Tailgating

[tk1971]

It can't be just me, but I've noticed in the one week that I've owned the Yaris that everybody and their grandma likes to tailgate and pass. WTF? I'm driving with the flow of traffic, trying to leave ~ 1-2 sec worth of space in front of me, as I do regardless of what I drive / ride.

Doesn't happen in my wife's Expedition, nor my previous cars: Forester, EVO, WRX, IS300, etc. I don't even get this kind of hate riding my motorcycles. The only other car I recall this happening with, was with my 1981 Datsun 210 SL "fastback" in dessert yellow.

I mean... Corollas and Kias bust a nut to pass.

Why all the hate on the Yaris?

[matthewai]

well this is what i like to call "ridin' cheeks" some people just like to sniff cheeks a little to much especially in NY

[JumpmanYaris]

It can't be just me, but I've noticed in the one week that I've owned the Yaris that everybody and their grandma likes to tailgate and pass. WTF? I'm driving with the flow of traffic, trying to leave ~ 1-2 sec worth of space in front of me, as I do regardless of what I drive / ride.

Doesn't happen in my wife's Expedition, nor my previous cars: Forester, EVO, WRX, IS300, etc. I don't even get this kind of hate riding my motorcycles. The only other car I recall this happening with, was with my 1981 Datsun 210 SL "fastback" in dessert yellow.

I mean... Corollas and Kias bust a nut to pass.

Why all the hate on the Yaris?

Call me a jerk/ asshole or whatever you want but when that happens to me a slam on my brakes causing them to get pissed or to back da fuck up :mad:

BTW We had this discussion so many times.

[echaru]

Happen to me all the time. I even got rear ended because of it, just 3 weeks ago. Although when people try to pass me, they have to pass the car in front of me cause I don't usually leave space for anyone to cut in.

The more fun is when I drive next to Honda Fits, they're always trying to pass me for some reason. Or sometime when I try to pass them cause they're driving so slow, after they see that it's a Yaris, they just punch the gas.

[brg88tx]

i can just hear the rednecks behind me grumbling "g-damn fag car" before they pass me.

[matthewai]

^^ hahah

[bkndacn]

I've noticed since I've had my Yaris that I'm on the other side of that situation .... I actually have to make a conscious decision to back up off the car ahead of me .... I blame this on the fact that we cant see our hood .... lol idk why I just do

[SilverBack]

Call me a jerk/ asshole or whatever you want but when that happens to me a slam on my brakes causing them to get pissed or to back da fuck up :mad:

BTW We had this discussion so many times.

^What he said. And in LA you would also add pitch-black sunglasses and the bird to the mix. That's the only way people learn around here...

[swidd]

Yaris in tha passing!

[big lo]

I hate tailgaters, but that's life me being from NY I thought PPI their were crazy, but in PR its out of control, here an accident almost at every light its traffic bcuz the shmuck in front of you wants to look at accident and BAM another accident

[Freedan]

I have yet to experience this. :cry:

No one really seems to go out of their way to pass me. I think the fact that I'm normally doing 80+ MPH on the freeway might have something to do with it. :laugh:

I guess it's one thing that's nice about the late shift, no traffic at 2:00 am. "Spirited" driving on an empty back mountain road and empty freeway make you forget that the car only has 100ish HP! :biggrin:

[wooverstone8]

When I drive the Yaris I get treated like Rodney Dangerfield.

[Kaotic Lazagna]

Buy this and hook it up to a switch:

http://www.v-leds.com/Exterior-LED/License-Plate-LED/White-LED/V-LEDS-HIGH-POWER-18W-p7516915.html

Then BAM, if someone is tailgating you, just flip the switch. hahahahahaha

[big lo]

When I drive the Yaris I get treated like Rodney Dangerfield.

LMFAO, no respect, no respect!!

