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I hate tailgaters. It's always a redneck in a pickup, a ne'er-do-well in a plain white van, or some yo-yo in a car that doesn't go much faster than mine.
Are you a police officer? Is it your job to regulate traffic flow or are you just being a jerk?
People driving slow in the left lane are dangerous. They cause road rage accidents and accidents from people trying to get around them. You drive slow you merge left.
You already said you drive "frequently 5 over or so," so YOU, Emeraldmaiden, are the judge of what the acceptable level of speeding is? Are you qualified to determine this?
No, the acceptable level of speeding is determined by the speed limit signs and law enforcement. I have been pulled over for going 5 over; obviously the policeman thought that might have unacceptable (or he was hoping I was a juicy out of stater). I did not get a ticket, though. I wasn't doing my "job", I was actually breaking the law. Is it your "job" to break the law and facilitate others doing so?
What qualifies you to drive faster than the speed limit? And why do you assign responsibility for a temper tantrum on the person who is following the law? Why is it not the responsibility of the potential or actual lawbreaker to control their own temper and actions? What happened to personal responsibility?
PS: Thanks for calling me a jerk. That hasn't happened to me in YEARS. Oh, wait, never mind. I've never been called a jerk. Until now.
The only time I get up someone's back is when they are going slow in the left lane on the interstate.
The left lane is the passing lane and it's illegal to sit in there and clog up traffic... far too many people do that, in Germany they would be fined heavily.
Dude, you're in the left lane. It's the passing lane not the lane to sit back and cruise. You were tailgated because it is the law to merge right and allow faster traffic to pass. People like you cause more accidents because everyone is stuck trying to go around you on the right. It's you who is the problem, not the tailgater.
In Germany you would risk loosing your license for tailgating. On the Autobahn, tailgating of less than 30% of the recommended distance (about 1/2 second) with speeds over 100km/hr can result in the loss of ones liscense for 1-3 months.
Anybody ever confront these whackos at a stoplight, or is that considered illegal to you? Some or these people have some real issues and could be considered dangerous in my opinion.
Tailgating to me constitutes attempted assualt with a deadly weapon.
Or are we all still stuck on the rude cell phone talker thing?
I usually defuse a situation as fast as I can. Get over, let them pass, let them go first etc. Be the adult, and more importantly get them away from me. If they are already driving erratic, explaining to them (while angry) how stupid they are probably isn't going to get through to them.
The most important thing though is to get them away from me. I value my life and drive in such a way to reflect that. I can't control how others drive, but I can make sure that I'm away from these idiots.
I think a lot of these people have mental issues and take out their hostilities to society behind the anonymity of an automobile. We have a relative like this. Among other things he deliberately blocks the fast lane on the freeway and then brake checks anyone behind him.
At some time I imagine he will meet up with another even more radical road rager and the outcome will be reported on the news.
Also, I wonder - if you are doing the speed limit (or, like me, frequently 5 over or so), why would you be obligated to "get out of the way" so someone else can break the law? Granted, unless it leads to an accident, speeding is a minor offense, but why should people need to facilitate it?
I'm not sure if this applies in other states, but where I live there is a concept called 'defensive driving'. There are situations where, just because you are following the letter of the law in your vehicle, you don't get a pass to ignore the specific situation(s) that exist around you. You may very well have the legal right of way to continue doing exactly what you are doing - but this doesn't necessarily mean that you are doing the right thing. I mean, does it matter how right or correct you are if you or someone else ends up maimed or killed? It seems to me - if you realize that the guy behind you wants you to move over, and you are able to safely move over, but you don't want to move over so you don't ... this is not driving defensively and it's not the right way to drive.
These are just my opinions - I don't like tailgaters either.
You havent lived until you've driven in South Florida.
Tailgating has been elevated to an art there.
Actually you can extend that further to include all of Florida. I have never seen it as bad in other states.
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