Re: Foot over the brake:wq

[Michael Fennell <mfennell@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Jim Ochi <jochi@domain.elided> wrote:
> 
> 
> Just had to throw in my 2 cents on this.  I'm not so concerned about
> hitting the car in front of me - I'm paying attention to my driving, and I
> know from practice how well my brakes work on my car.  What I'm concerned
> about the most is that the person in the car behind me is usually on the
> cell phone, reading the newspaper, putting on makeup, etc. - the idiot is
> usually so distracted that driving is the very last thing they're thinking
> about.  There is absolutely no way that they're going to notice that my car
> is slowing down unless they see my brake lights come on.  Almost every time
> I use engine braking (or just coast) to slow down in traffic, the person
> behind me closes right up to my bumper before they realize that I'm slowing
> down.  Then, if I use my brakes, I get to see saucer-sized eyeballs in my
> rear view mirror, and get to hear the tire squeal as they lock up their
> brakes...
> 

A habit I picked up from riding motorcycles (which typically have way
more compression braking than a car, so you use your brakes less) is
to tap the brakes if I'm coasting down.  Just to flash the brake lights.
This ususally gets the driver behind out of his or her stupor.

Michael Fennell

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