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I am sorry for slowing down to 60km and making it difficult for you until you finally passed me…
The next time you don’t wear a proper jacket, don’t tailgate me, and especially don’t spend so much time looking at everything except forward. —Your Sneakers Aren’t Safe
This article appears in May 17-23, 2012.
13 Comments
I am wondering why you slowed down to 60 on a highway? With no info, I’m left to simply say that it is idiots like you who make driving dangerous.
Although tailgating is dangerous. Slowing down to 60 km/hr on a highway is equally or more dangerous.
Doesn’t this just smack of someone who feels it’s their god given duty to teach other drivers a lesson? Slowing down to 60k’s on a highway? Who else the fuck does that? Maybe bikerdude was up your ass because you were driving too slow for the pace of traffic and he was just waiting for the break in traffic in the next lane so he could pass. Maybe he is just a tailgater. Still don’t give you the right to be a self-appointed traffic warden. Or maybe 60k is your normal highway speed in which case YOU are the hazard.
wonder if they even bothered to use the caution lights since they were going more than 30 km under the limit too.
You have to slow down though if there’s a cop or ambulance with lights flashing coming up…
I couldn’t believe it when, coming back from a visit out to the fam, I saw a cop had pulled some poor schmuck over. I moved over to the left lane (as a courtesy so as to not accidentally swipe the copper) and started to slow as is required.
Buddy behind me heads over to the right lane and flies by me going what seemed like 120…
ballzy, buddy… passing on the right AND still speeding….
the fine for failing to slow down is not very cheap…
I was hoping he would be the next ticket victim but alas, he was still speeding when finally took my exit.
There’s a very good chance that the OB was in the 70km/hr or 50km/hr stretch of the 102, just before exiting via Joe Howe or Bayers Rd. I’ll assume that’s the case since there’s really no other rational reason for driving 60km/hr on that highway and then bitching later about someone tailgating you.
If I assume correctly, then this is a totally valid bitch. While most drivers tend to continue chugging along at 90-100km/hr – as much as 40-50 above the indicated limit – I always drive _at most_ 60 in the 50 zone or 80 in the 70 zone. I do this because I’ve often spotted police officers successfully nab speeders in this area. I suspect it’s a high yield zone, helpful for meeting monthly quotas.
However, even though I am abiding by the law, other motorists tend to tailgate me in this area or pass me at alarmingly fast speeds relative to the speed limit. OB, next time, slow down even more. You won’t be at fault if the motorcycle hits you, and, if he/she survives, you’ll at least have taught someone a very important lesson.
it sounds like the biker was camped out on OB’s tailgate until OB finally decided to slow down and force a pass.
W.T.F.
So if the biker wears a proper jacket he can tailgate you!
All kidding aside, I’m with OP. I hate tailgaters. I slow right down and try to give those Type A jackasses an aneurism. Just give them a nice smile and wave when they finally pass cursing and glaring.
canned has a point. I do the speed limit (maybe 10% over) and swear I’m standing still on the highway.
Why do people care what people do behind them? Staring in the rearview mirror and worrying about what someone behind you takes away from your ability to fully pay attention to what’s going on ahead of you. From what I’ve seen on the roads of Halifax, most of you dolts need ALL of your attention on the road ahead, not behind.
motorcycle rider in a hurry? wearing sneakers? no proper riding gear? I smell a future organ donor.
And another anecdote from friends and relative about how dangerous the evil “motorcycles” are. When ever I hear the stories of ” so and so died on a motorbike….” i love probing the details. There is commonly some mix of speed, inexperience, stunt riding, racing or whatever going on if you ask enough questions. You cant say this to grieving family members faces but the majority of the time motorcycle fatalities are due to poor decision making of the rider. They get a few months experience under their belt and get comfortable on the bike lose their respect for how fast they can really be when pushed.
After the first year is usually when shit hits the fan when riders start trying shit to see what they can get away with. Young men and hi performance machines that come cheap and are easy to acquire…what could go wrong?
why else would you think them so popular?
it’s a rush to say the least.
Sounds like you were driving like an asshole. The rider was looking “at everything except forward” because people don’t watch for riders and s/he was probably checking to make sure s/he could get past you safely.
Stop camping in the passing lane and forcing reasonable drivers to pass on the right.