YACT Rant: The left lane is for passing

[xgsound]

To you guys going out of your way to piss off the other guy, I gotta tell you I don't get it.

To you guys who think the "fast" lane is your personal property, why not wait 10 seconds and pass them on the right if you're in a hurry? It can only be because you're not in a hurry. If there is no room for you to pull over with your superior reflexes, there's no room for him to pull over either.

To you guys who insist on slowing people down, take down thier number and report them instead of becoming a traffic hazard yourself.

To both of you quit trying to drive the other guys car and drive the one in your hand.

Sometimes the driver pissing you off is just a jerk, but there are lots of emergency situations that could apply also. Lots of emergency personnel drive normal cars on duty, and they all drive normal cars to get to work. You've been lucky so far. You guys are really going to look like Bozo the Clown when you interfere in a medical, police , or security emergency. Meanwhile you're creating a traffic hazard or making an existing one worse.

I wish I could say I never made these mistakes, but I can say it was never my goal. The first year I put on 40,000 miles showed me clearly that trying to drive the other guys car also was too exhausting.


Jim

 

[Excelsior]

xgsound - because passing on the right shouldn't have to happen. The person going "slow" in the left lane is the one screwing up.

And under no circumstances should someone attempt to take down someone elses plate and try to report them unless they are fvcking swerving all over the place (they look like they are driving drunk). It isn't their job to be a Barney Fife.

 

[gigapet]

Originally posted by: AmigaMan

Originally posted by: EatSpam

Originally posted by: AmigaMan
I refuse to do that. If I want to do 65 on a highway that has a 65MPH speedlimit, I'll do it where ever the damn well I please. I may drive 65 in the left lane JUST TO PISS YOU OFF! It's my perogative, so unless you wish to ram me and/or cause and accident, tough noogies sucker.

Not in Illinois. You'll get pulled over for left lane camping these days or be subjected to some serious road rage. Take your massive barge of an SUV and get it in the right lane where it belongs. I average 90mph on the interstates and even I move into the right lane when I'm not passing.

You won't be doing 90mph if I'm on the road with you. I make it my personal mission to slow down drivers who drive too fast by driving the speed limit in the left lane.

It is not your job to regulate the roads. Its dangerous as yhou have not had the proper training to do so. if you want to regulate highway traffic become a state cop. By not doing so you aren't any better than the asshat thats speeding

 

[Jawo]

totally agree with the OP! Driving I-81 is so annoying b/c of this very problem....And have seen studies that show that the slow car going the speed limit is MORE of a hazard than driving faster than the speed limit.....if you dont believe it try going 55 (the speed limit) on 495....

And there should be nothing wrong with passing on the right, if cars/trucks wont get over....

 

[rh71]

It's only a problem if the highway is 2 lanes. Otherwise, you're the "aggressive driver" so you should find your own way around them rather than sit behind them and get pissy. You're right, but you have options.

 

[xgsound]

Originally posted by: Excelsior
xgsound - because passing on the right shouldn't have to happen. The person going "slow" in the left lane is the one screwing up.

You're right, but like I said, you must not be in a hurry

And under no circumstances should someone attempt to take down someone elses plate and try to report them unless they are fvcking swerving all over the place (they look like they are driving drunk). It isn't their job to be a Barney Fife.

I would never do it. I think it beats pulling out in from of him to slow him down though.

You see, I think both things are "being a Barney Fife" when you get down to it.


Jim

 

[Jack Ryan]

Originally posted by: mitaiwan82
If you're doing 90 on the left lane, and someone behind is doing 100, please get out of the left lane also. I don't care if you're 25 over the speed limit, you're still slower than the guy doing 100.

/$0.02

100% true

 

[bonkers325]

Originally posted by: Jawo
totally agree with the OP! Driving I-81 is so annoying b/c of this very problem....And have seen studies that show that the slow car going the speed limit is MORE of a hazard than driving faster than the speed limit.....if you dont believe it try going 55 (the speed limit) on 495....

And there should be nothing wrong with passing on the right, if cars/trucks wont get over....

i got stuck on the I-81N today. they're pouring concrete between Brighton and Harrison... the limit is 30mph but its moving at 10mph because there are state troopers everywhere. took me 20 minutes to get from exit 17 to exit 18. might as well have gotten off and went the local route :|

 

[91TTZ]

Originally posted by: sixone

I agree. Let him pass you, get his tag number, and report him to local law enforcement. If you need a refresher course why not to speed, CourtTV.com will have something right up your alley.

That doesn't do anything at all. That's one citizen's word against another's. There is no proof.

