Major suckage on the road to work

[Gerrinson]

So, you were driving in the left hand lane when there was no one in the right hand lane? In the U.S., if you are in the left hand lane and not A) passing or B) within 2 miles of a left hand exit then, I'm sorry, but at that point you are the sucky one.

Yes, it is stupid and sucky to tailgate someone in the left hand lane if the right lane is empty. But forcing someone to pass on the right, which is illegal, because you want to the blockade the passing lane is equally stupid and sucky.

And for the other woman, cutting you off was not a good thing. Motioning you to move to the right? That was deserved. You asked for it by treating the passing only lane as if it were your personal travel lane.

In my opinion, the suck is something you invited upon yourself. If you think I'm being harsh, you're right. Every day in my commute to and from work, I have to contend with people who treat the passing lane as their personal travel lane and blockade it while driving slower than everyone else on the road. It is both rude and illegal and it causes traffic to back up for no good reason. I have no sympathy for you, I'm afraid, as mine has been worn out by the daily suck.

If the traffic laws in your area are different, then I withdraw my comments, but I suggest you and your mom get a driver's handbook from your local registry of motor vehicles (or whatever it is in your area) and read about the rules concerning the left hand lane before blaming everyone around you for being sucky about driving.

[Jbball]

So, you were driving in the left hand lane when there was no one in the right hand lane? In the U.S., if you are in the left hand lane and not A) passing or B) within 2 miles of a left hand exit then, I'm sorry, but at that point you are the sucky one.

Yes, it is stupid and sucky to tailgate someone in the left hand lane if the right lane is empty. But forcing someone to pass on the right, which is illegal, because you want to the blockade the passing lane is equally stupid and sucky.

And for the other woman, cutting you off was not a good thing. Motioning you to move to the right? That was deserved. You asked for it by treating the passing only lane as if it were your personal travel lane.

In my opinion, the suck is something you invited upon yourself. If you think I'm being harsh, you're right. Every day in my commute to and from work, I have to contend with people who treat the passing lane as their personal travel lane and blockade it while driving slower than everyone else on the road. It is both rude and illegal and it causes traffic to back up for no good reason. I have no sympathy for you, I'm afraid, as mine has been worn out by the daily suck.

If the traffic laws in your area are different, then I withdraw my comments, but I suggest you and your mom get a driver's handbook from your local registry of motor vehicles (or whatever it is in your area) and read about the rules concerning the left hand lane before blaming everyone around you for being sucky about driving.

Great post. My mother was driving, not me, so I had no control over the situation.

Also, how can we be holding up traffic when we're doing 15 over the limit and passing everyone? The guy didn't want around us, he wanted to threaten us for honking at him. By the time we were cut off by the lady, we were doing nearly 20 mph over the speed limit. We clearly were not in the wrong here.

[Gerrinson]

Great post. My mother was driving, not me, so I had no control over the situation.

Thanks. I understood that your mother was driving, the 'you' was intended to be plural, but I missed the 's' on ones. My bad.

Also, how can we be holding up traffic when we're doing 15 over the limit and passing everyone? The guy didn't want around us, he wanted to threaten us for honking at him. By the time we were cut off by the lady, we were doing nearly 20 mph over the speed limit. We clearly were not in the wrong here.

I did not say you were holding up traffic in this situation, I was referring to a common problem that I deal with on a daily basis where I drive.

From your OP, it sounded as if you were just driving along in the left hand lane while leaving the right hand lane empty. You didn't mention that you were passing people.

Specifically regarding the truck, I don't think it was just 'revenge' as per your statement, word for word "Apparently he wants past, but the open lane to his right isn't good enough for him. He wants us to get out of his way." Combined with mentioning that you were in the left hand lane and saying more than once that your mom won't 'get out of anyone's way' just because they want her to, your post reads to me like your mom is a sucky driver.

I'm not trying to start a flame war, and I'm sure you're defensive about your mom because you love her, so I'm dropping it here. But reread your OP with as objective a view as you can and maybe you will see what I saw.

[Saydrah]

I think the world would be a better place if everyone would just set the ego aside when they're driving. The first priority should be ensuring that you reach your destination safely. Bad drivers are driving badly, not insulting you personally. It feels icky to reward them for tailgating by moving over, but doing so (if safe) means it's less likely you'll be involved in a road-rage related accident. Look out for your well-being first, ego last.

