Date:         Thu, 16 May 2002 21:40:44 -0500
Reply-To:     Donald Baxter <onanov@MINDSPRING.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Donald Baxter <onanov@MINDSPRING.COM>
Subject:      Re: Bumper Stickers (a bit of a rant)
In-Reply-To:  <015501c1fd36$2c057120$8715c618@maine.rr.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

You know, there really is never, never any reason to tailgate anyone.
It's dangerous, it's pointless.  For the person who is being tailgated,
he's a fool if he allows that to dictate his behaviour.  Tailgating
someone in a Vanagon is even crazier than than in a vehicle with some
crash protection.

The options? Well, you can always slow down and wait for whoever is in
your way to move out.  How much time do you think you save by
intimidating someone?  What happens if he or she is crazy enough to slam
on the brakes?  It's been my experience that we all stop at the same
traffic lights.  We all end up waiting behind the same person who is
going 65 when I want to go 75 and someone tailgating me wants to go 85.

While I think it's ridiculous for someone to drive in the fast lane to
attempt to enforce a speed limit, and slower drivers should always drive
to the right, my experience is that I've got someone on my ass when I'm
doing 80 (not in the Vanagon of course, in my VR6 Passat) passing
someone doing 70.

My vote for a bumpersticker is this:

"How much faster than the car in front of my do YOU think I should be
going?"

Ease off the testosterone, boys, it might save someone's life. Think
(with your head).

__________

Donald Baxter  724 Westgate Street #1  Iowa City, IA 52246
(319) 337-0494
donald.baxter@mchsi.com




-----Original Message-----
From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com] On Behalf
Of John P. Flaherty
Sent: Thursday, May 16, 2002 7:03 PM
To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
Subject: Re: Bumper Stickers (a bit of a rant)


I want the opposite sticker. One to put on the front, with reversed
lettering so it would be visible in the car in fronts mirror. It would
say "This is a VW bus. If I'm tailgating you, there's something
seriously wrong with the way you drive."

And I'm continuously amazed at the number of people I tailgate.
Especially on highway entrance ramps, where, for reasons I don't
understand, people here think the best way to merge with traffic going
70 plus is to ease off the ramp at 25-30. I  end up whipping around them
and into the left lane if traffic permits. And I have a 1.9.

John Flaherty
Portland, Maine
'84 GL


----- Original Message -----
From: "Jeremy Speer" <jspeer@POBOX.COM>
To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Sent: Wednesday, May 15, 2002 11:15 AM
Subject: Bumper Stickers (a bit of a rant)


> Ok, after driving my van for a couple thousand miles in and around the
Twin
> Cities of Minnesota and western Wisconsin, I've arrived at two bumper
> stickers I'd like to either find or have made up.
>
> 1) Don't Tailgate: IT WON'T HELP!
>
> 2) You're behind a Vanagon. Deal with it.
>
> There is a very nice dark green 70's Westy I see now and then that has

> the following stickers:
>
> "0-60 Eventually"
>
> "Never get behind a Bus"
>
> "Honk if something falls off"
>
> I've been using my van as my daily driver for a couple of weeks now. I
come
> in to work fairly early, so the traffic is usually light.
>
> Going home, however, traffic frequently very heavy even by my former
> New York City standards. Every day without fail there is some
> butt-head right
on
> my tail down the freeway entrance ramp. Once we get to the freeway
> they immediately zoom out into traffic (ignoring any of those annoying

> lines
that
> happen to be painted on the road surface) and shoot past me.
>
> But.... also nearly without fail, after an exit or two, I end up
> passing
the
> former tailgating butt-head for some reason. Frequently it is because
> they have been boxed in somehow. Can't help but smile when I see that.
>
> Regards,
>
> -jspeer
>
> '89 Westy, "Mystery Machine"
>