How I got a stupid cager to stop following too closely

sundancekid

sundancekid

Banned
Forum Sponsor
Last week I was in the curb lane heading W/B on King Rd. near Dufferin traveling the speed limit. The van to my left was also traveling the limit and it was causing a bit of frustration for the vehicles behind us.

Had I been in the left lane I would have moved over to allow others to pass but it was out of my control. A husband and wife in a mini-van pulled behind me and started creeping closer until they were 4 feet from me. Feeling rather uncomfortable with their proximity I decided to let them know that I didn't want them bumper humping me.

I simply pulled my brake lever just barely hard enough to trigger the brake light and made a backward hand motion which resembled paddling in water or get off of me please, the van immediately backed off 3 car lengths and kept away from me until they they turned off several KMs later.

Since this is the first time doing this and I am a new rider I'd be interest to see what others think about this, has anyone had a similar experience?
 
I would have just sped up and passed the van thereby avoiding the situation altogether. Busy street, turning your attention to the people riding your *** behind you, having them potentially get more enraged by telling them off with hand signals... Just gas it and GTFO.
 
Experienced it many time. For fun I was playing around with my contour and different mounting places - put it on the back facing the cars....most of them got the point of "**** theres a cam, I should stay back"... few needed the point to the cam then they stay way back....

*I watched the footage over on my computer and it works...

Also, if I have it mounted on my helmet or w.e...people will look at me as they blow by me "90+ in a 60", then when I pull up, I just point to the cam and they automatically slow down and dont drive nuts. Works for me.
 
thats pretty awesome that u did that and they just backed off. normal toronto drivers might start to high beam u and follow u even closer lol.

i should really keep some golf balls around and toss them over my back LOL
 
For the most part I am passive with regards to bad drivers, the exception being when I am riding. I have on a few occasions been irritated by tail gaters to the point of reaction. I have a habit of turning my body and head towards them enough to make eye contact, pointing directly at them, and shouting back off. It is effective, but unsafe for obvious reasons.
 
absolute said:
thats pretty awesome that u did that and they just backed off. normal toronto drivers might start to high beam u and follow u even closer lol.

i should really keep some golf balls around and toss them over my back LOL
Click to expand...

I agree it could have gone the other way. But he was already following me pretty close so I was hoping that even if he wasn't inclined to back off his wife would make him behave. One time though when I was younger (early 20's) I expressed some dissatisfaction with someone tailing too close in my cage. My friend popped the sun-roof and hurled a big wad of gum on his windshield. That worked too! lol (Although it was funny I don't condone that behaviour)

jc100 said:
Stand on the seat ..no hands on handlebars ....and moon them.
Click to expand...

Haha. I wish but somehow with my luck there would be a cop nearby.

S500K said:
Experienced it many time. For fun I was playing around with my contour and different mounting places - put it on the back facing the cars....most of them got the point of "**** theres a cam, I should stay back"... few needed the point to the cam then they stay way back....

*I watched the footage over on my computer and it works...

Also, if I have it mounted on my helmet or w.e...people will look at me as they blow by me "90+ in a 60", then when I pull up, I just point to the cam and they automatically slow down and dont drive nuts. Works for me.
Click to expand...

Thought about buying a camera on a nice to have or just because basis but I'm rather poor at the moment. I've wondered how admissible that evidence is in the event of an accident or other event.

roadtoruin said:
I would have just sped up and passed the van thereby avoiding the situation altogether. Busy street, turning your attention to the people riding your *** behind you, having them potentially get more enraged by telling them off with hand signals... Just gas it and GTFO.
Click to expand...

I considered that. But that area goes from a 70 km/h to a 50km/h with construction and a high school and the police are there frequently targeting speeders. Speeding is bad enough but the extras they tack on for getting caught in a school and construction zone is not my idea of a good time.
 
Zed-X-Rex said:
For the most part I am passive with regards to bad drivers, the exception being when I am riding. I have on a few occasions been irritated by tail gaters to the point of reaction. I have a habit of turning my body and head towards them enough to make eye contact, pointing directly at them, and shouting back off. It is effective, but unsafe for obvious reasons.
Click to expand...

Interesting you mentioned that. Just tonight I saw some old broad in a Camry talking on her phone, traffic was stop and go in a 50 zone, so I turned around and made eye contact with her. I wagged my finger at her and then she hung up a few seconds later. People know it's illegal, but it seems like they think its OK if nobody knows they're doing it. I guess a little shame on you can go a long way.
 
Motorsport Go Pros - Petes Superbike....he has a post under "dealers / vendors" - $259, its a good buy considering its about $330+ everywhere else
 
maybe we shud get a our face painted on the back of our helmets w/ a wagging finger haha that way we can just shake our heads hahahah
 
Or try pulling over and letting them pass when its safe to do so?
Not worth messing with cagers with bad attention spans and road rage. On bikes we will always lose.
 
It depends on the situation and they are all different, so you need to make the call.

- If there isn't a double lane and there is a car in front of me and I can't get around, then I would usually just give them the back off hand signal you mentioned.
- If I see they are getting super impatient and it is similar to the situation I mentioned above I would either 1 - pull way over to the side of the lane and let them in front if I thought it was safe, or I'd pass the car in front and hence use the car that was in front as a road block.

