u4rick's Blog

I was going to use a more controversial part of my anatomy as the title to this article but, in the interest of diplomacy, I'll stay with "my back".

In the past five years I have been rear-ended by five "aggressive drivers"(it's appropriate to substitute that same body-part here). I've observed countless more tailgaters in my rear-view mirror. I've invested so much in Advil that I should be listed as a major stockholder. I drive for a living and the need to discourage this behavior becomes more evident each time I see another Toyota in my trunk. That is why, through the miracle of technology, I have devised a way to reduce it considerably. Lately, as I cross the Howard Franklin bridge I have been using my camera phone to record this activity. If an aggressive driver tries to get too familiar with me(much in the same manner as a dog would another dog) I simply hold the phone up to the rear view mirror. This act alone usually gets them to back off. If they don't then I simply hit the RECORD button and document the offense. Afterward, I let them pass and snap off another picture of their license plate. Perhaps, if more people do the same it will encourage the offenders to stop. Who knows? It may eliminate following too closely all together!

There are some who might suggest that the cure is more dangerous than the offense. Not if you keep a safe distance from the vehicle in front of you while you're doing it. Give it a try.