That's easy to deal with: They're behind you. Ignore them.

Setting the side mirrors based on the AAA method works for a lot of reasons, and it helps with this too. So does flipping the center mirror over to the dark side.

Out of sight, out of mind.

They can be elect to stay back there behaving however they want, or they can go around be however they need to be somewhere else.

If you just can't stand it anymore, then just hop off the highway. It can be a good opportunity to stop for some coffee or a soda. Or, you know: Just to get out of the car, stretch out the ol' legs, and taste that acrid city air, think about something or someone in the world that is beautiful for you, and chill down a second.

Or just go up one exit ramp and down the entrance ramp on the other side of the crossroad, if the intersection design allows this move to be made safely and conveniently.

They almost certainly won't follow. They'll instead be disappearing down the highway at warp speed the whole time you're doing this, and you'll probably never across them again in your entire life.

It only costs a few minutes. They may seem interminable, but they're few. The benefit is relief from the mounting agony of dealing with this aggressive driver that might otherwise stick with you the rest of the day and that's good for your brain health.

(And if they do follow after you give them every opportunity to not do that? It's not Hollywood or the national news and this actually doesn't happen much in the real world on an individual level, but: Call the police at 911 or 999 or 0118 999 881 999 119 725 3 or whatever it is, and get some help.)

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its_magic 2 hours ago | parent [-]

It's all fun and games until one gets rear-ended by one of these mental patients.

The solution is just to stay out of Atlanta, or drive faster. I'm OK with that.

Not really sure where you were going with all this. Sounds like pretty extreme, weird behavior that you are advocating.

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Dylan16807 2 hours ago | parent [-]

> Sounds like pretty extreme, weird behavior that you are advocating.

Advice for when someone is following closely in anger that summarizes to "try getting off the highway for a minute and if that fails call the cops." is suggesting you perform "extreme, weird behavior"? I don't understand your reaction at all.

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its_magic 2 hours ago | parent [-]

The people in question weren't angrily following me. If that were the case, there's no need for any theatrics.

The first weapon to be employed is a Middle Finger. If that proves ineffective, it's followed by a lugnut taken from a coffee can that I keep handy. If and when things get to that level, the person usually wises up quick and finds a new hobby. There are other tools available if the nutcase decides to escalate further.

No, in this case it was just people speeding along at 95 (in a 70) who were terribly offended at my dangerously slow driving, who wished to register their indignation as they flew by, momentarily held back but undeterred as they sped off to their Bright New Tomorrow. Message received, loud and clear.

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ssl-3 an hour ago | parent | next [-]

So just... let them go. It's easy to do.

Escalation usually doesn't improve things, including for the person displaying the universal finger (or throwing the lug nut).

You've got a choice: You can keep plodding along in your truck while you escalate and retaliate and get all grumpy and stuff, or just keep plodding along in your truck without any of that noise.

The errant, instigating driver won't really learn anything either way.

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its_magic an hour ago | parent [-]

You misunderstand. There is no grumpiness involving in throwing a lug nut at some unhinged asshole's car. On the contrary, it's quite cathartic.

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ssl-3 an hour ago | parent [-]

Prisons are full of people who are sure that they were right.

	▲	its_magic 13 minutes ago \| parent [-]
		Like the prison you live in, for example.

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Dylan16807 an hour ago | parent | prev [-]

> The first weapon to be employed is a Middle Finger. If that proves ineffective, it's followed by a lugnut taken from a coffee can that I keep handy. If and when things get to that level, the person usually wises up quick and finds a new hobby. There are other tools available if the nutcase decides to escalate further.

I, uh, okay but I hope you realize that this is far more extreme than what the other person was suggesting!

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its_magic an hour ago | parent [-]

Are you kidding? Driving all over Creation trying to shake some crazy off my tail, getting on/off the interstate, calling the cops ("please sir, drive across town to handle my problem for me!"), and so on is what you consider normal, acceptable way of Handling Business, but simply throwing a lug nut at the son of a bitch is too much? Really strange culture you've got there.

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Dylan16807 40 minutes ago | parent [-]

Taking a break is less extreme than throwing a lug nut at a moving car.

Exiting and immediately reentering a freeway is also less extreme.

Calling the cops if someone that is raging at you follows you when you do that is not extreme.

Nobody suggested "driving all over creation".

	▲	its_magic 12 minutes ago \| parent [-]
		It may surprise you to learn that you have nothing to teach me about how to live or how to solve problems, son. Your advice is worthless. But please, tell us more about yourself and your broken, hopeless society. Your problems fester and grow because you refuse to address them.