It is only occasionally that I get tailgated in the X5, it happens far more offten in my RX7 TT (little bigger than a Miata); I guess some people think people in smaller cars are more easily intimidated?

Anyway, on these occasions. I start watching the rear view mirror to see if the driver is paying attention. Most are. When I am sure they are looking, I give them a "back off" sign - thumb pointing backwards with arm pumping.

Most people back off right away - others get angry, more aggressive, and move in closer.

This happened today. I was going down the street in the 7 when this woman with child in back seat came speeding up to my bumper. She was so close, I could not see the lower portion of her front grill. I give her the "sign" and she immediately gets pissed and closed in tighter while giving me the "go ahead and drive sigh" hands grasping invisible steering wheel and rocking left/right.

Well since I was (a) doing the speed limit - according to my speedo (b) waiting for my engine to come up to heat, (c) on a one lane, I continued at my speed while trying to get her to back off.

After a while it became apparent that she was not going to back off (she was giving me a new sign - the bird) I started to slow. My position is that if you wont get off my ass, I'll take it down to 5-10 MPH below the limit if I have to in order to make the point. If you get off my tail, I will speed back up.

So this turned into a big deal when she tried to pass me on a bend and almost had a head on with opposing traffic. I could see her swearing and cursing and just freaking out. (BTW, this is one of the reasons I keep a camera recording front/rear in th X5 - i need to get one for the 7 now.) All the way to the next light she kept swerving left and right in the lane. I am not sure what that was for because she had nowhere to go.


So, the question I have is how do you all handle tailgaters?

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2006 X5 Sport 4.4i