Was I wrong?

[Manedwolf]

I've been known to flick lit cigarettes out my window at people who drive in my blind spot for a mile (city) or more.  The shower of sparks seems to work quite well at getting their attention...

Once, I tossed a tater tot from Sonic at someone who was tailgating.  It was hilarious to watch them swerve their BMW to avoid a bit of greasy potato. 

Be careful where you do that. Someone did that in S. Florida, and the next thing was a pop and their back window was gone.

[The Annoyed Man]

People eating greasy fast food while driving is another hazard. 

[xavier fremboe]

Declaration Day hit the nail on the head.  Turn on your headlights.  The tailgater will think it's your brakes.  Safer.

Or, just as likely, they'll see that your third brake light didn't go on, know what you did, and just laugh at you.

Learned that one the hard way in northeast Hellanois traffic on my way back to my kinder, gentler native Wisconsin. 

Before I adopted the more karma-friendly winshield washer trick, I would open up some space and downshift two gears.  No brakelights, no nothing.  That always backed them off.

[Azrael256]

People eating greasy fast food while driving is another hazard.

Yeah, you should see him after a stop at Popeye's. 

[charby]

I've been known to flick lit cigarettes out my window at people who drive in my blind spot for a mile (city) or more.  The shower of sparks seems to work quite well at getting their attention...

Once, I tossed a tater tot from Sonic at someone who was tailgating.  It was hilarious to watch them swerve their BMW to avoid a bit of greasy potato. 

I hate blind spot drivers!  I-80 in Iowa must be a breeding ground for them. Tailgaters don't bother me as much because they are behind me but because of hazards in the road one has to drive around at time blind spot sitters belong in a special kind of hell. I had one in STL last summer in my blind spot in moderate traffic and there was a road gator in my lane and I had no way swerve around it. So I ended up catching the side of the gator and it flipped up and hit the windshield of the blind spot driver. Pitty it was a new Mercedes with paper dealer plates on it.

I wish I could have a sign that pops up from on the top my car that says: "hey a**hole, sh*t or get off the pot and get the f**k out of my blind spot"

[Wynterbourne]

I wish I could have a sign that pops up from on the top my car that says: "hey a**hole, sh*t or get off the pot and get the f**k out of my blind spot"

http://shopledauthority.com/items/automotive-led-displays/list.htm

[BlueStarLizzard]

i will admit to doing 'break checks' all the time. although i never knew that thats what it was called. i call it 'there was a deer in the road' (which has the added benifit of being true occasionally). before my kia (this is when i was a teen) i could be really nasty about it. i was driving an '84 corsica (which was old and cranky and her top speed was 50) so i figured worse thing is they total my back end and i can convince my parents to get me a new car (hopefully with a tapedeck). i have since gotten a little better, mostly because i actually LIKE my Kia.

[johnster999]

We need more carbon to avert the coming ice age. Go start up the SUV.

[grislyatoms]

I always drive at least the speed limit, usually 5 mph or so over, and I used to brake check. It IS effective.

Equally effective is taking my foot off the gas and coasting. When they realize I am NOT going to go faster to oblige their tail-gating, and am in fact slowing down, they pass.

I love to hear them come around me, little four-banger screaming it's lungs out while I blow them a kiss. Ticks 'em right off.

[doc2rn]

Last guy who pulled that on me got the video cam running and second time he pulled up short I ran over his precious Cadillac. In court the video exonerated me and he got 10 point ticket.

[BlueStarLizzard]

Last guy who pulled that on me got the video cam running and second time he pulled up short I ran over his precious Cadillac. In court the video exonerated me and he got 10 point ticket.

so you were tailgating? nice 

[LadySmith]

Equally effective is taking my foot off the gas and coasting. When they realize I am NOT going to go faster to oblige their tail-gating, and am in fact slowing down, they pass.

I do the same thing. It works and I don't have to worry about them ramming into the back of my car or having my airbag deploy.

Before I decided to become a better person, I used to do some not-so-nice things while driving.
I had an big old Delta 88 that was called "The Battering Ram."

[Werewolf]

Last guy who pulled that on me got the video cam running and second time he pulled up short I ran over his precious Cadillac. In court the video exonerated me and he got 10 point ticket.

You definitely weren't in OK then. Try that here and you may find yourself sharing a cell with Bubba. Tailgating is a big no-no here and if you hit someone in the rear it's your fault - not theirs.

[Manedwolf]

Last guy who pulled that on me got the video cam running and second time he pulled up short I ran over his precious Cadillac. In court the video exonerated me and he got 10 point ticket.

Not sure what place you're in, but here and most every place I know, if you tailgate and hit someone in the back, you get charged with not being in control of your vehicle.

[Hawkmoon]

Technically, I suspect at least some states probably have some sort of motor vehicle regulation prohibiting brake checks for no reason. However, I love small animals so I always brake for mice in the road ... I don't think any state prohibits applying the brakes to avoid hitting wildlife. Too bad if the person behind was following so closely they didn't see it.

On the karmic level -- job well done. You definitely get extra points for the coffee cup dousing the windscreen.

In recent years I have become wary of using that tactic, though. People today follow SO close and are so focused on everything except their driving that I fear using the brakes would only result in them rearranging the factory configuration of the after portion of my vehicle. Yes, it would be their fault and their insurance would have to repair it, but I can survive without dealing with that additional aggravation in my life. I should probably do what I did back in high school -- wire in an override circuit with a push button or toggle switch on the dashboard that flashes the brake lights without applying the brakes.

Or buy one of those scrolling display thingies for the rear window, and program it to read "BACK OFF!"

[gunsmith]

you done wrong, but I sympathize.
I've been rear ended on a motorcycle and I drive a cab so I am really irritated by tailgators.
What I do is slow down gradually until they really, really want to pass.
The slow down saves on gas too!

[RoadKingLarry]

LAst summer I had a woman tailgating me on a twisty 2 lane blacktop state highway. I gave her a couple of brake checks and she finally "got it" and backed off, about a mile later I was in a four point lock because of a car Vs. cow collision. Had she been on my tail still I'm almost certain she would have eaten my bumper. As it was we both avoided adding to the the wreckage.