the test for human crowding

[charles brough]

I propose that a good way to test whether or not a people feel crowded is how close they drive to the car ahead.

IN the cities, people feel crowded and subconsciously resent so many other people. The car ahead is in the way and the crowded individual wishes it would disappear. He drives too close to it. This, itself, is a sign of hostility.

Each of us has a personal space around us which we feel uncomfortable when someone comes so close they are in it. Often, in such a situation, the person will back up to restore their comfort-level distance. It is the same with us and cars. We are uncomfortable when another driver steals our backspace. We interpret it correctly as an act of hostility because it increases the danger of being hit from behind.

Ever notice that drivers in and from the Big City are the ones who tail-gate? Those living in more rural settings are more polite and thoughtful.

[Turtle]

Originally Posted by charles brough

Ever notice that drivers in and from the Big City are the ones who tail-gate? Those living in more rural settings are more polite and thoughtful.

Originally Posted by Allstate

Examining the rate of fatal crashes involving teens, the study finds that rural areas have a much higher rate of fatal crashes involving teen drivers than the rate in metro areas. Nationally, fatal crash rates for teens were over twice as high for rural areas (51.5 crashes per 100,000 teens) than for metro areas (25.4).

Allstate Newsroom - Press Kits - "Allstate America's Teen Driving Hotspots" Study

Originally Posted by Mark Symmons
Narelle Haworth
Ian Johnston

Both the patterns of crash types and crash severity differed substantially among rural cities, rural towns & other areas and remote areas, confirming the need to examine the issues in these areas separately.

http://monash.edu.au/muarc/reports/muarc212.pdf

I haven't found stats on rural vs. city stress/hostility, but apparently rural drivers are more often dead than city drivers. Given fewer cars per road-mile out in the country, there is also less oportunity to tailgate. I often find myself pulling close to read those bumper stickers that say "If you can read this you're too close!"

[HydrogenBond]

I tend to follow defensive driving rules to allow enough space to stop. My space requirement is more practical to the needs of no avoidable accident. I don't like people tailgating me, because they may not be able to stop, if the traffic suddenly came to a stop. I will try to get out of the way when it is safe to do so. People who bog down speed lanes are the inverse tailgaters forcing others to tailgate. Most people don't look for the slow lane just to tailgate where it is easier.

There is one memory of a tailgater, where I was able to teach them a practical safe driving distance lesson. I was up north in the early spring where there are usually pot holes. Most cars will instinctively line up with you, especially when they are tailgating close. So what I did was line up a deep pot hole in the distance. I turned at the last second, to see if he had enough time to react based on his definition of safe spacing. Suffice to say, his reflexes were not that good. After that he assumed a practical distance in line with his reflexes.

I remember another time when I was real young. A big car came up and tailgated me a night with high beams. I was on the highway and couldn't pull over to another lane due to the traffic. But I had a sports car with good highway acceleration and floored it to speed up the lane change. It turned out to be a cop who baited me. He may have been mad because, I was able to pull away from him. I never did that again. It only took one treatment.

The third memory was avoiding getting rear ended by a female tailgater, when all the traffic suddenly stopped quickly on a highway. I had enough distance in my front, but I intentionally overreacted and braked so she would have to brake sooner. She was just about ready to hit me, when I eased up and rolled forward in the extra space I had in front of me. This allowed her to miss. After that she thanked me for pulling up that extra six feet at the last second. Hopefully it took her only this one lesson.

[charles brough]

Originally Posted by HydrogenBond

I tend to follow defensive driving rules to allow enough space to stop. My space requirement is more practical to the needs of no avoidable accident. I don't like people tailgating me, because they may not be able to stop, if the traffic suddenly came to a stop. I will try to get out of the way when it is safe to do so. People who bog down speed lanes are the inverse tailgaters forcing others to tailgate. Most people don't look for the slow lane just to tailgate where it is easier.

There is one memory of a tailgater, where I was able to teach them a practical safe driving distance lesson. I was up north in the early spring where there are usually pot holes. Most cars will instinctively line up with you, especially when they are tailgating close. So what I did was line up a deep pot hole in the distance. I turned at the last second, to see if he had enough time to react based on his definition of safe spacing. Suffice to say, his reflexes were not that good. After that he assumed a practical distance in line with his reflexes.

I remember another time when I was real young. A big car came up and tailgated me a night with high beams. I was on the highway and couldn't pull over to another lane due to the traffic. But I had a sports car with good highway acceleration and floored it to speed up the lane change. It turned out to be a cop who baited me. He may have been mad because, I was able to pull away from him. I never did that again. It only took one treatment.

The third memory was avoiding getting rear ended by a female tailgater, when all the traffic suddenly stopped quickly on a highway. I had enough distance in my front, but I intentionally overreacted and braked so she would have to brake sooner. She was just about ready to hit me, when I eased up and rolled forward in the extra space I had in front of me. This allowed her to miss. After that she thanked me for pulling up that extra six feet at the last second. Hopefully it took her only this one lesson.

Do you feel that your dislike of drivers tailgaiting you is only a rational response to its danger? I mean this with courtesy and not critically. I know in my own nature, that I see their tailgating as a hostile act and react angrily, myself. It is a disregard for you and I in that we are "in their way" and only their interests are of any concern. It is also a show of "one-up-man-ship" and an ego-thing attempt to build status. . . an animal-rut-like competition in Alpha male positioning.

Now a person with no deep hostility would see tailgating as perhaps a feminine desire to be close and thus safe. Of it might be just ignorance of the hazard.

Are you like that or like me?

charles
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