yeah thats a good point the little bit of extra money is not worth your life or any damage to your vehicle due to accidents. So i have the sticker on order and will probably just try to draft if at all possible.

About the washers sparying other cars... i had a friend that filled his with urine when we were younger and used to spray people with that.I told he was going to get beat up some day but he didnt care. He told me he used to try to find people with convertables and bikes and stuff and spray them. I told him he should stop but he thought it was just to funny to stop

I won't put anything offensive in it. I only use it on people who are uncommonly rude. Common tailgaters usually don't get squirted. The really bad ones do; I think I've used it 4 or 5 times since I set it up (maybe in May or June). I'm totally not interested in pissing people off, I just want to cause them to think for just a moment..."why did he just squirt me?"

There were lots of uncommonly jerky tailgaters tonight. I used it on one who kept tailgating, in a large truck with excessively bright lights illuminating the whole interior of my car, while I waited behind a line of traffic.

I far prefer stealth hypermiling. I don't want attention, confrontation, or even interaction. I want to get out of the way and I want others to get out of my way, without anyone ever noticing.

On the 2 lane road to work I go between 50 and 60 mph depending on if I'm going up or down hills, and right at the speed limit of 55 on straights. I almost always have a couple cars following me. I'd say only 20% of them pass me though. Most are content to just follow, though about half speed up and pass once we reach the city and it turns into 4 lanes. I kinda cared for the first few weeks, but now I'm like whatever. They can pass if they want, doesn't bother me. I have as much right to that road as they do, and I think I've even saved one or two people from getting speeding tickets because they were following me. I never look at them when they pass though. I don't care if they're mad or not. I'm not making them late if they are. They did by leaving their house late. You shouldn't have to speed to get to where you're going on time. and for those who just want to drive fast, well.......that's dumb.

Some people are just crazy, though, and there isn't anything you can do. Just last week I was on another 2 lane road going 65 (the speed limit), and in a part where the road widened to allow for a left turn lane for both directions, some crazy lady passed me by going into those lanes. Now THAT is not safe, and not my fault. I was going the speed limit.

If someone's stupidity gets you killed, does it matter who is at fault? Today I had a guy that wanted to tailgate me on a two lane road, speed limit was 45.

There was a car in front of me that was doing the speed limit and too much traffic both ways for any safe passing.

My response was to pulse and glide to within safe braking distance of the car in front of me, which made it hard for the driver behind to stay close to my rear end, without many changes in rate of acceleration and braking.

Apparently when the driver behind realized there was no way for me to get out of his way he backed off just enough for me to feel comfortable.

We turned onto a 4 lane road (right turn with yield) and the same driver immediately went into the left lane until he realized he did not want to go any faster than I did, so he dropped in behind me again too close.

There is a right turn into a military base, then an entrance ramp into I64 west, both require the driver to be in the right lane. This is where idiots go flying by you and then slam on the brakes to turn into the base, which can cause accidents. I just moved over to the left lane since I was not turning. My action did not affect the flow of traffic in any way.

Now there was a good margin of safety and the other driver, who had been trying to tailgate me for 2 miles, did not go any faster than I was going in the left lane, and he entered the interstate and we parted company.

I had a police officer tell me once that I should sit at a traffic light and do nothing to avoid being rear ended by a negligent driver, because if I moved into the intersection to get out of his way I would be guilty of a moving violation.

I told him that was a decision made by a judge, not a police officer, and no law required me to voulentarily accept potentially catastrophic and or deadly situations.

What law applies if your life is in danger?

Survival.

regards
gary

I would love to respond to this comment, especially the "live and let live" attitude you claim the japanese live by. But I will resist the temptation and not hijack the thread.

Agreed!

Of course, they don't always like it. But it's better to have a truck driver in front of you who doesn't like to be followed than a crazed battle cruiser behind you!

M

You really drive in Japan? Really? I lived there 10 years and people certainly do NOT have a live and let live attitude, especially on the road.

I drove all over the Kanto region:

• Dai-san Keihin
• Shuto
• Wan-Gan
• Tomei

And many more.

You sound like you're in the honeymoon stage of going local. When you visit another culture, everything seems better until the novelty wears off.

M

I don't tailgate. I always stay far enough back to be able to see the side view mirrors on the truck, but I can take a hint. If they flash their trailer lights, I either back off or pass.

-Jay

I tend to be a spitefull hypermiler, but I am nice to big rigs. I'll draft them but I'll deffinatly let them know I'm there, and I can take a hint if they don't like it. I understand that the road is their workplace and in some respects their home so I try to stay out of there way and let them do their jobs. Normal cars and trucks are a completly different story though;)

You ain't kiddin. Take note of the title I have.:)