 

[91TTZ]

Originally posted by: AmigaMan
I refuse to do that. If I want to do 65 on a highway that has a 65MPH speedlimit, I'll do it where ever the damn well I please. I may drive 65 in the left lane JUST TO PISS YOU OFF! It's my perogative, so unless you wish to ram me and/or cause and accident, tough noogies sucker.

I've ripped guys like you out of their car before and beat them senseless. He thought it was a good idea to be an ass to piss me off, and at the next red light I unleashed a can of Rodney King brand whoopass.

 

[91TTZ]

Originally posted by: Viperoni

Originally posted by: AmigaMan
I refuse to do that. If I want to do 65 on a highway that has a 65MPH speedlimit, I'll do it where ever the damn well I please. I may drive 65 in the left lane JUST TO PISS YOU OFF! It's my perogative, so unless you wish to ram me and/or cause and accident, tough noogies sucker.

Although you probably don't realize this, accidents on the freeway happen because of lack of attention (IE: merging into somebody else or cutting someone off), or by large differences in speed. As a poster below mentioned, having to slow down for somebody clogging the fast lane will eventually lead to a section of traffic in that lane to slow down considerably as others pass you on the right.

You are not a traffic control officer.

Finally, for proof of the above statements, take for example the German Autobahn. You have people with rustbuckets that can barely do 130kmh and others with exotic cars that can do 250kmh... all coexisting happily and with remarkably low accident rate on the same 2-3 lane road. Because every body follows the rule that the fast lane is to be used only for high speed traffic, large differences in speed rarely occur, and as such, accidents are reduced.

I constantly find myself switching over to the middle or right lanes to pass cars spread all over the highway doing 120 in a 100, instead of them being in the middle and right lanes doing their 120 and letting the high speed traffic go at their own pace.

QFT.

 

[rh71]

Originally posted by: xgsound

Originally posted by: Excelsior
xgsound - because passing on the right shouldn't have to happen. The person going "slow" in the left lane is the one screwing up.

Like I said, you must not be in a hurry

And under no circumstances should someone attempt to take down someone elses plate and try to report them unless they are fvcking swerving all over the place (they look like they are driving drunk). It isn't their job to be a Barney Fife.

I would never do it. I think it beats pulling out in from of him to slow him down though.

You see, I think both things are "being a Barney Fife" when you get down to it.


Jim

:thumbsup: I never understood people who police other cars... what's the point of having a pissed off driver behind you tailgating now ? Do you want an "accident" ? Did you really need that in your day ? Did you need that extra stress ? Go your separate ways... if you are in someone's way, move... if you are the aggressive driver, find some way around... unless you suck at aggressive driving in the first place. :roll:

 

[Lord Zado]

Originally posted by: zippo

Originally posted by: mitaiwan82
If you're doing 90 on the left lane, and someone behind is doing 100, please get out of the left lane also. I don't care if you're 25 over the speed limit, you're still slower than the guy doing 100.

/$0.02

Agree. Although I'm always the one going 90mph, I always move over.

I love the guys that do 100 when you are doing 90. That just means you can do 90 secure in the knowledge that any cops up ahead will pull over the guy doing 100 and not you.

 

[91TTZ]

I like racing the planes when I drive next to an airport.

 

[Mill]

Originally posted by: CheapArse
I concur

 

[Mill]

Originally posted by: Nitemare
:music:
Move bitch, get out the way
Get out the way bitch, get out the way
Move bitch, get out the way
Get out the way bitch, get out the way

[Ludacris]
OH NO! The fight's out
I'ma 'bout to punch yo...lights out
Get the FvCK back, guard ya grill
There's somethin' wrong, we can't stay still
I've been drankin' and bustin' two
and I been thankin' of bustin' you
Upside ya motherfvckin' forehead
And if your friends jump in, "Ohhh gurrlll", they'll be mo' dead
Causin' confusion, Disturbin Tha Peace
It's not an illusion, we runnin the streets
So bye-bye to all you groupies and golddiggers
Is there a bumper on your ass? NO NIGG@!
I'm doin' a hundred on the highway
So if you do the speed limit, get the FvCK outta my way
I'm D.U.I., hardly ever caught sober
and you about to get ran the FvCK over:music:

:thumbsup:

 

[Mill]

Originally posted by: Zenmervolt

Originally posted by: CheapArse

Originally posted by: aircooled
it's called the "fast lane" for a reason. move over! I'm tired of flashing my lights!

You flash your lights? Id probably brake check you..

You do realise that flashing the lights is the internationally recognised signal that the person behind you wants to pass? That's taught in basic driver's ed. At least it was when I took driver's ed. But the sh!t that passes for driver's ed here in the states is a joke anyway so it's no surprise that you're too ignorant to know any better.