Now, I'm not saying I do this especially well, just that I think it's a good idea. I'm actually pretty bad about losing my sense of self-preservation and common courtesy the instant somebody tailgates me. If they stay back a reasonable distance but flash their lights, I'll move over and let them by as soon as it's safe. If they tailgate me, WHOOSH goes my friendliness and I wait until just before the spot where I know the cop is always hiding, then move over and let them rip past me at 30 mph over the speed limit, then laugh uproariously as they get pulled over.

In short: Do as I suggest, not as I do, it's much safer that way!

[JLRodgers]

In the many, many miles I've driven (probably 500,000+ as I put 150K miles on numerous vehicles myself), I've probably seen it all on the roads.... reading newspaper while driving on the wrong side of a highway, sex, shaving, getting dressed, reading a book, changing a diaper, drinking a beer, one lady looked like she was drinking some mixed drink with an olive in it (normal glass and everything).... tailgaters, slow people.... and just otherwise things that annoy the crap out of me.

1) People that don't watch where they're going (and similar), and cause me to brake hard to avoid most likely dieing.
2) Semis that are going .5-1mph quicker than another semi so they pass -- holding up traffic for up to 5 miles.
3) People who can't judge distances and speed for driving.
4) People that pass in the right ("slow traffic") lane

#3's the one that's annoying, and covers a lot. It frequently happens when you're in the left lane passing people, but would have to slow down drastically to pull over to let another car pass you - yet if you did that, you'd be stuck for a minute before you could actually re-pass all the vehicles that just passed you as you were originally going faster than them before before being "forced" into the lane by a tailgating jerk.

I've almost seen more accidents happen because of #4 than any other thing. My parents even saw (they were 2 miles behind) a horrible fatality involving it happening (car lost traction, flipped, ripped apart by a tree). I once had to pass in the right lane because, well, I was in the right lane going the speed limit, and a car was in the left.... going a few miles slower than me. Two cars were behind them, and a police car was up ahead watching the whole thing.

I keep on thinking "passing in the right lane but going the speed limit, two cars tailgating, or a car holding up traffic going under the min speed limit inthe passing lane.... who gets a ticket?" Officer just flashed his lights, scared the car in the left lane to pull over behind me. No one got a ticket.

[Kogarashi]

...a guy passes me going a little faster, figure 72-75mph based on my speed (speed limit of 65 on this strectch of road, and no left exits) and stays in the left lane. A few minutes later a NYS Trooper passes me and gets right up to the guy in the left lane. Follows him for about a mile or two, while every so often he moves a little left and right to try to get the guy to move over. When he doesn't, lights come on and he pulls him over.

Part of this, I think, is because most of the highways and interstates (interstates especially) that I've seen in NY have signs explaining "Slower traffic keep right" and "Keep right except to pass," etc. Exceptions being near left exits off the Thruway (rare). It's clear from the signs that the left lane is passing-only, even when the Thruway/Interstates are only two lanes wide, and I remind Hubby of that when we're in NY (he's from Texas). In CT, however, I've never seen such signs, left-exits are prolific, and everyone drives in whichever lane they want and pass as they please, and I've yet to see someone pulled over for it.

[It's me]

Interesting book on the subject. I have the audiobook that I listen to in my car. (Haven't gotten to the part that talks about listening to audio books while driving yet! )

http://www.amazon.com/Traffic-Drive-.../dp/0307264785

While I'm at it:
http://www.drivecam.com/Family/Video_Clips.aspx

We all drive much worse than we can possibly imagine.

[otakuneko]

Eh. Left lane is for going +5 at a minimum.

I drive with traffic. Speed limit? Meh. Guideline - what traffic is doing is far more important than the silly little sign. (My last speeding ticket, over two years ago now, was an unlucky situation when a cop caught me reacting out of nervousness at being caught between two semis)

In daytime I generally stay in the left lane, doing five over or just above traffic average, whatever comes first. If I start getting passed a lot, I'll move right a lane. There are some nuts out there. (Fellow DFW-area CSers: Think westbound 635 west of I-35. Crazy people going 80+ abound!)

At night on the highway you'll find me glued to the left lane. I'll not move for anything short of a lane blockage or my exit coming up. Bright lights in my driver side mirror are a bad thing.

What do I hate most on the road? In no particular order, people going (or trying to go) significantly over or under the flow of traffic, aggressive idiots, and cell-phone drivers.

I encountered that last one today on the way home from school. (finals over, yay!) This lady was visibly heavily involved in her phone conversation. I had the misfortune of being behind this distracted driver. I laid on the horn a good four or five seconds at a stop light to get her to move, and when she did, she did so slowly! Grrr.

Oh, and people who need to re-learn right of way. Grrr.

