That is why you shouldn’t follow a truck too closely. Or anyone else too closely for that matter. If you’re following at the distance you should this becomes much less of a problem.
I agree, but I think people often do it for reasons that aren’t consciously jerkish.
I’ve noticed that people tend to speed up when they are being overtaken, not because they’re trying to prevent it, but for two other reasons:
[ul]
[li]They are responding to the same road conditions that make it safe to overtake (straight, wide road with lots of visibility = safe to speed up)[/li][li]They are subconsciously responding to having seen the overtaking vehicle appraching them in their rear view mirror - (something approaching from behind = speed up and get away from it)[/li][/ul]
Drivers need to develop a consciousness that they are doing this, then the behaviour can be modified so as not to appear jerkish,
Being overtaken may be interpreted as a sign that you’ve allowed your own speed to fall inappropriately. If you’re not in a controlled cruise, it may be the correct interpretation.
If you’re being rapidly overtaken, you might also reasonably read that as a sign that the overtaker intends to pass. Compressing the gap with another vehicle at your own speed could be intended to facilitate that.
If you are so close behind that your vision is proscribed, you are the problem. The signs on the backs and sides of trucks about seeing the mirrors and blindspot locations are there for a reason. But people ignore them.
And good luck getting people to do that. Our company policy where I work is to slow down when sometime is following to closely until they back off or pass. (Speeding up just results in them being just as close at a more dangerous speed.) I’ve had people, on the interstate, so close I only knew they were there because of reflections on the road under my trailer. And they’ll stay there until I get down to 40 or 45, even with a clear passing lane. The worst was a guy that just stayed there until I got down to 25, with my flashers going, and I pulled over to the shoulder.
This is on interstate highways on clear days, with a speed limit of 65 or 70, and I’m only doing 60. People are idiots.
I haven’t read every post in this thread, but I agree with this. Even if the truck driver was being a total dick, and even if you were going to be inconvenienced down the track by his dickish behavior, there is never, ever, ever a good excuse for speeding up when someone is trying to pass you.
I once did a civil trial where a guy did it to a woman who was trying to pass him on a rural road at speeds considerably slower than the ones you referenced. His actions caused her to panic, she lost control of her vehicle and wrapped her car around the only tree in the vicinity. She was rendered a quadriplegic for life. He paid her a lot of money for his dickish move, but somehow, I imagine the compensation was inadequate to her way of thinking.
(Bolding mine)
You’re talking about the OP, right?
I disagree, it is much easier, and in my opinion safer, to pass a single car than it is multiple cars.
This is especially true when driving an 18 wheeler.
I’m from the NY area and in dense traffic here in my long experience some people will make a reasonable effort to allow you to make a lane change (I do if the situation is reversed*) and some people are real dicks about it. But I haven’t noticed it that much different in other dense traffic area in cities, LA where I lived for awhile didn’t seem that much different or other metro areas I’ve passed through on road trips. Often when people speak of friendlier/better driving they are talking about areas with less traffic and/or a different demographic profile of drivers (race, class, born in the US or not), which definitely also matters.
On the highway in 99% of cases (not rushing to the hospital or something) I don’t care about passing dynamics that leave me a couple of car (or truck) lengths behind where I’d be if I were more aggressive. If a truck pulls into a gap between me and next car ahead leaving the truck closer than I’d like, I drop back. If I want to pass the truck later, I do. I like two lane road passing in my current car anyway, good excuse to get into triple digits in the interests of safety, passing as quickly as possible, doesn’t take long 
. I don’t speed otherwise, few mph above posted, max.
*obviously depends somewhat on particulars, maybe not the second person trying for the opening you made for the first, the person who zooms all the way up the empty lane you have to merge from then wants to immediately merge without even stopping, etc.
OMG, are you ok? Have you been to the emergency room to get checked out? Have you talked to a therapist? This is literally the worse thing to happen to anyone since Satan was created.
The OP wants to know opinions whether he behaved as an unreasonable dick… but seems unwilling to accept that he has.
IMO, you should have passed the car that was originally in front of you at the first, safe opportunity to do so.
OP is a total dick (in this situation, possibly others, tough to say). I was actually thinking of posting about this last night (someone did it to me), because I honestly cannot fathom why people speed up when they’re getting passed. It’s such a twat thing to do. You’re happy enough lollygagging along until someone tries to pass you, but then nonono you have to be first? Screw you.
This, so much this. Let the truck pass one of you, and then the other. Don’t play chicken with it.