Regarding brake-checking:
If I’m slowing down, I actually look in the mirror and don’t let the gap close too much. Brake checking where you actually slam the brakes is a whole different game, and a fool’s game IMHO.
My goal is NOT to piss off a tailgater, BTW. In fact, I really don’t want to annoy them at all. I just want them to pass me or back off. It’s not a question of revenge or whatever, it’s a question of the safety of myself, my passengers, and my car.
Gently speeding up and slowing down will generally cause them to detach without even knowing why they did. Brake checking would put myself, them, and everyone else next to us on the freeway in danger. Not an option.
