Suzanne assures me that this is worthy of a blog entry:
I was on my way to the store today to buy some new shoes and behind me on the bridge (where I was observing the 45MPH speed limit) was a young woman following me in a black Saturn coupe. She was following closely enough that I was not able to see the headlights of her car - nor the any part of the hood. As is my modus operandi, I let off the gas and coasted for a while. She pulled up closer as other cars drove around us. I tapped on my brakes - not enough to decelerate, but enough to flash the taillights. She didn't back off, but she finally pass me, waving with fewer than all of her fingers to express her displeasure.
Feeling safe again, I sped back up to the speed limit (now 25MPH) and fell in just behind her. I followed her for eight blocks before she cut across two lanes of traffic to pass in a right-hand-turn lane and weave back to my lane right in front of me. I followed her for roughly another fifteen blocks, still observing the speed limit, before I moved over into the left-hand-turn lane I needed and got about five car lengths in front of my long-time traffic companion.
Not only did she not get there faster than me, she was lucky to get there at all.
I don't always drive safely, but I try to. I will never understand why people try so hard to get just one or two car lengths ahead, endangering themselves, their passengers, and those with whom they share the road.
It just seems stupid to me.
