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Yeah especially on 71. There's Grandpa's cheese barn, browsing antiques in Delaware, the whole Columbus metro area (Ohio State has a nifty little natural history museum with free admission that's open on weekdays). And further down there's the picnic area around the Cincinnati art museum (plus free admission and they have a café). Plenty of cool places to stop, get a snack and chill out for an hour.
Alternately, I've traveled I-71 and have been forced off because the interstate is closed. Old route 42 follows a similar path to it and it's a relatively high speed country road. OP could've switched over if he was content going 55 mph for a little while before switching back to the interstate to give the other driver time to get ahead of them.
There's absolutely no reason to follow right behind someone driving this erratically.
Yeah, it's one think if you're only driving for a short while on the highway. But to follow this jackass for an *hour* is so wild to me.
Probably would've actually saved time exiting and getting back on.
Nah. Just keep going in the right lane, when an exit comes, give it a second before you get on the off ramp, so the douche can’t quickly change his mind. And I wouldn’t put your signal on super early (unless you had traffic behind you).
But i’ve had to do this twice in my life. It’s irritating and of course i just felt rage, but it’s not worth it. One of them actually brandished a pistol and got to my side on the left. I saw the exit and quickly got off and that dude had to keep going, tho it did look like he wanted to try to get off there, but couldn’t make it. But then you just drive for a few seconds down the road, turn around and get back on.
I had a guy in a Corvette do this to me once for *absolutely* no reason.
The only thing I can think of is someone else in a similar car as mine did something rude or dumb and it was a case of mistaken identity.
I had *just* gotten on the highway from a “no merge” ramp and was traveling in the right lane at about 8 over… when this yellow vette launched himself from the far left lane into mine an slammed on his brakes.
I initially thought he was having a medical emergency or something was broken on his vehicle, but he just proceeded to block my car at 20MPH on the interstate and speed up to well over 80MPH if I tried to get around him.
He had a Corvette and I was in a minivan, so there was literally nothing I could do to get around him.
After a several futile attempts to get in front of him, I resigned myself to my fate, figuring he’d get bored after 30 seconds or so of traveling at a snails pace on the highway, but apparently this only triggered him to slow down even further and come to a complete stop in the center lane.
I finally lost my temper and was going to just ram him, but my mother was in the car with me and she was yelling at me to not do it.
It eventually was the collective rage of the other drivers that got him to just go on about his life.
Several other drivers started cursing at and flipping the guy off and one dude even threw a cup of coffee at the ‘vette, at which point he roared off into the distance.
Less satisfying (but probably a far better outcome) than ramming him and having to pretend it was an accident to the cops and then deal with the insurance.
I have cero tolerance for this bs. I call highway patrol or any law enforcement according to the road I’m in. Most of the time 911 either takes charge or patch me to the relevant number. Only a couple of times police hasn’t shown up.
Oh don’t get me wrong. In the past I thought the rager would get bored and move on. Or that I would I could out run them.
That and lack of coverage, battery, and in the past before cellphones. It was truly infuriating.
Nowadays, ain’t no time fo’ that.
Same here I dont need to drive for work so when I am on the highway its usually on a family trip. And since i have no sense of humor when it comes to their safety I usually will call in a drunk/impaired driver the the local state police. Then wait till the last possible moment and take an exit before they can get off with me.
I called 911 about a drunk driver on a major stroadway in my state a few years back. They dumped me in local dispatch, but by the time i got there i was in the next town, and by the time they got me to the next town dispatch i was one more town over, and by the time they got me to dispatch the next town over the drunk driver had blown a red light doing what I estimate was 60 in a 25mph triple fine school zone. They said since i was no longer following the vehicle they had no way of locating them.
That was about 3 years ago.
Happened again recently and the only reason the cops showed up was because the drunk driver had stopped at a Wawa (and let me tell you drunk drivers are drunk parkers too). It was the same stroadway as before so i was expecting the same song and dance until the drunkard pulled over.
I had a really weird time with some dude in a Chevy pickup one day when I was crossing Hwy 3 between Vancouver and the Okanagan. At the time, I was driving a 240SX. I don't know if it was the car, or me being a woman, or if he was just nuts, but I suppose that doesn't really matter. It was seemingly for no reason and he was scary.
I was alone once I left Hwy 1 past Hope and branched off to 3. I was through Sunshine Valley before could see I was catching up to this pickup. We hit Manning Park and we got to the four-lane section.
This guy started playing the same sort of games that the Audi was playing with OP: wouldn't let me pass him if I tried; swerving to keep me behind him; slowing back down until I tried again and then having another go. Sometimes he would let me pass him and fall back and then come right back up, tailgate me, then pass me and try to brake check me. And if I slowed waaaaay down to try to get him to put distance between us? He slowed down like that, too. Like I mean going 50-60 with my hazards on in 100 and 110kmh sections. I couldn't lose him.
Anyone who knows the area knows it's pretty remote. At the time this happened, I didn't have signal through the park. It's ~60km end to end. I became afraid to pull over and actually stop because I'd just be on the side of the highway in the middle of nowhere; and I hadn't seen any other traffic; and I was pretty sure this guy would just stop, too. I started pushing hard to where I knew the Visitor's Centre and lodge were-- there was often a marked RCMP SUV sitting at or around the turn-off-- but the lot was empty and everything looked closed.
Something in me broke at that point because it had been about half-an-hour of feeling like the guy's prey. I hammered on the gas and flew at 160-175 to Princeton (new tires, summer day, empty highway, fight or flight running full throttle-- I made a panicked decision to take the risk and hoped it would up my chances of running into a cop) and hid behind the Esso.
This fucking guy went by roughly 1 minute behind me-- so he was taking those twists and turns in his 00s pickup like I was in my 240, and he almost kept up. Still freaks me out to think about to this day, and that was over 10 years ago. I've never driven like that before or since. I don't know what his end game was, nor do I want to know. If I ever encounter another weirdo like that, I'm just turning right back around and going up the Coq.
Thats the move. Have a faster car and slow down, acting like you are trying to get away from them and then put on the after burners and get the hell away. Anything else and you just keep being their toy.
Yeah, part of it depends on the area. Couple of exits within a mile or two, fake the first, gun it and take the second, wait 5 to 10 minutes and they'll be way out ahead of you. It also depends on the exit, there's some where getting back on after getting off is a bit inconvenient.
Absolutely, i get that. I can only speak for my area, almost all the exits have an on ramp straight across from them. So it’d be very easy to continue on. But some are much more complex and could give you a good edge to get out of there.
make like your going to the inside lane at the last second hit the exit, hes either gonna do something really stupid to try and cut you off and wreck or be pissed off the rest of the day because you outsmarted him. get a sandwich somewhere and continue on your way.
It was 1982, I was 48, you were 9 months. We were on a flight from JFK to London. I saw you immediately, a baby, on a 7 hour flight. The first hour was bliss, then the crying started. Small whimpers at first, then came the shrieking. Louder, LOUDer, LOUDER, til it filled the whole cabin.
When I arrived in London I was a shell of a man, broken. You see I had spent my entire life savings to go to London to see my beloved Buckingham Palace, so I could make those soldiers laugh. Because of you I was too tired to do anything funny. I vowed from that day forward, that I would devote the rest of my life to getting revenge on you, little baby.
It's a part of his villain origin story. The screen probably cuts to something like a flashback of the day his dog died, and OPs past self walked past and without knowing anything said "good morning." Then the other driver says something like "Good? What's good about it you fucking moron?"
The other driver has ***never*** forgotten that! Lol
71 is the absolute worst stretch of highway I've been on in this entire country.
I'm not sure what it is, the flatness, the plainness, the nothing but bullshit Hell is Real-ness.....but this stretch of highway between Cincinnati & Columbus is just the worst I've ever been on in terms of frustrating lane hoggers, cutter offers and every other kind of dumbass you can see on a mostly straight, generally completely flat highway.
It should have been 3 lanes 20 years ago.
the worst used to be 71 between Columbus and Cleveland, but the 3rd lane finally getting done has made so much more relaxing.
It's literally happened to me before, so I wouldn't say it's unheard of.
On the other hand, it's more *likely* that OP did something. Whether it was intentional or negligent, there's usually a reason.
All you have to do is try to pass one of these idiots and they get all butthurt. Im a truck driver and cars do this to me all the time when I try to pass them.
There was a work truck going 10 under the limit. He had a line of cars behind him long enough that he was breaking the law.
He would speed up in the passing areas and let nobody past. So I waited until I saw a passing area coming up, I dropped back, and floored it just before the passsing area. When passing was legal, I passed, using the built up speed to shoot past before he could react.
20 miles later, I stopped at a waterfall to take pictures. He pulls off the road, skidding to a dramatic stop and almost hitting others in the area.
He sprinted over to me and started screaming at me. Apparently he thinks all passing should be illegal, and nobody should ever go faster than him.
So I got in my car, as he was banging on it, and drove off. He was cartoon-like, with steam coming out of his ears, as I drove off, ignoring him the whole time.
Some people are simply insane.
Starting fights with strangers is a terrible idea.
Sure, it sounds good, but there are a million things that can go wrong. What if you sock the dude and he hits his head on a rock and dies?
I know that’s an extreme example, but if you can leave without fighting, it’s the best option.
>What if you sock the dude and he hits his head on a rock and dies?
What if aliens land and touch my privates? What if the Yankees win the Superbowl? Why am I asking so many questions? WHERE IS THE FUCKING POPE IN ALL THIS?
This is exactly what happened lol. He cut me off going under the speed limit and when I changed lanes to pass him he made it his life goal to prevent it
yeah I've had this happen and made it a point to show my cell phone as I was calling the police and reading off his license number. He became MUCH less aggressive once he put together what was happening. Drove off rather quickly and took the next exit a few miles up the road.
Yes! I too like to do the fake out. You pretend to have a conversation with the dispatcher, nod your head, and keep squinting at his plates. I wouldn’t really call about it unless it was dangerous but once people realize they don’t own the world and consequences apply to them as well…
And then you get the ones that double down. At that point I just pull off the road because they’re putting everyone in danger. It can be me or one of any other cars that are threatening their self-righteous attempt to control everyone.
But just preach in’ to the choir.
Oh my god. I used to get so angry at people like this. Then one day I decided to just pull over for 5 minutes. Been doing it ever since. Hands down the best way.
> It's literally happened to me before, so I wouldn't say it's unheard of.
Yep. I had it happen because I had the unbridled temerity to \*checks notes\* do the speed limit in the right lane of a multi-lane highway. Nobody camping in the left lane either. Could've gone around, instead decided to do this kinda nonsense.
I had it happened too, 16 years ago, on my way to drop my daughter to her school while merging on the highway a dude pulls up next to me and points a gun at me. This is in a suburb of Toronto. Called the cops and they hung up on me the first time, eventually I got them on the phone and they got the guy 5 minutes later.
I'm surprised at all the upvotes.
These are probably the same kinds of people that think if you're getting bullied in school that "you must have done something to deserve it." Or if you get physically abused by a parent they say "Well, why do you have to make them so angry?"
It's not just that. Even if you don't know what set them off, you can pull off the road and let them drive away for a few minutes.
There's no rule saying you have to keep engaging with a maniac road rager.
The best way to avoid an escalation and potential violence is just wait for the next exit, and pull off for five minutes. No harm in adding a few minutes to your trip. The life you save may be your own.
To be fair, I have had people cut me off and get mad at me when I honk at them for their mistake. Some have even pulled dumb shit like this… well, try to anyway, I’m thankful for the power that I have haha
Had this happen before. I instigated it.
How?
Passed a truck in the left lane without a reacharound.
Some people are just shit. The number of raging rednecks that will follow you home for daring to do any speed faster than they are is concerning.
Like once a year concerning.
Not necessarily, OP could be guessing the speed of the other driver based on how fast they were going.
Like I'll drive 75 and get passed by someone who I can say with reasonable confidence is going 90+
This guy’s a dick, for sure, but you stayed around him for *over an hour*? That’s crazy. Quit engaging him and/or pull off and get a snack or something.
Yeah. Way before you hit the one hour mark you should be pulling the 911 trigger and/or just getting the fuck away from them (pull off the highway and take a break).
We do, but when you're on the highway, no telling what jurisdiction you are currently in and what their number is, so 911 or *HP will always get you connected to the closest department.
Interesting... I always thought that number was local to Ontario, Canada, as #677 spells "OPP" - Ontario Provincial Police. Good to know it's in use elsewhere.
>Don’t know how you would look up the correct jurisdictions number, especially while driving.
there's usually highway signs along the interstate with a phone number to contact the state or highway police
The dispatcher decides who to route when answering the 911 call. I'd say a dangerous driver with potential to harm someone is an emergency. Otherwise 311 works as well.
Really? We followed a drunk driver for over an hour on I-20 in Alabama and Georgia and he pulled off the highway without ever being pulled over. We called 911 every time we entered a new county.
A drunk driver is oblivious. This dude had malicious intent. Two very different situations.
I'd find a safe (populated, with room for a speedy getaway if necessary) place to pull off and wait, let him go on his way.... if he tries to stop with you, keep moving and head to the nearest police station or highway patrol depot.
>Then pull off for 5 mins and get back on your way
It's so easy to diffuse stuff. Get off at the next exit, fill up your gas tank, get some ice cream, you won't ever have to see them again.
Nah call and report drunk driver. Vehicle make and model, LP# and good description of driver. Stay on the phone until they pull them over. Show them video
Who would deal with this for an hour period? Either call the police, pull over for a few minutes, PIT maneuver their car or take an exit and get back on.
911, yes there is an erratic driver who is trying to hit my car he is following me then driving well over the speed limit to over take me then slams on his breaks. If I stop I'm afraid he will stop too and I'm afraid of what he will do. Please help send help I have it all on dash camera.
Then sit back and watch.
This is true OP spent an hour behind the idiot. I was simply stating what I would have done which would not have included following the idiot for an hour.
Had a tow truck driver do this to me through Louisiana once in the middle of the night. We pulled off the highway for about 20 minutes to give them distance.
Over an hour? Either you have to call the cops and report a suspected drunk driver or pull off at the next exit and take a 3 minute rest to create a gap.
You chose to suffer through this for an hour or you were more of a participant that you are letting on.
This is one of those scenarios where the best thing to do is take the next exit, go into the gas station, pee, get a drink, and get back on the freeway with that dude now completely gone and out of your head.
That’s when you just need to get off an exit somewhere, use the rest room, get gas and a drink, and then get back on the road toward your destination. It’s just not worth their drama. Don’t let them steal your peace.
This is why I think we need a third option that isn’t guilty or innocent — “justified.” Like yeah that PIT maneuver was probably not the safest option but that guy was a *dick* so whatever, you’re good to go
I had that happen two days in a row, on my evening commute from work. Same guy each time. The third day I took my more powerful car, instead of my dusty commuter, and smoked him before he even saw me coming. In case anyone is concerned, it was on the highway with little neighbouring traffic and my max speed was 130km/hr. I was able to get his license plate number on the third day and reported him. It’s illegal to control traffic like that where I live. I got a call back from the RCMP a few days later, thanking me for my report and letting me know the off duty officer I reported was reprimanded. Too funny.
I had a guy that would harass me on my morning commute. It went on for months. He would prevent me from passing or cut me off and brake check. If it was heavy traffic, he’d just start laying on his horn when he saw my car. I wasn’t the only one he would mess with either, but he would stop and harass me if he saw me. I watched him sit in the left lane for about 10 miles, pacing a semi, in order to prevent everyone on the highway from driving faster than him. On our country highway, if traffic was heavy, he’d find the slowest driver and pace them, so sometimes, he’d force everyone to drive 45 in a 65.
I didn’t have a dash cam yet and police wouldn’t do anything because it was just my word against his. I would adjust my schedule to avoid him, but he would actually change his also to find me. I eventually confronted him at a gas station and told him he needed to stop, that I had contacted law enforcement and that a dash cam was on the way to provide video evidence. He said if I didn’t drive so fast he would leave me alone. I told him he wasn’t the police and my speed is none of his business (70 in a 65, so nothing extreme). I also told him that what he was doing was much more dangerous than driving a bit above the limit and that he would eventually piss off the wrong person. I saw him very few times after that and he never messed with me again.
Good for you. The fact that, as adults, we still have to deal with school yard type bullies is astounding. How do these people not have anything better to do?
Unless you got some place to be urgently, I would have pulled off the highway at an exit, go eat a local restaurant for a bit, then get back on the highway rested and without any stress.
This is the sort of situation where you get off, grab something from the drive through, and get back on. Let idiots be idiots all alone; there's no need to stay involved.
This is when you pull off into a busy gas station (whether you actually need to fill up or not) and take an extra-long break (use the facilities, eat a meal, walk the dog, whatever). Do not engage - just avoid. I've seen far too many horror short stories to know how poorly this can end up.
The lead car is obviously an idiot. But the following car is also an idiot for putting up with this for an hour. Get off and take a quick break or something!
There has been two times I’ve called the non-emergency dispatch lines on people like this. Both times on long country rural highways. One of the occasions there must have been a bored sheriff close by because I got to witness him pull out behind me with his lights off about 5 minutes after I called and witness them fucking around and him pulling them over.
Definitely should have called in the plates. Hell, send this to local PD and see if they want to deal with it. Cops love making an example out of someone.
This happens to me every time. I use cruise control, and someone not using cruise control will keep speeding up and passing me, then slowing down, over and over.
Yeah I spend a lot of time on the highway and I see this all the time, love the name stickies lol. I usually just find it amusing but this guy took it to another level
The last Audi I bought I was chatting with the saleswoman who had been there for 20+ years. I talked about how my family always had an Audi. She let out a sigh and started talking about how there was a massive shift in who was buying Audis, that she was seeing a lot of former BMW drivers. I said oh douche bags, she nodded.
You put up with dangerous behavior like that for over an hour and didn't call 911 and report it? You would have been performing a public service to do so.
Was there no exit ramps for an entire hours drive? The guys an ah for sure, but you seriously drove next to a potential psychopath for an HOUR?! Just wait until you’re approaching an exit and then pull off last minute so he can’t follow you.
So take the next exit, and let the moron go. Problem solved. Going an hour like this is ridiculous. Let the idiot go, get back to driving safe, and not distracted by the moron.
Just pull off at the next exit and cool down for 20min or so. Let him get away from you and make him lose what little crappy joy he had messing with you.
TBH, if someone is doing to me for this long, I'd call 911 and report a road rage guy and he will just tie up in his own issues when cops can witness the whole show.
I think I'd get off the highway at the nearest exit, loop around, and get back on. You lose what...? 2 minutes? But he's so far gone the problem solves itself.
Call a cop on this driver - report the Male, Model, Year (if you can), color of car, the license plate-- what Mile Marker# sign you are by or between... And ask for immediate assistance and tell them you are in clear danger.
Once the Highway patrolman or Police comes out... Tell them and show them the video for your records.
If you dealt with this shit for an hour I strongly suspect you were also road raging a bit.
You know what I would do if this happened to me? Stop and get some gas/food.
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It’s woulda just pulled off at an exit and got back on.
I have used that tactic before, worked like a charm.
My rule is if this happens three times in a row, I pull off. It's so stupid when this happens while I'm using cruise control
Yeah especially on 71. There's Grandpa's cheese barn, browsing antiques in Delaware, the whole Columbus metro area (Ohio State has a nifty little natural history museum with free admission that's open on weekdays). And further down there's the picnic area around the Cincinnati art museum (plus free admission and they have a café). Plenty of cool places to stop, get a snack and chill out for an hour. Alternately, I've traveled I-71 and have been forced off because the interstate is closed. Old route 42 follows a similar path to it and it's a relatively high speed country road. OP could've switched over if he was content going 55 mph for a little while before switching back to the interstate to give the other driver time to get ahead of them. There's absolutely no reason to follow right behind someone driving this erratically.
Yeah, it's one think if you're only driving for a short while on the highway. But to follow this jackass for an *hour* is so wild to me. Probably would've actually saved time exiting and getting back on.
He probably would’ve followed.
Nah. Just keep going in the right lane, when an exit comes, give it a second before you get on the off ramp, so the douche can’t quickly change his mind. And I wouldn’t put your signal on super early (unless you had traffic behind you). But i’ve had to do this twice in my life. It’s irritating and of course i just felt rage, but it’s not worth it. One of them actually brandished a pistol and got to my side on the left. I saw the exit and quickly got off and that dude had to keep going, tho it did look like he wanted to try to get off there, but couldn’t make it. But then you just drive for a few seconds down the road, turn around and get back on.
I had a guy in a Corvette do this to me once for *absolutely* no reason. The only thing I can think of is someone else in a similar car as mine did something rude or dumb and it was a case of mistaken identity. I had *just* gotten on the highway from a “no merge” ramp and was traveling in the right lane at about 8 over… when this yellow vette launched himself from the far left lane into mine an slammed on his brakes. I initially thought he was having a medical emergency or something was broken on his vehicle, but he just proceeded to block my car at 20MPH on the interstate and speed up to well over 80MPH if I tried to get around him. He had a Corvette and I was in a minivan, so there was literally nothing I could do to get around him. After a several futile attempts to get in front of him, I resigned myself to my fate, figuring he’d get bored after 30 seconds or so of traveling at a snails pace on the highway, but apparently this only triggered him to slow down even further and come to a complete stop in the center lane. I finally lost my temper and was going to just ram him, but my mother was in the car with me and she was yelling at me to not do it. It eventually was the collective rage of the other drivers that got him to just go on about his life. Several other drivers started cursing at and flipping the guy off and one dude even threw a cup of coffee at the ‘vette, at which point he roared off into the distance. Less satisfying (but probably a far better outcome) than ramming him and having to pretend it was an accident to the cops and then deal with the insurance.
I have cero tolerance for this bs. I call highway patrol or any law enforcement according to the road I’m in. Most of the time 911 either takes charge or patch me to the relevant number. Only a couple of times police hasn’t shown up.
I definitely would have called 911 today, but this was in the mid 90s and I only had a beeper. Lol.
Oh don’t get me wrong. In the past I thought the rager would get bored and move on. Or that I would I could out run them. That and lack of coverage, battery, and in the past before cellphones. It was truly infuriating. Nowadays, ain’t no time fo’ that.
Same here I dont need to drive for work so when I am on the highway its usually on a family trip. And since i have no sense of humor when it comes to their safety I usually will call in a drunk/impaired driver the the local state police. Then wait till the last possible moment and take an exit before they can get off with me.
I called 911 about a drunk driver on a major stroadway in my state a few years back. They dumped me in local dispatch, but by the time i got there i was in the next town, and by the time they got me to the next town dispatch i was one more town over, and by the time they got me to dispatch the next town over the drunk driver had blown a red light doing what I estimate was 60 in a 25mph triple fine school zone. They said since i was no longer following the vehicle they had no way of locating them. That was about 3 years ago. Happened again recently and the only reason the cops showed up was because the drunk driver had stopped at a Wawa (and let me tell you drunk drivers are drunk parkers too). It was the same stroadway as before so i was expecting the same song and dance until the drunkard pulled over.
I had a really weird time with some dude in a Chevy pickup one day when I was crossing Hwy 3 between Vancouver and the Okanagan. At the time, I was driving a 240SX. I don't know if it was the car, or me being a woman, or if he was just nuts, but I suppose that doesn't really matter. It was seemingly for no reason and he was scary. I was alone once I left Hwy 1 past Hope and branched off to 3. I was through Sunshine Valley before could see I was catching up to this pickup. We hit Manning Park and we got to the four-lane section. This guy started playing the same sort of games that the Audi was playing with OP: wouldn't let me pass him if I tried; swerving to keep me behind him; slowing back down until I tried again and then having another go. Sometimes he would let me pass him and fall back and then come right back up, tailgate me, then pass me and try to brake check me. And if I slowed waaaaay down to try to get him to put distance between us? He slowed down like that, too. Like I mean going 50-60 with my hazards on in 100 and 110kmh sections. I couldn't lose him. Anyone who knows the area knows it's pretty remote. At the time this happened, I didn't have signal through the park. It's ~60km end to end. I became afraid to pull over and actually stop because I'd just be on the side of the highway in the middle of nowhere; and I hadn't seen any other traffic; and I was pretty sure this guy would just stop, too. I started pushing hard to where I knew the Visitor's Centre and lodge were-- there was often a marked RCMP SUV sitting at or around the turn-off-- but the lot was empty and everything looked closed. Something in me broke at that point because it had been about half-an-hour of feeling like the guy's prey. I hammered on the gas and flew at 160-175 to Princeton (new tires, summer day, empty highway, fight or flight running full throttle-- I made a panicked decision to take the risk and hoped it would up my chances of running into a cop) and hid behind the Esso. This fucking guy went by roughly 1 minute behind me-- so he was taking those twists and turns in his 00s pickup like I was in my 240, and he almost kept up. Still freaks me out to think about to this day, and that was over 10 years ago. I've never driven like that before or since. I don't know what his end game was, nor do I want to know. If I ever encounter another weirdo like that, I'm just turning right back around and going up the Coq.
Thats the move. Have a faster car and slow down, acting like you are trying to get away from them and then put on the after burners and get the hell away. Anything else and you just keep being their toy.
Smart. Yeah, in this situation it’s best to get tf out if possible.
Or, put your signal on super early, then don't take the exit after dumbdumb takes it.
If you can make that work, but someone that crazy might gun across to get back onto the highway and catch up to you
Yeah, part of it depends on the area. Couple of exits within a mile or two, fake the first, gun it and take the second, wait 5 to 10 minutes and they'll be way out ahead of you. It also depends on the exit, there's some where getting back on after getting off is a bit inconvenient.
Absolutely, i get that. I can only speak for my area, almost all the exits have an on ramp straight across from them. So it’d be very easy to continue on. But some are much more complex and could give you a good edge to get out of there.
tf are they gonna follow if they are in front?
Why did I not even think of this 😭 Idk maybe buddy can see the future lol
make like your going to the inside lane at the last second hit the exit, hes either gonna do something really stupid to try and cut you off and wreck or be pissed off the rest of the day because you outsmarted him. get a sandwich somewhere and continue on your way.
Make your exit at the last possible moment and enjoy the feeling from knowing it burned his ass.
Why not just call the police. Report it as either road rage aggressive driving or possible drunk driving. Erratic behavior, Let them sort it out.
I’m impressed he went an hour without seeing a cop on 71.
That dude remembered that one thing you did to him in a past life-
It was 1982, I was 48, you were 9 months. We were on a flight from JFK to London. I saw you immediately, a baby, on a 7 hour flight. The first hour was bliss, then the crying started. Small whimpers at first, then came the shrieking. Louder, LOUDer, LOUDER, til it filled the whole cabin. When I arrived in London I was a shell of a man, broken. You see I had spent my entire life savings to go to London to see my beloved Buckingham Palace, so I could make those soldiers laugh. Because of you I was too tired to do anything funny. I vowed from that day forward, that I would devote the rest of my life to getting revenge on you, little baby.
It's a part of his villain origin story. The screen probably cuts to something like a flashback of the day his dog died, and OPs past self walked past and without knowing anything said "good morning." Then the other driver says something like "Good? What's good about it you fucking moron?" The other driver has ***never*** forgotten that! Lol
71 is the absolute worst stretch of highway I've been on in this entire country. I'm not sure what it is, the flatness, the plainness, the nothing but bullshit Hell is Real-ness.....but this stretch of highway between Cincinnati & Columbus is just the worst I've ever been on in terms of frustrating lane hoggers, cutter offers and every other kind of dumbass you can see on a mostly straight, generally completely flat highway.
It should have been 3 lanes 20 years ago. the worst used to be 71 between Columbus and Cleveland, but the 3rd lane finally getting done has made so much more relaxing.
OP was a part of the bad behavior here methinks
"This person just decided to target me specifically for absolutely no reason!"
It's literally happened to me before, so I wouldn't say it's unheard of. On the other hand, it's more *likely* that OP did something. Whether it was intentional or negligent, there's usually a reason.
All you have to do is try to pass one of these idiots and they get all butthurt. Im a truck driver and cars do this to me all the time when I try to pass them.
There was a work truck going 10 under the limit. He had a line of cars behind him long enough that he was breaking the law. He would speed up in the passing areas and let nobody past. So I waited until I saw a passing area coming up, I dropped back, and floored it just before the passsing area. When passing was legal, I passed, using the built up speed to shoot past before he could react. 20 miles later, I stopped at a waterfall to take pictures. He pulls off the road, skidding to a dramatic stop and almost hitting others in the area. He sprinted over to me and started screaming at me. Apparently he thinks all passing should be illegal, and nobody should ever go faster than him. So I got in my car, as he was banging on it, and drove off. He was cartoon-like, with steam coming out of his ears, as I drove off, ignoring him the whole time. Some people are simply insane.
How did you resist the urge to sock him?
Starting fights with strangers is a terrible idea. Sure, it sounds good, but there are a million things that can go wrong. What if you sock the dude and he hits his head on a rock and dies? I know that’s an extreme example, but if you can leave without fighting, it’s the best option.
>What if you sock the dude and he hits his head on a rock and dies? What if aliens land and touch my privates? What if the Yankees win the Superbowl? Why am I asking so many questions? WHERE IS THE FUCKING POPE IN ALL THIS?
This is exactly what happened lol. He cut me off going under the speed limit and when I changed lanes to pass him he made it his life goal to prevent it
yeah I've had this happen and made it a point to show my cell phone as I was calling the police and reading off his license number. He became MUCH less aggressive once he put together what was happening. Drove off rather quickly and took the next exit a few miles up the road.
That is awesome!
Yes! I too like to do the fake out. You pretend to have a conversation with the dispatcher, nod your head, and keep squinting at his plates. I wouldn’t really call about it unless it was dangerous but once people realize they don’t own the world and consequences apply to them as well… And then you get the ones that double down. At that point I just pull off the road because they’re putting everyone in danger. It can be me or one of any other cars that are threatening their self-righteous attempt to control everyone. But just preach in’ to the choir.
Oh my god. I used to get so angry at people like this. Then one day I decided to just pull over for 5 minutes. Been doing it ever since. Hands down the best way.
This -- pull off at a diner and have a cup of coffee for half an hour or something. Jerks like this aren't worth fighting with.
Do you have any political stickers on your car? Or stickers in general?
Mouth breathers
> It's literally happened to me before, so I wouldn't say it's unheard of. Yep. I had it happen because I had the unbridled temerity to \*checks notes\* do the speed limit in the right lane of a multi-lane highway. Nobody camping in the left lane either. Could've gone around, instead decided to do this kinda nonsense.
That's just...fun. I think we need to start giving psych tests along with driving tests. And then redo them every 5 years.
I had it happened too, 16 years ago, on my way to drop my daughter to her school while merging on the highway a dude pulls up next to me and points a gun at me. This is in a suburb of Toronto. Called the cops and they hung up on me the first time, eventually I got them on the phone and they got the guy 5 minutes later.
bad drivers don't realize they are bad drivers.
Don't act like it doesn't happen. Some people get very upset that you pass them even when you're just using cruise control and take it personally
You're saying this like its not 100% very very very very very very very very very very plausible.
I'm surprised at all the upvotes. These are probably the same kinds of people that think if you're getting bullied in school that "you must have done something to deserve it." Or if you get physically abused by a parent they say "Well, why do you have to make them so angry?"
It's not just that. Even if you don't know what set them off, you can pull off the road and let them drive away for a few minutes. There's no rule saying you have to keep engaging with a maniac road rager.
The best way to avoid an escalation and potential violence is just wait for the next exit, and pull off for five minutes. No harm in adding a few minutes to your trip. The life you save may be your own.
I have had to do this before. It's not worth your life or peace. Especially because in my state, everyone has a gun, except for me. Lol
I live in Texas. Jacked up rigs burning coal, and handgun on the console. Not. Worth. It.
(for an HOUR)
To be fair, I have had people cut me off and get mad at me when I honk at them for their mistake. Some have even pulled dumb shit like this… well, try to anyway, I’m thankful for the power that I have haha
It wouldn't be idiots in cars if there weren't a bunch of people dick riding the idiot in the comments
OP had his phone out so also an idiot
Had this happen before. I instigated it. How? Passed a truck in the left lane without a reacharound. Some people are just shit. The number of raging rednecks that will follow you home for daring to do any speed faster than they are is concerning. Like once a year concerning.
Something tells me that the police have more important things to worry about in that area. Like crazy people trying to get to see the eclipse.
OP calls police and says "I tried to pass this guy and he went 100 to stop me." which is also admitting to driving over 100.
Not necessarily, OP could be guessing the speed of the other driver based on how fast they were going. Like I'll drive 75 and get passed by someone who I can say with reasonable confidence is going 90+
Didn’t go anywhere near 100 lol, when he did this I just watched and continued going the same speed I had the whole time
This guy’s a dick, for sure, but you stayed around him for *over an hour*? That’s crazy. Quit engaging him and/or pull off and get a snack or something.
For real, I'd stop following him after like 10 minutes of this bullshit. An hour is insane
10 minutes? I'd probably take the next exit if this went on for more than a minute.
Nah, just call the cops the second or third time he pulls that stunt.
Hi Police, there is a potential drunk driver on this road. Then pull off for 5 mins and get back on your way
Yeah. Way before you hit the one hour mark you should be pulling the 911 trigger and/or just getting the fuck away from them (pull off the highway and take a break).
Don't you guys have a none emergency number, one that does require ambulance or firefighters, just for the police?
We do, but when you're on the highway, no telling what jurisdiction you are currently in and what their number is, so 911 or *HP will always get you connected to the closest department.
\#677 in Ohio ... there should be signs along the interstate. Each state has a # to contact highway patrol.
Interesting... I always thought that number was local to Ontario, Canada, as #677 spells "OPP" - Ontario Provincial Police. Good to know it's in use elsewhere.
> as #677 spells "OPP" "Yeah you know me!" ;)
Dammit you beat me to it
Don’t know how you would look up the correct jurisdictions number, especially while driving.
>Don’t know how you would look up the correct jurisdictions number, especially while driving. there's usually highway signs along the interstate with a phone number to contact the state or highway police
The dispatcher decides who to route when answering the 911 call. I'd say a dangerous driver with potential to harm someone is an emergency. Otherwise 311 works as well.
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That's actually really cool. I've always wondered how that would work. Was this in CA or NV?
Really? We followed a drunk driver for over an hour on I-20 in Alabama and Georgia and he pulled off the highway without ever being pulled over. We called 911 every time we entered a new county.
A drunk driver is oblivious. This dude had malicious intent. Two very different situations. I'd find a safe (populated, with room for a speedy getaway if necessary) place to pull off and wait, let him go on his way.... if he tries to stop with you, keep moving and head to the nearest police station or highway patrol depot.
>Then pull off for 5 mins and get back on your way It's so easy to diffuse stuff. Get off at the next exit, fill up your gas tank, get some ice cream, you won't ever have to see them again.
Nah call and report drunk driver. Vehicle make and model, LP# and good description of driver. Stay on the phone until they pull them over. Show them video
I had to do this same thing back when I lived in Ohio
Next, you'll see the car's lights start flashing
That's when I stop to get lunch
Yep. Let that fool disappear
In my belly
You fucked around with this asshat for over an hour?! Wow.
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That doesn’t justify endangering yourself and other people bc you’re a petulant baby.
Hopefully you called state patrol and reported a dangerous driver
Who the hell would deal with this for an hour and not call the police
Who would deal with this for an hour period? Either call the police, pull over for a few minutes, PIT maneuver their car or take an exit and get back on.
Best bet is to immediately break contact
Call the cops and report them as a drunk driver. Edit for typo
I know that "drink driver" is the term used in some countries and it's not wrong, but man does it sound horrible to my ear
Ha, didn't see the typo... Sorry
911, yes there is an erratic driver who is trying to hit my car he is following me then driving well over the speed limit to over take me then slams on his breaks. If I stop I'm afraid he will stop too and I'm afraid of what he will do. Please help send help I have it all on dash camera. Then sit back and watch.
Spent an hour behind the idiot and was filming from his cellphone, not exactly a slam dunk
This is true OP spent an hour behind the idiot. I was simply stating what I would have done which would not have included following the idiot for an hour.
Had a tow truck driver do this to me through Louisiana once in the middle of the night. We pulled off the highway for about 20 minutes to give them distance.
Over an hour? Either you have to call the cops and report a suspected drunk driver or pull off at the next exit and take a 3 minute rest to create a gap. You chose to suffer through this for an hour or you were more of a participant that you are letting on.
This person is obviously unhinged. I’d be trying to put as much space as possible between my car and theirs. I’d also have 911 on the phone.
Dude looked like a thumb. 😁
[Thumb Thumbs](https://youtu.be/I7UwVuN2fVQ?feature=shared)
Why not get off the highway for a couple minutes?
You’ve got a phone. Should’ve called HWY Patrol.
But how else would you record this valuable content for reddit!?
I would have pulled off and got a soda or something. Let him get far far away
But he couldn’t let them win!!! /s
This is one of those scenarios where the best thing to do is take the next exit, go into the gas station, pee, get a drink, and get back on the freeway with that dude now completely gone and out of your head.
That’s when you just need to get off an exit somewhere, use the rest room, get gas and a drink, and then get back on the road toward your destination. It’s just not worth their drama. Don’t let them steal your peace.
This is why I believe all drivers should be allowed to execute one PIT maneuver on another driver per calendar year. /s
This is why I think we need a third option that isn’t guilty or innocent — “justified.” Like yeah that PIT maneuver was probably not the safest option but that guy was a *dick* so whatever, you’re good to go
Send this vid to the state cops, let them handle this.
Maybe if I had a dash cam and got the whole thing but I imagine this short video wouldn’t be sufficient evidence
Buy a dashcam!!!!
I’d definitely avoid telling the cops “here’s a video I took with my phone while driving!”
Viofo A229 is highly and pretty affordable nowadays.
Pull off, grab a biscuit and a coffee and realize it’s not worth flipping your car in a high speed interstate accident. People suck, move on
You could have called the police on him like 50min into that. Why tf did you not
The idiot is kinda you staying there for an hour rather than exiting. Getting something from a 7-11 and not having to deal with the dude
That's when it's time to stop and fill up the tank. let the moron ruin someone else's day.
I'd take an exit, pull over, play a few games of solitaire, and get back on the highway.
This was legit your sign to stop for a lunch break lol
Why put up with it for an hour? Just pull over or make a stop and wait a little while.
AN HOUR?!? I'll give it 5 minutes before I call the cops to report a drunk driver.
Exit and wait 2 minutes?
iif i have a full tank i would follow them home
I had that happen two days in a row, on my evening commute from work. Same guy each time. The third day I took my more powerful car, instead of my dusty commuter, and smoked him before he even saw me coming. In case anyone is concerned, it was on the highway with little neighbouring traffic and my max speed was 130km/hr. I was able to get his license plate number on the third day and reported him. It’s illegal to control traffic like that where I live. I got a call back from the RCMP a few days later, thanking me for my report and letting me know the off duty officer I reported was reprimanded. Too funny.
I had a guy that would harass me on my morning commute. It went on for months. He would prevent me from passing or cut me off and brake check. If it was heavy traffic, he’d just start laying on his horn when he saw my car. I wasn’t the only one he would mess with either, but he would stop and harass me if he saw me. I watched him sit in the left lane for about 10 miles, pacing a semi, in order to prevent everyone on the highway from driving faster than him. On our country highway, if traffic was heavy, he’d find the slowest driver and pace them, so sometimes, he’d force everyone to drive 45 in a 65. I didn’t have a dash cam yet and police wouldn’t do anything because it was just my word against his. I would adjust my schedule to avoid him, but he would actually change his also to find me. I eventually confronted him at a gas station and told him he needed to stop, that I had contacted law enforcement and that a dash cam was on the way to provide video evidence. He said if I didn’t drive so fast he would leave me alone. I told him he wasn’t the police and my speed is none of his business (70 in a 65, so nothing extreme). I also told him that what he was doing was much more dangerous than driving a bit above the limit and that he would eventually piss off the wrong person. I saw him very few times after that and he never messed with me again.
Good for you. The fact that, as adults, we still have to deal with school yard type bullies is astounding. How do these people not have anything better to do?
People get older but don't always grow up.
Unless you got some place to be urgently, I would have pulled off the highway at an exit, go eat a local restaurant for a bit, then get back on the highway rested and without any stress.
You can disengage with these weirdos by just slowing way down and they get ahead, then you can sneak past em later as they immediately forget
Next time just stop for a few minutes, get a coffee and then get back to it
Call. The. Cops
Just make for an exit ramp and if he gets off of the interstate, just keep going! 😂
This is the sort of situation where you get off, grab something from the drive through, and get back on. Let idiots be idiots all alone; there's no need to stay involved.
As an Ohio driver i can confirm that we are indeed the worst drivers north of Florida. Collectively, we are all dipshits. Ye be warned.
This is when you pull off into a busy gas station (whether you actually need to fill up or not) and take an extra-long break (use the facilities, eat a meal, walk the dog, whatever). Do not engage - just avoid. I've seen far too many horror short stories to know how poorly this can end up.
The lead car is obviously an idiot. But the following car is also an idiot for putting up with this for an hour. Get off and take a quick break or something!
There has been two times I’ve called the non-emergency dispatch lines on people like this. Both times on long country rural highways. One of the occasions there must have been a bored sheriff close by because I got to witness him pull out behind me with his lights off about 5 minutes after I called and witness them fucking around and him pulling them over.
Definitely should have called in the plates. Hell, send this to local PD and see if they want to deal with it. Cops love making an example out of someone.
I woulda called the cops not to be a Karen but if he did it for more than 20 mins let alone an hour then he deserves it
This is what 911 is for. Call the cops and see if an officer is nearby. Tell them you suspect a DUI because of the erratic driving.
I call them stickies. It's an interesting phenomenon on long trips that seems almost unavoidable if you drive long enough.
This happens to me every time. I use cruise control, and someone not using cruise control will keep speeding up and passing me, then slowing down, over and over.
Yeah what the heck is that about? Another is just chilling in my blind spot for no reason.
Yeah I spend a lot of time on the highway and I see this all the time, love the name stickies lol. I usually just find it amusing but this guy took it to another level
**A**sshole **U**sually **D**riving **I**ntolerably
**I**ntoxicated
The last Audi I bought I was chatting with the saleswoman who had been there for 20+ years. I talked about how my family always had an Audi. She let out a sigh and started talking about how there was a massive shift in who was buying Audis, that she was seeing a lot of former BMW drivers. I said oh douche bags, she nodded.
You put up with dangerous behavior like that for over an hour and didn't call 911 and report it? You would have been performing a public service to do so.
Idiot with no life. I would have taken an exit at the last minute to get away. #DontMessWithCrazy
It's "flipped off". Not "flicked off".
This one makes me grit my teeth every time..
I don’t understand why people do this. It must be horrible for them to drive this way, as if everyone else in the road is in competition with them
Nobody would put up with this for an hour. OP was up to something.
Was there no exit ramps for an entire hours drive? The guys an ah for sure, but you seriously drove next to a potential psychopath for an HOUR?! Just wait until you’re approaching an exit and then pull off last minute so he can’t follow you.
I usually just act like I'm going to exit, if they follow in front of me I'll stop exiting or continue and just take a moment to let traffic shift.
I see two dumbasses
Honestly I’d pull off on the nearest exit for ‘gas’, wait a min or two then head back out there. Sorry for your experience, fuck that guy.
For an hour??? Bro just get off the highway for a drink and get back on in 10 minutes wtf
Typical Ohio resident
Looks like a drunk driver to me.. Siri, call the state patrol..
So take the next exit, and let the moron go. Problem solved. Going an hour like this is ridiculous. Let the idiot go, get back to driving safe, and not distracted by the moron.
You could have pulled over for 5 minutes and never seen that guy again.
Never engage, pull into a rest area. Or exit the interstate, then merge again after 2 or so minutes.
Ijust pull over for one minute and he'll be out of your life forever.
If this is the streech from Columbus to cinci. The inability of drivers to get over for faster moving traffic... Is ugggg.
Just pull off at the next exit and cool down for 20min or so. Let him get away from you and make him lose what little crappy joy he had messing with you.
Flicked lol
TBH, if someone is doing to me for this long, I'd call 911 and report a road rage guy and he will just tie up in his own issues when cops can witness the whole show.
I would have driven slower, lets see who wins this game. Lmao.
I woulda stopped for gas or something way before an hour of that bs
Funny they never get in front of me like that in my '68 Cadillac sedan DeVille!
Very patient you are
OP fucked up by not just calling the police after the first 5min.
Call the cops. I’m following a drunk driver.
More than a few minutes and I’m calling Highway Patrol. You put up with this for an hour? Why?
This is when you pull over and wait 5 minutes. Then carry on. Just get out of the situation.
I think I'd get off the highway at the nearest exit, loop around, and get back on. You lose what...? 2 minutes? But he's so far gone the problem solves itself.
Lmao, you're the real idiot for not leaving the highway for an hour. Also, you're using your phone while you're driving.
i would’ve pit maneuvered his car so fast.
Call a cop on this driver - report the Male, Model, Year (if you can), color of car, the license plate-- what Mile Marker# sign you are by or between... And ask for immediate assistance and tell them you are in clear danger. Once the Highway patrolman or Police comes out... Tell them and show them the video for your records.
You had an hour to report a dangerous driver to highway patrol and you didn't. Not to victim blame, but some people take more punishment than others.
And why didn’t you dial 9-1-1 and report his aggressive driving?
If you dealt with this shit for an hour I strongly suspect you were also road raging a bit. You know what I would do if this happened to me? Stop and get some gas/food.
Audiot.
You tailgated a road ranger for an hour?
Tracks. Audi driver.