Total Motorcycle Community Forums

of course, everything changes when you're on a bike, at least for me. i'll pull into the shoulder and stop to get rid of a tailgater out here in the country if there's only one lane. in the city, there's nothing you can do because everyone tailgates habitually so i just slow down.

There's right of way, and then there's right of weight... and when it's a contest between my 400lb bike and their 2000lb truck, I'd rather yeild the right of way then be dead.

It's definitely a mixed topic and I can't say I have a pat response. It's very subjective. I truly hate having a rolling roadblock in front of me (where the available lanes are blocked by vehicles matching each others' speed). On the other hand, I am less than pleased with someone who rides my @ss and/or flashes lights when I'm already doing 85 MPH... especially if we're in traffic and there's no immediate opportunity to permit them to pass. As previously noted, "right of weight" also figures into my decision making processes, if only to enhance my chances of survival.

HexedWrench wrote:It's definitely a mixed topic and I can't say I have a pat response. It's very subjective. I truly hate having a rolling roadblock in front of me (where the available lanes are blocked by vehicles matching each others' speed). On the other hand, I am less than pleased with someone who rides my @ss and/or flashes lights when I'm already doing 85 MPH... especially if we're in traffic and there's no immediate opportunity to permit them to pass. As previously noted, "right of weight" also figures into my decision making processes, if only to enhance my chances of survival.

this post raises an interesting point. aren't we all just more sympathetic to whatever position we happen to be in at the time? everyone on the road is a hypocrite.

What I like is when I pass someone on the right (because I gave up a long time ago with all the light flashing and tailgating crap) and they decide to speed up and try to cut me off so I can't get by.

It has happened about 5 times in the 6 months (7,500 miles) since I have been riding. It's always some guy with his girl with him..... I'll see him look at me in the rearview mirror and not move over...he's the boss.... he's showing his woman just how tough he is.... he's not going to let that mean old motorcycle pass him.... then the Tiger growls and I blow by quicker than a cat can lick his "O Ring" and then it's on..... he can't believe that some idiot would actually go faster than him. What disrespect! Then after a few miles of chasing me he gives up or probably get yelled at for driving like an idiot by the little lady he was trying to impress. What is it with these people? Is the faster you pass someone the more disrespectfull you are being to them?

It's the passing lane! Pass and get back into the right lane. Hell, speed up a little if you need to and move over. I don't care if I'm going 100 mph, if someone approaches me, I move over and let them pass. How hard is it to understand?

psmorgan wrote:It's the passing lane! Pass and get back into the right lane. Hell, speed up a little if you need to and move over. I don't care if I'm going 100 mph, if someone approaches me, I move over and let them pass. How hard is it to understand?

I'm 100% on this one! It's like people want a little light and siren on their car to act as law enforcers, or politeness cops. I get it, it ticks them off that someone is in the passing lane and they are already going over the speed limit - but if someone is coming up behind you on the left, and you and a guy on the right are making a rolling wall, you need to get out of the left lane. This arguement "It's so rude, what is their big hurry." is so silly. Let them pass you and get a ticket. You might get the satisfying justice that you have no right to be distibuting yourself. Stay right unless you are passing. So simple.

Like I said before though, I've learned to back off, wait for them to stop paying attention to me, and buzz through when they stop trying to enforce their arbitrary passing mandate. Some places around me, more people pass me than I pass anyway. But I always stay to the right, unless I'm passing. There is no point to doing otherwise, other than you like making other people mad.

say there is only one lane, and you're going the speed limit, or 5mph over. there is no place to pass.

is it right for someone who wants to drive faster to come up and ride your "O Ring" like an idiot, honk and flash the lights?

what if the road is windy with a lot of blind corners and you are trying to drive safe and avoid hitting a deer or oncoming vehicle while this moron thinks his convenience and juvenile need to go faster is more important than your life?

better yet, what if the road is snowy or icy and you know the tailgater won't be able to stop fast enough without going into a skid, but he thinks he can because he's one of the dumbasses you see stuck or rolled in the ditch off the side of the road all winter.

jfeaz,

In that case I would slow down and wave him by at the first place he could pass. If there is no place to pass at 50 mph, then when you slow down to 10 or so, he will be able to pass then for sure. Then go on about your business. He must have had real emergency to have acted like that.

This change of road types brings up another gripe of mine.... ever had someone speed up when they get to the passing area on a road and then slow back down in a part of the road where nobody can pass? I have. In that case, I usually act about like the guy you were describing. Where were you when that happened? It could have been me

psmorgan wrote:jfeaz,

In that case I would slow down and wave him by at the first place he could pass. If there is no place to pass at 50 mph, then when you slow down to 10 or so, he will be able to pass then for sure. Then go on about your business. He must have had real emergency to have acted like that.

This change of road types brings up another gripe of mine.... ever had someone speed up when they get to the passing area on a road and then slow back down in a part of the road where nobody can pass? I have. In that case, I usually act about like the guy you were describing. Where were you when that happened? It could have been me

again, i get back to the attitude. there's no way in hell i'm waving someone by if they've been tailgating and acting like a jerk. if they followed at a safe distance and demonstrated that they value my life and safety, i would find a turnout at let them pass.

guys that speed up in the passing lane, or go to the left when it says "keep right except to pass" are jerks.

See, single-lane roads are a different issue than what I'm talking about, but I'll give you my opinion on that too. I think you need to respect a more nervous rider/driver who is in front of you on a single lane road. They have nowhere to go in most cases, so getting on their butt won't help and may even cause an accident. I think backing off and waiting for the passing zone is the best thing to do, and I do this myself. Back off and wait for the chance to get by safely. Even if it means going 10 under or whatnot.

About the guys who speed up in the passing zones to stop someone from getting by, and slow in the non-passing zones, they are causing social unrest. You should let someone pass in the passing zone, and playing a game on the road is dangerous.

So someone riding on your butt is stupid and I do not except that as acceptable behavior. And it is more poor if that is during bad weather conditions. If someone does that to me, I want them to get by me as soon as possible. I have let many people pass me on one lane roads in my life, because it appeared they were in a big hurry, and I didn't want anyone to get hurt.