When stopping at a red light, how much space do you leave between the rear of the car in front of you and your car's nose?

This is the bay area, no some countryside. If people leave too much room, then people several cars back don't make it through the intersection.

So I'm on my way to a relatives house and I come to a stop behind a pickup truck, and I leave the typical 4-5' space between me and the pickup. I'm tired but not in a hurry and I'm just chilling and bored at the light. Then I notice the ***** old man in the (Dewey Pest Control) truck is making irate gestures at me. I'm like, wtf? Then the light turns green and he proceeds to drive 5 mph like I'd been tail-gating him. He takes the turn and flicks me off which I promptly return and yell out the window, "THAT'S NOT TAIL GAITING YOU DUMB****!"

The ***** looked like he was in his 60's and looked like he's stuck in the 1950's with his perception of the world.

 

lol you should have called his "how am i driving" number. you call their number and a driver gets a driver's alert, trucks can be pulled for a whole month

 

wait, the guy was mad because you were too close at a stop light?

 

MY rule of thumb is: keep enough distance so that I can see the tires meet the road on the car in front of me.

 

Yeah, at a stop light. Not driving. He was at the light WAAAAY before me, so the first encounter was while stopped at the light.

 

I couldn't get the info in time before he turned off.

But I'm going to call Dewey Pest Control and see.

 

+2. I don't know if the training booklet says it, but I know my driving instructor was a hard *** about it.

 

I could see his tires touching the road.

Most people wouldn't have thought anything of how close I was; because I wasn't close. It's the old ***** in the truck that had an unwarranted problem.

 

If he did that in Texas he would get shot.

If anyone does anything in Texas such as flash your brights ridiculous road rage ensues.

I hate drivers here.

 

I usually roll up to within 2-4 feet. I can't stand it when people leave 2 car lengths in front of them or what not. I have to drive through watsonville every A.M. and there's a section with like 5 stop lights in a half mile. People constantly do that and it makes you miss lights. Pisses me off.

I figure if you're coming from the side trying to squeeze in tough ****. If I get hit from behind and smack the car in front of me... tough **** it's the other guys fault.

 

Glad I didn't get shot on my last drive back from Texas.

I'm a firm believer in... "slower traffic move the **** over!"

So....I flash my highs, with about....50yrs and closing, mebbe more if the speed warrants it.

And...I did that all the way back to California.

 

+1 that's what my dad told me to do...

 

I can't stand people that leave huge gaps while stopped/stopping at traffic lights. Not only does it make people miss lights, but it allows those sh1theads to sneak in from the other lanes. Eff that, wait your turn beotch

-Brian

 

sounds about right to me, too. generally, that should be just enuff space to easily get around the car in front of me (w/o the need to throw it in reverse) in case it or some car ahead of us stalls out or something.

i understand everyone else's point about staying packed in tight to avoid missing lights, mf'ers cutting in, etc., but i'd prefer to have an "out" if the situation called for one.

 

^I hear ya. I leave just enough to be able to pull out if need be.

-Brian