"...I'm pretty much the average driver that you'd encounter on just about any public road in America." With a gun in each car? You are either WAY above or WAY below but definately not average.

I once did a similar move with a tailgater, except that he was in a Honda Accord, and I was in my 911. Little variant too: I slammed on my brakes down to 50-45 mph, then gunned it in third gear (it may even have been 2nd gear...) and left the offender in the dust.
From reading this post, I realize it was not a very smart move. Now, I prefer to pass in the right lane, which is usually empty while everybody is tailgating on the left lane.

Aurel

Your right, I misspoke. Except for the fact that I exorcise my second amendment right to keep and bear arms I think I'm just an average motoring citizen. I drive an average vehicle, my commute time and distance is average, I have what I think might be an average driving record. No moving violations in the last 10years (yes I've been pulled over for things but didn't recieve a ticket) no traffic accidents for quite a while. Never had an altercation go beyond a verbal exchange of opinions.
Am I wrong in my impression of average?
I think you'd be amazed at the number of people in this town/city/ burg/country who carry weapons on a daily basis. I think you'd be amazed at how average these house wives, business men, school teachers, store clerks, postal workers etc.etc. are.

I'd definitely say that you sound like the average aggressive driver. more on the average side of the middle ground, but not so far over that you are a psycho, but still potentially dangerous.

My assumption was that you'd have noticed me coming up behind you and tried to get out of the way before I got there because you had lots of time that you saw me coming, but from your answer it sounds like you'd likely have tried to move over, but if you couldn't and if it was bad timing you'd have done your thing.

I too use the brake lights as a signal, but I've tried to refrain from escalating from that to doing a brake check. Instead if I can't get out of the other person's way I may just coast allowing the speed to come down gradually. Instead when coming to a place that I'll have to stop or slow down I'll brake early so I have extra room, besides, braking early seems to get peoples attention. I don't have many people brake really late behind me at lights.

OK Steve, glad to hear you don't find me to be a psycho.
Your"assumption" was probably correct for the times when the other driver showed some courtesy and patience. My "answere" only implies that I would match the level of agression demonstrated by the other driver. I'm just not the type of person to go through life afraid.
Your practice of "I may just coast allowing the speed to come down gradually." is passive aggressive. Isn't that just as problematic as being aggressive?

heres my rule for highway driving- right lane all the time- left lane only for passing (which i guess is a lot considering i usually drive 15 to 20 MPH over the flow of traffic) when i do pass i check to make sure that by pulling out into the left lane i wont be slowing anyone else down and if i am going to i have a little fun and floor it to get back to the right

I hate to tell you this, but there is no such thing as the "Fast Lane" her in the US.
The speed limit is the speed limit, no matter what lane you're in.

Ahem...SmileWavy
Believe it or not, my first profession was a knife and sword maker....

hey wolfe u kinda sound like a cop

Oh, god no. I work in the music industry manufacturing guitar parts.

I do have some customers who are cops though. In California, even :D

Actually, there is SUPPOSED to be. Doesn' t mean its so. In most states, your supposed to drive in the right and pass in the left, but that's not how people actually drive.

By law, you are obliged to merge to the right, yielding to faster moving traffic even if they are breaking the speed limit.

i wish they would enforce that law because the people who camp out in the left lane cause accidents and traffic jams

Dude, if you are carrying a weapon, you have a duty NOT to escalate any situation that you can reasonably avoid/escape. (disclaimer: does not apply to every situation, but probably applys to Kevins post) If you were to stab your brakes, create an altercation and end up using your weapon... Well then, I hope you don't mind losing all you material possesions when you get sued. Also, you would be facing criminal charges, maybe some time at Penn State, I mean the State Pen...

the entire situation would have been diffused if you turned on your right turn signal. this way the fool would have known you are eventually gonna get out of his way, and waited. then just proceed carefully passing the second vehicle.

i try to drive carefully in the bay area. lots of aggression here. besides i love it when somebody blast past me. i move over, and let him go and find the CHP guys. i am in no hurry. but i still hate some people.

People feel empowered when in their car. It's their space--kind of like their home. When someone interferes with that space--i.e. tailgating, cutting you off, etc., people get PISSED. I'm one of them. After I saw a guy that got cut off get out of his truck at the next stoplight and slam a 4 foot level into the hood of the car that cut him off, I got over it. I still get pissed, but I let it go. Maybe it's the Lexapro. ;)

Your right....but thats my whole point of carrying a weapon. I don't need to escalate any situation and I don't need to be afraid of whether or not the other person is a gun wielding drug crazed moron. I know it's a level playing field. And like I said earlier, even with being an aggressive driver I have never had a situation go beyond a verbal exchange.
I am a little surprised at the general reaction of one (me) admitting to carrying a weapon. To me a gun is no big deal. It's a tool used in the defense of ones home, person and family. It's this crime ridden neighborhood that I live in that makes me want to carry one in my car, not the traffic. Perhaps being from a military family gives me a less than general attitude about the issue. We have one member of the board who is very proud to have completed his safety orientation and getting a very nice fire arm for himself. I remember the excitement of getting my
"first" fire arm, 'course I was 13 at the time and it was "only" a .22 long rifle. Thats when my introduction to guns began and they no longer posses the mystery or thrill that most people think they should.

I wonder what percentage of accidents happen because of people passing these slow bastards on the right... I was told that you never, ever, ever pass on the right, unless you absolutely have to. I'd rather tail some slowpoke in the left lane until she gets off the phone/puts down the book/finishes putting on makeup/whatever than pass on the right.

P.S. I can just feel Techweenie chomping at the bit to share his little tid bit of knowledge with you. I talk to the other drivers, constantly. "your in my freakin way", oh sure turn now just as I get close enough to hit you" and what ever else crosses my mind usually crosses my lips. It's just that 99.9% of the time it's not loud enough for the offending opponent to hear me. I guess thats the "passive aggressive" part of me.

Kevin, I have no issue with CC, I have a handgun license and carry myself. The issue I was pointing out was that when anybody carries a gun they must hold themselves to a higher standard of behavior. Stabbing you brakes when you could have,
1. done nothing, or
2. moved over, or
3. speed up, or
4. put you signal on, then moved over,
is escalating the situation and no matter what happens after that point, you will share at least a portion of the blame for whatever the outcome is. You had options that very well would not have escalated the situation and you chose to take the one option that would very likely do nothing but increase the probability of violence. Not a good thing, try to be more responsible and mature when CCW.

Another issue about stabbing the brakes is that you could very well be held liable if the guy behind you hit the rear of your car. If it can be established that you were only braking in an effort to scare him etc... you would be the one that caused the accident. You have a duty as a driver not to go try to create an accident.


PS - Don't think for a minute that I don't hate tailgaters myself.