Infuriating road rage incident this morning - Page 3 - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

retmil46 · #1 04-16-2012, 12:56 PM

Yep, these days the brake tap method will simply earn you an enraged response, as per the OP's story.

Last Friday night on the way home from work, had a gent in a late model Chevy Monte Carlo come screaming up behind me - with his high beams on - just as I'm coming up to the stop sign to turn right onto the main two-lane secondary road heading toward home. He finally turned off the high beams when he was about 5 feet off my rear bumper.

Apparently he was uber pissed off that I actually came to a full stop before turning right. I turned right and started accelerating. He ran the stop sign, turned right as well, and immediately jumped into the left hand lane - on a two lane road with double yellow line - and floored it to go around me while I was still accelerating.

I just kept accelerating at my normal rate, and he roared past me as I was coming up thru 50 mph. As he moved back over to the right lane, still accelerating, by now several car lengths ahead, I demonstrated to him that my Jeep Liberty had high beams as well - equipped with Sylvania Ultra Stars.

I stopped at 60 mph, my usual cruising speed - this guy must have been doing near 80, as within less than a minute he had disappeared around the next curve over a half-mile down the road.

chilcutt · #2 04-16-2012, 01:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by retmil46

Yep, these days the brake tap method will simply earn you an enraged response, as per the OP's story.

Last Friday night on the way home from work, had a gent in a late model Chevy Monte Carlo come screaming up behind me - with his high beams on - just as I'm coming up to the stop sign to turn right onto the main two-lane secondary road heading toward home. He finally turned off the high beams when he was about 5 feet off my rear bumper.

Apparently he was uber pissed off that I actually came to a full stop before turning right. I turned right and started accelerating. He ran the stop sign, turned right as well, and immediately jumped into the left hand lane - on a two lane road with double yellow line - and floored it to go around me while I was still accelerating.

I just kept accelerating at my normal rate, and he roared past me as I was coming up thru 50 mph. As he moved back over to the right lane, still accelerating, by now several car lengths ahead, I demonstrated to him that my Jeep Liberty had high beams as well - equipped with Sylvania Ultra Stars.

I stopped at 60 mph, my usual cruising speed - this guy must have been doing near 80, as within less than a minute he had disappeared around the next curve over a half-mile down the road.

The bright-lite gig is still a provocation,and could lead to escalateing the situation.

Safer to simply do nothing out of the ordinary, and let the idiot go on his miserable way.

Graplr · #3 04-16-2012, 01:19 PM

I have decided that I will do nothing to DB driver's as there are no good outcomes that can arise but rather ignore them and continue driving. If I am in the left lane I move over at the first moment possible to let them by. It is not like the DB will learn his lesson from me tapping my brakes or brighting him or driving faster/slower, etc. The only two options for him are he backs off and now I'm the DB for doing something to him or he escalates the situation (see OPs original post).

E150GT · #4 04-16-2012, 01:21 PM

The brake method is not good as you can get rear ended or cause someone innocent to be hurt or die. Its just not worth that kind of thing hanging on your conscience or even a criminal indictment. If its night time I just like to smoke em out or shall I saw particulate them out with exhaust. Last guy that was rude behind me got some carcinogens in his face and he hung back after that.

G-Benz · #5 04-16-2012, 01:24 PM

Years of driving with road ragers all around, taught me that there is no such thing as "victorious revenge" against these idiots.

Consider first and foremost, that you probably won't have any personal acquaintance with any of these fools, so there is no masculinity lost by simply taking the "high road" and letting them proceed unimpeded without recourse.

Taking them on could potentially result in a fatal altercation, and leaving loved ones behind dealing with loss all because you chose to play "brassier balls" with some unknown twerp isn't a logical outcome.

The most I'll do now in such a situation is report wreckless activity to law enforcement...especially if the perp's antics aren't limited to my presence on the road...

MS Fowler · #6 04-16-2012, 01:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by chilcutt

The bright-lite gig is still a provocation,and could lead to escalateing the situation.

Safer to simply do nothing out of the ordinary, and let the idiot go on his miserable way.

I am glad to have them speed away. I want them far from me ASAP, and if thats what they want, too, its all good. I have even pulled to the curb lane and stopped to allow someone in a great hurry to get around me. Ego is good, but using wisdom to tell ego to take a hike is often the better way. Let the DB hurry to his own demise--solo.

chilcutt · #7 04-16-2012, 02:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MS Fowler

I am glad to have them speed away. I want them far from me ASAP, and if thats what they want, too, its all good. I have even pulled to the curb lane and stopped to allow someone in a great hurry to get around me. Ego is good, but using wisdom to tell ego to take a hike is often the better way. Let the DB hurry to his own demise--solo.

LOL..I like the 'Solo' part.

DslBnz · #8 04-16-2012, 02:07 PM

I think the diesel method is the #1 best, and least provoking approach to employ when dealing with these questionable individuals.

I have never encountered a problem feathering the accelerator on a car with no ALDA and an overfueled IP. It drowns them, they think there is something suddenly wrong with your car...They back WAAAAAAAYYY off. It works EVERY time. And again, they do NOT get angry. It wakes them up. Every other method is just begging for confrontation.