[Emrld]

I would like to point out that the "roadways" mentioned are part of the Dallas Fort Worth metroplex road system.
Yes, when taking road trips and on two lane highways/ interstate staying to the right and only passing on left is correct.
However, when the roads are anywhere from 6-3 lanes each direction and it is safe distance down to bumper to bumper spacing between cars the concept of passing lanes goes out the window.
As stated earlier every state is different and the basic rules tend to be the same across the US. (traffic in every city itself is different)
Try to picture this 4 lanes going North 4 lanes going South with an addition stretch for oncoming and exiting cars that is about 1/4 mile long with these occuring about every 1/2 mile. So the right lane never really moves and is more for people who are just getting on or those about to get off. The next two lanes are for those going speed limit and maybe a little over and driving for a bit. Far left lane is for those going several miles or taking another highway with a left exit.

Just trying to help give a better picture of the accepted traffic patterns here.

[wagegoth]

My grandfather was a truck driver for several years (before I was born), and he told me that when you're driving it doesn't matter whether you're right or not, when it comes to a car versus a truck, the car loses. The point was that you can certainly say you had the right of way or the right to stay in a your choice of lane, but, if you end up injured and killed, it didn't do you any good.


IIRC, cars on the freeway doing many different speeds are more causes of accidents than speeding. The safest thing is to drive in the lane with the other cars that are going the speed you want to drive. Don't move into a faster lane just because you can. You bog up traffic for other people.

[hq_]

Also, how can we be holding up traffic when we're doing 15 over the limit and passing everyone? The guy didn't want around us, he wanted to threaten us for honking at him. By the time we were cut off by the lady, we were doing nearly 20 mph over the speed limit. We clearly were not in the wrong here.

Speed is irrelevant. If there's enough room to pass you on the right and the lane is more or less clear of traffic in front of you, you're on the wrong lane. No ifs, no buts. Doing that, you're holding up faster traffic and unless you're carrying a badge, the speed other commuters want to drive is none of your business. Not blocking a whole lane is simple common courtesy, just like being polite and courteous in general. Not much unlike being a SC.

Personally I really, really hate left lane hogs. At 50k+ miles a year I see more than my fair share of these moving roadblocks. Some of those mofos have the audacity to flash high beams and honk once they're been passed on the right. Where the heck did they get a driving license in the first place, from a box of cereals?!

[Primer]

In daytime I generally stay in the left lane, doing five over or just above traffic average, whatever comes first. If I start getting passed a lot, I'll move right a lane. There are some nuts out there. (Fellow DFW-area CSers: Think westbound 635 west of I-35. Crazy people going 80+ abound!)

Would that be the north side or the south side of the Loop? I'd think the traffic on the north side would be too heavy to be able to go that fast. But I've not been to DFW in a few years. BTW, I prefer going around to the east on 635 to get up to the Greenville area. I-35E (Central Expressway) scares the crap outta me!

I know I've mentioned it before, but my speedometer does not work. I have to guesstimate my speed from my tach and surrounding traffic. In 3 lanes, I prefer the middle lane, but in 2 lanes, I keep right.

And if anybody knows where I can get a speedometer head for a 1998 Nissan Frontier, I'll pay shipping! I've had one on back-order from the dealership since August 2005. The junk yards around here don't have any, either.

Me buy another Nissan? Why, whatever made you think I might do that?!?

[otakuneko]

On the northern side. It feels a bit weird, but makes sense in a way. East of 35, you have lots of traffic and the average speed is slower. West of it, you have significantly less and the speed jumps dramatically, probably because more people are exiting 35 onto eastbound 635 and exiting westbound 635 onto 35, than going any other direction.

I was shocked at the difference the first time I drove through there, and I drove through there quite often after my call center moved to a building just west of that interchange.

[Emrld]

If you are talking 35 and 635 in DFW . . .it all depends on the time of day, and the day itself.
Close to the holidays (like the 2 days before Thanksgiving) all of 635 can be bad - as it is one the main ways to get to DFW airport.
75/ Central can be a breeze to travel on even during rush hour with all the people taking vacation time.
Then again you get to 4:00 pm- 6:30 pm and at differnt slots each highway has its own parking lot sessions. Meaning that you feel like you are in a parking lot and not on a highway.
I can only comment on the roads in my area . . .but that is becuase I have almost 20 years of driving them legally.

[PepperElf]

A few minutes later a NYS Trooper passes me and gets right up to the guy in the left lane. Follows him for about a mile or two, while every so often he moves a little left and right to try to get the guy to move over.

yeah on some roads it's illegal to stay in the left (passing) lane for more than x amount of miles... but i think that also depends on the road too.