I just didn't want to be a news story!!

[bingoTE50]

Somehow I do not think we have heard the full story....

I do not believe the brake tap set these guys off like firecrackers... considering they were drinking soft drink..what happened before the the lane merging ... a bit of dragging ...pleasantries exchanged..something else me thinks..

[xe351]

Originally Posted by troppo

That's your opinion and you are entitled to it. Mine is different. I don't do it without what I consider to be due cause.

Keeping left and giving way aren't rocket science either but you'd be amazed how many struggle with the concepts. Hence I don't see a problem with letting them know they have made a mistake.

Also I should probably state that although I've been accused of tailgating on more than one occasion, I've never actually suffered from it myself. In fact, I don't think tailgating actally exists outside the mind of the 'victim'....a symptom of a control freak. Sure, I've had traffic dangerously close to my boot for brief periods but it really doesn't bother me at all. So long as I'm obeying both the legal rules and the unwritten rules of common courtesy (keeping left, giving way, NOT tapping brakes uneccessarily, etc.) I don't see what the problem is. If I'm hit from behind while driving normally, the law is on my side, same as applies to ALL drivers. If I hit the brakes, however, that changes things dramatically, particularly from a legal standpoint. Which is why I don't do it or recommend anyone else do it.

That's without taking into consideration angry people.

yes, give ways and keeping left are bad aswell, particularly here in vic along with talking on the phone.

whether you believe tailgating occurs or not doesnt really matter. You say its in the mind of the 'victim,' when i had my falcon - never had a problem with tailgaters - downsized to a cheaper running corolla (another story lol) and its surprising how much closer people will sit to it. Common courtesy is great, i encourage it - but sitting on someones bumper isn't courtesy - its intimidation, which i see as a symptom of a control freak.

Where not talking about random brake testing - we are talking about people who sit on someones bumper and get upset if the person taps their brakes. I guess it comes down to due cause hey

[sfr rob]

It pays to keep a club lock, or dumbell close at hand i tells ya! A good knock on the head would have sorted him out quick smart.

[merlin]

Yuo probably dont want to hear this but you shouldnt have tapped your brakes, really you did start the whole thing.

That being said I do feel sorry for you, it would have been a very bad situation to be in and once it all starts happening you have no time to think - its all good and well for everyone to analyse what you did and didnt do after the fact but at the time adrenilin kicks in and rational thinking goes out the window (which is entirley normal).

I really do think you should fill in a police report and pursue the matter to the full extent of the law - get these jerks behind bars. I had a guy throw a bottle at my old car - no witnesses, took him to court and won (I didnt even have to show up). Give the cops a little more credit than just assuming they "cant do anything about it".

[gozza]

Originally Posted by Buddy 1

Often it is Because they are Holding a Mobile up to their Ear which is wrong or Lighting up a Cigarette which is also wrong to do while Driving

I bet you were a hall monitor at school

[DJM83]

Originally Posted by troppo

Mine is different. I don't do it without what I consider to be due cause.

Your opinion of 'brake checking' is different to the original poster?
So he does it, and you opinion is different so that would mean you dont do it, correct?

But above you said

I dont do it without what i consider to be due cause

Im not taking any sides here, but when driving with cruise control on even if there is someone behind me i will tap the brakes to deactivate the cruise when slowing down. I know this wouldnt have been the case in this situation but i some people might see it like this if they are 'brake checked'

[anarchyok]

Originally Posted by troppo

....

I hate to say it but accidents will happen, a few tenths of a second of inattention at the wrong time could have exactly the same effect and often does.

We'll have to disagree on the order but we can agree that neither are good driving practices.

Completely agree mate, and you're post brings up some valid responses to my concerns

[troppo]

Originally Posted by xe351

yes, give ways and keeping left are bad aswell, particularly here in vic along with talking on the phone.

whether you believe tailgating occurs or not doesnt really matter. You say its in the mind of the 'victim,' when i had my falcon - never had a problem with tailgaters - downsized to a cheaper running corolla (another story lol) and its surprising how much closer people will sit to it. Common courtesy is great, i encourage it - but sitting on someones bumper isn't courtesy - its intimidation, which i see as a symptom of a control freak.

Where not talking about random brake testing - we are talking about people who sit on someones bumper and get upset if the person taps their brakes. I guess it comes down to due cause hey

Agreed on the first part.