[JumpmanYaris]

Buy this and hook it up to a switch:

http://www.v-leds.com/Exterior-LED/License-Plate-LED/White-LED/V-LEDS-HIGH-POWER-18W-p7516915.html

Then BAM, if someone is tailgating you, just flip the switch. hahahahahaha

That shit is cool you truly are a LED freak lol

[Kaotic Lazagna]

That shit is cool you truly are a LED freak lol

lol. I am. lol. I'm going to buy that when I get some money to spend on it, which may not be for a long while. hahahaha.

[JumpmanYaris]

Man they are out of stock I was getting ready to place a order but they wont have any until 3/1/11

[SilverBack]

Nice, but if the tailgater's right on your ass he might not be able to catch it (especially if he's one of those douchebags that drives a raised truck but never been off-roading).

Wonder if we can get spotlights mounted on the corners of the back window. If a big one can grab attention from across town, then a couple of headlight-sized ones should make a good wake-up call...

[JumpmanYaris]

Nice, but if the tailgater's right on your ass he might not be able to catch it (especially if he's one of those douchebags that drives a raised truck but never been off-roading).

Wonder if we can get spotlights mounted on the corners of the back window. If a big one can grab attention from across town, then a couple of headlight-sized ones should make a good wake-up call...

True but he might get the point, or just be a bigger jerk and turn the high beems On lol

[Kaotic Lazagna]

not as freaky as me lol

lol, yeah, you have LEDs up the wazoo, but that's just cuz I can't afford mods right now. lol. I'm surprised that you don't have this license plate frame.

[Kaotic Lazagna]

Man they are out of stock I was getting ready to place a order but they wont have any until 3/1/11

Yeah, they had a sale on it a couple months back, and I guess everyone jumped on it. lol. Just place your order to reserve one for yourself. hhahaha

[tk1971]

...I think the fact that I'm normally doing 80+ MPH on the freeway might have something to do with it.

Nope, even at 80+. Passing lane, cruising lane, seems like everyone wants to pass the Yaris...

[cali yaris]

I just drop into third and stomp on it. No more tailgater. :biggrin:

[RedRide]

I have been seriously talgated many times while driving various vehices thoroughout the years.
I have come to the conlusion that insistant tailgaters simply do not get it, do not have a clue about what they are doing and are convinced that what they are doing is completly normal and acceptable.

It really make me wonder what is taught in obtaining driving licenses these days and/or what reality these people subscribe to.

[MaineYaris12]

I have been seriously talgated many times while driving various vehices thoroughout the years.
I have come to the conlusion that insistant tailgaters simply do not get it, do not have a clue about what they are doing and are convinced that what they are doing is completly normal and acceptable.

It really make me wonder what is taught in obtaining driving licenses these days and/or what reality these people subscribe to.

same here except if there is a clueless moron in the left lane riding in a blind spot of a rig,thinking that he/she has the right to be there and not actually passing anyone. passing lane is for passing not cruisin

[MaineYaris12]

Nice, but if the tailgater's right on your ass he might not be able to catch it (especially if he's one of those douchebags that drives a raised truck but never been off-roading).

Wonder if we can get spotlights mounted on the corners of the back window. If a big one can grab attention from across town, then a couple of headlight-sized ones should make a good wake-up call...

hey how bout moving out of the passing lane...:iono: drops your tailgating problem by 90%

[frownonfun]

i can just hear the rednecks behind me grumbling "g-damn fag car" before they pass me.

you hear that too huh.

[Kaotic Lazagna]

hey how bout moving out of the passing lane...:iono: drops your tailgating problem by 90%

Tailgating is a problem in the slow lane too, you know.

[JumpmanYaris]

Tailgating is a problem in the slow lane too, you know.

Laz is on it lol

[JumpmanYaris]

I just drop into third and stomp on it. No more tailgater. :biggrin:

Me like that. unfortunately for me I don't have turbo in my sedan lol

[Kaotic Lazagna]

Me like that. unfortunately for me I don't have turbo in my sedan lol

hahaha, same here, especially when I have my G-Line rims on, really sucks the acceleration out of the car. lol

[JumpmanYaris]

hahaha, same here, especially when I have my G-Line rims on, really sucks the acceleration out of the car. lol

I know having heavy wheels doesn't help, have you driven a LB ?

