Queue Theory

[Superman]

The other day I was in a very long waiting line to chat with a teller at my credit union. Behind me was a HUGE red-haired man. I like plenty of 'personal space' and I am impatient with idiots. The red-haired mountain was practically bumping me from behind. Leaning around me. Acting like he was considering cutting one of the 180 degree turns to get ahead of me. I'd shuffle ahead one or two inches and he'd quickly close the gap again, acting impatient.

After about 15 minutes of this (as I say, the line was unusually long) I turned and asked him if he drives the same way. "I'll bet you tailgate too, don't you?" I said. He smiled and admitted to being an 'aggressive' driver. Disgusted, I informed him that tailgating me in the teller line would not get him to a teller any quicker and that the same was true in driving, only much, much more dangerous.

Okay, the point I'm making here is that this is not, in my mind, just aggressive driving. I myself like to cover ground when driving and I am good at getting where I am going quickly, with my 911. But tailgating is dangerous with no real return on that risk. And folks who act like Red Mountain while driving cars are just dangerous bullies who get their way by threatening others.

I have great respect for our local State Patrol, candidly, and one of the things I like is their tendency to go after the folks like Red Mountain rather than the 'cheap shot' of lasering empty, straight stretches of freeway. Folks who cut across the 'core point' while merging, folks who tailgate, these are the folks I'd like to remove from the highway. They take chances with our lives and they make us nervous when their car is anywhere near ours. FWIW, I let these people get around me quickly, because then I can see them easier and they can have the ticket up the road, if there is a citation to be handed out.

Perhaps we should ban them from bank and credit union lines as well.

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'83 SC

[john70t]

I got the same gripe, thanks for your post. Living in the Bay Area you see all kinds. Traffic can get nuts here.
The most common: zipping down the right on the off lane and cutting back. This essentially jams up the right lane completely. People then start swerving left in between cars that don't slow down and run into the people going from the fast lane to the off ramp in 50 yards. Total clusterf***
Amazing also what one slow car in the fast lane will do too.
Thanks for letting me gripe,I know this is a Porsche forum and just wanted to say I use the same technique driving my 70 911t as always: Avoid rush hour, stay away from other cars, 360 looking. 15 years, hit twice by other drivers.

[ebradway]

Since my brake light sensors are out, I'm especially concerned with tailgaters (I'm going to order new sensors in the next couple days).

I've always had the attitude: if the guy in the Porsche isn't going faster then it's probably not safe to drive any faster. Tailgating doesn't help the situation and tailgating me won't make me get out of the way.

I have frequently pulled in behind cars and trucks alot closer than I'm comfortable with but I always correct my following distance as quickly as possible. This is what I see as one of the best features of the 911 - it stops as quickly as it starts. I can go from 50 to 100 and back in very little space.

[rfix'n]

If we could just get those same State Patrol to ticket drivers in the left lane when there is no one in the right lane. This seams like low hanging fruit compared to speeders.

Two of the places I despise the most, banks and post offices. I jokingly tell people thats why I got married.

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Rob Fix
'78 SC Targa

[Eric Coffey]

Superman-

I support your theory completely, and would like to add my own, supplemental theory: "people drive shopping carts as well as they drive cars". In my experience, the same level of idiocy can be witnessed by people in grocery stores where shopping carts are concerned. I have been sideswiped and "T-boned" on numerous occasions in grocery stores by dazed shoppers with zero situational awareness. The only response I get when I ask them: "I bet you drive your car that well too, don't you?" is "huh?". It is scary to think of all these clueless wonders behind the wheel of 3 ton SUV's.

-Eric

[rstoll]

Hey Rob, a secretary would have been cheaper.

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Robert Stoll
83 SC
83 944