The problem is that tailgating in one form or another has become the accepted means of communication between drivers. So everyone tailgates in one form or another, and yet everyone when they get tailgated takes offense. If people understood that a quick flash or two of the highbeams was a request to pass, such requests could be made without any unsafe following distances followed by brake checks.

What I think is particularly stupid is when I'm going plenty fast on a highway (let's say 85 in a 65 zone) and I come up on a car in front of me that's going like 75-80 in the left lane. The car in front of me doesn't speed up and slowly makes their pass of several slower cars in the right lane. Then some imbecile comes up behind me, obviously sees the slow-moving car in front of me since it's not exactly very hard for someone in a regular-sized car to see over a Miata with its top lowered, and proceeds to tailgate me as if that'll get the person in front of me to speed up. I give a brake check and a shift into reverse with a foot on the clutch, which will occasionally get the tailgater to back off. Once the blockage clears though I speed back up to 85 or whatever and leave the tailgater behind me. With any luck they realize the car in front of me was blocking the way, but most likely they probably thought I just took a long time to bend to their will expressed with tailgating.

So folks, the next time you have the urge to tailgate someone, maintain a safe following distance and flash your brights instead. Spread the good word!