That got a good laugh.
If you leave three seconds between you and the car in front of you on Route 128 around Boston, there will be 14 other cars in that space before you can blink.
You'd basically be stopped in the road, and you'd never be able to rejoin the flow, because there's never room to merge in from a dead stop.
That is probably true in the worst places, but less so in others. I was taught the "1 car length per 10 mph," which I find easier to follow, and, here in congested NJ, yes, people do cut in front of me, but not 14, nor 10. Maybe 2 or 3. In general, it is much more tolerable than riding someone's bumper, which I find terrifying and stressful.
I once asked a friend whether he felt any tension as they were driving so closely to the car in front. He responded "no, not anxious at all." I was astounded. How do people not feel anxiety in this situation?
I use a variety of mind tricks. I compare my brake taps to those of the car in front of me - usually it's a 5 to 1 difference in my favor. (My garage told me my brakes had virtually no wear). I watch my mileage meter keep me at a high mpg. I once read an article that told angry and annoyed drivers to substitute other goals for "making good time" and to remind themselves that, as the superior drivers, they have to control the smooth flow.
I tell myself that I'm driving for both myself and the other driver. I used to compare my lack of anxiety to what I imagined the tail-gaters were feeling, but I'm no longer sure they feel anxiety
And finally, there's the stoicism of Marcus Aurelius, who told himself every day that he would meet with stupid people doing nasty things, but he also owned his share.
** One thing I regret no longer being able to deploy is a Star Trek sound effects keychain that, when a button was pressed (quietly) fired phasers or photon torpedoes at an offending vehicle. It stopped working ...