[Shinare]

Every once in a while someone will do it to me. I just slow down till they pass... problem solved.

[Kaotic Lazagna]

I know having heavy wheels doesn't help, have you driven a LB ?

Nope, but I've rode in one before.

[Kaotic Lazagna]

Every once in a while someone will do it to me. I just slow down till they pass... problem solved.

Yeah, that's the best. lol. I do it when ever someone tailgates me (after making sure it is not a police car).

[JumpmanYaris]

Nope, but I've rode in one before.

I think the LB has better acceleration then sedan from the times I drive my wifes car

[Kaotic Lazagna]

I think the LB has better acceleration then sedan from the times I drive my wifes car

That's odd since the LB weighs more than the sedan and uses the same everything. Are both cars manual trannies and same wheel and tire combos? If not, then that may be why.

[bankrobber]

Not sure if I should really say this but, aim the windshield washer to shoot slightly over roof. Put in something like cat urine and only try at night. Back in high school I had a guy park so close to my drivers door he had to fold in the mirrors. We were not the best of friends to say the least. I got pissed and took a quart of oil and splashed it onto his passenger window. I would not advise doing anything like that anymore.

[JumpmanYaris]

Not sure if I should really say this but, aim the windshield washer to shoot slightly over roof. Put in something like cat urine and only try at night. Back in high school I had a guy park so close to my drivers door he had to fold in the mirrors. We were not the best of friends to say the least. I got pissed and took a quart of oil and splashed it onto his passenger window. I would not advise doing anything like that anymore.

:confused:

and ur saying this because???

[JumpmanYaris]

That's odd since the LB weighs more than the sedan and uses the same everything. Are both cars manual trannies and same wheel and tire combos? If not, then that may be why.

Both cars are AT and hers has my 18s on right now my has the 17s that been said i would think hers would be much slower, dont ya? :eek:

[Kaotic Lazagna]

Both cars are AT and hers has my 18s on right now my has the 17s that been said i would think hers would be much slower, dont ya? :eek:

What are the overall weights of the rims and tires? Also, does your sedan have a sound system? Not sure why your sedan would be slower, even with the 20lb difference in weight, both the LB and the sedan should have identical times to 60. Oil and fuel should also be factored in.

[JumpmanYaris]

What are the overall weights of the rims and tires? Also, does your sedan have a sound system? Not sure why your sedan would be slower, even with the 20lb difference in weight, both the LB and the sedan should have identical times to 60. Oil and fuel should also be factored in.

Yeah I got a box with 2 12" subs

[TRDMarty]

Yesterday a co-worker of mine had to drive his fathers Yaris LB for just one day and he stated that everyone was riding on his A$$!!!!! I said, yep, happens everyday. I replied to just give the infamous finger gesture and they all of a sudden disappear like magic. :cool:

[Idahotom]

Interesting thread. Maybe I'm not paying attention, or it's different here in Idaho, but I havn't noticed any increase in tailgating while driving my Yaris.

It may happen, but I drive ALL my rigs slightly slower then the norm (like the speed limit or close to it, as opposed to 10 or 20 over it), so I probably experience a constant state of tailgating and have gotten immune to it!

I always like to look around while I'm getting fuel, and watch the grimaces on the faces of the SUV and pickup truck drivers....and they are usually there when I pull up, and still there, still pumping, as I leave. Payback!

[bkndacn]

^ hahahahah I love the surprised look I get when I pull up to the pump and the SUVs are like WTF when I casually put 25 $ in my tank and drive off with a full tank! :)

[tk1971]

^ hahahahah I love the surprised look I get when I pull up to the pump and the SUVs are like WTF when I casually put 25 $ in my tank and drive off with a full tank! :)

No joke. I put in $31 plus change this morning for 9.8 gallons, which lasts for a whole week. With my Expedition, I would get gas every 2-3 days (2 to 3 times a week) and that sucker would easily cost $100 per fill up.

