Poll: Catch 22 Traffic Law Question...

[mugs]

Originally posted by: acemcmac
I don't see the speeding as the problem... that was just a byproduct of the A B or C choice we made.... wouldn't they have all been equally wrong?

Tough call... speeding definitely wasn't the right choice. Your other options would be to drive exactly the speed limit, or slow down, get behind the cop and let the other guy pass you. Driving exactly the speed limit would mean you're driving right next to another car for an extended period of time, which is generally a really dumb thing to do, but not technically illegal. I doubt the cop would have pulled you over for blocking the left lane, because it would not have been possible for the other guy to pass you without speeding. Slowing down to get behind the cop COULD have gotten you a ticket for blocking the left lane, but more likely would have gotten the other guy a ticket for speeding.

At least you only got a warning.

 

[acemcmac]

Originally posted by: Jzero

Originally posted by: acemcmac

Originally posted by: Jzero
What road was this? I am unaware of any 65MPH roads in the Philly area.

Anyway, you should have dropped speed, let the car pass, and then if you honestly believed the exit ramp was coming up quick, gotten back in the left lane.

heading towards washington dc, as posted earlier

and yes, I95 south of philly is DEFINITLEY a 65 road... as is I295, I495 (DE), the turnpike and 202 around the turnpike. I could think of more. Try again.

202 in KOP is not 65 and to the best of my knowledge it is 55 or less all the way down to West Chester. Maybe it goes up after that, but I never ride it any farther. I guess I don't consider that far south of the city to be the Philly area when it comes to driving, nor do I consider DE or NJ.

Nonetheless, in all your smugness you discounted the solution, which was to slow down, let the other car pass, get back over. It's not illegal to go below the speed limit, and it is also not illegal to get out of the way when someone is overtaking you.

When it expands to 6 lanes before it meets 76 it is.

How is it not illegal to fail to yeild to overtaking vehicles in a passing lane?

You are right, it's not illegal to go below the speed limit. It is illegal, however to "ride the passing lane when not passing" because it causes very dangerous passing on the right situations.

My logic dictates that if I am no longer passing, I may no longer be in the passing lane, I must yeild to the cars behind me and get the fvck out of the way pdq.

If I wasn't already being followed very tightly, I'd be right with you, but had we slown down enough to get back behind the cop, I don't see how we wouldn't have been just as wrong as having sped up to let him go by.

 

[acemcmac]

Originally posted by: mugs

Originally posted by: acemcmac
I don't see the speeding as the problem... that was just a byproduct of the A B or C choice we made.... wouldn't they have all been equally wrong?

Tough call... speeding definitely wasn't the right choice. Your other options would be to drive exactly the speed limit, or slow down, get behind the cop and let the other guy pass you. Driving exactly the speed limit would mean you're driving right next to another car for an extended period of time, which is generally a really dumb thing to do, but not technically illegal. I doubt the cop would have pulled you over for blocking the left lane, because it would not have been possible for the other guy to pass you without speeding. Slowing down to get behind the cop COULD have gotten you a ticket for blocking the left lane, but more likely would have gotten the other guy a ticket for speeding.

At least you only got a warning.

you fully understand the frustration of this problem... I sure as hell hope to never find myself in this kind of situation again... I just can't help but wonder what we could have done at that point to not get on that cop's bad side....

 

[Jzero]

Originally posted by: acemcmac
I wasn't already being followed very tightly, I'd be right with you, but had we slown down enough to get back behind the cop, I don't see how we wouldn't have been just as wrong as having sped up to let him go by.

Well you would have been "less" wrong b/c you wouldn't have had to pass the cop going over the speed limit. We're on the same page about when to not be in the passing lane, but I guess we disagree that the final move before vacating the passing lane must be to pass someone.

It's not like you have to slam on the brakes, just take your foot off the gas for a couple seconds and move over. The d-bag tailgating you will be happy to have you out of the way, and I don't think you would have broken any laws at that point.

 

[imthebadguy]

most cops are idiots, usually your standard bully in HS, when everyone else went to college the only way that they could pick on the rest of us was to become a cop.....now im not sayin that all cops are like this, but it seems that the majority of the ones that ive had a run it with have poor attitudes and seem to think that they are better than me, which leads me to believe what i have stated above

 

[mugs]

Originally posted by: imthebadguy
most cops are idiots, usually your standard bully in HS, when everyone else went to college the only way that they could pick on the rest of us was to become a cop.....now im not sayin that all cops are like this, but it seems that the majority of the ones that ive had a run it with have poor attitudes and seem to think that they are better than me, which leads me to believe what i have stated above

I think it's more that their experience as police officers has made them like that. If you spent your days dealing with domestic disturbance calls and people who drive like idiots, you'd probably start to handle people the same way. I've known a lot of cops, and they're all very nice when they're not acting as a police officer. Except the motorcyle cops, they seem to be pissed off all the time.

