Author Topic: Breaking the Tow (Read 1246 times)

Angry Chicken · « **on:** February 12, 2012, 09:27:28 am »

Not whining here....just an observation. Have other people on this forum noticed this interesting phenomenon? When overtaking another vehicle on a two-lane road, the driver being overtaken floors the accelerator or otherwise speeds up and makes the maneuver more difficult. I've had this happen to me (sorry, that sounds personal) a number of times recently and a few of these times I've had to let completely off the throttle and tuck back behind the other person. I think it's subconcious on the other drivers' part. In fact, most times this happens I'm not even making eye contact with the malefactor. My brother calls the extra bit of throttle you need to break clear of the other driver "breaking the tow". It seems that when you get to a critical speed and position relative to the other car they back off and let you by.

Oh, and here's another thing. Those same people that force you to tuck back behind them (they're accelerating so quickly) inevitably slow right down to the former speed they were observing before the whole thing starts.

wing · « **Reply #1 on:** February 12, 2012, 09:55:19 am »

This is an Ottawa thing

Winklovic · « **Reply #2 on:** February 12, 2012, 10:11:50 am »

Manitoba, too.

Schmengie · « **Reply #3 on:** February 12, 2012, 12:51:51 pm »

It's common practice in BC. I think it's the weed.

1TSX · « **Reply #4 on:** February 12, 2012, 01:11:47 pm »

Its a 400 series highway thing.

mmret · « **Reply #5 on:** February 12, 2012, 01:29:40 pm »

GOTTA STAY AHEA OD THE CROWD CAN T LE PEOPLE IN FRONT OF ME ARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRGH

OK GOING 90 NOW

Ok

k.

ahh...

sailor723 · « **Reply #6 on:** February 12, 2012, 01:51:46 pm »

What I hate are the 125KPH downhill---115 on the flat----100 uphill guys! I'll be on a divided highway with the cruise set and have a guy soar past me on a downhill only to have to either pass him or disengage the cruise on the flat or the next hill as I overhaul him.

Pick a speed and drive it!!!

Jaeger · « **Reply #7 on:** February 12, 2012, 02:33:53 pm »

^^^ Amen to that Sailor!

And the whole speed-up-to-prevent-pass is a people-can-be-real-jerks thing.

Jaeger

articsteve · « **Reply #8 on:** February 12, 2012, 03:17:06 pm »

I live in a world of two lane 80kph speed limited roadways with plenty of curves and hills. It is very rare that I am the passee. Inevitably, I come up to a group of 5 vehicles that get stuck behind some wanker doing 75-80 kph. However, nobody will pass the lead car. This is called PLATOONING as they leave no room in between each other. So what you have are 5 vehicles traveling in the middle of nowhere bumper to bumper all braking depending on the lead wanker. The lead wanker is almost always an old person, woman or a Conservative.

Essentially I am left with one choice; pass all 5 which requires a short burst above the street racing law which is 130 kph. It's the only issue that wants me to move out of the province. If you don't pass all 5 in one shot then you gotta force you're way in usually just behind the lead wanker. Now drivers are supposed to let you in, but 70% of Pol on the road aren't drivers, rather impostors. The issue with forcing your way into the line is that if one of these drivers spazzes out you'll get blamed so the only choice to to blow by them.

Occasionally, the lead driver, usually a middle aged male in a mini van or 1/2 (trying to save gas) will take great offense to your multi car pass and speed up and sit on your ass @ 100 kph. for a few miles and then slowly back off and resume their former speed.

johngenx · « **Reply #9 on:** February 12, 2012, 03:19:06 pm »

Passing a full sized p/u on an Alberta two lane? 90% of the time, the driver will FLOOR it when you pass. Red-neck jerk-off a$$-hole driving tactic.

The trick is to be subtle, and then hammer it by them. Don't ease by. The instant you know you're passing, you have to have the pedal to the radiator. Yeah, it might mean doing 160 in a 90 or 100 zone to ensure you don't get caught out, and you're risking a ticket, but that beats repeated attempt to pass. After an aborted pass, the driver will back off to 80 again.

What else will these jerks do? On a multi-lane highway, if you're in the right lane, say, going 115 in the 110, and they're doing 120, they'll race up behind you and tailgate you, despite there being an empty left lane. Nice.

sailor723 · « **Reply #10 on:** February 12, 2012, 03:24:22 pm »

Quote from: johngenx on February 12, 2012, 03:19:06 pm

Passing a full sized p/u on an Alberta two lane? 90% of the time, the driver will FLOOR it when you pass. Red-neck jerk-off a$$-hole driving tactic.

