You are not in everyone's way in the rightmost lane. I know what this is like and I have felt self-conscious about it, but I have to remember that it's not my responsibility that there is a problem trailing me. And I think that other drivers understand that what I am doing is perfectly fair and right; If their attitude makes them hostile to my driving then perhaps they will be reminded of their place on the road by traffic enforcement. Road rage is all about trying to control the roadway, and no civilian has that right. Meanwhile, driving predictably gives some assurance and self-defence, but other drivers -- especially professional drivers in freight trucks -- may use that to their advantage, tailgating me until they get the opportunity to pass. They can do this (it is not legal of course) because they are confident that they know what I am doing. That is a choice that they are making, and even if it creates a potential danger for me it is not something that I can control.

I regret using the strong language earlier. I'm critical of your driving strategy but that is where the passion ends. It was meant to be impersonal and not a judgement of who you are as a person.

 

Pagemap, in retrospect I hope you didn't take my student driver post as a reference to your driving; it wasn't. I was referring to the way other drivers react to seeing those cautionary stickers.

 

Brian, you are doing the right thing and feeling guilty or at fault is the last thing you should do. Following the law and obeying the posted speed limits should give you the all moral authority and courage needed to "ignore" the hordes of tailgaters on our streets. Believe me you are definitely not alone.

Also, I would kindly suggest you do not consider EVER removing the hybrid badging. The hybrid badging is greatly appreciated by any EMS personnel that may need to tend to you or your loved ones in case of a traffic accident. As you may or may not know, EMS personnel were/are trained to look for critical indicators (primarily badges) that will help them identify an HEV vehicle and avoid further personal harm to themselves or you.

Cheers;

MSantos

 

Pagemap:
I don't believe it will matter witch lane you drive in, these types will still be harrasing you! These nuts are just mad at everyone. It will never change. The price of fuel is just adding fuel to the fire! I wished I new the answer to all this, but it just gets more dangerous as years go by! Hang in there, H

 

I am sympathetic to those who get tailgated in the far right lane...I get it on a daily basis too.

I do want to add something to the goings on here, and it's not intended to be mean or critical. pagemap, I see you from time to time engage people on an emotional level that evokes responses that bring you and others displeasure. I also see your senstivity dialed up a little high at times. From personal experience both of those things tend to lead to a lot of misunderstandings.

Just an observation.

 

Caholla,
Thanks for your observation. I'll agree that at times I am a bit frank, perhaps too much. I have strong feelings about certain subjects. At times I get carried away. I don't mean to bring others displeasure. From now on I'll try to watch what I say as well.

 

The reality today is many people just don't care much about obeying the laws, tailgating or following to closely. Driving a hybrid has nothing to do with it. I have had many instances where someone was on my bumper..........i usually just back off the throttle and glare at them in the rear view mirror and they get the picture. There are however a few that could care less about anyone else but themselves. Those people will taligate until they smash into someone and wreck their cars.

 

I have noticed recently that a lot of drivers are driving slower than they used to. Maybe as many as half of the cars around here are going at about the speed limit. And the number driving significantly below speed limit seems to have increased.
The median speed seems to have reduced several mph over the last few months. Maybe people are beginning to understand that aggressive driving is expensive as well as dangerous. But, as a consequence, some of the aggressive drivers seem to be even more aggressive than before. I don't know if that is because they are actually more aggressive, or if I am just comparing them with a slower norm.

When someone is following me so close that I cannot see their headlights, I try to encourage him (or her) to pass. Just slowing down by one or two mph usually does the trick. The slow-down forces them to tap the brake to avoid hitting me. That gets their attention. Then they either back off or take the next opportunity to pass.

 

Just for grins, see if the tailgater is talking on a cell phone. I was amused to see a lady driver in her minivan tailgating me with an anxious look on her face ... and cell phone in her ear. It was obvious that the cell phone had rendered her incapable of passing. Cute kid in the passenger seat.

Bob Wilson

 

I ordered a replacement emblem from Ford a few years back that eliminated tailgating. It was an original equipment emblem and had an adhesive backing so you could apply it in the rear of the trunk.

It was rather small, so you could not read it unless you were tailgating me.

It simply read...

"Police Interceptor"