A driver frustrated with aggressive tailgating shared a tactic online to remedy this problem. User Mr. Bigs (@soulgearmrbigs) posted a viral TikTok highlighting what this defense protocol is. And all one needs is a handful of rocks and a vehicle that has a lever-operating gas tank cover.
His clip detailing this revenge plot garnered over 2 million views on the platform. Numerous folks who replied to his video applauded the maneuver.
Rocky road
The TikToker begins his video with a shot of an open gas cap cover. Lining the interior of the gas cap are several small rocks. Next, he issues a warning to an individual who was recently tailing him while on the road.
It appears that Mr. Bigs has a plan to ensure that if this individual intends on tailing him again, they’re not going to have a good time doing so. That’s because the rocks inside of Mr. Bigs’s car’s gas tank can be weaponized against drivers behind him.
“To the guy that was swerving at me. And I couldn’t even see his high beams, he was so close to my tailgate. Good luck tonight,” he says before closing the cover to his gas cap.
It seems that the TikToker intends on releasing his gas cap cover while driving. Presumably, it will open up just enough to allow the rocks to fall out of his car. The rocks could then fall out of the vehicle and onto the road, striking the vehicle behind him. The rocks might even bounce off the pavement and strike their windshield.
What are other defense mechanisms?
This isn’t the first time a driver’s defense mechanism against tailing vehicles has gone viral. Previously, purported footage from the front camera of a police squad car went viral. The footage shows an officer tailing a Dodge Charger and a Porsche Panamera.
Someone in the Porsche can be seen handing off a large black container to the Grey Charger. Soon after, the rear trunk of the Dodge pops open, and a large blob of a black substance exudes from the container.
The officer’s vehicle then begins to spin out of control and it becomes evident what the substance was: oil. It appears that the drivers preempted the possibility that they would be pursued. The Porsche and Dodge passengers coordinated efforts while on a highway to transfer the liquid’s storage apparatus.
The back seats of the Charger must’ve been recessed to allow access for the container to point at the road. Next, the driver popped the trunk and engaged the container’s opening mechanism. This caused oil to spill on the road, which made the officer’s vehicle spin out.
Several commenters, however, reported the video as a staged clip for internet clout.
Legal?
It’s not difficult to imagine that damage that could arise from tossing hazardous materials at another driver.
This is especially true if there are other commuters on the road. If a hazard were to inhibit the tailing driver’s ability to maintain control of their vehicle, it could result in a multi-car crash.
Additionally, if you engage in acts of violence while on the road, you could find yourself in trouble with the law. Florida News station 92.1 CTQ penned an article delineating how a man was arrested in a road rage incident involving a rock.
The story indicates that one driver tossed a stone at another driver’s vehicle in Flagler Beach, Florida. As a result, they were charged with criminal mischief, battery, and “throwing a missile into a vehicle.” He was released from custody after posting a $16,500 bond.
County Sheriff Rick Staly highlighted the incident’s aftermath as a lesson for folks to “manage” their anger whilst driving.
@soulgearmrbigs #road rage#consequences ♬ original sound – Soul gear 369 Mr Bigs
Playing Mario Kart?
Numerous folks sided with Mr. Bigs’ tailgating revenge, however.
One person agreed with his line of thinking. “The only thing preventing me from installing caltrops is the fact that they’re incredibly illegal,” they said.
Another thought they immediately understood what the TikToker was implying with his post. “Some cars have a button/lever that can open the gas cap from the driver seat. maybe he is planning on playing a little Mario kart with them,” they added.
Someone else had another, less aggressive method for dealing with frustrating commuters. “PLEASE READ. This is the safest way I’ve been dealing with tailgaters for decades. HOLD down the windshield wiper sprayer. ‘All the water will start raining all over their car.’ You’re welcome,” they suggested.
Others said keeping spare change in your car is another way to stop tailgaters.
“$1.43 in mixed change tossed up and out of the sunroof tends to get you a little more space. It is worth the investment,” one jokingly suggested.
The Daily Dot has reached out to Mr. Bigs via TikTok comment for further information.
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