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But I am not inconsiderate.
I am a tailgater because I am considerate of the person behind me. I have no idea why any of you would care if someone's driving close behind you. It's not as if I'm affecting your driving.
I dont honk my horn or flash my lights.
I simply drive very very close.
It improves density of cars on the road, and hence improves traffic conditions.
I find slow drivers to be inconsiderate.
I did that once in Virginia and the dude followed me to a rest area. Then, after I got away, he followed me out the exit ramp onto Interstate 64. Since my Accord can do 0-60 about 12 times faster than his rig, I did it to him again, except this time he was stuck at the end of an entry ramp to the interstate at 15 miles an hour and too close to accelerate. I don't know what happened to him but my Accord just shot out and I accelerated. So small, quick cars do have some recourse when gigantic rigs harrass us. They're just plain dangerous when they get close to you.
No drivers elsewhere in the world get angry about it. When i'm driving slow I sure as hell don't get angry about it either.
In Taiwan it would be your responsibility to brake.
When you are driving fast, you are less likely to fall asleep, because it is more exciting.
When you are drivign slow, you may fall asleep and die.
The cool thing about the situation is, when the person behind you thinks you are going too slow in fog, and then they pass, you just stay behind them and use their tail lights as a guide. It's like some sort of cruel trap really.
I think a better idea would be to stay in your lane unless you absolutely have to switch. I've even switched lanes to pass school buses and they've caught me...and those things are very slow. Again, when a school bus is in the right lane, often almost everyone goes left and the left lane bottles up. All those people are stuck there and you just move up to the back of the bus. Then, once everyone realizes the left lane isn't moving either, they try to speed up to pass the bus but they can't...their lane is moving too slowly. If they try to make it back into the right lane, they end up behind me. It even happens with slow-moving buses, so I figure I'm not going to make up any time passing an automobile.
It starts to get dangerous when people become aggressive and impatient. There were a lot of times when people would dash out onto my lane when they clearly could not. Thank god for the horn, it actually works in some cases.
Today, I followed a Camry down my street. He was going extremely slow, and for some odd reason kept pressing the brake even when the road was clear. What made it even MORE dangerous was he kept hesitating at the stop sign, he would go and stop, go and stop. He was probably a new driver, well at least I hope he was.
After waiting for a group of vehicles to pass (the vehicles were in the center lane and fast lane), the driver slowly cut across to the center lane, where then he drove at about 45 mph, blocking traffic.
Now, if only we could get the Canadian and Mexican trucks to follow suit.
Here's how it works
As soon, as your lane starts slowing down about 10 cars ahead, start switching.
Then the other lane will speed up, and then switch after it starts slowing down.
I do that and usually get there like in 1/4th the time if I dont switch
What goes around comes around--right back to them.
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
Personally, I think a woman should think twice about giving the finger to a man. She could be putting herself at grave risk.
But they're a lot bigger than you, and it wouldn't surprise me if some of them (especially owner-operators) carry shotguns with them.
If I'm in the fast lane and one comes up on me (especially going downhill), I'll speed up (within reason) to get out of their way. In the slow lane, I just let them go around me.
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Why in this day and age are so many truckers still paid by the mile and/or load? It just gives them more incentive to speed and not take proper rest breaks.
Aint nothing like getting crushed by the fast moving truck either!
Trucks shouldn't be allowed to go faster than 70. They can go fast; they just can't stop on time. I've seen 2 pileups - in both cases trucks did 90% of the damage.
Which was one of the reasons for my post.
My state's rules of the road considers tailgating as agressive driving. It is especially inconsiderate and rude when a tailgater comes up on a rear of a left lane car passing a right lane line of slower cars, 18-wheelers, and the left laner may already be going 10-15 over the limit. I guess the tailgater wants to go 20+ over the limit. I do not want to quarrel with them on their need for speed - this is best left to the authorities - but these tailgaters (idiots would be too kind of a term) need to be told somehow about their very dangerous behavior. Best practice for safe and sane drivers is to move over as soon as possible and let the tailgeter(s) by.
I have observed, as most on this board no doubt have, from the right lane, tailgaters at less than a car length behind left lane traffic going perhaps 75-80 MPH. And, it is common in rush hour to see a parade of these left lane tailgaters, perhaps 5-8 vehicles, each following within a car-length or less.
Not that anyone here would condone speeding, but a driver in a Porsche 911 going 90 MPH on an empty interstate is far far (infinitely) less dangerous than the tailgaters, especially the tailgater parade.
Yeah, I see this all the time, in rush hour or on highways like the NJ Turnpike. I'm well out of the way in the far right lane, where things are usually less crazy.
I guess if the lead guy sneezes (or his cell phone starts ringing), they all bump into each other!
