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Then you should read what the rest of your post says!
See your first statement.
Usually?!? Drivers that speed up to keep a vehicle from getting in front of them create another unnecessary hazard on America's roads. By not letting the other car in saves you what, a few seconds on your commute?
This, my friend, is an oxymoron. Risking your safety, and the others around you, is exactly what you're doing by "proving a point."
Granted, tailgaters, people that weave in/out of traffic, don't use turn signals, etc. are maddening. When I encounter them, I let them pass or let them in and I continue on my merry way. I will also probably cuss them like a sailor. However, I will not resort to their tactics in retribution. My philosophy is this: "I'm in a hurry to go nowhere fast." In other words, I'll get to my destination when I get there, however, I will get there none the less and safely.
Happy Motoring!
Same to you your highness and holier than thou example of perfection and arrogance!
I don't know if this ties into tailgating-I think it does, but it definitely ties into driving stupid. About 9 years ago my brother was driving with his fiance down a 2 lane road-1 way going one way, and one way going the other way. A car was going slow (don't know if too slow or what) in front of him, so he went into the other lane to pass him (yes, into the oncoming traffic lane, but you know how on some roads you are allowed to pass if there isn't any traffic, and if you have the yellow dotted lines...). Well, the car he was trying pass obviously didn't like being passed, so he sped up so that he wouldn't allow my brother to pass him. Then the car that was behind my brother sped up too and then he couldn't get back over, and then oncoming traffic came....and as he tried to swerve onto the grass because people playing games wouldn't let him back into his lane, an oncoming car hit him as he was getting out of the road completely, totaled his car and he tumbled over into a ravine. His fiance was killed on impact. They had to use the jaws of life to get my brother out of the car. He was hurt so bad that he was in a morphine induced coma and the priest read him his last rights. He was in critical care for about 3 weeks, and in the hospital for about 3 months. Luckily he survived. Then he had to move back to my parents in a hospital bed and start rehibilation for months. Yes, he got blamed for the accident because my brother was young, and I am sure there was something else he could have done-slowed down immensly and got behind all the traffic or got off the road earlier. But the police did look for the cars playing games and not letting him back into traffic, but had no leads. If he just passed like he originally was trying to, instead of a car racing not to let him and then another car tailing that one so as not to let him, nothing like that would have ever happened.
This is a tragic example of someone trying to "win" by not letting someone
in. I always give the right away to someone whether they legally have it
or not. In the end we all win by driving courteously and safely. If we
try to make points with our cars we not only risk our lives but everyone's
around us. It's not worth it... use your blinkers, don't tailgate and
drive courteously and we'll all win.
It seems many of the tailgaters here are young redneck studs in their big pickups, very impatient and wreckless! Just saw a mishap yesterday involving a big red truck ahead of me. I knew he was going too fast and weaving in and out of traffic, so he paid for it. Poor bashed up new pickup!
Actually, where I live, it's usually a woman in a minivan with a Soccer Sticker or a Fish on the rear tailgate. I guess you have to get to the Soccer game or Fish convention in a hurry around here.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Mrs.Bewitched
I don't know if this ties into tailgating-I think it does, but it definitely ties into driving stupid. About 9 years ago my brother was driving with his fiance down a 2 lane road-1 way going one way, and one way going the other way. A car was going slow (don't know if too slow or what) in front of him, so he went into the other lane to pass him (yes, into the oncoming traffic lane, but you know how on some roads you are allowed to pass if there isn't any traffic, and if you have the yellow dotted lines...). Well, the car he was trying pass obviously didn't like being passed, so he sped up so that he wouldn't allow my brother to pass him. Then the car that was behind my brother sped up too and then he couldn't get back over, and then oncoming traffic came....and as he tried to swerve onto the grass because people playing games wouldn't let him back into his lane, an oncoming car hit him as he was getting out of the road completely, totaled his car and he tumbled over into a ravine. His fiance was killed on impact. They had to use the jaws of life to get my brother out of the car. He was hurt so bad that he was in a morphine induced coma and the priest read him his last rights. He was in critical care for about 3 weeks, and in the hospital for about 3 months. Luckily he survived. Then he had to move back to my parents in a hospital bed and start rehibilation for months. Yes, he got blamed for the accident because my brother was young, and I am sure there was something else he could have done-slowed down immensly and got behind all the traffic or got off the road earlier. But the police did look for the cars playing games and not letting him back into traffic, but had no leads. If he just passed like he originally was trying to, instead of a car racing not to let him and then another car tailing that one so as not to let him, nothing like that would have ever happened.
That is a horrible story.
I have a childhood friend who tried the same thing (he was 18 years old) trying to pass someone on the road. The scumbag speed up on him and he also couldn't get back in. Luckily, no one was in the lane so he slammed on the breaks but he lost control and flipped over into a ditch. Luckily, he didn't get killed.
I am never really in a hurry and drive only about 5 mph above the speed limit - except in my wife's convertible. Having a GPS, I realize that the amount of time saved by 'speeding' is a matter of less than a minute. My wife was driving 80 mph and I was doing 70 mph. However, I caught up to her by the time we got home (15-20 seconds later).
I do not understand what the big deal is. There are so many people trying to 'prove something' all the time - frequently, it isn't someone in a sports car. It's stupid things that lead to people getting killed on the road.
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Drivers that speed up to keep a vehicle from getting in front of them create another unnecessary hazard on America's roads. By not letting the other car in saves you what, a few seconds on your commute? 
