I seem to finding myself attracting tuuaaats behind the wheel more and more recently. This morning was a classic example. Black astra of some sort, badgless grille, perhaps a turbo coupe. Tries to overtake me in a 30 limit whilst I'm already at around 35 (was away from houses, so felt perfectly safe) - THEN sees the car coming the other way, hard brakes and dives back in behind me. I didn't take kindly to being put in this dangerous position but elected to do nowt and carry on. [and... breeeaathe]

Next thing I know astra turns off and it's a pug 306. Now I had a car in front of me doing 45 in a 60 so this twot was up my *** and I couldn't even see his grille let alone headlights. Ended up thinking the best exit strategy was to overtake the car in front and get outta there as quick as poss. The 306 was obviously a 1.4 or something as it didn't follow.

Do you think it's my car that attracts this kind of person, or simply a fact that nowadays there's more of them about so I stand a higher chance of encountering them?

If your car was a touch more subtle you may notice a difference!!!

Have to say, people seem much friendlier now I have the Passat instead of the vRS with the silly wheels.

I largely suspect it's just because you were (kindof) obeying the speed limits and people are just very impatient these days. Unless you have some abusive slogan written in the dirt on the back of the mongrel :P

Chris

I largely suspect it's just because you were (kindof) obeying the speed limits and people are just very impatient these days. Unless you have some abusive slogan written in the dirt on the back of the mongrel :P

Chris

It's butt is usually very clean. The days of a sooty backside are long gone. The only thing on the back is a website sticker..... and a HTP badge.....

It's always luck of the draw. Best thing is to place distance between you and them - either slow down or accelerate away.

'Do it to them before they do it to you' springs to mind tho'

It's always luck of the draw. Best thing is to place distance between you and them - either slow down or accelerate away.

'Do it to them before they do it to you' springs to mind tho'

This is why I took the car when the 306 was being a twonk! But the coupe would have tried sticking with me the whole time, and I didn't want to stoop to his level of basically ignoring all speed limits and driving way too fast generally. This is why I just kept going normally and in the end he turned off.

Its not just you... I dont know if you remember the 'teddy' I have in the back off my car? - That or the fact that im a young driver seems to attract unwanted guests on my bumper... They seem shocked when you dont react

i think it depends on the car when i drive the G/F's C2 VTR every **** with a 1.2 will try to push a race. with the octy vrs no-one bothers except the odd tailgating rep

I get it a lot when I'm out on my bike.

Everyone in a fast car (and plenty in slow ones) wants to race just to prove they are faster than a bike.....

I get it a lot when I'm out on my bike.

Everyone in a fast car (and plenty in slow ones) wants to race just to prove they are faster than a bike.....

If there is no plod about that can be entertaining.

I thought I might get some tvats in the vRS but not yet. My mate gets plagued with them with his Focus ST.

I removed the vRS badge from the back of the car quite early on for this reason. Generally don't got much grief at all after that - except in some situations

I am an aggresive driver (but a safe one) i dont take risks, dont tailgate but do lay teh'smackdown with anyone who annoys me (mostly ***** or idiotic muppet reps)

Most of them think they are all Jenson Buttons, Majority of them couldnt drive pigs up an entry with a big stick, if they want to race why dont they go on a big track where they can safely kill them selves and who gives a toss, and there wont be bunches of flowers littering the highway where they have killed some other innocent soul with their stupid acts of bravado, and showing off mundane driving skills,

It's butt is usually very clean. The days of a sooty backside are long gone. The only thing on the back is a website sticker..... and a HTP badge.....

perhaps a return to the soot days might cure the tailgaters?! 007 smokescreen effect?

i used to find i would get tailgated more im my fabia/Ibiza than i would in the Octavia. i think it can be an ego thing with some people, i found a big dose of middle pedal used to wind some necks in......

Mark

Most of them think they are all Jenson Buttons, Majority of them couldnt drive pigs up an entry with a big stick, if they want to race why dont they go on a big track where they can safely kill them selves and who gives a toss, and there wont be bunches of flowers littering the highway where they have killed some other innocent soul with their stupid acts of bravado, and showing off mundane driving skills,

well said that man!!

