Tailgating annoys me. It annoys me a lot. Mostly because it is unnecessary and it is dangerous. Like many bad driving habits the problem is that it can be done without consequence thousands of times, but if something unexpected happens then look out!
Some of you out there might be tailgaters. Do you tailgate with the hope of intimidating the person to speed up or move out of the way? If so, I suppose that might explain it. Otherwise it's pretty damn stupid since you can't get there any faster just be being right up close to somebody. In my experience though there are a lot of tailgaters who don't actually seem to be in a hurry, they just drive that way. Up close and personal. I don't like it.
One time the Missus and I were traveling down the highway and this guy was right on our tail. It was only a two lane highway, so there was no passing lane. The Missus was driving and our infant son was in the back seat. I was feeling annoyed and protective, so I took one of our son's Arrowroot cookies and held it on the roof of our car. Then I let go. I didn't throw the cookie, I just let it go. The guy was so close behind us the cookie either hit or narrowly missed hitting the front of his car. If he'd been more than 30 feet behind us it would have fallen harmlessly to the pavement, but no, it was right in his grill.
He got even at us by passing us when we came to a two lane section and giving us the finger. And that's the way the cookie crumbles.
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Ha! Where I come from tailgating means something completely different. Basically you get to the football game early, let down the tailgate of your truck, setup a grill, open the cooler and have a good time with your friends and some burgers before the game starts. After your first sentence I wondered if you were going to suggest taking Arrowroot cookies to a tailgating party. (Ok, kinda strange.) By the end of the first paragraph I was confused, but now I get it.
ReplyDeleteGood closing sentence.
Hey N.C., I much prefer your kind of tailgating. - the missus
ReplyDeleteI know the tailgating you're talking about, Neighborhood Cashier, but do you guys have a different term for what Jack's talking about? What do you call driving too closely to the person in front of you? Don't tell me it's "driving too closely to the car in front of you."
ReplyDeleteNice to see some comments here. I thought this blog was dead for a while.
It WAS dead for awhile. Now it has sprung back to life. I blame it on the passive-aggressive graffiti lovers who frequent this blog.
ReplyDeleteIt WAS dead for awhile. Now it has sprung back to life. I blame it on the passive-aggressive graffiti lovers who frequent this blog.
ReplyDeleteOh, btw, I meant to mention a friend of mine who used to be a notorious tailgater. However, his new lady friend found his driving habits terribly stressful, largely because HE was so stressed out with the slowpokes in front of him. Anyhoo, his lady friend convinced him to slow down and drive the actual speed limit, with the result being that there is a healthy gap between himself and the rest of traffic (most people tend to exceed the speed limit by 5-10 km/hour it seems). Consequently, my friend has found that his stress level in the driver's seat has dropped dramatically, and more importantly, he's discovered (as you suggested in your post) that he still gets where he is going at approximately the same time as when he was driving up everyone's ass, metaphorically speaking.
ReplyDeleteTailgating really bothers me.. especially because I have an L.. and people seem to be really stupid and get annoyed to be stuck behind you, and tailgate you even more..
ReplyDeleteOne of my old neighbours had a pretty funny reaction to a tailgater one time.. He is a very serious person, so this was a very surprising thing. Someone was tailgating him along a neighbourhood street.. and the person started flashing his lights.. My neighbour then got tired of this guy, and fully stopped his car, got out and proceeded to ask the guy "oh is one of my tail lights out or something.. " and more questions of that nature.... the tailgater then got mad, fingered him.. and drove up on to the boulevard and passed my neighbour.
Answering your question, Guy: We call what Jack's talking about 'tail riding.' Or we say the person was 'riding my tail.'
ReplyDeleteAnonymous Cashier, what's an L?
ReplyDeleteI'm not anon, but lemme clear that up for you: it's a letter L that you must put on your car to let the world know the driver has a learner's permit and is not yet a fully licensed driver.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you cleared that up, Dan, because I couldn't figure out the L.. either. I was thinking the two dots represented letters.
ReplyDeleteTail riding? Really? Ask around. I bet there are other Americans who says tailgating. The football party most likely comes from that.
No, the football party comes from using the tailgate of a pick-up as the buffet table. I think.
ReplyDeleteHaving attended a number of tailgate parties I can say you are right, Jack. Pity they stopped the ones in the parking lot before Seahawk games. My best tailgate experience was 5-10 years ago when a group of us went down to watch a Washigton Huskies game and then a Seahawks game the next day. As we walked across the parking lots to Husky Stadium a bunch of guys started yelling out "go ducks" and inviting me over for a beer and burger. Turns out I was wearing Oregon colours and they took me for a fellow fan. When they realized my total lack of understanding they still cooked me a cheeseburger and gave me another beer. Needless to say I was an Oregon fan that night!As for the driving "tailgating" let's face it it is another example of how you can be an anonymous arsehole in our society. Cheers, xelA.
ReplyDeleteAccording to the Wisconsin Department of Transportation, tailgating is what Jack says it is, i.e. driving too close behind another driver. So at least one state in the union's got it right: http://www.dot.wisconsin.gov/safety/motorist/behaviors/aggressive/tailgating.htm
ReplyDeleteThe term "tailgating" has had more than one meaning for a long time. I'd much rather go to a tailgate party than to have a tailgater behind me on the road! :)
ReplyDelete