[KrazyDawg]

Could it be because it's a liftback it feels like more people are tailgating since you don't have a rear end that sticks out?

[tk1971]

Could it be because it's a liftback it feels like more people are tailgating since you don't have a rear end that sticks out?

Makes perfect sense. I notice people are closer than I'd like when I ride motorcycles too (I don't split lanes).

[frownonfun]

Makes perfect sense. I notice people are closer than I'd like when I ride motorcycles too (I don't split lanes).


agreed. especially when stopped at intersections. feels like their bumper is against my rear tire at times.

[john21031]

same here except if there is a clueless moron in the left lane riding in a blind spot of a rig,thinking that he/she has the right to be there and not actually passing anyone. passing lane is for passing not cruisin

Not if he is already going the speed limit.

Passing lane is not for speeding! And those who speed have no excuse. I would take away their licenses and send to the fields for free labor for 3 months to have a chance to get them back.

People who speed intentionally and find excuses for it, should not have the privilege to drive!
http://www.ernestmorse.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/monkey-slap.jpg

[Freedan]

People who speed intentionally and find excuses for it, should not have the privilege to drive!


I completely agree. That's why I never make any excuses while I'm speeding. If 90ish HP can make a Yaris move like that, I can only imagine what another 50HP would do to a Yaris. :eek:

[Zaphod]

agreed. especially when stopped at intersections. feels like their bumper is against my rear tire at times.

I always keep an eye in one of my mirrors, and the very moment that I see someone approaching the bike to quickly and pulling up too close, I give it a nice loud rev. That always snaps them right out of whatever trance they're in, or whatever pissing contest they think they're onto.

Just one of the very gratifying aspects of riding a harley with straight pipes :)

Of course by that time I have my foot on the shifter and the clutch in and I always leave enough space in front of me to get out of there if I need to.

Honestly, what scares me the most on the bike is people who pull out into traffic without paying attention ... I really hate testing my brakes on that thing ... or the attention of the person behind me.

[tk1971]

...

the recent trend here in Montreal and maybe elsewhere is to go bumper to bumper in the passing lane while the middle and right are completely empty.

Not here in SoCal. My commute (thankfully) involves me going the opposite direction of traffic from LA County to the Inland Empire.

What I mean by "opposite direction of traffic" easily qualifies as heavy congestion in other less populated areas.

Trust me, when there's no one in front of me (beyond the range of the 2 second rule, that is...), I always move over to a slower lane, even if it's congested.

Other commuters obviously don't appreciate me observing a modest 1-2 seconds worth of space in front of me, in my little econo-box. I also suggested that there might be a snob-factor in effect, because I don't feel as much hostility towards me while driving more "worthy" cars (like a 13+ sec 1/4 mile stock EVO, or my modded VF22 equipped WRX).

New revelation: Strange enough, I felt the kind of hostility when I used to drive the first year IS300.

Maybe it's a Toyota thing?

[p123456789]

Not if he is already going the speed limit.

Passing lane is not for speeding! And those who speed have no excuse. I would take away their licenses and send to the fields for free labor for 3 months to have a chance to get them back.

People who speed intentionally and find excuses for it, should not have the privilege to drive!
http://www.ernestmorse.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/monkey-slap.jpg

It's the passing lane for a reason if you're not passing someone get into the right lane. There are signs everwhere here slower traffic keep right.

[SailDesign]

It's the passing lane for a reason if you're not passing someone get into the right lane. There are signs everwhere here slower traffic keep right.

Too true. If I remember correctly (and I'm sure someone will "remind" me if I didn't) it is allowable to exceed the speed limit while passing in the UK, for the simple reason that it is safer to get past in a hurry. As long as you pull right back in again, of course.

[bkndacn]

^ Its the same here in MD but the catch is that you have to get back down to a "safe" speed after .....

