Heh. Forgot this was in IMHO, not the Pit, eh? Given the subject, quite understandable. 
On the highway, if someone is tailgating, I simply move over.
If it’s on the long side roads I use to commute to the highway to/from work, then I like to employ a variety of speeds, slow changes from 30-40, with random stops in between, and changes made without the use of brakes (slow changes).
Nothing frustrates a tailgater than to have a huge spot open up in front of them, then discover a decellerating car once they’ve caught up. Usually after about 4-5 cycles of speed, they get the message, and back off. Then I resume my safe traveling constant speed.
Unless you’ve got lights on your car indicating a public service vehicle, on a call, I don’t pull over to let folks pass on single lane roads. I also drive a reasonable speed (at or just slightly above the speed limit, if conditions warrent. More speed in dry weather, less in rain/snow/low visibility conditions.
Highway speeds when I drive are about 10 mph. (I go through the worst highway segment in the Bay Area, which is saying a lot.)
The only time I do anything that could be called tailgating is when a clown is in the left lane and decides to leave 7 or 8 car lengths in front of him while going 10 or 15 mph. If you think this type of driver is being safe, you’d be wrong. There are three classes of drivers who do this:
Those of a certain ethnicity, which I won’t go into further.
Those on cellphones, jabbering away.
Or, as the one in front of me this morning, those shaving in their cars. :rolleyes:
Really, if your reflexes are so bad that you need that much space at that speed, get in the right lane, or get the hell off the highway.
Do other states not allow passing on the right? In PA you can pass from either lane, but I see many people here complain about left/right lane drivers, so I’m curious.
The few times that I’ve tailgated people, it is usually in congested, slow moving traffic where there isn’t room for me to back up (because someone else is tailgaiting me), or, more often since I live a good distance from any major cities, because I zoned out and wasn’t paying attention.
When someone tailgates me, depending on my mood and the driving conditions, I either move over to let him pass, or I’ll flip on my caution blinkers. Most people slow down when they see the caution blinkers come on. For those who might just be a bit zoned out, the blinkers can get their attention, and for the rest, they probably think I might have engine problems.
If I need to pass someone on a two-way road (ie: only one lane in each direction), I give them a quick flash to let them know I want to pass. This is only if they haven’t already either moved to the side or sped up (most drivers around here seem to be considerate enough), and if they don’t show any inclination to move over/speed up, I wait a bit for the other side of the road to be clear and just pass the old fashioned way. I’ve never had anyone interpret the quick flash of the highbeams (as opposed to a long flash) as a call to arms, but I’ve also only ever used it rarely, and never when it’s congested out.
Life would be a lot easier if the PTB would include a “driving etiquette” section in the handbook. In every freaking language that exists.
In there we (they) could include:
Don’t be a self-absorbed dick-wad (SADW) in the fast lane; allow for others to drive as fast as they want to – it’s their ticket if they’re caught at it.
Don’t be a SADW when people are attempting to merge onto the freeway by slowing/speeding up to make their lives difficult.
Don’t be a SADW and not pay attention to the 2000 lb death tool you’re manning. Get off the damn cell, don’t shave or apply makeup, don’t read the paper, just pay attention to the task-at-hand - driving.
Don’t be a SADW by not using your signals. They indeed are for intention, not permission.
Don’t be a SADW by forcing others to drive less than the speed limit. Take city streets if you’re too scared/distracted to keep up.
Just don’t be a SADW folks!
No, do go on - I’d love to see you attempting to justify (effectively) calling an entire ethnic group congentially stupid :rolleyes:.
That’s right Voyager, just because you have observed that an abnormal percentage of bad drivers are of a certain ethnicity, you may never even mention it in passing.
As Dead Cat has pointed out so well, the mentioning that there might even be an ethnic group that dis-proportionally drives poorly is the equivalent of “calling an entire ethnic group congenitally stupid”.
Keep your generalities to Senior citizens in the future, they are the only group of drivers you are allowed to pick on.
Jim (hoping that that was dripping with sufficient sarcasm)
As What Exit mentioned, saying most of the people doing behavior Y are in group X is not the same as saying all or most of group X do Y. Logic 101. And I never said anything about stupid - they just seem petrified to be driving anywhere near the speed limit.
The people shaving, doing make-up, talking on cellphones and reading the paper - they’re stupid. But they’re all Caucasians, in my experience.
You’re both right, of course - I apologise for my original implication, Voyager. It just sounded wrong when I first read it, but I now realise I did have the logic the wrong way round. I blame society for making me over-sensitive :).
Actually, this is particularly ironic for me since only the other day I made an innocent comment on an e-mail board and was accused of being racist by another poster :smack:.
As you were.
What, wait, you’re using reason and being rational and agreeable, I am 
, Oh wait we’re in IMHO 
I get it.
That really is very cool Dead Cat, I really am surprised by your apology to Voyager. I don’t see enough of that around here and I always admire those who will come back a apologize. Very Cool.
{Puts Dead Cat on personnel list of posters considered good guys/gals} 
Jim
I thank you, and no worries. Typing is an awful communications medium.
Aww, thanks Jim [blushes]. I think you’re cool, too, actually. Even if you did change your name and I don’t get your new one.
Er, everyone else feel free to step around this love-fest and carry on with the thread - sorry :).
Your Welcome and in short it is an old joke about the State of NJ and everyone living near a highway exit. We have more roads and highway per square mile than any other state and almost no one lives far from a Highway entrance.
{end Hijack}
Jim