Posted by INTRUDN on April 25, 2001 at 16:37:19:
I called them a long time ago and asked them about how
to handle tailgaters. The officer on duty said,
"Speed up, even if you are going the legal speed
limit, and put some distance between the two of you.
If that doesn't work, pull over onto the shoulder of
the road and let them pass. If there is not a place
to safely pull over, i.e., country backroads with no
shoulder, then use your best judgment. If you have
sped up and slowed down and the vehicle behind you
still refuses to pass you or put safe distance between
the two of you, then use your own judgment. If you
are in fear for your life, then handle the situation
as you deem necessary. Just be prepared to face the
consequences of any actions you take. Tailgating
could be considered as 'attempted vehicular
manslaughter' or at the very least 'reckless
endangerment' because it puts the rider in a life
threatening situation."
I agree. YOUR life is at stake, and it's your life to
protect. Just be ready to deal with the consequences
if you decide to drop/throw stuff at them. If your
drop something other than the "hard candy" like was
mentioned earlier (which usually shatters upon
impact), you could very well cause an accident for
someone else, even another biker. If that object
misses it's intended target and is left in the road
for the wheel of another vehicle to pickup, YOU would
be liable for that accident. One method I use
sometimes is "the finger". I'm a pretty big guy, and
that one little finger gets more response than you
would think. Unless the person behind you is already
out to get you, that finger wave is a wake up call.
It says that I see you, and I see how close you are,
and I am prepared to defend my life by any means
necessary. You may take me out, but it won't be
because I just gave up and LET you take me out.
The main thing is, use your mirrors. I use mine in
the 45/55 method. I look ahead of me 45% of the time,
and behind me 55% of the time, because I know how easy
it is to miss seeing a motorcycle if you are coming up
on it too fast. If I see a bumper closing in on me
fast, I usually flash my brake lights at them, just in
case they didn't see me. Then, if they don't slow
down I try to put some distance between us. If that
doesn't work, I look for a place to let them get
around me. If that doesn't work, WATCH THE BIRDIE!
A good friend of mine uses another method. One that I
have to say, the Mississippi Highway Patrol and I
would not recommend. That method is "reverse
passing". You suddenly switch into the other lane
(we're talking two-lane roads here) if no traffic is
coming at you and jam on the brakes, causing the
vehicle behind you to fly by in the lane you just
left. It sounds like a good idea, and even looks good
on paper, BUT, just suppose the person behind you is
paying attention to what you are doing, and when you
swerve, they think you are trying to dodge an object
in the road and they follow the path you took? You
jam on the brakes, and being on a bike you slow faster
than they do, and you become a speed bump. See what I
mean?
Another method I use sometimes is the "flashlight"
method. I have a small flashlight that I keep with me
when I'm riding. Not one of those "pen lights". It's
about six inches long and runs on two AA batteries,
and it is bright. I sometimes will take it out of my
jacket/vest pocket and wave it behind me in an attempt
to get them to pass me, like directing traffic.
Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. When it
doesn't, I use the finger and ready myself for
whatever may come. The point is to be safe, no matter
what you do or how you do it, be safe in doing it and
remember that there are others on the road besides you
and the idiot tailgating you. You don't want to hurt
an "innocent bystander" and give bikers even more of a
bad name than we already have. Just my two cents
worth for today. Think I'll go take a ride.