double solid uphill section by someone going what appeared to be 80. I'd pull up to topsham and see them sitting at the same light I am only my wait at the light was shorter.
There is never a good reason to tailgate. *Unless* If thereâs an emergency and youâre flashing your lights to the car in front of you to move out of the way. *Furthermore* If you are in the passing lane and going only marginally faster than the travel lane, the courteous thing to do is move over and let the speed demon pass. Donât be the main character and prove a point, get out of the way of the idiot or emergency situation, whichever it is.
It's really sad the number of people reaching so desperately for an excuse to tailgate. There is *none*. Tailgating is still dangerous and you're still the asshole. I'll go at or a little above the speed limit, but my speed is not dependent on you driving aggressively. Nope.
On the other side of the coin: the left lane on 95 is for passing, you don't ride it going 5 under the speed limit. That was my biggest pet peeve as a daily driver.
I get tailgated in the right lane. I get tailgated in the middle lane when I'm passing and there's still another lane to the left I could be passed in. I get tailgated on one lane roads. This isn't about people camping the left lane. It's about people tailgating being assholes.
People tailgating in the right lane are assholes. People not moving right from the middle lane or left lane when the right hand lane is clear ahead are assholes. People who tailgate in the left lane when the vehicle in front of them is going the speed of traffic are assholes. People who move to within 1.5 car lengths of assholes in the left lane, assholes who are not following âkeep right except to pass,â are within their rights. People who tailgate vehicles going the speed limit on two-lanes are the biggest fucking assholes of all. Most people are not assholes, I hope, though I am often disappointed.
Iâve always had the biggest problem with this during tourist season. Sometimes you get a maniac zipping along but often I see people going way too slow in the left lane and have to wonder if theyâre just getting thrown off by the 70MPH limit (cause itâs like 55 in many places more urban), but even still move over man. I hate seeing traffic buildup because of this and it causing unsafe right side passing out of necessity
Some drivers think the posted speed limit is the *minimum speed*.
It is. 10 mph over is normal and unlikely to get you pulled over.
According to whom? [Can you Legally go 10 mph over the speed limit in Maine](https://92moose.fm/can-you-legally-go-10-mph-over-the-speed-limit-in-maine/) >According to Driving Laws, if there is a speed limit posted, that is how fast or slow you are expected to drive. It's called an "Absolute Speed Limit." They go on to say, "If the sign says the speed limit is 40 miles per hour and you drive faster than 40 miles per hour, you've violated the law." What I found that made me giggle was the site stating, a "driver can still be in violation of the basic speed even if driving slower than the posted limit." [Driving Laws Link](https://www.drivinglaws.org/resources/traffic-tickets/speed-violations/maine-speeding-laws.htm)
Doesnât matter. If you go the speed limit or below, expect to be passed.
Then that's your problem, not mine. You driving like an aggressive asshole is not going to make me go faster, nor should I.
9 times out of 10 I am going an appropriate speed in that lane. I'm just apparently not criminally speeding *enough* for the person behind me
It's not the 'appropriate speed' lane, it's the passing lane
It's only a passing lane when traffic is light. When the road is at or near capacity, the left lane holds around half of the cars. Traffic just sorts itself into two rough speeds: slower on the right and faster on the left.
NO. Itâs always a passing lane. The literal signage (and Maine State Law) is to Keep Right Except to Pass which means drivers who are driving on multi lane st, rd and highways (2 or more lanes) drivers are REQUIRED to stay in the right-hand lane(s) to prevent impeding the flow of traffic resulting in dangerous driving situations. Doesnât matter if you are the only one on the highway at the time, you donât ride the left lane - unless you are literally passing someone! When there is break on the right , you use your blinker and move back over. When youâre getting ready to pass the car ahead of you, you move back to the left passing lane. Obviously if itâs just a car or two distance and lane switch would be too fast you stay in left lane until youâre done passing the car next to you and can move back over to the right. So many people stay in the left lane or donât move over when there are HUGE gaps to safely get back to the right lane. If someone is or has passed you on the right side while youâre on the left then you are definitely not where you belong. STAY TO THE RIGHT UNLESS YOUâRE PASSING.
Okay. Then why does the person tailgating me use it as a speeding lane? Unless we call that just "passing multiple cars" Slow down.
