I had a story to post in the totalled car thread but it's disappeared.

Anyway, I had been talking in that thread about tailgating. So now on with my tailgating story:

I was driving to work today, zoned out, on autopilot, thinking about stuff. I was rousted from my mental union break by the sound of large displacement American motorcycle exhaust. I found the source; in my rear view mirror was a head bearing a white helmet just above a Harley windscreen that said POLICE. He looked to be no more than 5 feet off my bumper and revving his engine. I immediately looked down at my speedometer and I was going 78MPH in a 60MPH zone. I thought "oh no, brace for reckless driving ticket". I got over out of the left lane into the the right lane and I expected him to follow me over and turn his lights on. He didn't; he twisted the throttle and shot past me once I was out of his way. I breathed a sigh of relief and then got curious. I sped up and matched his speed, staying 4 or 5 seconds away. We went 85-89MPH together for quite a few miles. I was watching him fidgeting the whole time with something on mounted to his bike as he rode. When we got to a traffic light and stopped, I was close enough to see that it was an Iphone in a cradle. We grossly exceeded the speed limit again together for the next stretch of road and then he pulled into Whataburger. Unless he was responding to an emergency there, and his lights weren't working, I think the only explanation was he was too hungry stop and give me a ticket.

This isn't the first time I've had a similar experience with the cops around here. Everybody goes 15-20MPH on the tollway and doesn't even slow down when cops are around. It's like an unwritten, but universally understood agreement that you can speed there without fear of being ticketed. I've been going 20MPH over the speed limit on the toll way before a few times and had cops casually pass me, as they go 25-30mph over the limit.

And all this while everybody tries to see how close they can get to the person in front of them. CRAZY! I NEED TO GET OUT OF THE CITY!

 

Houston traffic is so bad that I named a maneuver after it...The Houston Lane Change.

I was the passenger in a van towing a large U-haul trailer. We needed to get in the left lane so the driver activated the turn signal. A woman then overtook us on the left and synchronized with the trailer. After 2 miles of speeding up and slowing down to get her out of the way, the driver started to change lanes while she was still there!!! She finally got the hint and slowed down so the trailer wouldn't run her off the road.

(I hate to be in or near Houston!)

 

Yes there are lots of morons here who do that. They will seemingly intentionally drive right in your blind spot and match your speed. If you need to get over, you either speed up or slow down, so will they, like they don't want you to get over. If you need to get over and there is a space in traffic, you better not use your blinker until the very instant you perform your lane change. If you use your blinker early and advertise that you intend to fill that gap, the car in the rear will quickly speed up so that you can't get in. merging onto the highway, same story. I don't even attempt to be civil about it anymore. They are NOT going to let you in, they WANT you cut dangerously in front of them, so might as well give em what they want without pussyfooting around first.

EDIT: I almost always drive in the right hand lane because I don't want to deal with the above mentioned shenanigans.

 

And its amazing that even with lots of room in the next lane, someone will punch it when you hit the signal to close the space. Rude.

My lane change method when driving the Tahoe (and previously, a full size Ford van.. something a little top-heavy) is the Texas head-fake. When getting ready to change lanes I jog the steering wheel left and right a bit to rock the vehicle. This will make the driver behind me in the adjacent lane pause just a bit. While he's wondering what I'm doing, I hit the blinker and move. Quick.

 

I saw some guy that got hit on a busy road today. I guess he was a pedestrian or got out of his car sat on the median and died. They had clear plastic over the body to block the rain. It was really creapy. Seen it a lot but never a clear plastic tarp, always like a car with a white tarp over the cab.

 

I like that Texas Head-Fake. While they're wondering whether you're crazy or stupid, change lanes! Problem: There must be a space to work with.

I had to deal with that in Louisville Kentucky, once. I had a choice between a lane change and a bridge abutment and I had a synchronizer beside me. The guy behind him can see my turn signal, but he isn't opening a space for me. At the last moment, I locked up the brakes, dropped back 20 feet, floored the gas, and slipped it between those two cars without even disturbing the flow. I don't have a name for that one except maybe survival.

I feel I must mention California. When I was there, it was a pleasure to drive the freeways. Everyone acted like they knew bad things would happen if they tried to stop you from merging.

 

One thing to note; when I drive my 20 y/o beat-to-hell-and-back, reconstructed 2 tone truck, I experience almost none of these problems. 90% of the time people give a wide berth when they see me coming, and the other 10% of the time, all I have to do is a little suggestive swerve/shimmy in their direction and the lanes part for me.

 

One thing to note; when I drive my 20 y/o beat-to-hell-and-back, reconstructed 2 tone truck, I experience almost none of these problems. 90% of the time people give a wide berth when they see me coming, and the other 10% of the time, all I have to do is a little suggestive swerve/shimmy in their direction and the lanes part for me.

