Originally Posted by Eclectus

OP, I think you made an impolite mistake. There is a coordinated effort in drafting. You really should ask/be invited to join this teamwork.

Now, suppose you had seen them coming up, and you accelerated, and they sucked your wheel for a while. Then they passed you. In that case you are authorized to draft them, quid pro quo. But if they just came up behind you, and quickly passed you, and you accelerated, and latched onto a wheel, I think you need to ask if they mind.

If they quickly passed you, and you accelerated, but stayed 6, 10, 12 feet behind, which isn't drafting, you getting the urge to ride faster, inspired by others to push harder, but you're not taking advantage of them, and collision risk is really small, I think that's okay.

The thing about drafting is, first off, it requires trust, and secondly you really need to break the wind to contribute something. Like, who wants to be a parasite?