riding bumpers

Riding bumpers is when you follow someone in a vehicle too closely for a long period of time. Often used as an intimidation tactic or in retaliation for some real or perceived driving impoliteness.

Riding bumpers is allowed when someone cuts you off in traffic!

Bumper Ride

The term "Bumper Ride" is a regional term originating in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio with nearly the same meaning as the term "skeetch," but suburbanized and without city bravado. Due to the snowy roads in the city, kids often hitched a ride by staying low and grabbing on to the rear bumper of a vehicle at a stop sign and 'skiing' the road, more like 'water-skiing,' and released hold of the rear bumper when reacing their destination. Avoiding detection was key, due to the hidden nature of the liability incurred by the driver. Sadly, chrome bumpers are no longer made on cars and the tradition has fallen by the wayside.

Derek caught a "bumper ride" all the way to his street and only walked a block instead of 12 blocks.