Yah when I had my silverado with extended bed we have a certain road hear leading into the rich part of town then funnles 6 lanes into 2. All the rich beemers and benz's always try to jump the light and race in front of everyone and cut them off. When I had the silverado I gave nothing and took everything! I'd get in the proper lane and gun it. Theyd flip out honking their horn realizing they were gonna hit the curb or my truck, they always took the curb.

 

I gave maxpower a "Thanks" for not talking about dead people. Been there, done that, creeps me out!

PS, I'd consider a "beater" truck but around here, it's a sure way to get searched for crack cocaine.
Much better to look like a well employed citizen.

 

I gave maxpower a "Thanks" for not talking about dead people. Been there, done that, creeps me out!

PS, I'd consider a "beater" truck but around here, it's a sure way to get searched for crack cocaine.
Much better to look like a well employed citizen.

Your where I am, right 12? Were the cocaine gateway to the US. Everyone gets searched for crack. Just depends what you look like. For instance I lived in NPR for a couple years with my beater and commuted to the city for work. Never ever got searched or harrassed. My friend who's got money and drives a 2011 Lexus is a musician and they search him all the time.

 

Hey. I didn't say, "Better to look like a rock star in a brand new luxury sedan". Just something that's all one color without the clear coat peeling off.

My nephew is a cop magnet. I do everything I can to NOT look like him in public. Oh yeah, a few tools clearly visible seems to help. A coiled up 50 foot extension cord, a 6 foot ladder, a framing square...I constantly look like I'm on my way to the next repair job. No time to stop for drugs. Too busy being a tax payer.

At least that's what I let them think.

 

And all this while everybody tries to see how close they can get to the person in front of them. CRAZY! I NEED TO GET OUT OF THE CITY!

It doesn't get better if you get "out of the city".

You will then find more cops who have nothing to do but still have to justify their salary. You may find one that gives a ticket to someone who just passed a yellow traffic light and then you see the same brave police person running at 90mph in a 70mph zone (not responding to an emergency etc). I never understood how they can give us tickets for something they do as well.

 

Hey. I didn't say, "Better to look like a rock star in a brand new luxury sedan". Just something that's all one color without the clear coat peeling off.

My nephew is a cop magnet. I do everything I can to NOT look like him in public. Oh yeah, a few tools clearly visible seems to help. A coiled up 50 foot extension cord, a 6 foot ladder, a framing square...I constantly look like I'm on my way to the next repair job. No time to stop for drugs. Too busy being a tax payer.

At least that's what I let them think.

All my cars are 2 toned and the muffler dragging. I still don't get harrassed because of profiling. I get pulled over all the time but they just let me go.

 

Prandevou...because they can. Or as one State Trooper said to me, "The laws don't apply to us".

My record? Been pulled over 3 times in 35 years, and one of them, I deserved. (1 bad headlight). One for having a blue car when the title said, "green" and one for "looking suspicious". Not bad compared to a lot of people.

 

Lord I've been lit up 5 times in the past 10 months. Ended with 1 warning for throwing an incindiary object out of my window. (Basically I threw a joint out of my window and it landed on an cop cars windsheild.) He really wanted to nail me but I had no ID or anything and he was a special DUI cop. So he released me. Always tell a cop when you get pulled over you don't have ID on you but your license is good. Then if he tries to ticket you, magically find the license. But 99% of the time they let you walk because of all the paper work involved with someone with no ID and a valid license. My license still says Safe Driver.

 

Prandevou...because they can. Or as one State Trooper said to me, "The laws don't apply to us".

My record? Been pulled over 3 times in 35 years, and one of them, I deserved. (1 bad headlight). One for having a blue car when the title said, "green" and one for "looking suspicious". Not bad compared to a lot of people.

No but they can be reprimanded and harrassed beyond belief. Watch this video and WARNING FOUL LANGUAGE http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yIt_8hbDBic FF to 3:15 (Viva la crazy people.)

 

All my cars are 2 toned and the muffler dragging. I still don't get harrassed because of profiling. I get pulled over all the time but they just let me go.

Now I am confused. Do they make cars that have a weight less than 2 metric tons in the US

 

Now I am confused. Do they make cars that have a weight less than 2 metric tons in the US

lol toned, not tonned. tones of colors, like tones of music.

BTW, yeah we have a couple of <2 ton cars.

 

No but they can be reprimanded and harrassed beyond belief. Watch this video and WARNING FOUL LANGUAGE http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yIt_8hbDBic FF to 3:15 (Viva la crazy people.)

Haha very funny, this guy must have nothing to loose. I always thought about putting a camera into my car but I`m too lazy to do it.

How about this one? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ans7Khv9KAM&feature=related

 

No but they can be reprimanded and harrassed beyond belief. Watch this video and WARNING FOUL LANGUAGE http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yIt_8hbDBic FF to 3:15 (Viva la crazy people.)

holy shrap, thats a ballsy guy. Everything he said (repeatedly) was true though; the cop really didn't know what to do and was scared out of his mind.