Tailgaters!

  Whats to close for you?   For me if I can't see your headlights in my mirror over my trucks tailgate, YOUR TOO *&^#@ CLOSE! Watch for brake lights and my rear bumper getting larger!  90% of the time its women that are oblivious to the fact there following way too close, and I'm sure they wonder why my brake lights go on suddenly when there on my bumper (Much better word than what I wanted to use) I'm not one to clog up a lane by going slow in a fast lane, and I will have a good 10-12 car length (50-75yds) gap between me & the vehicle in front of me.  Don't expect me to close that "safety gap" by riding my bumper!
   

Preach on!  Most drivers are complete idiots. 

I find that a hot fudge sundae is a good test to determine if a driver is tailgating. I have never littered on the highway or ever actually done this   .

Instructions:
Step 1: Roll down window
Step 2: Reach out and as far on to the center of your roof as possible
Step 3: Release sundae from hand
Step 4: Watch rear view mirror for test results

Results Analysis:
Result 1: Ice cream and fudge hit windshield  - dangerously close
Result 2: Hood or grill of vehicle - moderately close
Result 3: No vehicle impact - possibly safe

-Brian G

   On a few occasions, hitting the windshield washer has caused some "rain" to hit said offending windshield behind me, causing them to inturn wipe their windshield off, after backing off some. Unfortunately the sundae release won't work with my vehicle.  I have a "Hi liner" campershell.  If I were to release said sundae it would only hit the leading edge of my camper shell and then mess the rest of the shell.

In general if all I can see is YOU in my mirrors then you're too close.  Wherever possible I'll pull over rather than have someone on my butt.

On the flip side of the coin, if there's room in front of you and someone is behind you, please let us by...  actually I face this situation more often than the other way around...  they don't call it the fast lane for nothing.

Sounds like you got NCKA confused with http://sfbay.craigslist.org/cgi-bin/personals.cgi?category=rnr 

Not many people seem to have a great love of tailgaiters but get over it and don't let it ruin your day.  Everyone does something that someone else dislikes.  I say that for our next conversation we should debate the perfect thread count in our linen.      

OK, OK, so the consensus is that this isn't something to talk about here, but I'm gonna ANYWAY

Living in the SC mtns & driving Empire grade (or the Felton cutoff, or Pine Flat, etc) between my house & UCSC I see all kinds of idiots on the road. Usually it is not a gender issue but a new-to-the-area student driving a much nicer car than mine. I do pull over when I come across one of the few safe spots, but often the drivers can't wait & instead pass me on curves as they flip me off.

I was followed by a BMW one winter when it froze hard with an inch of ice on the road, and well, the bumper of my bronco totaled the, get this, driver's friend's mom's new BMW.

After the fatality on Empire/Felton cutoff a few weeks ago (18yr old passing over the double yellow line on a narrow, windy, 2 lane road, at 10pm, in the rain) maybe folks will pay more attention...for a few days.

Now, 400 count or higher?

In general if all I can see is YOU in my mirrors then you're too close.  Wherever possible I'll pull over rather than have someone on my butt.

On the flip side of the coin, if there's room in front of you and someone is behind you, please let us by...  actually I face this situation more often than the other way around...  they don't call it the fast lane for nothing.

I'm with you 100% on both counts.  I tend to drive fast, but when someone gains on me I'll gladly move to the left...it's common courtesy.  Too bad that, as Brian said, most drivers are complete idiots.  Nothing irks me more than some moron tooling along in the fast lane at 65mph when there are 5-6 cars lined up behind them itching to get by.  Or even worse, when some moron (often solo, in a hybrid, I have noticed) is doing 45 in the car pool lane with 20 cars lined up behind and a half-mile gap in front.  It creates a dangerous situation and a lot of hot tempers.

Sounds like you got NCKA confused with http://sfbay.craigslist.org/cgi-bin/personals.cgi?category=rnr 

 

Not many people seem to have a great love of tailgaiters but get over it and don't let it ruin your day.  Everyone does something that someone else dislikes.  I say that for our next conversation we should debate the perfect thread count in our linen.      

Sounds good to me!  Although in the cold weather I really prefer flannel sheets, especially since my wife is a cover-thief.  

campers in the fast lane blow
tailgaters have high insurance rates...

I prefer 800+ thread count, 1000 sateen is preferable.

I prefer 800+ thread count, 1000 sateen is preferable.

Livin' the good life!

BTW, I hate tailgaters, too.

 Agreed,

 Pulling over, getting flipped off, and letting go is the Best policy, let the MF'er's eat it somewhere else...

 But, if getting back and Anger management classes have not been working...

 Let them know why they should give proper distance...  Don't hit your Brakes,  Aholes are ready for that and gladly accept that as a invitation to fight
 ( BTW, Extending them from getting to where they wanted to go faster in the first place...
             Just don't get it )

 But, Instead,  make a evasive maneuver like something has just jump in front of you and watch your mirror in Glee as you see the Red face A-hole turn Pale White realizing they have no time to swerve themselves...

 But, also be prepared,  nothing will get them more Angry as having got the best of them...


 Pull over, let it Go.....

You're assuming that tailgating only happens in the fast lane!? Several years ago, a driver in Fremont was shot and killed on I-880 because he was driving too slow in the SLOW lane and a passenger in the offended car needed to relieve herself.

Howard

Major pet peeve of mine as well JP. Like JP the headlights are the test. If I can't see 'em they're waay too close. I'll pull over to the right and let 'em pass in a sec and try to before they even get a chance to tailgate. If I'm in the slow lane (most of the time) and someone's riding me, I just let off the gas and let the guy behind me fume. They'll eventually pass on the left and it's all over. Like Danglin said, I'll let them eat it on their own!

Z

Pull over, let it Go.....

Wise words!

Then again, IMO = our driving license testing and schooling could be A LOT BETTER

I, too, don't like tailgaters but my biggest driving pet peeve is a little different.

I get so angry when I'm in the fast lane of a 2-lane HW and have a semi in the slow lane and people behind you jump into the slow lane and speed up to the semi and cut off people in the fast lane.  This results in people in the fast lane having to hit their brakes and slowing down traffic, thus causing more people to get irritated and continue the cycle.  What these people don't realize is that they are the PROBLEM!  If they had a little patience, everybody would be able to get by the semi much quicker.  BTW, this happens quite frequently on I-205.  *Note, my problem has nothing to do with semis on the road.  They do the speed limit and have every right to be there.

Another pet peeve of mine, particularly when traveling around town, is when you have somebody pull out in front of you, especially when it is a 2 or 3-lane road, making you slam on your brakes in order to not rear-end them.  Sometimes it is possible to change lanes to avoid having to decelerate, but other times, they pull out so late that you don't know what lane they'll be entering and you have to slam on the brakes.  This is even more frustrating when there is NOBODY behind you and they could have just waited another 5 seconds.  Oblivious, thoughtless, inconsiderate drivers drive me nuts! 

Great thread Troy.  I feel relieved already!

Michael