Tailgating

Just a rant regarding a personal pet peave here: Tailgating.

I drive a Suburban which, as it is weighs in somewhere around 4500 pounds. It also has a multi purpose, heavy duty, reinforced magna trailer hitch attached to the rear frame. Not a simple bumper hitch, No siree Bob. That Suburban and its accompanying hitch combine into a formidable obstacle, not to be moved easily.

All that being said to give you, the reader, something to picture in your mind while you read my rant. Why do some folks, driving behind my Suburban, find that they can somehow intimidate me into either going faster or moving off to the side of the road so they can pass by tailgating within two or three feet (or sometimes even closer) and making angry faces at me. And, most often in some sort of small car. There is, of course the occasional van or SUV but most often it is a small,car. What are they thinking? It is my practice to not allow their tailgating to alter my manner of driving or even to respond to the faces or gestures which they may wish to offer which appear to have the purpose of scaring me the heck out of their way. Not responding apparently makes them drive even closer to that rear hitch.

My pet peave stance is based upon the danger to them and the oppupants in my vehicle in the instance that I have to stand on my brake pedal in an unforseen emergency situation. In my opinion being so close leaves little, if any time for them to react. From time to time, just to give them the opportunity to realize just how unseafe a situation they are creating, I will tap my brake so the lights go on. I have found that there are finger gestures that follow accompanied by angry faces and mouthed phrases. Yet another pet peave. But I remain unintimidated sitting in the 4500 pound Suburban. I guess I'm just a jerk that way.