I encountered a tailgater...

Thats not how it happened. This is why you have dash cams so that you can refute other people's perceptions:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_n4fDCCo6tY

 

Dude was probably checking texts and that was why he slowed, then after you moved over and weren't going to speed like a demon he got pissed. Let the idiot go have an accident somewhere else. Though, with the footage, I'd be checking to see if local LEOs or the State Troopers were interested. His plate number is legible enough they could absolutely cite him.

 

Did you watch a different video? It looks to me like he is at a proper safe distant from the Jeep in front of him and going with the flow of traffic.

 

Not sure what state you're in, but the left lane doesn't work like that where I live. People think it does, but the law here actually states that you can travel in any lane in which it is safe to do so unless specifically instructed otherwise by signage on the road.

I do agree that the brake checking is illegal and rude, but not all states require the left lane be left open for speeders.

 

Yeah, tailgater was just being an ass. You did nothing wrong there. As stated before, I'd see if LEOs wanted the evidence. They might not, but if they did that jackass could use the lesson.

 

I stand corrected! I didn't see the Ford in front of you in the other video.

The second quote was for the guy who said go around. I was merely pointing out that's not how the left lane works, legally.

Like others have said, props for not escalating the situation.

 

Yeah, at this point on I35, it is in a populated city area and there are no lane restrictions. Once you get out of town (about 10-15 miles north), then there are signs that state "left lane for passing only."

 

I had no idea. Always thought it was universal rule on all roads.

 

Nope. State by state. I think the lack of info about laws being different depending on where you go is a big cause of aggressive driving issues. Somebody thinks it is one way, but because they are out of their element they don't know the rules have changed. It's pretty nutty.

 

I was quoting the guy who said they should be going around him. Stating the left lane is for passing. Then @GODZILLA shared his info about left rules in some areas in some states. Which I was oblivious about.

 

That’s what I saw too. It appears the OP got on the highway and went straight to the left lane but didn’t start passing anyone.

Others are defending him saying there was plenty of room for the tailgater to pass. If there was enough room, the OP should have gotten over to let him around and not cause an accident. Staying in front of the tailgater to teach him a lesson won’t work out good for anyone.

Not defending the tailgater, but is it worth the chance of an accident? I think someone mentioned a gun too. Do you know how many guns he has in his car? That wouldn’t end well either.

 

Ah, good info. Interstates here are a free for all except on some of the hills it will say that slow traffic has to keep right, or that anything over a certain weight is restricted to X lanes. Kinda funny watching People blow their stack when you pass them on the right because they think it's not legal. The apoplectic rage is comical.

 

Watch the next video he posted that shows he was perfectly fine.

 

He posted it as I was typing.

I still would have gotten over and let him be someone else’s problem. I definitely wouldn’t have “brake checked” him like others suggested.

Not letting this guy damage my tundra. Then I might get stuck with a 2022 tundra.

 

Type faster!

All good, just had a laugh because I've done the same kind of thing.

 

I'm one that is fully in the windscreen washer camp. It was a trick that I stumbled upon by accident while, strangely enough, using it to clean the crud off my windshield. The guy behind me at the time went mental, I could see him raging in his motor and then acting like a proper cock when he went passed me, anyone would have thought from his over-reaction that I'd just taken a dump on his hood.
Veering off topic: My truck is a proper mess but I do like to see through the screen so I tend to keep it clean, is it not the done thing on this side of the Atlantic to perform a screen wash while in motion, I do try to be considerate about when I use it but when some prehistoric looking insect the size of a credit card has just terminated itself in my viewing area I like to get it off before the sun insta-welds it to my screen?
As for tailgaters, a lot of the time I'm not even aware that they are behind me, they tuck themselves right up my ass in their poxy sedans that I just can't see them. I have gotten so used to witnessing bad driving habits in FL that I try to steer clear of idiots, what I don't understand is that most of the time there isn't room for either me or them to pull into another lane and it doesn't take Einstein to figure that one out.
When I first moved over here my wife was gobsmacked by my use of effing and blinding at idiots, my vast array of hand signals (not the DOT approved ones. ) and my delaying/brake checking if they really wound me up. After a while I figured that there are far too many cowards who would pull a gun rather than square up like a man that I have considerably moderated my reactions, so I just let it go, life's too short to get wound up by dickheads.

 

I didn’t type fast enough again. You quoted me before the post was done.