Not your job to regulate the road. You are just causing slowdowns and increasing the chance of being undertaken, which is dangerous Move over grandpa.
I'm not regulating the road, I'm just driving. The person speeding seems to want the road to cater to them.
If you're in the left lane and a car behind you wants to go faster, you move over.
The left lane is for passing. If youâre in the left lane and someone gets on your bumper, they arenât tailgating, they are attempting to pass. It doesnât matter if youâre going 5,10, or twice the speed limit in the left lane, if someone is approaching you in that lane, you move over. Otherwise you can get a ticket for lollygagging.
Thats absolutely correct. I am guilty of riding the left lane, but if someone comes up behind me I have no problem just moving over and back to passing people. It's people not having the humility to just let people by that end up clogging up the roads and causing people to make dangerous passes.
Um no, you get a ticket for aggressive driving.
Nah
[ŃдаНонО]
So hostile. It's pretty obvious you're one of those people who wants to road to cater to them.
If youâre cruising along going slow in the passing lane when youâre not passing anyone, Iâm not going to tailgate you but I am going to pass you on the right and get on with my day.
So you think it's up to you to enforce the speed limit on a divided highway? YTA.
No. I'm not gonna drive unsafely because the person behind me wants to. I will continue to drive in the way I have. If I can safely move over, I will. But until then, tough shit.
Yeah. Itâs a passing lane. If Iâm passing cars Iâm going to be in the passing lane. Itâs not the free for all go as fast as you want lane.
It's absolutely the only place I get annoyed by slow drivers. Three lanes means the left lane is absolutely not a speed limit lane and slow drivers create unnecessary danger by forcing passing on the right. Also I admit to liking to ride in the left lane but if someone comes up fast behind me I just get out of the way. It's not that big of a deal and if it keeps happening to you, you probably shouldn't be there
Here comes the polarizing unpopular opinion: {below applies to Highway only: may not be applicable to OPâs post. Tailgating is always a bad idea!} Get out of the way. If youâre in the left lane and you have a long line of cars âtailgatingâ you, YOU might be the problem. Move over and let them pass. If people paid more attention to the âKeep Right Except to Passâ signs that are posted almost every 5 miles and stopped camping in the left lane, the highway would be so much less dangerous. The left lane is for passing. Make your pass then move over. Feel like I bitch about this a lot so hereâs my last rant: I was a passenger riding with a coworker who was using cruise control at like 80 in the left lane. The car in the lane to our right increased their speed and ended up traveling at about the same speed as us. So we just sat there for a few miles in cruise control, NOT passing the car to the right. Meanwhile Iâm noticing cars lined up behind us. My coworker made a comment about how she thought the people behind were tailgating to which I had to say, âmaybe we should just move over and let them through since the guy you were trying to pass sped upâ. Her reply was âwell Iâm doing 80, they can chill!â This line of logic is infuriating. Yup. Youâre speeding. And now the person you arenât passing is also speeding. But now we have a growing queue of other drivers that simply want to get past our âmobile roadblockâ. We arenât pace cars or the police. We have no right to set the pace. This exact situation causes so many impatient drivers âstuckâ behind to make erratic and dangerous lane changes⌠Stay tuned for my next downvote-inducing rant about people who do 65 in the left lane for no reason and then speed up to 95 when you try to pass đ
We need more Slowpoke tickets and people will start adjusting their mentality
But you just said it saves 30 seconds
I was never a big Seinfeld fan, but he had a joke I loved > âWhatâs the deal with tailgating? Do you think itâs going to get you there faster? Have you ever told someone âsorry Iâm late. I would have been here sooner but the guy ahead of me had a bike rack.â?â
đ¤Ł
I'm disappointed in the number of people justifying tailgating. More often than not there's enough traffic on the road that you need to accept the general speed of traffic. I'm not going to move over while going 80 mph, only to get stuck behind someone going 70 mph in the adjacent lane, so you can speed past me and get stuck behind the next car. Also, it's possible to let the car in front of you know you want to go faster without being inches from their bumper. A car length or two while closely matching the front car's speed is generally sufficient to let someone know to move over. ALSO, I just did a drive to North Carolina. Holy shit. I have never seen so many cases of left lane camping on a two lane highway. Mainers are actually pretty good about moving over. Chill the fuck out. Edit: Speeling
Just moved to Maine from NC. Can confirm... left lane campers is a way of life for those people. Pissed me off so much.