 

[Injury]

99 times out of 100 you won't get pulled over for not speeding in the left lane when another car is trying to pass. Should have slowly let the officer get a bit ahead and then gotten behind him.

Unless he is seriously PO'ed about something, he wouldn't care that you were in the left lane. You could have easily taken that one down in court by saying that it would have been illegal for you to speed up to get into the middle/right lane. However, it's easy for him to pull you over for speeding, and you have NO chance of fighting that situation in court.


So glad that they don't actively enforce the "left lane" rule in Ohio, and that unmarked cars can't perform traffic stops. But I wish they'd enforce it on some of the Michigan drivers that in are passing through. They are always driving 5 under in the left lane. (I do believe that in Michigan the left lane is for the slower moving traffic.)

 

[sswingle]

Not like this hasn't been said 20 times, but the OP doesn't seem to be figuring this one out.

You were doing nothing wrong by being in the left lane going the speed limit. Why you think you HAVE to get over in order to let someone else speed eludes me. Second, you should have just slowed down a bit and gotten behind the cop. No way they are going to give you a ticket for obstructing the passing lane if you are attempting to get into the right lane. What kind of moron would think that.

The "left lane rule" was designed for slow moving vehicles. It would be illegal for a truck to do 55 in the left lane unless he was trying to pass someone going even slower than that. (Here in Ohio, cars can do 65, trucks are limited to 55) For a car to do 65 in the left lane is perfectly legal, passing or not, because that is the speed limit.

 

[3chordcharlie]

Originally posted by: conjur
1) Slow down
2) Get behind cop
3) Let faster driver speed past cop
4) Watch cop pull faster driver over
5) Laugh hysterically and take :camera:s

6) Make a thread like this one, except funnier, and with :camera:s

 

[CRXican]

I voted maintained speed. I was going to choose slow down and get behind the cop but decided against it. That just makes you lok more suspicious. However it was likely that you were going to get pulled over no matter what. Highway cops are scum and have nothing better to do.

 

[Jzero]

Originally posted by: ScottSwingleComputers
No way they are going to give you a ticket for obstructing the passing lane if you are attempting to get into the right lane. What kind of moron would think that.

The "left lane rule" was designed for slow moving vehicles. It would be illegal for a truck to do 55 in the left lane unless he was trying to pass someone going even slower than that. (Here in Ohio, cars can do 65, trucks are limited to 55) For a car to do 65 in the left lane is perfectly legal, passing or not, because that is the speed limit.

I don't know Ohio's law, but I would bet big bucks you are a little off base.

Nonetheless, I do know PA's law:
text
Section 3313 on page 5 sums it up nicely.

 

[HardcoreRobot]

if it is an exit only lane, then its not the left lane and its ok to not be passing - so slow down

if it is not an exit only lane, or if the exit is not for a while, fall in behind the cop until its time to exit then get back over

 

[Freejack2]

In New England and New York they don't even bother if they catch you doing 74 in a 65. Heck one time a cop came up behind me when I was doing 79 on the Mass pike. He pulled up beside me and I slowed down, finally when I was under 65 he just pulled ahead with a flash of his lights.

 

[Vic]

I haven't read the thread except for the OP, but it is acceptable to hold up traffic in the far left at the speed limit if you are approaching a left exit within the next mile. Especially with a cop in the right lane, you are doing the traffic behind you a favor (whether they know it or not). What else are you supposed to do given that circumstance? Let traffic behind you by so one of them can get a ticket? Get a ticket yourself? Take a chance on missing your exit?
I'm a big believer in proper traffic etiquette, but sometimes the circumstances don't allow one to be as polite as one would like to be.

 

[PingSpike]

The answer here is clear:
You do not pass a cop for any reason. Faced with the choice of running over a baby or passing a cop, you run over the baby. Unless its a baby cop. Then you're screwed.

 

[acemcmac]

Originally posted by: Jzero

Originally posted by: ScottSwingleComputers
No way they are going to give you a ticket for obstructing the passing lane if you are attempting to get into the right lane. What kind of moron would think that.

The "left lane rule" was designed for slow moving vehicles. It would be illegal for a truck to do 55 in the left lane unless he was trying to pass someone going even slower than that. (Here in Ohio, cars can do 65, trucks are limited to 55) For a car to do 65 in the left lane is perfectly legal, passing or not, because that is the speed limit.

