Just pass already!

[ExRetailDrone]

I see this all the time, and it drives me and my husband absolutely crazy with rage. We took a small trip yesterday, with about 3 hours total spent on two-lane highways. These highways are usually not very traffic-heavy, and there aren't a lot of curves since it's in farmland, so there are plenty of opportunities to pass if someone just has to get to their destination two minutes sooner. But, it infuriates me how many times impatient people will not take said opportunities. This happened to us at least half a dozen times yesterday alone. The drivers would ride on our tail, so my husband would slow down to encourage them to pass and stop annoying us. Most of the time, it seems that the driver following up would wait for at least 3 or 4 opportunities before actually making the move. By this point my husband would sometimes be going 5 under the speed limit just to get the person to go away.

Extra rage points for the drivers who refuse to pass on four-lane highways, where there is no excuse for curves or oncoming traffic.

[LillFilly]

How about the ones in front of you who leave their turn signals on for 5-miles, so you're never sure if they plan on changing lanes, so you're stuck behind them? Hate that!

[blas]

Happens to me a lot. I take the same highway to work and back every day.....oh my gosh, people are so dumb. If you're going to pass, DO IT. I really don't care, you won't hurt my feelings, get around me and stop tailgating me!

[fma_fanatic]

I hate that. I had that happen when I was in California driving to the cemetery to bury my mom. The worst offenders? Truck drivers.

[infinitemonkies]

I dunno the exact physics, and I'm not trying to defend them, but the aerodynamics work out if you follow at just the right distance that both vehicles are are to move more efficiently. More commonly, people driving long distances will often just get behind a car to follow and zone out. {blah, blah, blah, psychobabble, 'highway hypnosis' more blah. people are stupid. people are lazy. customers suck.}

Also, it's 11 am here and I'm drunk. (see sarasquirrel's recent post for relevance)

In my defense, I'm typing this from home, not texting on my cell phone while I drive like too many $%^& morons on the road.

[Ironclad Alibi]

The title is an expression of my frustration from yesterday. We took a day trip to Pittsburgh. It is a five hour drive each way, all interstate.

Why is it some yahoos on an interstate will come up from behind, get in the passing lane, start to pass but instead linger in my blind spot? For miles. Aaaaarghhh!!!

[Pagan]

I dunno the exact physics, and I'm not trying to defend them, but the aerodynamics work out if you follow at just the right distance that both vehicles are are to move more efficiently.

You mean drafting? That's too damn dangerous. Not to mention that it most of the time to get close enough to do it, you're tailgaiting....

[BrenDAnn]

OMG, ExRetailDrone, I HATE that! I have it happen to me nearly every day on my way to work and/or back home! I want to roll down the window and scream "This isn't fucking Daytona! There's no need to draft off of my bumper!" Slow passers on a four-lane annoy me too. Y'know, the ones that act all anxious to get around you, then take their time doing so. Just pass me and get it over with, FFS!!

[redbluegreenyellow101]

or, on the other hand, when you're trying to pass someone because they're going way below the speed limit and they either speed up when they think you're going to pass and then slow down or they drift to the left of the lane so you can't see around them. happens to me ALL the time.

[mikoyan29]

It was funny, I was on one of Michigan's State Highways and I had this guy follow behind me for a good 20 miles. He'd tailgate, back off, tailgate, back off...wash rinse repeat. Anyways, I get on US-10 (an interstate, I might add) and he is still following me. Noone around for miles. Finally, I got to the point where US-10 splits from US-27 and was rid of this moron.

[Sleepwalker]

The real winner was the guy that came up behind me in the passing lane on a 5 lane highway... with his left turn signal on. Ok, people forget.

He leaves it on for three miles, then lazily drifts rightward into the exit lane with the left blinker still on. Now THAT annoyed me.

[blas]

.......and I got to play Mother Ducky again this morning.

Seriously, I'm not going to go any faster, you might as well pass.

And last night, on my way to work, this stupid van was so quick to change lanes, but took nearly 3 miles before actually passing me. They actually "held hands" with me for almost that entire time.

[Kogarashi]

The real winner was the guy that came up behind me in the passing lane on a 5 lane highway... with his left turn signal on. Ok, people forget.

He leaves it on for three miles, then lazily drifts rightward into the exit lane with the left blinker still on. Now THAT annoyed me.

I encountered a new variety of Special today.

Leading up to the highway, I was waiting for a green arrow to turn left. A taxi in one of the oncoming lanes had its left turn signal on, even though it was in the left lane and there is nowhere to turn left to at that intersection; it's just a sidewalk and some apartments with no driveway. It didn't even turn left at the next available intersection.

Then the really Special moment was when I got on the highway. I got all the way in the left lane to take a left exit. I ended up in front of a car driving in the fast lane with its left blinker on. Then, just as we get to the exit, I spot another car in the line in front of me with its left blinker on. They both kept it on well onto the next highway, before realizing the signals were still going.

Am I the only one in this town who knows how to signal for lange changes without acutally setting it? You know, by slightly holding the switch so it doesn't actually click into place?

[ExRetailDrone]

Am I the only one in this town who knows how to signal for lange changes without acutally setting it? You know, by slightly holding the switch so it doesn't actually click into place?

I wonder that myself sometimes, because I see people with their blinkers on for miles and miles all the time! Drives me nuts, especially when you can't pass a slow person because he/she has a blinker on and never does anything, so you don't know exactly what they're planning and don't want to cause an accident >_<

[Captain Trips]

or, on the other hand, when you're trying to pass someone because they're going way below the speed limit and they either speed up when they think you're going to pass and then slow down or they drift to the left of the lane so you can't see around them. happens to me ALL the time.

Wow, I've had that once. Except this clown actually passed us, then slowed down to 55mph (that was the speed limit, but we wanted to go 65.) Then, whenever we tried to pass, he'd speed up and go into the left lane to block us! It's like he felt it was up to him to make sure that we obeyed the "double-nickels" law!