Back to topic. OP wasn’t wrong how he drove. But you ever know what the other person is doing on what state of mind they are in. There’s reports of highway shootings a lot now.

I’ve also seen people get on and go straight to the left lane and drive 5 mph under the limit. I made a wrong assumption here though.

 

So somebody is a coward if they don't want to fist fight a road raging idiot? I am not a large man so people try to intimidate me because of my stature, and though I can take a punch it is certainly not something I'm looking to do. If some idiot decides to block me off and come try to pull me out of my vehicle, I'm not going to get out and try to fist fight him. For all I know he's got a gun or a knife. I'm armed so I don't have to worry as much in such a situation. It's not cowardice. It's caution. Besides, say I get out and beat his @$$. Then he calls the police and I get charged with assault. You can take your machismo and I'll keep my sidearm. I'm not beating anyone's @$$ or getting mine beat over traffic, but if they escalate to violence I am prepared.

 

Yeah I was in the same camp after watching vid #1 also. Vid #2 cleared up my incorrect assumption.

 

Don't get me wrong, I'm not anti-gun nor against protecting myself. My concern was that it is the road raging idiot who acts like Billy big balls but doesn't have the guts to face his consequences like a man and pulls a gun. I have absolutely no issue with popping an aggressive twat, either with fists or a sidearm. My point was that I have scaled back my response to twats because they might be spineless and pull a gun to back their driving aggressions.

Absolutely no offence meant towards defending against an out and out aggressor, whether we use a side arm or fists is irrelevant, as someone's gonna get sued/banged up. It won't be me getting involved though.

 

Yeah best to avoid any confrontation, too many variables. Plus what happens if you punch someone and he ends up dead. Well now you are in prison for manslaughter over an idiot.

 

25 yr old me would brake check or hit The switch for the hitch mounted reverse lights.

42 year old me bets on a gun in every vehicle around me. 42 year old me also has a more expensive and newer vehicle than most around me which means I’m more upset by an accident than they are. So I get out the way if traffic conditions permit Me to yield to the jerk.


A few Years back I saw some idiot in a beater come flying up behind me set to cut me Off. Went to gun it to close the gap then judged he seemed to genuinely give zero f@&ks So I backed off and let him zip through. 4 state troopers I didn’t initially see flew by right behind him, turns out I nearly injected myself into a high speed pursuit with the family in the truck. Very much a teachable moment.

 

Exactly my point.

 

I don't care if you are doing a 140 MPH, if you are not passing anybody you should be in the far right lane.

Nothing burns me up then someone doing 63 MPH in the far left lane when the speed limit is 70 MPH. It completely jams up traffic and is dangerous backing up cars for as far as you can see. I should never ever have to pass somebody on the right side, although some times like mentioned above it is necessary.

If I had a dollar for every time I see someone in a Buick LeSabre, all 4 windows down, smoking Marlboro Reds doing 63 in far left lane my truck would be paid for!

With that being said, rush hour can be a little different as all 4 or 5 lanes usually move at same speed. I really did not see anything @Netmonkey did wrong. The guy in the Accord is a jack wad. He is going slow and all of a sudden floors it to speed up and you were already in process of changing lanes.

 

Though not legally required here, I tend to try to keep to the right lane(s) because I don't speed much. Hell, sometimes I want to get better mileage and I'll set the cruise at 65 and just camp the right lane. Only have to pass the poor semis that are governed below that or going up a hill, but I'll put my foot in it to get up to speed limit to pass. I don't like to obstruct traffic.

 

I try to stay in the right lane. But sometimes you can't help it, like when your exit is coming up and its on the left.

 

Yeah even if I'm hauling the mail I switch to the right lane if it's open.

 

In my opinion aggressive enforcement of left lane discipline would do more for public safety than speed enforcement but then the troopers would have to get off the median and do some real work cruising with traffic rather than sit there picking off speeders like fish in a barrel for easy money all day.

 

You just have to be willing to let a lot go. Yeah it really is irritating and you want to scream at people and laugh as their car spins of the road and explodes, but you have to get over that.

Getting dropped by your insurance company or getting felony charges aren't worth it. When you start your car in the morning, just assume you will have to deal with a bunch of slow-pokes and nutcases because... you will. My driving instructors, like 50 years ago, always said "make every trip in the car unmemorable". I thought that was good advice.

 

Pretty sure speed has a bigger impact on injuries than what lane they are in. Also, as stated, the left lane "discipline" is only law in some states.