[SailDesign]

Just so you (us) Americans don't think we have a monopoly on stupid driving laws, here's an article from the British paper "The Daily Telegraph" from this morning:

Crazy driving laws
Should a driver be punished for warning of a speed trap ahead? David Williams investigates some cases in which the police appear to have overreacted.


By David Williams 11:00AM GMT 09 Feb 2011



Michael Thompson provoked sympathy and disbelief in equal measure when he was fined £175, ordered to pay £250 costs and a £15 “victim surcharge” after being found guilty of wilfully obstructing a police officer in the course of her duties.

The crime meriting such severe punishment? Concealment of a murderer? Hiding the smoking gun?

The semi-retired man simply did what many motorists often do (and indeed what the AA was founded for, in 1905) and warned oncoming drivers that there was a police speed trap around the corner, by flashing his headlamps.

Thompson insisted he was performing his “civic duty” by warning fellow motorists and one solicitor at court criticised the prosecution as a waste of taxpayers’ money.

In words that resonated with many of Britain’s 34 million motorists, the solicitor said the driver should be praised for his actions.

Not everyone was as sympathetic, however. On national radio phone-ins many criticised his actions; had he not prevented speeding drivers from getting their just desserts?

The presiding magistrate told Thompson: “We found that the flashing of your headlights was an obstruction, we found that you knew this action would cause vehicles to slow down and cause other motorists to avoid the speed trap and avoid prosecution.”

So, bizarrely, Mr Thompson was punished for encouraging others to stay within the law. But is the case as clear-cut as it appeared?

Experts say the whole grisly affair could have been averted even after Mr Thompson, of Grimsby in north-east Lincolnshire, was given a dressing down by police.

“Often, in weird and wonderful cases such as this, prosecution can easily be averted if the driver just bites his tongue and accepts a police warning - without giving any lip,” says Edmund King, the AA president.

“In many of these cases the law is a grey area but police might still feel they need to make a point by talking to the driver.

"Unfortunately some police officers respond adversely to drivers challenging them, as appears to have happened in this case. That’s when they dig in their heels and decide to take action.”

If Mr Thompson did talk himself into a fine, he surely felt he was standing up for what he - and many others - felt was right.

“If the true aim of speed traps is to get drivers to adhere to the limit, then why object to drivers warning others?” says Nigel Humphries of the Association of British Drivers. “Surely this achieves that objective in exactly the same way as signposting a speed camera, long accepted as a positive means of slowing traffic?”

It turns out that Thompson is in good company; numerous driver prosecutions and penalties have been at least as contentious.

In December 2003 Sarah McCaffery (above) was stopped by police who thought she was using her mobile phone while making a left turn in her Ford Ka.

In fact, she was doing nothing more sinister than eating an apple. Police nevertheless issued her with a £30 ticket, saying she was not in proper control of her car. The 23-year-old from Hebburn, in the North-East, decided to fight back and appealed, but was nevertheless convicted by magistrates.

Her solicitor said the case was “nonsensical” as she had carried out the manoeuvre “perfectly” but the chairman of the bench said: “We accept that there are times when you can drive with one hand but, in holding an apple while negotiating a left-hand turn, we consider you not to have been in full control.”

Stranger still was the case of a man fined for blowing his nose. When Michael Mancini found himself stuck in a queue of traffic with a runny nose, he instinctively reached for his handkerchief.

The simple act of pulling out a tissue and blowing his nose earned him a £60 fine because he was “not in proper control of his vehicle”.

Policeman Stuart Gray (known as PC Shiny Buttons because of his zealous approach) also handed out three penalty points, even though Mancini had the handbrake on at the time.

The case echoes that of salesman Keith Pemberton, from Cheshire, who was fined £60 for eating a sandwich at the wheel in March 2007. In 2008, Ediri Tsekiri was fined £60 in Liverpool for not being in control of her vehicle.

She, too, was eating a sandwich. Company director Gary Saunders was stopped in the same city for laughing while driving in 2009, but escaped with a ticking-off.

