03-04-2016, 12:08 PM
quote:
Originally posted by Kapoho Joe
quote:
Originally posted by Lodestone
I pass as often as I am passed, but am typically tailgated coming down Saddle Road into Hilo. Typically I"m going 45, the speed limit is 35, and somebody is 3 inches off my rear bumper. It's dark with lots of curves, so I can't see a good place to pull over until I'm almost on top of it... which means braking hard, which a cannot do because of the idiot 3 inches behind me. If I slow down enough to pull over safely, the guy behind me gets pissed off. If I don't pull over, he gets pissed off. If I go faster, we all die.
If you are unable to navigate the simple process involving signaling, slowing and pulling over then perhaps it is time to turn in your license.
I generally do signal and edge over on the other parts of Saddle Road, but on the stretch I'm talking about, it's downhill, curvy, night-time, and frequently foggy and raining. When it's night, I really don't know if the shoulder is OK or a muddy cliff. I pull over anyway, because it beats being tailgated. But, I'm not always happy about it.
The point I'm trying (and failing) to make is that tailgating super-close is counterproductive because makes it difficult for the lead car to pull over. I have to brake to pull over; but I'm afraid to brake, because the car is following too closely. Give me a car-length or two, that's all I ask.