Date:         Tue, 23 Aug 1994 14:40:35 -0400 (EDT)
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@vanagon.com>
From:         drahzal@c1south.convex.com (Matthew Drahzal)
Subject:      Re: pre-coffee whining

> 
> Since I live and commute in the Santa Cruz Mountains on the California coast,
> there is an etiquette by which we two lane road drivers attempt to co-exist--

Drivers in NY do not, ahem..., coexist. They compete.

> 
> If someone catches up to you, you are considered slower traffic, unless there
> is slower traffic in front of you. Slower traffic will pull out at the first
> available paved, wide spot on the shoulder in order to maintain good vibes with

If you are passed, you have lost one point. Getting ahead of the 
person on front of you is good for one point, even in bumper to bumper
expressway traffic (ESPECIALLY in bumper to bumper traffic)

In Stop and Go traffic, do NOT try to go the "average" speed, trying
to save clutch and brakes from wear. If the person behind you
discovers that you are weak, he will get *very* angry, and will do
anything, including gunplay, to pass ahead of you. You will have lost
a point to him.

In a Vanagon, however, they will have to shoot UP at you. This is good
for you. In my 48HP diesel, I get passed often. If you have determined
that you *will* lose the point, it is important to slow down enough that
the other driver flies by you, decreasing the amount of time he has to
aim. 

> in my old '64 Camper, it does handle well enough that I end up passing about 
> as many people as I let pass (this is probably due to the fact that the 

This means that you end up with Zero points. It is like a tie in the
Sugar Bowl (As a Syracuse U. alum, I still remember Pat Dye going for the
tie game. Tie Dye to this day). Everybody loses. 



After reading this, I think Santa Cruz is a much safer place for the
non-competing VWs.  Much safer indeed. 

matthew