Why Do People Tailgate ?

Let me clarify right up front that I am not talking about tailgating as it relates to "hanging out in the parking lot at a sporting event, while cooking, chatting, and in general getting pumped up for the game" ... that kind of tailgating is very cool and I totally understand why people do that.

I mean tailgating in the "driving so close to my back bumper that you can see what radio station I am listening to" sense.

Seriously, why do people think this is a good idea?  What are they hoping to accomplish with this behavior?  Are you hoping there is an invisible air cushion that is going to force me to move forward faster than I'm already travelling?

Two things to keep in mind here: First, I generally do not drive the speed limit.  I look at it more as a guideline ... but I'm usually around 4-7 MPH over whatever the speed limit is on the road I'm travelling down.  Second, I am very conscious of traffic around me and will generally move to the right lane and allow people who are travelling faster to pass me.

That said, I will change both of those driving behaviors if I get one of you aggressive drivers behind me that is acting stupid with a 2-ton machine under their control.  If you tailgate me, you can expect that I will match the speed of the car next to me.  You can expect that I will not move over, even if there is no one in the other lane for a long time.  You can expect that I will tap my brakes ... gently at first and then very assertively if you don't take the hint.  You can also expect that I will smile and wave as though I have no idea why you're mad when you speed up and pass me on the right.

Song Of The Day:
Maybe I'm misunderstanding these tailgaters.  Maybe they just need more connection with people around them and long for that closeness.  (Insert sarcastic face here).  With that in mind, here is Jewel's "Near You Always" ... which is perfect here because Jewel sounds like she loves this guy but her words are actually asking him not to be in love with her (to begin with anyway).

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