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Re: Driving Pet peeves



In article <3rltq7$r73@acmex.gatech.edu>, gt3220a@prism.gatech.edu (Tigress)
says:
>
>I agree stopping suddenly for a tailgater is stupid, but I slow down for
>them mainly for three reasons:
>1. Tailgaters piss me off. There are better ways of telling me to go
>faster. If they are going to piss me off, I will piss them off right back.

Very mature.

>2. When some one is tailgating me, I usually find going faster doesn't
>make them stop, and if I have to stop suddenly, I would rather it be
>slowly for them so that they have more time to stop.

By this do you mean that you would be making a panic stop?
This sounds good, but actually it doesn't work that way. Think about it.
No matter how fast you are going, the tailgater is the same distance
from your back end. If you slow from speed S to speed S-M where M is a
constant (say, 10 MPH) it will take them just as long to slow to your
new speed no matter how fast you are going relative to the pavement.
What matters is the relative velocity of your two vehicles.

>3. Tailgaters usually get the point when you slow down

Maybe. Often not.

>4. If they really piss me off, I will go snail speed, and if they never
>get the point, I accelerate away from them to show them that I was going
>slow on purpose, and beat their asses most of the time too.

See (1) above.

>5. Most of the times, I am only tailgated when I am behind some slow
>person and I can't do anything about it (that really pisses me off), so
>how am I supposed to speed up anyways?

Quite true.

>6. Last but definitely not least, tailgaters at night make me wonder if they
>are cops, which does not help them get me to go faster. I usually go
>slower 'cause I am freaking out.

Yep.

There is, however, a good reason to slow down when you are being tailgated,
at least if there is someone in front of you. Slowing give you more room in
front so that you are less likely to have to panic stop, even if the person
in front of you does. That makes it less likely that you will be rear-ended
by the tailgater, since you can apply the brakes more gently.

Michael Johnson, Relay Technology, Inc.
michael@maine.maine.edu, michaelj@relay.relay.com
"I will choose a path that's clear. I will choose Free Will." -- Neil Peart


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