I was comming along the A66 yesterday, carefully obeying the speed limits, and gorilla in white van comes flying up my @ss at about 100mph... I (as Jason did) resisted the temptaion to rise, and simply back off very gently to open up more space between me and the vehical infront, so if the was a sudden braking incident, I could brake more gently and aviod white van man crashing into me (defensive driving, as those with a passion for the "art" of driving will recognise)

when I got to keswick was quite glad there was no aggreivement caused by any reaction i might have had to him, as he turned onto my estate, and drove past me as I parked at my house! that's the time you're always glad you wern't giving the d*** head the finger! lol.....

with the octy vrs no-one bothers except the odd tailgating rep

probably like me and got the sense to stay away, far too many undercover Coty vRS's round our way

I always seem to attract the t **ss***!

It must be the car, we used to have a VW Golf GTI and that was the same. Only today, I had some eejit in a Renault Megane, trying to UNDERTAKE me, well I soon put my foot down, :orb_loser

I think its cos I'm a woman, how dare I think I can go faster than them:D

I just tootle along minding my own business, normally theres no-one behind me and then next minute, when I look in my mirror, theres some bloody ch4v right up me *rse!!!:thumbdwn:

Since debadging the rear of my vRS, things have been fine. It's almost like waving a magic wand compared to before.

Most of them think they are all Jenson Buttons,

Leave Jenson's buttons alone. He wears nice shirts! (Groan)

Anyway, he's rubbish, I see myself more like Lewis Hamilton...

ive had a couple in the last 48 hours, an astra van who struggled to overtake with the ease i had only to see him heading towards the back of my car with speed when he realised that the reason i had only overtaken one car and not the three was one further ahead was indicating to turn right. Later on he decided to ver take me and the remaining two on a blind bend which he is welcome too.

Then last night we had the rangerover idiot who thinks cos he is higher up to everyone else that he is safer etc. didnt like it that i was going slowly on the krap uneven, pot holed dirt track leaving the balloon festival, nor did he like me sticking to the speed limit when my tomtom warned me of the posibility of a mobile trap in a 30 limit and decided to get up my ****, even turning his lights off at one point thinking that if i thought he wasnt there that i would speed up, brake light soon lit him up but it certainly isnt sometihng i like when i have my daughter on board so more often than not i just stop and let them go by and kill themselves.

From experience, never ever rise to people like this, ive almost got battered before, due to some arsehole tailgater.

Best thing is let them on their way!

From experience, never ever rise to people like this, ive almost got battered before, due to some arsehole tailgater.

Best thing is let them on their way!

Is it not something indicative of driving in "modern britain" I believe in getting there safe,getting home safe, we all have more to our lives:)

Another thing ive noticed is how little people actually look up the road too, they so obsesed to get in front of the car in front especially if it has badges on it to declare its high performance (M3, VRS, GTI etc). along the M4 the other day in Wiltshire we were sittting around 70-80 with the flow of the traffic, could see the camera van on the bridge about a mile away so we all ease off to 70 only to find as we are about 300m from the bridge white van man who has been hammering up the fast lane with his lights and fogs on (clear sunny day 2pm ish) suddenly sees camera van, jams brakes on and swerves across lanes 2 to one at 60 thinking that by slowing down that much and cutting across the paths (at very close vacinity) that a: he has avoided camera van and b: he wont be noticed if he gets to lane 1 :lol: i somehow think he would have had a ticket being prepared at about 800m

From experience, never ever rise to people like this, ive almost got battered before, due to some arsehole tailgater.

Best thing is let them on their way!

Use the dreaded smoke screen! It does make them slow down fast, thinking that you're gonna come back into them or something's gonna fly off the back of the car.

When you have them back off and hesitate for a moment, you have a choice - to move out of their way or change down and boot it.....

(taken from my unpublished work with the working title of 'Tactics for tailgaters' )