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Old 09-16-2010, 04:49 AM   #1 (permalink)
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Trapped in The Wrong Lane

I mostly drive on multi-lane roads where passing is of little difficulty. Never the less I do have difficulties from time to time. I've noticed when I pass anyone they'll tend to accelerate slightly. I've even noticed that my car will accelerate slightly when passed even with the cruise control on. So I sorta expect that (some sorta aerodynamics thing). The major incident I'm thinking of is when the person you are passing actively tries to prevent you from doing so. On a multi-lane road it is mostly annoying but on a two-lane highway it can be deadly.

The two-lane highway that leads off to the local junkyard has a light at the city limits then it opens up into miles of trees before reaching the stopsign at the end. Traffic tends to get bunched up because of the light. I got caught behind a car going 45, the speed limit being 55 the entire length. I patiently waited for a good passing opportunity from a safe following distance of about 2sec behind. There was a group of 8 cars tailgating me and each other. When I got my chance, the oncoming cars where small dots on the horizon. I didn't expect any problems passing so I just put my foot down and started accelerating smoothly, I'm only going up to the speedlimit+5. Several cars followed me out and I fully expect the tailgaters to pass me after I move over. There is plenty of room for that. When I was just starting to pass the guy, I heard his engine pickup and he pulled even with me. Still plenty of space so I downshifted one gear and increased my acceleration. He followed suit. By time I'd reached 90, the distance to the oncoming cars had been halfed. I tried to decelerate slightly to fall in behind him but he followed suit blocking me. There is just enough room left if I can out accelerate him. I down shifted into third and floor it. No good, he matches me. At this point I see that the cars behind me have all fallen back and are giving me enough room back there if I can just get there. The oncoming group of cars is headed by an 18-wheel logging truck who is not slowing down. Cars behind him have pulled off the road. I engine brake and nail the regular brakes hard causing the car to nosedive and become loose. As soon as I see the back of his car, (he is already braking!), I nail the gas and swerve hard right. Getting in behind him with only a second to spare, I have to get hard on the brakes again to prevent ramming him. He continues to slow and is now going 30mph in a 55 zone. I fall back to a safe distance and notice that the second bunch of cars off the light have caught up and doubled the number of cars tailgating me. When I do get another passing opportunity, I don't mess around, I down shift and redline it. As I pass him, I can hear that he is trying to match me again!!! But it is not enough this time. By time I move back into the proper lane I'm going faster than I thought my car capable of going. Before I completely lose sight of them, I note that only the yellow car that was immediately behind me has followed suit. But it is hard to tell because they are well over a mile back. It is one of the few times that accelerating has ever got me far enough away from a problem driver so as to never see him again. It is the only time I didn't slow down until I had to, that stopsign is at a 90deg tee.

This was many years ago. I still think of it. The only thing I can think of is that the guy was serial killer who engineers "accidents." Think of it, would the cops ever suspect someone of that? Would they ever be able to find such a killer??? Afterall accidents are accidental and cars aren't weapons unless you hit a cop.

This isn't the only time this has happened either. It also happens on multi-lane roads. I've had people pass me only to get in front and hit the brakes, forcing my out of my lane then proceed to block me in a simular manner. Doesn't seem to matter if I take the left lane or the shoulder though. They'll do the same thing either way. Only if I do take the shoulder, I'll stop and so far they haven't. They will slow way down though. And, oddly, most of the time traffic won't pass them,...

Has anyone had any simular incidents where some driver was trying to cause an "accident?"

I can't be the only one. My ecomodding is of the stealth variety, no obvious car mods and I use DWL, speedlimit+5mph, and engine braking. I don't see how it keeps happening to me other than there are a lot of {BEEP} out there doing it to everyone and anyone.

