No, idiot, at some point it becomes feasible to pass.
Now please honor your earlier statement that you were leaving the thread.
Explain how the the tailgater couldn’t pass.
luc-shitforbrains-warm, explain why is it that you are the only one who believes that the the tailgater couldn’t pass because of something that the OP was doing?
Was the OP’s vehicle equipped with some secret agent gadgets that he was employing to keep the mean machine behind him?
Did he break out a ‘Thou shall not pass’ forcefield around his car?
Explain how? What? Where?
On second thought, don’t explain, this thread already has 6 pages of your explanations.
Please spare us.
Ok, no explanation – just a question: Is it your position that on a two-lane road, it is always possible to pass the car in front of you? If not, kindly explain the circumstances under which it is not possible to pass.
Is your position that there was a 20-minute-long funeral procession in the oncoming lane?
I’m not sure what your point is, but I’ll take a stab at your question: I don’t really know, I think it’s unlikely.
MAN. I just read this whole thread, and I’m tired, but I’ll post my various experiences with tailgiters.
Pardon bad spelling, incorrect puncuation, bat language, etc, as I’m tired.
Ahem.
A few years ago, when I was 16 and had only been on the road for about 8months, I was driving to Austin, TX from Houston-area (from the TX Ren Faire site, if anyone knows what highway that would be).
I don’t know the road. At all. It’s dark, no streetlights. The speed limit’s 65, I think. I was going 70 (hell, I wanted to get home, and I’d already been slowed down by a storm) in the right hand lane. People are flying past me at what must be 90.
This frikkin HUGE truck pulls up behind me and starts flashing his lights. I drive a little car that’s low to the ground (94 Saturn), so those headlights are in my eyes. At the time, I didn’t know it was proper etiquette to pull to the side of the road - hell I don’t even remember if there was a side of the road (there wasn’t one during the storm I drove through).
This was before I developed my hatred for tailgaiters. Flashes me some more. So, I speed up. I got to 100 mph before he finally passes me. With my sister and a friend in the car.
So, you know what I do now? If someone’s speeding up on me, and I can get over, I do. If someone speeds up on me, flashes their brights once (usually because I don’t realise that I’m going under the speed limit, or I don’t see them), I pull over or speed up. I’ll occasionally flash someone once. Just once. That’s polite speak for “Hi, I’m behind you. Please move over,” And they usually do. If not, I’ll pass when I get the chance. MAYBE I’ll flash them a second time.
If someone flashes me repetedly and/or honks? Fuck them. I will do everything in my power to piss them off. I’ve slowed down enough to block people in on two lane roads. The madder they get, the more I laugh.
I’ve driven the route from Austin, TX to Kalamazoo, MI many a time. (94-80-55-57-40-30-35 going to tx, reversed going to mi, if you want to know.) I’ve never had a problem with people getting out of my way with one flash, if I even need to flash once. Driven quite a bit around Mi, Tx, and the Chicago area. One flash works well for all those areas. Don’t know what it’s like in the rest of the country.
It’s highly illegal in Mi to tailgate. Impeeding traffic . . . never heard of anyone getting a ticket for that. And I’ve driven 15 in a 55 during snow. That other drivers seem fine driving 40+ in. Eh.
I’ll gleefully take a ticket for impeding traffic just to piss someone off. Cause I think it’s funny. Funny as hell.
If it’s an emergency, flash once (or call an am-bu-lance). Other than that, you’re pissing people off. I’ve never heard anyone bitch about being flashed once. It’s the multi-flashers that piss us off. Anyone else agree with me?
I think the OP was right. Nothing pisses me off more than tailgaiters who flash, and they need to learn to slow the fuck down. Or pass on solid yellow.
I’ll never stop someone from passing on a solid yellow, so have fun.
Ahem.
“I’ve slowed down enough to block people in on two lane roads.”
I MEANT on 4 lane roads, two going my direction. I’ll pace someone in the other lane.
Exactly. Remember the OP, we’re talking 11PM Thanksgiving night; not a time and day one would expect a 20-minute line of cars in the opposite direction unless it’s being led by Windwalker’s twin and another tailgater. It’s more likely that there had been some opportunity to pass prior to the dotted line but Mr. Highbeams didn’t take it.
As for why the rest of the line wouldn’t pass, has anyone else considered that they felt it safer to be behind Mr. Highbeams? Perhaps some of them had been passed by Mr. Highbeams earlier and didn’t want to be in front of him again?
Ok, so what? It doesn’t necessarily follow that the tailgater could have passed.
It seems to me it’s more likely that the tailgater passed at the very first opportunity. Just MHO of course.
A rational driver would do so, yes. Mr. Highbeams doesn’t sound like the rational sort.
From the description, it does not seem to me that the tailgater’s conduct was so bizarre as not to be subject to analysis. Certainly he let his emotions get the best of him (as did the OP).
Lucwarm I’ve just read this whole sorry thread and I’d like to congratulate you for for your absolute insistence on not admitting you are wrong on this vital issue, even in the face of unanimous opposition.
You are of course, wrong but it’s very entertaining to read you arguments. The same way a small yappy dog is entertaining when it tries to scare away trees by barking at them.
To everyone… can we stop the overuse of the “Ummmmmmm, no…” stuff. It’s alright once or twice but seeing it at the start of almost every post in an exchange is very grating; like posting in all caps and/or colours.
Carry on.
He let his emotions get the best of him, yet was still rational? I don’t buy it. Just MHO.
Dang, you folks still arguing about tailgating? Good Og.
GSV, as a fellow Iain M. Banks fan, I applaud your username.
Thanks El_Kabong
Maybe somewhere in Hyperspace there’s a ROU OG SMASH 
This thread would have died out a couple of pages ago if lucwarm wasn’t so bullheaded.
For what it’s worth, it seems a little much to say I’m flat out wrong. My position is based upon my opinion that the OP was not telling the truth in one of his posts. It seems to me it’s a matter of opinion.
Also, I think you’re incorrect that I’ve faced unanimous opposition.
I’m not claiming that he was necessarily rational, just that his behaviour is susceptible to analysis.
**
It takes two to tango, bud.
Remember this?
I was having some fun at your expense.
It most certainly is. Perhaps if you weren’t so insistent on using yours as a club.
Am I to take it that you were posting stuff just to get a rise out of me?
**
Examples?