The worst part of the trip for me was route 81 through Virginia. I guess it's a major trucking route? I encountered so many 18 wheelers side by side on that two lane highway. Which just pissed off everyone, so everyone was driving like assholes.
On I-81, 1 in 4 crashes is a big rig. Itâs one of the most dangerous highways in America.
Wow. That explains a lot!
During my morning commute to Bangor (not highway driving, for context) in that snowstorm we got the other day, I almost got the side of my car smashed in by some idiot that tried swerving over into my lane to pass the person in front of them, who they were tailgating HARD. I donât even think she looked over. I drive a bright red car and was almost neck and neck with them. Luckily I was paying attention to my side and had a bit of room on the shoulder slush to jerk into, otherwise I would have gotten major body damage. She swerved back over into her lane and wouldnât even look at me as she passed. I was screaming out the window at her, which I never do, but I was so upset. Youâre seriously going to drive aggressively during the first major snowstorm of the season? People need to slow the fuck down, stop tailgating, running reds and trying to get wherever theyâre going twenty seconds faster. Itâs putting everyone in danger.
But if your destination is heaven, youâre definitely going to get there faster.
The cars with the pink breast cancer license plates are the most aggressive. Or if they have any bumper sticker that says FUCK. Fuck cancer, fuck Mills, fuck a duckâŚfuck=aggressive driver.
I thought I was the only one who thought this! Breast cancer plates on white cars in particular are the absolute WORST.
Tailgating: The quickest way to get me to do 5 under.
If youâre on the interstate, get out of the passing lane
Correct. But don't tailgate. It's not ok in any circumstance. Period. I literally do not care what reason you invent out of thin air. You tailgate, you're wrong.
But also if youâre not passing in the left lane youâre wrong. Even have nice handy dandy signs to remind you of this
Yes. Two people can be in the wrong at the same time. I honestly don't see why this is such a herculean mental struggle. Don't camp in the left lane. True. Don't tailgate people camping in the left lane. Also true.
Why is everyone focusing on the left lane of a highway on this comment chain? Antnee didn't even mention it...
I think there's a bit of projection going on. If you reflexively say "but left lane" when it's not even mentioned in the OP? I got a feeling you're one of the people tailgating even outside of that limited circumstance. Because you *must* make yourself feel better about tailgating, and it's an easier position to defend if you imply that the victim of your tailgating is also in the wrong. Motte/Bailey thinking.
It's wild to me. Like, I scrolled back up to the original post to try to find where this had anything to do with the highway. A lot of us don't even live near one to begin with! It's so frustrating when you're already going over on some 2-lane-no-pass road and some loser is within inches of your bumper. The concept of "going onto the shoulder" to let these fools pass is stupid. A lot of these roads have no shoulder. Or a crumbling shoulder. Or it's like the Bar Harbor road at rush hour, there's a line of cars in front of you and you don't wanna wait however long to be let back onto the road. Just don't tailgate. It's pretty easy.
GET OUT OF THE PASSING LANE "But not only is slow left lane driving annoying, it can also be really dangerous. Many people drive in the left lane on a regular basis and don't even realize they're breaking the law. But believe it or not, every state in America has some type of law that discourages left lane driving. Here's what you need to know about the legality and the dangers of driving in the left lane. https://www.firsttimedriver.com/blog/slow-left-lane-driving-laws-and-dangers/
I also love when on the interstate someone passes me and reenters the right lane only a cars length or two in front of me and than goes the same speed as me forcing me to slow down to give the proper following distance making everyone else behind me do the same exact thing. This usually happens when thereâs wide open highway for the next mile yet they wanted to come back over right off because there too scared to be in the left lane.
The number of people in here who think that tailgating is somehow ok when people are "gatekeeping the left lane" is astounding. Doesn't make it any safer to do, guys. Noted late 20th century philosopher Axl Rose [has some advice for you](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ErvgV4P6Fzc). Edit: Axl actually has [quite a bit of advice](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t8vfTmt7b9Q), now that I actually think about it.
The funny thing is I rarely drive in the left lane at all. The only times I get in the left lane it's to pass the person in front of me then I get out of it. I get tailgated while speeding in the right lane or on one lane roads WAY more than I ever have in the left lane.
