update post

gemlog/dear-driver.gmi

@@ -14,6 +14,8 @@ I've seen a lot of dumb, dangerous stuff on the road around me, yet I haven't be
 
 * Don't tailgate. It's not going to make the car in front of you go anywhere faster; chances are they're stuck waiting on the cars in front of them anyway. All that it accomplishes is making the situation more dangerous. You won't be able to see what's going on in front of that vehicle, you won't have time to react when they do something unexpected, and it may make the other driver nervous (making it more likely that they'll do something unexpected).  Leave some space behind the car in front of you. I don't care if it's car lengths or seconds or hundreds of feet, just leave some wiggle room so that you'll have a bit of time to respond when they inevitably do something stupid.
 
+* If you're in stop-and-go traffic, leave extra room in front of you. Nobody's going to get anywhere in a hurry so there's no point in trying to stay super close or rushing to catch up to the line of cars in front of you (only to have to hit your brakes again). The constant stop-and-go is dangerous (even at low speeds): every application of the brakes is a gamble that the person behind you is paying attention and will be ready to stop. You can instead hang back and try to smooth out the inchworm effect. Go a little bit slower and see if you can avoid needing to stop as often.
+
 * The left-most lane on the highway is for passing, not cruising (or camping). If you're not actively passing another vehicle, keep to the right. If you're hanging in the left lane and someone comes up behind you, tap your turn signal, get over, and let them pass. Deliberately holding up a faster driver just raises the likelihood that they'll do something aggressive and stupid to get around you.
 
 * Speaking of stupid, when someone cuts you off, let them. They didn't do it as a personal attack against you; they're just trying to get to their destination, same as you. Let them in and move on with your life. It's not worth getting worked up about it, and definitely not worth contributing to any retaliatory road rage statistics.
@@ -28,5 +30,7 @@ I've seen a lot of dumb, dangerous stuff on the road around me, yet I haven't be
 
 * Did I mention that you should pay attention? When you're behind the wheel, you're a driver - not a passenger. Don't be a distracted driver. If you're not able to focus on driving, pull over and sort your shit out before you put lives at risk.
 
-- Sincerely,
+Pay attention, leave your ego out of it, and be mindful of the other easily-startled drivers around you.
+
+- Safe travels,
 A Fellow Motorist

gemlog/dear-driver.yaml

@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 id: "urn:uuid:ffaba764-a7a1-4b9e-86b1-c4051820e646"
 title: "Dear Driver"
 published: "2024-04-12T02:30:50Z"
-updated: "2024-04-12T02:30:50Z"
+updated: "2024-04-12T13:13:38Z"
 summary: |-
   There are some things I'd like you to know before you get back on the road (with me).