What do you do about people blocking the passing lane?

In My Humble Opinion
1

Imagine you’re travelling down a rural interstate where traffic isn’t very dense. The left lane is by law for passing only although the cops rarely pull people over for it. You pass someone and end up behind someone else who’s just cruising along in the left lane more slowly than you want to go. You can’t tell for sure that there’s no one in the right lane, but after a few minutes it’s obvious they’re not in the left lane to pass anyone. You could pass them on the right, but since you can’t really see what’s in that lane until you’re completely in it, it’s slightly dangerous. You flash your headlights at the person in front of you to try to get their attention but they’re either oblivious or don’t care.

At this point, what would you do? Would you just pass them on the right and forget about it or would you call in to the cops to try to get them pulled over? Would the cops likely even do anything? I’m usually a live-and-let-live kind of person but when someone willfully disrupts traffic and causes a dangerous situation, that really pisses me off. I’ve had this happen several times on my recent trips to Dallas and I’m getting tired of it. What do you guys think about it?

2

I’ll pass them on the right and go on my merry way. (although I agree with you that left lane should be for passing only, no one seems to abide by that rule/law)

3

If you can’t safely move over to the right to see if it’s safe to enter that lane then you’re following too closely. I will give people a chance to move over, and usually flash my lights once or twice, but then I’ll pass them on the right and forget about it. If it’s not safe to pass on the right I’ll wait until it is safe.

4

A gentle tap on their back bumper would probably get them out of the way, however that might be dangerous at 60 MPH.

5

All states have differing laws on this. Here it is not illegal to drive in that lane, although you are supposed to move over if you are “slower” than other traffic, such as pulling a trailer or whatnot.

If I’m doing the full speed limit, I’m a prick and do not move over. Get up earlier if it bugs you.

6

Run them off the road while leaning on the horn, brandishing a handgun in their direction.

7

Huh?

8

Here’s a rundown: State "keep right" laws

9

At speed, it works better of you nudge them from the side between their rear tire and their back bumper, for the spin will be much more graceful.

10

I’m still trying to picture this scenario. Why is your vision of the right hand lane blocked? If it’s because you’re too close to the vehicle/truck in front of you, you’re the hazard.

11

Don’t bother coming to DC and driving on the beltway then. There is a small class of people who feel that driving 50-55 in the left lane is doing some sort of public service.

All the lanes are legal to drive in. There isn’t a legal “passing” lane that I know of.

12

I match their speed in the RH lane and watch the fun when someone else comes up behind them and gets aggressive.

Funny as hell, and it pits 2 groups I don’t like (tailgaters and folks who drive slow in the passing lane) against each other.

Passive aggressive for the fun of it!

13

Yes, the idea of “passing lane only” is only for some states, not all. It’s not in effect here in California, last I checked. I believe it’s because our freeways are already very crowded and we can’t keep a whole lane empty just for the speeders.

I just go around slow people on the right, when it’s safe. It’s not up to them to enable my speed-demon tendencies. And if I’m already speeding like a bat out of hell in the fast lane, and Wally Warp 10 comes up behind me, he’s SOL. If 89 in a 65 mph zone isn’t fast enough for him, that’s his problem.

14

Knock them into the weeds, then get out, retrieve their personal information from the wreckage, then go to their house and kill their family.

Does it show that I drove 450 miles on a mostly 2 lane each way road yesterday? :smiley:

15

All I came in for is to point out the OP’s name for having this particular problem.

16

If I’m already in the left lane, I give them ample opportunity to realize their mistake and move over, if they don’t, I just get over in the right line. I’ve never understood the “no passing on the right” rule. Half the time I’m just cruising along in the right lane, minding my own business, and I happen to pass slower traffic that’s sitting in the left lane for no reason. What am I supposed to do, go out of my way to get behind them so they can get over?

17

About a month ago this subject was discussed on a talk show here in Western Washington. A State Patrolman was a guest on the show, and he gave the information that in the past year the WSP had issued over 9,000 tickets to left lane campers. He emphasized that the law here, while it did allow driving in the left lane, definitely required that you pull over into the right lane if traffic was coming up behind you faster than you were traveling. Your speed and the speed of the overtaking traffic didn’t enter into it. He stated that a driver here is not to take it upon himself to try to enforce speed limits.

I think the ticket cost is $124.

18

You win!

I live in California, and we can and do pass on the right.

19

Just pass them on the right. No point in getting mad. I’m not saying I’m some kind of saint, but I learned long ago to just relax and let it go when it comes to road violations. Once you start getting mad at those, you never stop, and it’s only bad for you, not the other guy.

And please, please, don’t ever tap anyone on the bumper. This is not the right forum for me to say exactly what I think of that idea. I hope that was a joke. :dubious:

20

I thought flashing the high beam was the standard method of saying “please move out of the passing lane, I’d like to pass you.”