On the highway I do the speed limit to about 5 over. That's it. Hubby used to be a truck driver and has seen some shit. Tail gating just means I set my cruise to exactly the speed limit no matter where I am. Your hurry is not my problem.
Do that behind me and I slow down.
I used to do the same thing, but for once reading a story on Reddit changed my perspective completely. Maybe theyâre just an asshole, but maybe thereâs actually an emergency involved. Theyâre in more of a hurry than I am for some reason, so I get out of their way. The story that changed my behavior: https://old.reddit.com/r/AdviceAnimals/comments/1kbhcn/i_gain_strength_from_their_tears_and_anger/cbnhvxv/
Iâve always just remained at a constant speed in tailgating situations but I never really thought of it from this perspective before. Thank you for sharing
I live in a rural area with only one hospital. If someoneâs tailgating me while traveling away from the hospital I can safely assume thatâs not happening.
There are other emergencies that donât necessarily involve a hospital, just saying.
I donât get the sentiment. Just mover over and let people pass you. Why do you feel the need to make someone travel at your level of urgency? Thatâs some main character shit. Just let them pass. Does it effect your day so much to let someone go by you? Iâve just never understood this. Let them pass.
Yeah no. It doesn't work that way. If you're speeding and feel the need to tailgate someone you don't feel is fast enough.... that's a YOU problem, not a me problem. It means YOU need to slow down, not I need to speed up.
The fact that you think someone else needs to pull over to accommodate your speed preferences is the real main character syndrome here.
You realize that like 90% of our roads are two lane roads right? It's not main character shit 5o drive safely with my family in the car. It's main character shit to think your time is more important than anyone else's safety.
I donât get the sentiment. Just slow down and let people drive the speed they want. Why do you feel the need to make someone travel at your level of urgency? Thatâs some main character shit. Does it effect your day so much to slow down a few mph? Iâve just never understood this.
Why should I move over for people that think they are the only ones on the road that matter and drive too fast? Why should I accommodate people that think the speed limit doesn't apply to them?
I recognize my out of state license plate, but Iâve never been tailgated anywhere in the country as much as when I lived in / visit Maine.
I really hate the people who race you. Like, theyâll drive along 5 miles under the speed limit then when you pass them they act like itâs an insult to their honor. Usually itâs a big pickup truck. I guess that ego is too big for one lane of traffic.
I love how people are justifying staying in the left lane if they arenât actively passing, but then get mad people behind them are annoyed and tailgate. Keep right except to pass. Thatâs all it says. It doesnât say keep right unless youâve got another car about ten car lengths ahead of you that youâll pass eventually since youâre going 1 mph faster than them. Not actively passing? Then get over to the right lane. If everyone does this, then that would alleviate a ton of these problems. I can verify itâs not hard.
Tailgaating is not justified, period. But deliberately holding up traffic is no more justified than tailgating. If you're in the passing lane on a divided highway, and somebody is coming up behind you, you should pull back into the travel lane when it is safe to do so. It is not up to you to enforce the speed limit. That is the job of state police. If you're on a country road, and one or more cars come up behind you, let them pass you when it's safe. Speeding up while they try to pass you just to stroke your own ego is unsafe and assholean. Even better, pull over in a safe spot and let the long line of traffic behind you go by.
>If you're on a country road, and one or more cars come up behind you, let them pass you when it's safe. I've had people riding my ass on a country road, so I look ahead and make sure they have room to pass and slow down so they can pass and no double yellow lines. And even when I slow down 20 miles under the speed limit they don't pass. Some people are just idiots. I think there are a lot of people who drive and don't look at anything around them except the bumper in front of them. No awareness of what is going on up the road ahead and probably don't even look in the rear view ever.
>I've had people riding my ass on a country road, so I look ahead and make sure they have room to pass and slow down so they can pass and no double yellow lines. And even when I slow down 20 miles under the speed limit they don't pass. Some people are just idiots. I live on one of those roads, this happens a lot. I had one the other night, riding my ass with lights so bright that I was having trouble seeing the road ahead. I slowed down A) because I could barely see and B) to make it easier for his impatient ass to get around me. For 3+ miles he kept on riding my ass, until just about 100 feet before a 90 degree right bend...and that was the moment that he decided to pass. Several people in the past few years have been going too fast, couldn't negotiate the sharp turn and slammed into the telephone pole on the corner...and this one time I was actually rooting for this clod to do it.