- In your situation, I'd have given it some gas to open up space between me and the vehicle beside me.... I would do that even if there was no tail gater. I don't want people near me when I ride.
- If there were multiple lanes, traffic is heavy, I'm boxed in, and I have someone very close to me who doesn't back off, I have (on VERY FEW occasions) lane split at speed. I would only do this maneuver if I thought it was safe, so that I could get a nice amount of space. When I have done this, I made an effort to signal a "sorry" to the car I just pulled in front. At the end of the day I would only do this if I thought it was the safest option. Under no circumstances do I want someone who is very close to my rear wheel. Usually it is easier to just move into another lane, or so, but I found it necessary to do this twice.

- I also had one case in Quebec where I passed a dude on the right because he simply wouldn't move over and looked over at him... didn't motion anything or say anything. I had a full face with dark visor and for whatever reason he got ****** off so he started accelerating hard... I kept going up and up in speed and he kept closing in, so I just dropped 2 and blasted out. I wasn't going to stick around a lunatic....

Open spaces are your friend.
 
Metastable said:
It depends on the situation and they are all different, so you need to make the call.

- If there isn't a double lane and there is a car in front of me and I can't get around, then I would usually just give them the back off hand signal you mentioned.
- If I see they are getting super impatient and it is similar to the situation I mentioned above I would either 1 - pull way over to the side of the lane and let them in front if I thought it was safe, or I'd pass the car in front and hence use the car that was in front as a road block.

- In your situation, I'd have given it some gas to open up space between me and the vehicle beside me.... I would do that even if there was no tail gater. I don't want people near me when I ride.
- If there were multiple lanes, traffic is heavy, I'm boxed in, and I have someone very close to me who doesn't back off, I have (on VERY FEW occasions) lane split at speed. I would only do this maneuver if I thought it was safe, so that I could get a nice amount of space. When I have done this, I made an effort to signal a "sorry" to the car I just pulled in front. At the end of the day I would only do this if I thought it was the safest option. Under no circumstances do I want someone who is very close to my rear wheel. Usually it is easier to just move into another lane, or so, but I found it necessary to do this twice.

- I also had one case in Quebec where I passed a dude on the right because he simply wouldn't move over and looked over at him... didn't motion anything or say anything. I had a full face with dark visor and for whatever reason he got ****** off so he started accelerating hard... I kept going up and up in speed and he kept closing in, so I just dropped 2 and blasted out. I wasn't going to stick around a lunatic....

Open spaces are your friend.
Click to expand...

Good feedback, I agree that the specifics of a situation determine the best course of action. I would have pulled off and allowed them to pass if there wasn't a curb there. One of the RTI instructors told our class that you can't control the space behind you (how close someone is following) but you can control the space in front of you. I try to keep that in mind when I ride because I prefer space too.

The Quebec situation sounds nuts - but meh, what can any of us say about Quebec drivers that hasn't already been said.

absolute said:
maybe we shud get a our face painted on the back of our helmets w/ a wagging finger haha that way we can just shake our heads hahahah
Click to expand...

Hahaha Terrific idea! :lmao:

Akshun said:
Or try pulling over and letting them pass when its safe to do so?
Not worth messing with cagers with bad attention spans and road rage. On bikes we will always lose.
Click to expand...

I agree, bikes always lose. I wouldn't have done it if I was traveling at a high speed for that reason.
 
It's always touch and go in these situations... As someone stated, 'a little shame goes a long way' and he's right. I've seen people smarten up as soon as they know they're busted. At the same time, I've seen people become belligerent about it...you never know how they will react. I always make sure if I'm gonna point at them or wave them off, I have 'plan B' (and my exit) mapped out already!
 
Since this is the first time doing this and I am a new rider I'd be interest to see what others think about this, has anyone had a similar experience?
Click to expand...
Exactly correct in my view - I have to do this far too often to get cagers to back off from following too close. I'll turn around and point at them if I can. They get the message.
If I can I'll put a car between us by passing but sometimes it's just not possible and some are just plain idjits so you have to allow enough space ahead of you for both you to stop and them...

Drivers see what appears to them a small vehicle occupying a fraction of the lane.

What they don't see is what we see.....it's OUR lane....no different view for us than in a car. From our view we occupy the entire lane and from a legal view it belongs to us. Not in the cagers mind tho.

Screenshot2011-05-05atMay5201115933AM.jpg


Visually we occupy the same space from our view point as a car does. This is a bad disconnect and causes cagers to drive way too close.
I was actually gratified to see Give motorcycles space on the electronic HWY signs tonight.

What's awful is you slow down a bit and watch them in the mirror and then they suddenly "wake up" - you know they are

a) not paying attention
b) driving way too close.

As far as I'm concerned that's one of the greatest risks for riders is what's going on behind you.
Ahead the rider has some options.
From behind.......... :(
 
Last edited:
roadtoruin said:
I would have just sped up and passed the van thereby avoiding the situation altogether. Busy street, turning your attention to the people riding your *** behind you, having them potentially get more enraged by telling them off with hand signals... Just gas it and GTFO.
Click to expand...

+1 would have done that... just pass the damn van next to me and ride a bit faster then traffic ... don't need to do super speed... just 10kph faster then come back down to the speed limit and voila your out of the situation and you didn't need to do anything like give hand signals...
 
I have an ex-police bike, with everything still on it.
No one ever crowds me, everyone puts their cell phones away when they spot me. Best of all, the fast lane opens right up for me.
Forum Sponsor
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom