Do Vipers Attract Tailgaters and Aggressive Drivers?

[russellesq]

Just a thought I had. I have a 2003 Red SRT-10 and I get a bunch of idiots that like to tailgate me no matter what speed I am going. One joker this morning was no more than a few inches from my back bumper while I was going 65 mph on the highway. This does not even include the idiot rice burners with their loud mufflers that run along the side of me to impress me with their redlining driving. Is this just part of the Viper experience?

 

[bigmack339]

This should attract viper owners who CALL THE POLICE.

 

[SkyBob]

They want to see you punch it.

 

[eucharistos]

they must prove you are nothing,

that you and your car do not intimidate them,

and that they are better than you even if they are secretly tinkling themselves at seeing a real viper in person

 

[russellesq]

They want to see you punch it.

Punch them you mean?

 

[slysnake]

I actually have not had too much of that in my 3 years of Viper ownership. Never had a tailgater. I have had lots of people that will "take off" faster than I would normally expect when I pull up beside or behind them at a light. On the open highway, not so much.

I don't think it's so much envey or hate, they just want to see it perform. Who wouldn't?

 

[Pythonpete]

Tailgaters, people driving close trying to take a picture almost swerving into my car. People who want to race, people who want to see me go fast. People who rev their engines, people who pop wheelies on motor cycles. People who try to cut me off.

So yes, I see that EVERY TIME I take my Viper out.

 

[Kala]

I guess it depends too on which lane you are in on the fwy. 1st lane doing 65, here... That would make for a lot of angry drivers behind you. Especially in the car pool lane. Those Prius drivers are a pain in the A** LOL

I mostly had problems with packs of ricers surrounding me... I wouldn't even look at them... Eventually they would go away...

Didn't you just have your Viper smashed? Was it fixed?

 

[eucharistos]

they must prove you are nothing,

that you and your car do not intimidate them,

and that they are better than you even if they are secretly tinkling themselves at seeing a real viper in person

this sounds a bit harsh,

i wrote that after only a couple of sips of the morning joe, and was thinking only of tailgaters ,

don't trust them to be able to stop fast enough (i.e., faster than me) should the need arise, so despise them

the other players are really only giving respect to seeing a viper on the road and asking "wanna play"

 

[viperbuck93]

I do not see that problem,(except an occasional ricer) usually when some one is paceing me or driving to close behind they have a camera or cell phone taking pictures!

 

[SCSViper]

Just had it happen last night coming home from dinner with my wife. Some Jacka$$ comes flying up on my bumper while going ~50 mph. Made a left turn and jumped on it a bit, spun the tires going 20 mph. He backed off, *****. It was dark, so I don't think they were taking pictures/videos.

 

[dave6666]

I slow down to whatever speed makes them disengage. I have come to a near complete stop on the Interstate before. It works, they get the message. And to those that say that's dangerous slowing down like that, well, you know how I feel about what other people think. Anyway, I don't just slam on the brakes, and if the drivers behind whomever is on my ass don't realize traffic is slowing down, then put the cell phone down and pay attention.

 

[RedEnuf93]

Is this just part of the Viper experience?

Yes. I get tailgater just about every day on highway. Everything from Rustangs to Diesel 4x4's, not to forget the ass-in-the-air mutant wasps doing wheelies next to my Viper.

 

[Golfer15]

In the short time that I have had my car, I have noticed people want you to be doing 100 mph. They tailgate to see you punch it and leave them in a cloud of dust, me I slow down to the max speed limit and let them pass!! My motto is, "any car can go 150kph, I know I can do it faster"

 

[plumcrazy]

i try to drive fast enough so there are no tailgaters.

 

[bigmack339]

God, I love to hear those whom justify their experiences. I just got cut off by a Suburban the other day. He then sped off at went home. I followed and explained that won't happen again or I call the cops right there.

Quit passing the buck to the next civilized patron.

 

[dave6666]

God, I love to hear those whom justify their experiences. I just got cut off by a Suburban the other day. He then sped off at went home. I followed and explained that won't happen again or I call the cops right there.

Quit passing the buck to the next civilized patron.

You > Earth

 

[dodgefever]

This happens every time I take the car out here in SouthEast Virginia. I drive my Viper no different than I drive my Ram, about 6 over the speed limit. (OK, OK, maybe a LIIIIIITTTLE faster. lol) Far more angering to me are the folks who are in front of you and go out of their way to cut you off, trap you behind a slow driver, make you slam on the brakes, slow down so you cant go around them, etc. To me they are far more dangerous than a tailgater. You can ignore a tailgater. Someone who make you alter the way you are driving by doing something stupid in front of you, is just plain dangerous.

 

[chiefchad]

Agree....
I had kept my mouth shut up to now, because I think I ***** too much but it is the antics of the people in front of you that drive me nuts. I pay particular attn. to the driving habits of others in all of the different vehicles I drive to make it more of a controlled experiment - I make sure it's not just my imagination. The Viper certainly brings out some malicious personalities with some people who see you in their rearview mirror. At times, they go out of their way to make sure you have a bad day too.

This happens every time I take the car out here in SouthEast Virginia. I drive my Viper no different than I drive my Ram, about 6 over the speed limit. (OK, OK, maybe a LIIIIIITTTLE faster. lol) Far more angering to me are the folks who are in front of you and go out of their way to cut you off, trap you behind a slow driver, make you slam on the brakes, slow down so you cant go around them, etc. To me they are far more dangerous than a tailgater. You can ignore a tailgater. Someone who make you alter the way you are driving by doing something stupid in front of you, is just plain dangerous.

 

[Bobpantax]

What you need to do is install a rear, aimable liquified canine feces projector. When they get too close, approximately 16 ounces of the substance is sprayed on the front of the offending vehicle. I think that JonB carries them. But if you get one and use it, you will not be able to say that you did not give a **** when you were tailgated.

 

[swexlin]

Haven't noticed any more less than when in the Viper, than when in the truck or the Superbee. I just pull away from 'em!

 

[GTS Dean]

I find it the most troublesome when I'm hauling the GTS to the track on an open trailer. I usually run the outside or middle lane at reasonable speeds. People will always rush thru traffic to get close, then they'll pull abreast of the trailer and gawk, not paying attention to the traffic dynamics around them. I'll invariably close on slower cars and need to move to the passing lane, which is effectively blocked by the gawkers. I always signal way ahead, but most times they're so focused on the car that they are oblivious. The only thing I can do to to wake them up is to start drifting left to begin the overtake I'm engaged in. Pretty soon, the gawkers get the message and slow down so I can continue my driving.

 

[musclenutz]

When i was younger,i did all the stupid things when someone was tailgating me no matter what i was driving. I would slam on the brakes,jump out and cuss them out and once even pulled some idiot right through his window. I now usually just slow way down on curves and then speed up enough so they can't pass me on straight aways. It bugs the hell out of them. That's what idiots like that deserve anyway imo. I don't really Give a sh!! what other's think. They try to ruin my drive,i have no compunctions about messing with their mind. Mostly now i just ignore and enjoy my drive though. Age does calm you down some i guess

 

[chiefchad]

To GTS Dan

I love that pic. You only find that kind of Americana beauty in a Norman Rockwell painting.

Simply awesome.

[/QUOTE]

 

[Kala]

What you need to do is install a rear, aimable liquified canine feces projector.

I have heard rumors this is a standard feature on the Gen V Viper...

As well as a few other superhero features.

 

[2000_Black_RT10]

2 months ago I had a tailgater problem in my Viper. This guy was on my rear for a few miles, far too close, at the stop light he crept right up to my bumper, he was driving a late model Honda SUV, all I saw was an H in my rearview mirror. I got out, yelled at the guy, pointed out he was 1/2" from my bumper, not kidding, he kept repeating "I have radar, I know how close I am". It was extremely aggravating, had to hold back with verbal comments because he had his family with kids in the SUV. Complete ***** with some kind of insecurity problem, heck the Viper is a manual, sometimes may roll back a bit when starting to go. I got back in my car, tricked him into passing me when I acted as if I was turning right, zipped up behind him and wrote down his plate and reported him to the police. Now I'm a bit of a brawny sized fellow, worse things could have happened, easily busted his jaw and I would have went to jail, he could have had a gun, fighting off ***** rapers in jail, felony assault charge, never be able to visit the US with that felony record, maybe lose my job, list goes on. It was best to just report it to the police. I thought, what a **** to be tailgating with his family in the car, could cause an accident, that was more of the reason why I wanted to report him.

 

[Bobpantax]

You did the right thing. We were recently passed on the highway by a driver driving an old American luxury car who was weaving and went onto the left breakdown lane twice for a moment - not to pass. Despite my honking ( I figured that he might be falling asleep or on his cell phone) he did not stop doing the same thing. We immediately called the FHP and gave them a description of the car. We later saw a trooper pull a U turn though the median and stop him. We were relieved. He could have ended up killing someone.

 

[chiefchad]

Is it just me or has anyone else thought the deep low pocket beside the battery in the Viper trunk was specifically designed for an aftermarket tailgater detterence kit? I had visions of a box full of nails that can be tripped by a toggle switch. I even think the rear diffuser was actually designed to spread out the nails evenly onto the asphalt.....

I have heard rumors this is a standard feature on the Gen V Viper...

As well as a few other superhero features.

 

[Chuck 98 RT/10]

I find it the most troublesome when I'm hauling the GTS to the track on an open trailer. I usually run the outside or middle lane at reasonable speeds. People will always rush thru traffic to get close, then they'll pull abreast of the trailer and gawk, not paying attention to the traffic dynamics around them. I'll invariably close on slower cars and need to move to the passing lane, which is effectively blocked by the gawkers. I always signal way ahead, but most times they're so focused on the car that they are oblivious. The only thing I can do to to wake them up is to start drifting left to begin the overtake I'm engaged in. Pretty soon, the gawkers get the message and slow down so I can continue my driving.

YES. Happens every single time I go to the track too. I don't get angry about it but I do wish they'd take a break from gawking to be more aware of the traffic.

 

[Jance GTS]

I had an Elipse riding along besides me one night. He was trying to get me to race so I just ignored him and turned around at the next light. I was enjoying the drive and then he gets an inch off my bumper with his lights on bright and follows me for the next couple of miles...

I'll admit before I had my Viper I used to get close to them to see the car, but I never tailgated them or did anything stupid, now I just find it annoying LOL.