Dangerous behavior or a righteous lesson?

[jimbo]

I read a story on another car forum. Alone among all the members, I posted my disapproval of the actions of the driver in the story. What followed is a parade of members who trounced me for moralizing while giving overwhelming support to the narrarator of the story.

I am posting the story below. You tell me. Am I out of touch? Am I moralizing and unfairly picking on the story's narrator? Is his behavior fine? Or did he commit a deliberately dangerous act that is uncalled for on the street.

Of course, once again, I'm being called a troll by all of the members on the thread.

You be the judge. Am I completely out of touch and this activity is fine? Or are you as shocked and stunned as I am that an entire parade of people, of Americans, condones the actions of the author of the story.

Here is the story...

Originally Posted by humfrz My NC was bad today……BAD..BAD….NC….. Today, me and my NC were peacefully driving down a freeway, at the speed limit, in the slow lane, when a gray 4 door sedan came screaming up behind us. The driver looked to be in his mid 20s and was sort of sprawled out all over the front seat, kind of looking off into the distance, talking on his cell phone. As the inattentive driver continued to tailgate my NC, my NC got more & more irritated. Two things really upset my NC; tailgaters and people talking on a cell phone while driving. Those two things really make its tailpipes curl. I tried to explain to my NC, that we were getting off at the next exit and just cool it. It complied; however, I could tell a plan was hatching. The next exit is very familiar to my NC and is rather unusual for a freeway off ramp. It ramps at a slight angle off to the right, goes straight for a couple hundred yards and then makes a hard right (90 degree) curve (very slightly banked). The outward side of the curve is bordered by a gentle dirt bank with an open field behind it. Get the picture? So, my NC is going to “bait” this tailgater, who is still yakking on his cell phone, driving with one hand slightly on the wheel, gazing all around and still lounging all over his front seat. We exited at 60 mph, dropped out of hyperdrive into 4th (applying no brakes), dropped into 3rd gear (still no brakes) with the tailgater still right on our rear end. Up comes the 90 degree curve and we are moving at about 40 mph. My NC yanked itself down into second and stomped on the gas. Yep, since it had its summer tires on and the road was warm and dry, she snapped right around the curve with no loss of traction. The cell phone talking tailgater wasn’t as graceful in negotiating the curve. First time I’ve seen a car understeer, oversteer, neutralsteer, and drift …….. all within 2 seconds …. and stay mostly on the road. The off ramp continues for about 50 yards and then makes a sharp (90 degree) left turn. As I looked up………guess what…..the tailgater decided not to follow my NC through that curve. On up another 100 yards is a stop light, where my NC stopped. Slowly up behind us (not too close) comes the tailgater; no cell phone, both hands on the wheel and looking wide eyed – straight ahead…… I severely scolded my NC and cautioned it to never do that again ……. It just set there and burbled through its RoadsterSport muffler and gave out a couple of pops……. The moral of this story is that, although the NC, even with stock suspension, can take curves faster that 95% of the street vehicles behind it ………. it’s not nice to bait them.....:O Has your NC ever acted up ….. and did you scold it? humfrz

[Bosch]

I have been hit almost head-on by some idiot yakking on a cell phone who ran a red light, personally that was a minor lesson that idiot was taught.

Idiot should have known or been prepared to slow down there are usually signs that tell you its a hard right/left turn and a speed suggestion. If you have never been through there before its best to read and follow the sign not the car in front of you.

[BuzzardT]

Yes the Tailgater was displaying Dangerous behavior by not paying attention to his own driving.

[newman27]

I love it - sorry but I would side with the poster as no one should be relying on the driving actions of someone else to determine their own safe driving speed and distance. The idiot on the cell phone caused his own problem IMHO.

[Carpe Diem]

Originally Posted by newman27 I love it - sorry but I would side with the poster as no one should be relying on the driving actions of someone else to determine their own safe driving speed and distance. The idiot on the cell phone caused his own problem IMHO.

I know it is unkind, but I expected (and even kinda hoped a little, if I must admit it) that the cell phoning, tailgating jerk wouldn't be able to negotiate the turn, and ended up in the field. Would have been a good lesson, and justice served. And it would have been his own damned fault.

[reedred]

I would not have done that intentionally, but there's a good chance it would have still happened. I'm pretty paranoid about being rear-ended (once again), so I would've just been trying to get away from him.

While my conscience would have stopped me from baiting someone to drive off the road, even if they were a complete ass, I find it hard to condemn the guy for anything other than the styling of his NC. As mentioned above, the sedan driver should've been making his driving decisions for himself.

[JustBill]

If no other vehicles are in close proximity that could be involved in the aftermath of a properly executed bait, (and tailgaters are easier to bait than a fishing hook) give'em a free driving lesson. FTW.

[P.Gadget]

Your only responsible for your own vehicle. Sounds like the kid learned a needed lesson.

[JRinKY]

I guess I am missing something, since I don't see anything bad, clever, or particularly dangerous about this story. I really don't see why it was posted in the first place.

[BellaVerde]

Innattentive bumper-hangars need a wake-up call from time to time, so I sympathize with the NC(whatever that is) driver.

If the tailgaiter managed to make it thru the 90 degree with all the skidding, maybe the average car isn't such a bad handler!

Your heart is in the correct location, J. It isn't nice to do that to anyone, at any time. So on the absolute scale, it was wrong...it is just that most of us can empathize with NC and "highway justice"

[bradyb]

So who is NC?

[carlintexas]

Innattentive bumper-hangars need a wake-up call from time to time, so I sympathize with the NC(whatever that is) driver.

What he said!

[LiquidPT]

Originally Posted by carlintexas What he said!

I believe the NC is the designation of a particular generation of Miata.

[Speedhawg]

Originally Posted by JRinKY I guess I am missing something, since I don't see anything bad, clever, or particularly dangerous about this story. I really don't see why it was posted in the first place.

I agree, I have stopped short more than once to "educate" a tailgater.

I really wish all states would ban cell phone use without a headset, drove home last night behind a clown on the phone at 45 in the fast lane of a 65 MPH speed limit area, people were doing all kinds of stupid stuff to get around him and he never even noticed.

[BIO Hazard]

Whilst I sympathize with humfrz, best course of action here was to put as much distance as he could from himself and this tailgating, cell phone talking, SOB. humfrz had 4 options here... All which were infinitely more wise to do in this situation:

1 - Speed up to put some distance from himself and this idiot.

2 - Slow down and pull over. Let the idiot pass.

3 - Grabbed the plate from the offending idiots car and used his ONSTAR to call the Police

4 - Grabbed the plate, pull over, and use his cell phone to call the police.

Yeah I understand the lesson that needed to be taught to this idiot. However, things could have gone wrong that could have resulted in something very very bad.

Old saying two wrongs... dont make it right applies here. I would bet a judge and jury awarding damages or sentencing humfrz and his New Car (NC?) or Naughty Car (NC?) would have seen it from the perspective of the idiot tailgating/talking on his phone.

You know thats how it would play out because thats how rulings on this type of crap go.

Some serious thinking needs to take place here on all sides.



PS - Cutesie names for your car like "NC" are just lame. Right up there IMHO with morons who tailgate whilst talking on a cell phone Hey maybe "NC" stands for No Class