interesting observation on human behavior...

I went out earlier, and I noticed something strange and interesting while I was driving.

I remember, way back when my parents taught me to drive, my dad always told me that anytime I stopped at a stoplight (or a stop sign or other intersection), I should always leave enough room in front of me that I can see the rear tires of the car in front of me, as well a bit of pavement. That way, if I am ever hit from the rear, my car will not be shoved into the car in front of me. He'll still remind me of that, if he ever decides that I haven't left enough room in front of my car.

So, I am always working on creating the habit of leaving room in front of me. Today, as I sat between cars at a stoplight, I looked in my rearview mirror and saw that the car behind me was CLOSE - very close. I looked in front of me and saw the car in front of me edge forward. I had tons of space in front of me. So I edged forward, just a bit. Then I looked in my rearview mirror again, and I saw the car behind me edge forward, closing the bit of space I had created between us. I edged forward again. He edged forward again. I edged forward. He edged forward. This continued until the light changed.

Seriously, why do we edge forward at a stoplight, particularly when we are two or three cars back? I understand, if you are at the front of the line, that you may edge forward to try and trigger the light to change. But way in the back - what is the point of moving forward? We are certainly strange, strange creatures.