Graplr · #9 04-16-2012, 02:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MS Fowler

I am glad to have them speed away. I want them far from me ASAP, and if thats what they want, too, its all good. I have even pulled to the curb lane and stopped to allow someone in a great hurry to get around me. Ego is good, but using wisdom to tell ego to take a hike is often the better way. Let the DB hurry to his own demise--solo.

Correct, that is the best part of moving over and letting them speed away. They get far away from me.

retmil46 · #10 04-16-2012, 02:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by chilcutt

The bright-lite gig is still a provocation,and could lead to escalateing the situation.

Safer to simply do nothing out of the ordinary, and let the idiot go on his miserable way.

Normally I wouldn't have - but from this guys behavior, you could tell he wasn't interested in playing road tag - he was in too big of a GD hurry to get home, for whatever reason, and trying to pass/shove out of the way everything on the road ahead of him. And it wasn't a prolonged blast - more the quick blip-blip that truckers use to signal each other in a passing situation on the interstate - just to say "thanks a LOT, bud".

Actually, I was somewhat impressed - I didn't think anything made by GM these days, especially a boat that size, would accelerate like that.

chilcutt · #11 04-16-2012, 02:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by retmil46

Normally I wouldn't have - but from this guys behavior, you could tell he wasn't interested in playing road tag - he was in too big of a GD hurry to get home, for whatever reason, and trying to pass/shove out of the way everything on the road ahead of him. And it wasn't a prolonged blast - more the quick blip-blip that truckers use to signal each other in a passing situation on the interstate - just to say "thanks a LOT, bud".

Actually, I was somewhat impressed - I didn't think anything made by GM these days, especially a boat that size, would accelerate like that.

OK, thats cool.

You should see what kind of a nite-mare unfolds over here across the pond on a continuous basis..not isolated incident basis.

Makes the states look like Romper Room.

Brian Carlton · #12 04-16-2012, 01:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by retmil46

- this guy must have been doing near 80, as within less than a minute he had disappeared around the next curve over a half-mile down the road.

Where's a 75 year old oak tree when you need it?

retmil46 · #13 04-16-2012, 02:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Brian Carlton

Where's a 75 year old oak tree when you need it?

That would have been an utter waste - of a good oak tree - wrapping a POS GM product around it.

Thankfully for him, I didn't pass the tangled remains of said DB and his vehicle on the rest of the way home - the old saying about Gawd taking care of babies and fools must have been invoked.

The way some of the DB's that work at that plant drive, they're a literal godsend for the local and state budget - usually around shift change time, there's two to four local or state patrol cars parked at other businesses across the main road in front of that plant - and from casual observation, they're usually quite busy handing out citations.

my83300cd · #14 04-20-2012, 10:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by retmil46

Last Friday night on the way home from work, had a gent in a late model Chevy Monte Carlo come screaming up behind me - with his high beams on - just as I'm coming up to the stop sign to turn right onto the main two-lane secondary road heading toward home. He finally turned off the high beams when he was about 5 feet off my rear bumper.

Apparently he was uber pissed off that I actually came to a full stop before turning right. I turned right and started accelerating. He ran the stop sign, turned right as well, and immediately jumped into the left hand lane - on a two lane road with double yellow line - and floored it to go around me while I was still accelerating.

I stopped at 60 mph, my usual cruising speed - this guy must have been doing near 80, as within less than a minute he had disappeared around the next curve over a half-mile down the road.

Had a kid do that while drive the old beetle- and then caught up to him a few miles later while he was pulled over having a discussion with the local state trooper. In the flashing blue light I caught the kids eye and gave him a big smile and a wave and simple kept motoring along at the speed limit...

Will_w202 · #15 04-20-2012, 10:33 AM

I've caused a few drivers to swerve using the brake tap method. I just don't do this in the c300, only the 500SL or the 400 in the past. Need enough getaway power if they start acting crazy. My feeling is, if I'm n the left lane running 9 over (9 and you're fine!), and traffic in the right is running slower, you can f'ing wait til I can get over, otherwise, F OFF!

Honestly, it isn't worth it though. Nowadays, if I'm in the SL, I'll just nail it and then get in the right lane once I get a clear slot, and then, inevitably, the dummy can't take the assault on his manhood, so after I've slowed down, he will haul arse past me. I'll let him set the pace! I have seen more than a couple of them get pulled a few miles later. So gratifying.

I had these boys from da hood, one on a sportbike and one in a Maxima with at least 20s, and mr maxima, after riding my arse at 9 over to try to catch up to his triple-digit soon-to-be-roadkill buddy, went past me. He and his buddy on the bike, each using a diff lane, side by side, were TALKING with his windows down, when I caught up, because they were running about 65 in a 70 zone at this point. I'd had enough, and used what little space I had to absolutely scream around them in the wedge. Mr Bike did not catch up til the offramp, and I'm sure the screaming wail of 32 valves and 4 cams at 6500rpm interrupted their convo (and his windstream). Oh well, FU for being a DA. Mr Bike started talking smack at the offramp, and I just looked straight ahead and went on my business. Thankfully he wasn't packing heat, but hopefully he'll be roadkill soon enough. Total morons.

Is it worth it? Not really. It's frustrating to know that you, as an individual, are powerless over people with little common sense. It will never change. This is why I try to drive on off-hours and avoid rush hour. The more open space you have, the better.

Maybe eventually, I'll be able to pick up a CPO S65. I"ve always fantasized how fun it would be to just get away from highway nutbags in the blip of the tach.