The trick is to be subtle, and then hammer it by them. Don't ease by. The instant you know you're passing, you have to have the pedal to the radiator. Yeah, it might mean doing 160 in a 90 or 100 zone to ensure you don't get caught out, and you're risking a ticket, but that beats repeated attempt to pass. After an aborted pass, the driver will back off to 80 again.

What else will these jerks do? On a multi-lane highway, if you're in the right lane, say, going 115 in the 110, and they're doing 120, they'll race up behind you and tailgate you, despite there being an empty left lane. Nice.

Sounds like a lovely place to drive

1TSX · « **Reply #11 on:** February 12, 2012, 03:28:54 pm »

Quote from: sailor723 on February 12, 2012, 01:51:46 pm

What I hate are the 125KPH downhill---115 on the flat----100 uphill guys! I'll be on a divided highway with the cruise set and have a guy soar past me on a downhill only to have to either pass him or disengage the cruise on the flat or the next hill as I overhaul him.

Pick a speed and drive it!!!

+2!!!!!! People do NOT know how to use cruise control. It is very annoying.

Its also annoying if you're a passenger in a car that is doing this.

sailor723 · « **Reply #12 on:** February 12, 2012, 03:29:15 pm »

As long as we're on the topic of annoying passing habits how about the guy passing on a four lane who drives about 0.1 KPH faster that the car he is passing? He's also the guy who waits to pull in until he's at least 100yards ahead of the car he was passing. Just as you've got room to deke in and pass on the inside he finally drifts slowly back into the travel lane (almost always without a signal)

Thinking Out Loud · « **Reply #13 on:** February 12, 2012, 04:12:19 pm »

Quote from: sailor723 on February 12, 2012, 03:29:15 pm

As long as we're on the topic of annoying passing habits how about the guy passing on a four lane who drives about 0.1 KPH faster that the car he is passing? He's also the guy who waits to pull in until he's at least 100yards ahead of the car he was passing. Just as you've got room to deke in and pass on the inside he finally drifts slowly back into the travel lane (almost always without a signal)

I was on 416 to 401 recently and had two tractor trailers 'passing' each other with about a 1km difference in (110KPH) speed...the pass was glacial after 5 minutes - I ended up easing off and jumping an onramp and screaming past both. Must have been two dozen cars backlogged behind these two losers.

tortoise · « **Reply #14 on:** February 12, 2012, 04:13:41 pm »

My least favouritile are the people on the two lane highway who drive 10 over until there's a passing lane. At which point they'll now do 20 over until they resume they previous speed at the end of the lane. This happens in every single passing lane.

Gamefreak · « **Reply #15 on:** February 12, 2012, 04:58:52 pm »

Quote from: sailor723 on February 12, 2012, 01:51:46 pm

What I hate are the 125KPH downhill---115 on the flat----100 uphill guys! I'll be on a divided highway with the cruise set and have a guy soar past me on a downhill only to have to either pass him or disengage the cruise on the flat or the next hill as I overhaul him.

Helps get better mileage if you do that

ktm525 · « **Reply #16 on:** February 12, 2012, 05:05:16 pm »

This is why it is nice to have ooodles of power. With the V70R or G8 it was easy to deal with. The Ridgeline requires good tactics to get by the jerks.

tenpenny · « **Reply #17 on:** February 12, 2012, 06:31:04 pm »

Quote from: articsteve on February 12, 2012, 03:17:06 pm

The lead wanker is almost always an old person, woman or a Conservative.

I find they're generally Toyota drivers or used car salesmen, almost always people who post on forums.

articsteve · « **Reply #18 on:** February 12, 2012, 06:56:03 pm »

Thanks for reading.

Angry Chicken · « **Reply #19 on:** February 12, 2012, 07:33:27 pm »

Quote from: articsteve on February 12, 2012, 03:17:06 pm

Occasionally, the lead driver, usually a middle aged male in a mini van or 1/2 (trying to save gas) will take great offense to your multi car pass and speed up and sit on your ass @ 100 kph. for a few miles and then slowly back off and resume their former speed.

That's because *they* are going fast enough thank you very much! How dare you pass them, when they know what's good for themselves, you, and everyone else. I despise these "enforcers". They know there are a gazillion people caught in a conga line behind them and are quite pleased with themselves. But noooo, you couldn't leave well enough alone, could you? You just had to pass him and burst his happy little law-abiding bubble, didn't you? Well he'll fix you! Of course his carbon-choked piece-of-crap grocery getter soccer mobile has hardly every seen north of 100 km/h on the speedo, but he'll show you who's the boss by sucking your exhaust fumes for a bit. Do you feel chastened? Do you feel put in your place? You should. YOU BROKE THE LAW AND HE CAUGHT YOU DOING IT. YOU SHOULD BE ASHAMED!!!!

I've never been able to understand that mentality either, and it's only funny as long as these people's closet vigilantism doesn't get someone killed.