ZV

I always flash my lights when I'm trying to pass at night and sometimes during the day. If the person doesn't know what it means then I consider them to be fairly ignorant. If some flashes their lights at me I get out of their way quick -- that's how it is supposed to be done.

 

[Jawo]

Originally posted by: Lord Zado

Originally posted by: zippo

Originally posted by: mitaiwan82
If you're doing 90 on the left lane, and someone behind is doing 100, please get out of the left lane also. I don't care if you're 25 over the speed limit, you're still slower than the guy doing 100.

/$0.02

Agree. Although I'm always the one going 90mph, I always move over.

I love the guys that do 100 when you are doing 90. That just means you can do 90 secure in the knowledge that any cops up ahead will pull over the guy doing 100 and not you.

yay for speed trap fodder....

 

[BurnItDwn]

Originally posted by: AmigaMan
Yes, yes it is. there's no reason you should be doing 90mph on a public highway. If you want to drive your sporty car on a sunny day at 90mph, take it to a track where it's safer.

There are several reasons.

• Getting from point A to point B in less time, therefore spending less time commuting, and more time doing whatever it is that you want to do.

• It's less boring to drive faster. Usually when people are not bored, they find it easier to pay attention.

• If the speed of the other cars is 90mph, it's best to maintain a similar speed for safety's sake. That way nobody comes up bedind you and smashes into you

• Pretty much every car in production today can run at 90mph without much trouble. It can get dangerous once you go past 110, as lots of cars electronic governers won't let them go beyond that pount, but 90 isn't "too fast"

Also, in Illinois, on the expressways (at least near Chicago), most people drive as fast as they can without killing people. Usually the speed of thaffic on the "65 mph" roads is either 5 mph (rush hour/traffic), or 85mph (non rush hour/traffic.) Going 90 mph is only going a tiny bit faster then most of the other traffic. Also, as long as you slow down when the car in front of you gets close, and don't crash, then nobody gets hurt. The problem is that the speed limit is set to a static number ... 65. When realisticly, a static number is horrible due to the dynamic nature of road conditions.

When visibility and traction are both good (day or night), the speed limit should be higher, say, 100mph.

When it's raining, and traction and visibility are not the best, but still pretty decent, then something like 60 mph is very reasonable.

When visibility and/or traction are horrible (blizzard, extremely dense fog, etc), then it should be lowwer, say, 30mph.


IMO, For the most part, speed limits are mostly just in place so the police departments can give out tickets to boost their income. They are a tax on those who drive a bit faster then others.

 

[Asharus]

I always flash my lights when I'm trying to pass at night and sometimes during the day. If the person doesn't know what it means then I consider them to be fairly ignorant. If some flashes their lights at me I get out of their way quick -- that's how it is supposed to be done.

Correct

 

[Electric Amish]

I concur only if the person is traveling below the posted speed limit.

 

[AMDZen]

One of the biggest problems, and most accident prone things you can do. People are too busy complaining about people who drive over the speed limit to consider that driving under it, or even at it (in the fast lane) is 10x more dangerous. How hard is it to get the fvck out of the way? I wish cops paid more attention to this sort of thing like they do in Europe

 

[Freejack2]

New York law has been keep right except to pass for years. It's never enforced.
I think the only way it would ever get enforced is if some zombie driver sat in the left lane at 20mph for miles holding up traffic.

 

[Tommunist]

Originally posted by: mitaiwan82
If you're doing 90 on the left lane, and someone behind is doing 100, please get out of the left lane also. I don't care if you're 25 over the speed limit, you're still slower than the guy doing 100.

/$0.02

it might be possibly hard to blend with traffic while doing 90mph - this is getting to the point where if you want to go faster than 90 don't expect the cars in front of you to immediately get out of the way. the real issue is - if you are in the left hand lane you should be passing people at a reasonable speed and when the passing is done if someone behind you is driving faster than you get out of the way.

 

[ucdnam]

I go up and down I5 all the time out of Sacramento. Going to LA down I5, people are moer considerate and move over if they see you coming. I don't even need to flash my lights. Going up I5, all I see are idiots from Oregon and Washington going really slowly in their minivans and SUVs hogging the left lane. I don't flash them, just fly by on the right. I don't even really care, because they're not in my way. The only time I really get pissed is if they flash me after I blow by them. If there's traffic ahead and they catch up, I've slowed down and brake-checked them several times until they stop flashing me. It works like a charm It seems only people in crappy ass cars don't know the etiquette of the road.