I don't know Ohio's law, but I would bet big bucks you are a little off base.

Nonetheless, I do know PA's law:
text
Section 3313 on page 5 sums it up nicely.

for the third... fourth... oh hell.. who's countin'nth time

this happened in virginia, just outside the beltway of WASHINGTON DC

VA != PA

 

[MrDingleDangle]

Originally posted by: 3chordcharlie

Originally posted by: conjur
1) Slow down
2) Get behind cop
3) Let faster driver speed past cop
4) Watch cop pull faster driver over
5) Laugh hysterically and take :camera:s

6) Make a thread like this one, except funnier, and with :camera:s

7) speed off into the distance

 

[Injury]

Originally posted by: PingSpike
The answer here is clear:
You do not pass a cop for any reason. Faced with the choice of running over a baby or passing a cop, you run over the baby. Unless its a baby cop. Then you're screwed.

Naw... you just make sure you get the job done and don't leave behind evidence

 

[Phoenix86]

Is this that hard? Speeding is against the law, so you shouldn't have done that (not being holier than thou, just answering). You exit was a left lane exit, so stay in your lane (assuming exit was approaching). If the exit is far away, slow down, move behind the cop, let the guy behind you pass, then get back over for you exit.

"slow down, breaking the law by acting retarded in a passing lane..."

I think slowing down to the speed limit isn't acting retarded. Also, not letting the guy pass is excusable because you had a left exit coming up.

 

[acemcmac]

Originally posted by: Phoenix86
Is this that hard? Speeding is against the law, so you shouldn't have done that (not being holier than thou, just answering). You exit was a left lane exit, so stay in your lane (assuming exit was approaching). If the exit is far away, slow down, move behind the cop, let the guy behind you pass, then get back over for you exit.

"slow down, breaking the law by acting retarded in a passing lane..."

I think slowing down to the speed limit isn't acting retarded. Also, not letting the guy pass is excusable because you had a left exit coming up.

yeah, but we had not only had no clue how far off the exit was, we weren't even sure if we were going to take it... beltway versus doing this...

it just really bothers me that it was such a catch 22.... I am religious about only being in the left lane when I'm overtaking, and at the time we were.... it just bothers me that there was no clear "right" thing to do here.... I have never encountered a situation like this before....

 

[Jzero]

Originally posted by: acemcmac
for the third... fourth... oh hell.. who's countin'nth time

this happened in virginia, just outside the beltway of WASHINGTON DC

VA != PA

Sorry, I missed your original one-line clarification amidst a bunch of mindless banter about the relative speedometer accuracies between European, Japanese and American cars, so I was going on the seemingly self-defnining statement (redeye from VT back to philadelpha and points beyond) who knows why you would say philadelphia and points beyond if you points beyond included passing through other major metropolitan areas.

Nonetheless, the point of my post being about PA was because I happen to know where to find PA's law and that PA's law is a pretty common example of passing laws in many states.

 

[acemcmac]

Originally posted by: Jzero

Originally posted by: acemcmac
for the third... fourth... oh hell.. who's countin'nth time

this happened in virginia, just outside the beltway of WASHINGTON DC

VA != PA

Sorry, I missed your original one-line clarification amidst a bunch of mindless banter about the relative speedometer accuracies between European, Japanese and American cars, so I was going on the seemingly self-defnining statement (redeye from VT back to philadelpha and points beyond) who knows why you would say philadelphia and points beyond if you points beyond included passing through other major metropolitan areas.

Nonetheless, the point of my post being about PA was because I happen to know where to find PA's law and that PA's law is a pretty common example of passing laws in many states.

yes, and it was a great link- found it to be very informative, but unfortunatley, the one situation that applied to us... the "if you're planning to exit left" was really wishy-washy because we 1) had no idea how far off the exit was, and 2) weren't sure if we were going to even use it...

I got dropped off just west of philly, the guy who was behind the wheel continued on up to the pochonos up the NE extension. Everyone is still asleep, I did an 8 hour day straight off the trip and still have class tonight :beer:

 

[cosine17]

smack him

best thing u can do in that situation.

 

[JulesMaximus]

Slow down and let the fvcktard behind you go around you if he doesn't like it. Duh. :roll:

 

[conjur]

Originally posted by: MrDingleDangle

Originally posted by: 3chordcharlie

Originally posted by: conjur
1) Slow down
2) Get behind cop
3) Let faster driver speed past cop
4) Watch cop pull faster driver over
5) Laugh hysterically and take :camera:s

6) Make a thread like this one, except funnier, and with :camera:s

7) speed off into the distance

8) Write book about event
9) Sell book rights to Hollywood
10) Profit!!