Just remember that if one does get mad at you, you can get away pretty quickly unless you drive a moped. Then just leave them behind. You can out accelerate and outbrake and out maneuver them. They are just big and clumsy, so if you end up in a scrape with a truck, remember to use your advantages. Don't expect a gigantic truck to stop if you do a brake check. That's why I stopped doing brake checks. The slowly slowing down trick is much safer and effective.
But I have an adorable doggy now. I don't usually get into the mix when he's along. He's so precious. Since we're on the subject, though, how often do you see a mini-van (or other appropriate vehicle) flying by at 15-25 miles an hour (or more) over the speed limit with a family inside? My brother-in-law tailgates when his wife and kids are in the car. What is wrong with these people? I never mess with anyone when I have loved ones in the car. I don't want to be responsible. I don't want to live the rest of my life with guilt.
Yeah, right. I've noticed that so-called forward-control vehicles (like older vans, where the driver sits in the crush zone) tend to follow the most closely.
I'd rather not give the 'enemy' the satisfaction and it just takes too much time and effort. I keep my eyes on the road, where they belong. If I have to give them the finger, or if they have to give me the finger, then my actions weren't clear enough. And I don't really care if they're upset. They probably deserved it.
Like I tell my mother...we all do stupid things on the road, we all have accidents, and there are so many ways to get hurt or killed in a car. There is no reason to stack the deck against yourself.
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
I had a few drivers cruise along behind me in the comfort zone. Even one lady in a Matrix followed for several miles. Then went around.
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
Remember a thriller movie about 30 years ago with Dennis Weaver shot in desert and mountains out west. Dennis somehow aggravated a driver of an old and dirty gasoline tanker and that driver chased and stalked him for the length of the movie. This tanker somehow (a movie) kept up with Dennis on the highways.
But, there is really not much point in getting truckers mad at you in the first place. Just let it go. Most of them are pretty decent folks I think.
Maybe somewhat relevant, but some of those trucks that lived out west could go pretty damn fast once they got a head of steam up (cruising across the vast flatlands). Especially if they were unloaded. Not too fast up the hills though.
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
I remember it was an early movie by a director that later became real famous. I just couldn't remember which one.
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
I can hold of a tractor trailer for over 1/4 mile riding my bicycle from a dead stop. They're not that quick.
You've probably seen it in movies and TV shows before...someone with a little sporty car, or a sports car, and the hero finds a delivery truck and chases.
It was realistic when I was nine years old. Now it's just cinema.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0067023/
But "he" does not have to catch you himself. Remember, they have powerful CB radios, satellite phones, cell phones, etc., to use to call good buddies (some in pickups) that can intercept.
Around here, in WA state, logging trucks fly, empty or loaded. And they handle surprisingly well. I see no reason why an empty tanker couldn't do the same. Just a two-cent opinion.
Larry
It's all about being in the right gear and about knowing the terrain.
I think that playing cat/mouse with these monsters is not worth it. I would normally stay away from them, especially if I have my wife and daughter with me.
Just stating a fact, not trying to advocate playing games with these big rigs.
Speaking of trucks and the "cut-throat"ness of the trucking industry, though, I remember that on my "meet the folks" trip across the lower 48 back in '99, 90% of the vehicles on the road between 2300 and 0500 were typically tractors - especially from Montana through Wisconsin. One night, at about 0300, I came across a tractor that was precariously drifting from one lane to the other and back, occasionally taking the liberty to explore the shoulders as well. I was driving my old '69 Chevy C20 at the time (which as pretty good acceleration at highway speeds) and was slowly catching up to this guy. I was tired at 0300 after about 18 hours behind the wheel, but this kind of stuff brings you back to 100% alertness! I woke up my wife and asked her to watch the cab as we passed, and then took an opportune moment to zip past it. She said the driver's head looked like it was bobbing up and down (falling asleep), so as soon as we were ahead of the truck I blew the horn for several seconds to try and catch his attention. He double-flashed his lights at me and then pulled off the road and stopped.
He was driving a UPS truck, probably headed to Chicago (have you seen the HUUUUGE facility they have there?!), and I like to think that I possibly did him and many customers a favor that night.... I was very glad to see that he took the initiative to pull over and rest. I followed suit at the next rest area and put a couple hours of zzzzz's under the belt before heading back out!
The truck in Duel looked like it was an independent operator. Don't think that the independents today would bother putting a speed governor on their own rigs.
If I recall correctly, the truck driver in Duel was respectful of a school bus with children. But, must have been something about a 6-cylinder wimpy red Mopar that ticked this guy off. Don't think he would have terrorized a Challenger or a Duke Boys Charger of that era.