Tailgaters

Last night I was on my way to a meeting.  It was an evening meeting that I didn't have to attend but wanted to attend.  Big flakes of snow fell as I walked to my car.  Along the way the snow got heavier.  I was driving on country roads with two lanes and a speed limit of 55 mph.  As the snow started to accumulate I slowed down to be safe.  Seeing the sides of the roads became difficult and the yellow line was buried in snow.  A big white truck came up behind me and stayed too close.  In my small car, the headlights shone through the back window and blinded me in the rear view mirror.  Why do cars stay so close?  Do they really think tailgating will make me go faster?  I remembered back to my road trip when I drove through a blizzard on a mountain pass in Colorado and a tailgater hit me.  Then I thought, "I don't need this."  I pulled to the side of the road and the white pick up went around me.  I made a U turn and went home.  I don't need to be out driving in the dark, windy cold tonight when I can go home, make some hot cocoa, and sit down and read the newspaper.  I haven't had a moment to myself yet today.  So I went home.  And this morning, on my way to work, another big white truck (what is it with aggressive drivers in white trucks?) tailgated me on Highway 47.  Turning around is not an option. I have to go to work.  And I got angry at this one.  I slowed down.  He tailgated closer.  I sped up.  Even going 60 mph (in a 55 zone) he was still on my bumper.  So I slowed down to 40.  I stayed at 40 until the speed limit went down to 50 mph and then I stayed at 50.  He tailgated the entire way.  I prayed he would turn but he didn't.  When other cars merged in, I hoped someone would come between us but he wouldn't let anyone in.  Stupid tailgater can't even zipper (allow others to merge in) right.  When I went down the entrance ramp onto Highway 10 he was driving too close to my car.  As soon as the cement divider ended, the white truck veered left into the fast lane at a dangerous speed.  I watched as he (without signaling) changed lanes four times to get around other cars.  He drove like a maniac.  Suddenly I regretted slowing down in front of a maniac.  I didn't really appreciate just how aggressive of a driver he was.  When we drove through Colorado, we saw road signs asking us to report aggressive drivers.  I think the next time that happens, I will report aggressive drivers.  Maybe I'm optimistic, but a phone call from a police department saying someone reported them for aggressive driving might make them think twice before doing it again.