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Old 09-16-2010, 07:02 AM   #2 (permalink)
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yup, been there. My first instinct is to point their cars towards the trees, but so far I have resisted. With that many witnesses you would want to follow up with a citizens arrest though, after the trees have softened his mood.
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Old 09-16-2010, 10:45 AM   #3 (permalink)
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This is one reason why I built a car that is capable of mid 13's in the quarter mile, can do 0-60 in under 5 seconds, and can still average 40 mpg. When I pass someone I dont F around. I'm paranoid about checking for oncoming traffic though. I still pretty much give it all its got to get around though. Part of it is to keep time in the oncoming lane to a minimum, part of it is to make the person I'm passing go "what? you serious?"
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Old 09-16-2010, 11:09 AM   #4 (permalink)
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no need for muscle, unless the guy has ESP you can usually find a way in by doing something unpredictable, waiting for him to commit to a move. Nowadays I might enjoy going 30mph actually, especially if the guy in front thinks he is "punishing me" by going 30
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Last edited by dcb; 09-16-2010 at 11:39 AM..
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Old 09-16-2010, 01:02 PM   #5 (permalink)
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I had a jerk who passed me (I was doing the speed limit of 55) and then slowed down to 50, I went ha ha I like it here better. I was just going faster to be nice to you I got 10 miles of ideal speeds from that jerk!
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Old 09-16-2010, 08:08 PM   #6 (permalink)
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I have had this happen. Took three attempts and a big speed run on the guy. The best method of dealing with people like this is to have a crappier car than they do. If you start moving over on them, someone has to give. If they think they have more to lose than you, they will yield. You do have to commit, though, that you are going to move over no matter what, without swerving violently. Just start moving over, slowly, encroaching on their territory. I have yet to have this not work.
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Old 09-16-2010, 08:29 PM   #7 (permalink)
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I thought this thread was going to be about getting caught in the center lane with traffic flying around you on all sides, but it's something much crazier.

If that happened to me I might just come to a complete stop. If someone demonstrates homicidal tendencies, you're better off driving far behind them.

When I'm on back roads, I'm usually the one getting passed. My problem is sometimes people that tailgate a few feet from my bumper, but are too chicken-sh*t to pass.
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Old 09-16-2010, 09:07 PM   #8 (permalink)
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This is why I don't bother passing people on the road. All those risks to you and others and you're going to get caught at the light still. And best case scenario, arrive 2 minutes early.
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Old 09-18-2010, 11:23 PM   #9 (permalink)
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That does make me feel better to know that I'm not the only one. Some interesting ideas in there.

I have to admit the last time that it happened, (the one I described above), I was going to take my only escape route out of there. It just happened that I managed to out brake him or I'd of pulled a pit maneuver. I hadn't of even fully finished reassembling My Baby after getting her repainted so it would have really sucked. But I will sacrifice my car to save me.

Going slower than the speed limit is something I've only just started to consider doing. I did a rear window tuff test and saw just how crazy the wind gets back there above 55. Historically, I get my best gas mileage on the interstates at speed (70-85). Just started my first tank in which I'll stay below 55. Should be interesting. May just give me another option with the whole pass or not thing.

autoteach - Never considered doing that with someone right next to me. Had someone do that to me once but I didn't slow down. It was on a 4-lane divided highway. Wound up going three abreast down the road for a few miles. Seems he was livid that I'd used a merge lane to merge in front of him. He thought I should have stopped and waited for the road to be empty. Found this out while sitting at the stoplight at the city limit. I had to wait for him to pull past me at that point because there is a raised curb in the city and you can't squeeze three cars between them. Otherwise,... I thought it quite funny at the time but was smart enough not to laugh in his face, (I was quite young at the time.)

VegasDude - Yep, yep. Slowing down does seem to be the only way to defuse the situation and not see them again. Hehe, a tailgating thread is what caused me to remember this. When their headlights disappear below your back window, you know that they are way too close. I've been rearended too many times. On the plus side, I've learned how to spin a car off the road without leaving any marks by nature of having it happen to me.

Least I make myself sound dangerous, I'll point out that these are rather rare instances spread out over some 23 years of driving.
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Old 09-19-2010, 09:47 AM   #10 (permalink)
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your car was probably too nice, or he had more to lose. It has to be the other way around

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