I 'm Annoyed By Tailgaters
I drove for about 2 miles yesterday with some whack job so close to my back end that I couldn't see his headlights in my rear view mirror. Just so you know, I drive a '99 Saturn SL-1. It's not like I'm in an SUV or something. It's a small sedan. The speed limit for the road is 40mph. Which is what I was doing. Cops sit along this road all the time. I see them more often than not on my ride home from work in the afternoon. I'm guessing this guy wanted me to close the 3-car cushion between me and the guy in front of me. There was a landscaping truck about 3 car lengths ahead of me that was full of cut branches with three wheelbarrows perched on top of the cuttings. The barrows were over the level of the top of the high walled truck bed. Why on earth would I want to be close to this guy? The barrows were strapped in with one piece of rope across the three. I didn't trust it one bit. My car has recently been vandalized, I don't want a windshield full of wheelbarrow.
I make it to the intersection of rt 724 & 10. I make a right turn here, so I had my signal on well in advance, but seeing that the truck in front of me was over a bit to the right, I couldn't use the side of the road to go down and take the right hand turn, I had to wait for the light to change and him to move forward. As I was slowing down to stop behind the truck, the tailgater tried to swerve to come up on my left side (he had his left signal on). Dude, the light is red, you ain't going nowhere. So me being the beyotch I am, I scooted over to the left so he couldn't pull up. So a few seconds after stopping, the light turns green and the line of cars starts moving. Since this factors into my story, I do want to point out that about 5-7 feet after my turn off to my apartment complex on rt 10, the road is closed for about 1/4 mile. This is about a mile from the 724/10 intersection. So if you need to get past it, you have to go around by turning left instead of right at the 724/10 intersection. And there are signs noting the fact that the road is closed ahead (with detour signs) at this intersection.
Okay, back to the tailgater. As the traffic starts moving, I made my way to the right hand turn and all of a sudden, he's changed his signal to be turning right. Again, as I'm making the turn, he's right there on my rear end. Now the part of rt 10 I'm turning onto is a huge hill. I've got a wimpy 4 cylinder car. I can barely make 40-45mph going up this hill (that is only if I don't have to come to a complete stop at the yield sign at my turn, if I'm stopped I can't make 40) The whole 1/2 mile or so up the hill, the guy was right up my rear. We get to the top and travel the next 1/2 mile until we reach the second entrance to the apartment complex I live in. I make the turn (again, right in front of the "road closed" sign) I make my left, and of course he follows me. I drive the 1/4 mile or so until I get to my turn to take the road to my building. I make the turn. I see him make the turn and then stop right after getting on to the road. I was watching him out my rear view and saw him do a three-pointer to turn and he went back the way we came in.
I don't know if this guy thought I knew a way around the closed road or he was trying to freak me out. I think it's the first. But he did give me a good laugh. So much for being in a hurry that you have to tailgate someone going the speed limit. Then follow them only to find out that you've just added an extra 3 miles or so onto your already lengthened detour.