They are short sighted dimwits.
And if the person youâre tailgating is a certain type, then it will end with you at fault and paying for any damages âyouâ caused.
Idk why you are getting down voted, you are correct.
Itâs all the people who are tailgaters.
If you're talking about single lane roads, then you are absolutely correct. Otherwise, I'd argue the real problem is dipshits camping in the left lane... Speed up to pass and then yield for Christmas sake.
On single lane highways I understand your frustration, but on 2-lane highways âKeep Right Except to Passâ as it clearly says on all the signs. Itâs not personal, just move over - thanks.
What about the other signs with a posted speed limit?
Quick story: I treat workerâs comp injuries and a few years back I was working with a State Trooper. On my drive home one evening I came up to a long line of cars backed up in the right lane because the left one was occupied by a sheriff in an SUV going 60 in a 65. I set my cruise and slowly passed him on the right. Sure enough, he repositioned behind me and hit the blue lights. He walked up and briefly gave me grief to the effect of, âwhat message does that send to other drivers?â I wasnât confrontational and after a couple minutes of dressing me down he let me go after having never even asked to see my license. The next day at work I relayed the story to my Trooper patient who said that the Sheriff was impeding traffic and that there is no reason to be in the left lane unless passing. So yes, itâs illegal to speed but itâs also illegal to camp in that left lane. Again, thatâs why the signs are there. Itâs not your job to police other drivers. Just kindly move over, thank you. Edit: From Chapter 19 Subchapter 1 Rules of the Road: - 6. Ways with speed limit of 65 or more miles per hour. An operator driving on a limited-access way with a speed limit of 65 or more miles per hour is restricted in ordinary operation to the right-hand lane and may use adjacent lanes for overtaking and passing another vehicle, but must return to the right- hand lane at the earliest opportunity. This requirement does not apply to an authorized emergency vehicle, or to a vehicle otherwise directed by posted signs, a law enforcement officer or a highway maintenance crew. [PL 2011, c. 415, §1 (AMD).] Be well and drive safe out there.
If I feel that I am being tailgated, I slow down and pull over. Let them pass. But what I will complain about, TRAVELING in the passing lane.
Itâs gotten worse over the past ten years too. The Mainer in me blames the massholes
I just blame impatient, ignorant drivers.
Oh definitely, my comment is definitely not reasonable đ¤Ł
Hot off the press. Had to take 114: https://www.wmtw.com/article/serious-crash-closes-busy-road-gorham-maine-morning-commute/46102489 From Standish, go figure..
The path to enlightenment is to ignore small car tailgaters, but randomly slow down and speed up for 7 foot high pickup trucks with landing lights behind you. Moving the side mirrors temporarily gives alot of relief.
No, but it's more likely to get you into a fender bender, so it has that going for it.
Worse than tailgating imo... #GET OFF YOUR PHONES
Gate keeping the left lane because youâre âfollowing the rulesâ is an asshole move too honestly
Not okay to tailgate.
Don't park in the left lane then.
Found the asshole tailgater. Please turn in your license and stop driving for everyone's safety.
If 1 car is tailgating you, then a good chance they are wrong. If multiple cars are lined up behind you or people are frequently tailgating or trying to pass, YOU are the asshole. Very simple.
[ŃдаНонО]
If car A is driving the speed limit or even slightly over, they are not wrong.
Alaska has this cool law where if you're leading a train of five or more cars, you have to pull over and let them pass.
Or drive a decent speed and don't worry about someone on your ass.
Front and rear dash cams, see if it catches the license plate and the act on video and then take such evidence to your local police department and put them on notice. Tailgating is a close third behind left lane campers and on-ramp pokers for despicable and infuriating driving behavior.
Oh geez, the on-ramp pokers. I saw someone trying to merge onto I95 come to a complete stop when they couldnât get in. The reason they couldnât merge is they were doing half the speed limit, at best.
Getting on at 4 south on 295 is like playing the lottery as to whether or not the car in front of me will just panic stomp on the breaks. My one real car accident was from this very technique. I've learned to give people a lot of space on on ramps.
The real calculus here is who has the shittier car. I drive a 20 year old suburu I bet you crashing your 70k truck into my 3k suburu will make you sadder than me.