I've had several smaller cars myself over the years (a corolla included), can't say I ever noticed any difference in that regard. Agreed again, deliberately sitting on someones bumper is most definitely not courteous...but then, how do you define exactly "on someone's bumper"? Is 1 car length too close? 2? half? Does it matter what speed the traffic is travelling at? The condition of the car? brakes? tyres? Road conditions? Clearly, these are all factors that vary in determining what is a safe gap for any given combination of driver, vehicle and road conditions. So my 'safe gap' in my car is going to be quite different to Grandpa in his Troopy with the boat on a trailer, agreed? Some of those occassions I referred to earlier have involved people tapping their brakes to get me to back off when I think I'm at a safe distance. So, it comes down to a judgement call, my idea of a safe distance versus the person in front's idea. I beleive the law places the responsibility of this call on every driver upon license issue, to maintain a safe gap between them and traffic in front. In an nutshell, you worry about the gap in front of you and let the person behind worry about the gap in front of them, unless you have selected reverse.

Yes the brake tappers who try to intimidate the driver following to back off, (as opposed to brake checking which would be a single event, sorry for the loose terminology earlier). Like I said, I don't advocate tailgating but I will say on the very rare occasions when I have been silly enough to do it in the past, it was always a reaction to not just one, but a whole series of events prior to it. If it does turn out to me on your bumper, the odds are 100% that I already have several bones of contention to pick with the person I am following, tapping the brakes only adds fuel to the fire. Maybe something to think about next time you find yourself being tailgated. Not to be taken as any sort of threat, I'm just saying consider you may have inadvertantly cut someone off that you were'nt aware of or something like that. Of course, if you were aware of them, you wouldn't cut them off, that's how accidents happen.

Originally Posted by 51RTE

Your opinion of 'brake checking' is different to the original poster?
So he does it, and you opinion is different so that would mean you dont do it, correct?

But above you said


Im not taking any sides here, but when driving with cruise control on even if there is someone behind me i will tap the brakes to deactivate the cruise when slowing down. I know this wouldnt have been the case in this situation but i some people might see it like this if they are 'brake checked'

The first bit of the quote refers to an opinion of which is the lesser evil between tailgaters and brake tappers. The second bit refers to the rare occasions when I have intentionally tailgated someone. This is also what the second quote refers to. I didn't just do it randomly and it took more than just one simple mistake on behalf of the tailgatee. One tap to check the brakes is not enough to do it for me. Even the unintentional tailgating as mentioned above I find amusing mostly and will back off a bit to help the poor dears feel more secure, but if they persist even after that, the amusement wears thin pretty quick.

[Daymoe]

Everyone who is blaming the original posters brake checking that caused the whole problem is stupid, so what he made the other person back off, does that warrant getting out of the car and having a few huge guys attempt to beat up a girl?

Also, "ltd" i saw a reference to video games being a culprit here, all this discussion on video games causing violence is a heap of BS. Enough said.

[JC]

Originally Posted by WhatsMyUserName

You get put in the same situation!! I'd like to see how you go!!!!!

You don't have any time to think when some guy is punching your girlfriends window so hard he left skin marks and you have another guy the size of freakin sumos coming up to your window. Im sorry I didn't ram their car then get stuck and bashed to death. Or run them over and then go to jail for manslaughter. It wasn't Grand Theft Auto I was playing!! : :

I'm getting really sick of these types of stupid comments.

Parts of the accident seem a little hazy because my minds was thinking so damn fast. I would have thought of doing something else as well if this happened to someone else, but it freaking didn't.

Sorry, but you put yourself in that situation; no-one else. I have been in similar circumstances, but then I prepared to make car to car contact - you only did that by travelling in reverse, in contravention of road laws.

You may think I'm a bit of a cowboy or whatever for being prepared to hit another car, but my thinking is I'm a lot safer with steel around me, than coming to a stop only to be physically abused like you were. We're all different, but next time, you might take action that doesn't involve stopping.

[WindsorXR]

Originally Posted by JC

Sorry, but you put yourself in that situation; no-one else. I have been in similar circumstances, but then I prepared to make car to car contact - you only did that by travelling in reverse, in contravention of road laws.

You may think I'm a bit of a cowboy or whatever for being prepared to hit another car, but my thinking is I'm a lot safer with steel around me, than coming to a stop only to be physically abused like you were. We're all different, but next time, you might take action that doesn't involve stopping.

OK. You really are stupid. You think your mind is quicker than everyone on the planet put together! So be it. CASE CLOSED!! :togo: :