Can anyone explain tailgating?

Flint · 11-02-2006, 09:01 AM

When driving across town at a high-traffic time of day, I notice the worst-behaved driver and study their technique. The tailgating, the constant lane-switching, the perpetual cycle of accelerating and brake-slamming. What I've observed is that, without fail, at the other side of town, all of their efforts have caused them to be many *car lengths behind me, when all I've done is drive respectfully in one lane.

I attribute this to what I call "selling low" in traffic. Think of the stock market: you "buy low" and "sell high" in order to maximize profits. In traffic, if you wait until something bad happens before changing lanes, you never see the "high" side of that lane. By "selling low" these spastic drivers are guaranteed to experience the worst conditions possible. And, they waste alot of gas.

*(Incidentally, these "car lengths" translate to almost nothing as a measurement of time...)

11-02-2006, 09:01 AM	#1
Flint Snowflake Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Dystopia Posts: 13,136	When driving across town at a high-traffic time of day, I notice the worst-behaved driver and study their technique. The tailgating, the constant lane-switching, the perpetual cycle of accelerating and brake-slamming. What I've observed is that, without fail, at the other side of town, all of their efforts have caused them to be many car lengths behind* me, when all I've done is drive respectfully in one lane. I attribute this to what I call "selling low" in traffic. Think of the stock market: you "buy low" and "sell high" in order to maximize profits. In traffic, if you wait until something bad happens before changing lanes, you never see the "high" side of that lane. By "selling low" these spastic drivers are guaranteed to experience the worst conditions possible. And, they waste alot of gas. (Incidentally, these "car lengths" translate to almost nothing as a measurement of time...) __________________ *************** There's a level of facility that everyone needs to accomplish, and from there it's a matter of deciding for yourself how important ultra-facility is to your expression. ... I found, like Joseph Campbell said, if you just follow whatever gives you a little joy or excitement or awe, then you're on the right track. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Terry Bozzio**

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