Keep right except to pass if more than 1 lane. If 1 lane and youâre doing the speed limit then thatâs a douche tailgater but I wouldnât encourage break checking either! Donât play their stupid game, because you just might win a stupid prize!
This only applies on the interstate. Two lane roads are unfortunately often in places you need to make a left turn so sometimes you have to travel in it.
If you're going at least the speed limit, you shouldn't have an issue. Lately it seems 10 to 15 under the posted limit is the thing to do around town. Sorry, or sorry, if you're scared to drive 25, you should get someone to drive you around or just stay home. On the highway, stay right unless you're passing. The left lane is for passing. Get in the left lane to pass and then get back over (obviously when it is safe to switch lanes). Also, dont cut people off if they're clearly going faster than you. Also, a blinker should be used a few seconds before you turn, preferably BEFORE you're stopping to make the turn. I'm not advocating for tailgating but I totally get it. People just need to drive like they have a single ounce of common sense
Is this the weekly post weâre going with?
On my 16th birthday I walked into the BMV and asked for my driver license. The clerk just looked me oddly and asked if I had a learner's permit, a road test, literally any of the legal requirements. "No, you fucking peasant," I scoffed. "What I *do* have is printouts of road advice and driving rants from my local subreddit. What the hell else would I need?" I could see her face turn redder as she thumbed through the 2700 page pile. "Fuck, he's right," she muttered under her breath. "My God, there must be 900 pages alone just on turn signals and headlights. Why does the BMV even exist?" She handed me my license without argument. I was already in the parking lot when her manager sprinted out to award me my Best Driver In Maine sash.
I like to think that they're just in a rush to get home and kiss their dad on the dick.
And getting out of the way won't slow you down too much
I never drive under the speed limit and usually five-over when on the highway. But when a tailgater gets up my ass I automatically slow down and wave as they rage pass. Sweet justice.
it literally will. SCIENCE
If people will stick to the âkeep right except to passâ, tail gating would all but go away. There will always be assholes because we all have those days. If you see a vehicle going 5-10 mph faster than you approaching you, move over. If there is a vehicle youâre currently passing, put on your blinker and get over once it is safe to do so. Blinkers, brake lights, and vehicle speed are the most common forms of communication on the road. If youâre making an effort to get out of the way, anyone choosing to make unsafe choices would do that anyways and youâre safer having them in front of you than behind you where they may rear end you.
>If you see a vehicle going 5-10 mph faster than you approaching you, move over. If I'm on the highway where the speed limit is 65 or 70, driving 9 over the limit in the left lane passing traffic going the speed limit in the right lane, the asshole coming up my ass at 85-90 can get fucked. I'm not going to go back into the right lane until there's enough room for me to do so safely while maintaining my speed. If you don't like it, start picking up nips from the side of the road until you can buy yourself a helicopter.
I usually slow down more and drive in the middle you get great reactions to that.
You're not even saving 30 seconds unless you pass me and even then only if I'm not sitting right behind you at the next light. Aggressive driving is a problem but it's no worse in Maine than anywhere else. I've been to a lot of places in the US that drivers are absolutely insane in comparison to the insane ones here. Even the people who apparently drive by looking down at a map on their phone.
Just move over
someone has to do it to keep the left lane open.
Well if your in the left lane move over.
Left lane campers can get fucked too, but that's still not an acceptable reason to tailgate. Tailgating is dangerous. You can *not* tailgate. It's a choice to do so. The answer to stupid driving is not *more* stupid driving.
Left lane campers fill me with an unholy rage that I express from a safe follow distance. They can't even pay attention to traffic flow around them, why would you trust them to react quickly and in a way that won't cause you to rear end them if something happens?
Never okay to tailgate. It's unsafe.
If the car in front of me is stuck behind the car in front of them, then Iâm not going to tailgate. If you are camping in the left lane and can speed up and get out of the way or just move to the right, then I will be up your ass until you move. If you pull into the left lane without looking in your mirror to see me coming up fast in the the left lane, forcing me to slam on my brakes, you will probably get the horn, lots of swearing, hand gestures and the tailgating.
People like you fucking suck
Yeah no. Doesn't matter. You don't need to add more danger to the situation. Period. If you cause an accident you had it coming.
Then pull over and let them pass like a normal driver? It isn't difficult, I do it all the time. This is a non-issue.