Motoring, clearly, is not a laughing matter - but justice can prevail. Mr Mancini took his protest to court and the procurator fiscal in Ayr decided not to prosecute. “I knew it would cost me hiring a lawyer but it was worth it out of principle,” said Mr Mancini.

Kevin Story was spotted by police munching a KitKat on the M3 and (are the words beginning to sound familiar?) issued with a fine for “not being in control of his vehicle”. Police later gave him a break and said the fine would be quashed as it was “inappropriate”.

Hampshire’s Assistant Chief Constable Colin Smith said: “We accept that the issue of a fixed penalty ticket, while intended to promote road safety, was inappropriate action by a well-meaning policeman.

"Officers usually deal sensitively and with common sense. If we are found to be over-zealous, we are more than happy to admit that officers are human and sometimes make mistakes.”

Is this true? It seems so.

The AA advises drivers stopped by police to be courteous and not to challenge them. It says that nine times out of 10 no action will be taken.

“In the light-flashing case, the driver said the police officer did not let him off with a warning because he 'challenged’ him,” says Edmund King.

“We urge drivers to keep their cool and police not to overreact to minor misdemeanours. It would save everybody an awful lot of time and money.”

[Zaphod]

this example is simple case of municipal/county/shire greed. Not that Im trying to say all police officers are tax collectors, but a good majority is maybe not by choice , but more and more the whole Police "enforcement" is more a case of tax increase. If most police departments were truly concerned with safety they would enforce the cell phone texting, snow covered vehicles with only a slit to look out of, failure to yield, continous lane change while crossing the solid line from the extreme left to get to teh exit infractions. Anyways, enough of my ranting, and just to be clear Im saying this not because I get tickets (because I dont, can't risk a ticket in my line of work) but because its pathetic the application of the law on the roads.
I have to wholeheartedly agree with you there ... it's the actual application that's so demoralizing to me.

I've never been a fan of speed traps ... it's an on again, off again game of cat and mouse that I think is meant to leave enough holes to encourage people so inclined to take their chances speeding. As you've already stated, it has more to do with generating revenue than safety.

What kind of deterrent is it when people smash their brakes and go to 15 under as soon as they see the flashing lights, and then immediately accelerate to 15 over as soon as they pass the person pulled over? It's only amusing when there are multiple speed traps spaced out to catch that sort of behavior, and even then you'll see people racing each other at 20 over unless the speed limit is enforced that way consistently.

Compare that mess to photo enforcement where people magically maintain consistent speeds near the maximum throughout that stretch of the highway. I know that people don't like those things, but I certainly like the results. I'm also one of those guys who'd like to see concrete walls instead of solid lines. :smile:

[SailDesign]

Here's a little demonstration of how stupid people can be. Imagine this one with more cars on the road, and maybe the truck having to brake....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k8FNQx7Cd9A

[bkndacn]

^That guy should loose his commercial license !! granted it would be hard to get all of that off that shouldnt happen....

[frownonfun]

I think some of you are assuming that he was anywhere near one of those snow scraper machine things. He may have collected that while resting at a truck stop or somewhere where they don't have nifty contraptions like that. Doesn't make the situation any less dangerous but at the same time what's the guy supposed to do when he needs to be somewhere... climb up there and push it all off?

[frownonfun]

Touché

[SailDesign]

I think some of you are assuming that he was anywhere near one of those snow scraper machine things. He may have collected that while resting at a truck stop or somewhere where they don't have nifty contraptions like that. Doesn't make the situation any less dangerous but at the same time what's the guy supposed to do when he needs to be somewhere... climb up there and push it all off?

Yes, actually. :smile:

[rningonfumes]

Yeah, that's the best. lol. I do it when ever someone tailgates me (after making sure it is not a police car).

Why worry about the police car? Say you needed to make room for a safe emergency stop because you were being tailgated. The officer should know better.

I get this all the time, then again, I probably drive the slowest of the majority of YW people.

What really gets me is how people do it to me in the freakin' rain!