If you asked my husband his biggest driving pet peeves, this would be way up in the top three (behind DUI, but well ahead of even loud-ass bass speakers thumping away.) I love that he tickets people for hindering the flow of traffic if they lollygag in the left-hand lane - it’s illegal here, but he generally only tickets if there’s a lot of traffic and the slowpoke is preventing smooth traffic flow.
My biggest pet peeve is that I’m not allowed to do the same thing, and that I can’t get a permit for a hood-mounted flamethrower. I will pass on the right if it’s safe/possible, but I will question the parentage of the left-hand driver, and wish horrible things upon them (“May fleas infest your carpets and bedbugs take over your Posturpedic, and may your children eventually choose a crappy nursing home.”)
I pass on the right routinely. It’s as natural as breathing. Even if the other driver is paying attention, which they aren’t 90% of the time, which is why they’re blocking the passing lane, highbeams just invite a “Ha ha, now I’m slowing down” pissing match. Better to just sidestep and continue on my way.
Wow. This thread got more responses than I expected since I posted it.
I’d have to be about 100 yards back to be able to see a tire tread laying in the right lane in time. If it’s a large truck in front of me, I wouldn’t be able to see a small vehicle close to the front of it which would be dangerous if that vehicle is travelling much more slowly. (It’s rare but there are the occasional people who drive 50 on the interstate.)
Are there any rural interstates in DC? On urban interstates with heavy traffic, the rules go out the window.
I may start doing that. If it blocks up a bunch of traffic, maybe people will start being more concerned with it.
Good for Washington. I’ve never seen or heard of it happening in Texas.
It is, but it doesn’t always work. There was one guy driving in a truck that I flashed my high-beams at several times, and ended up honking my horn two or three times for about 30 seconds at a time. He just couldn’t be concerned with traffic behind him. After several minutes, I passed him on the right. Not to long thereafter, he passed me again and then slowed down. That is probably the most pissed off I’ve ever been while driving.
Oh hell, if it was dark, I’d just turn on my high-beams until he pulled over.
There are stretches of I-55 in NE Arkansas that the passing lane is much smoother. than the right lane The right lane is full of large expansion joints and all you hear is “da-dum da-dum da-dum” every second or so.
the Passing lane has been re-surfaced recently and 90% of the traffic cruise in the passing lane.
I’m strongly in the camp of “pass on the right, no trouble, no strife.” Getting agitated or engaging in countermeasures is indistinguishable from bad driving.
There should be no problem in pulling into the right lane gently enough that you’re able to see whether it’s clear. And you should stay aware of the road well ahead as you approach the vehicle you’ll be passing - there’s no percentage in winding up on his bumper with view restricted and unaware of what’s ahead.
Any use of the middle finger at any time is an absolute admission that you found yourself in a situation you couldn’t calmly and gracefully handle - probably not the message you most want to send to someone who’s being a jerk.
Keep telling yourself that. There’s dozens of ways to flip the bird. One of my favorites is smugly - which I pull off quite calmly and with ample grace.
If it’s during my daily commute, I slow down, move back to the right and forget about it. It’s rare that I’m passing since I long ago discovered an amazing technology that solves almost all daily traffic problems. (It’s called an alarm clock).
If it’s during a long trip where the additional speed could make a difference, I wait until they either leave a gap or get off the freeway, then go on my merry way at my preferred speed.
For my 20 mile commute, 70mph takes about 18 minutes, 50 mph (behind a slowpoke) takes 24 minutes. I’ve got more important things to do than enter a road duel over 6 minutes.
I was going to write a long drawn out sarcastic response to this… Dude, it’s time put on your big boy underwear and drive like an adult instead of like a teenager who just got his permit. It’s a rural interstate, you want to pass someone, change lanes and pass them.
You don’t have a right to go faster than the speed limit. If the person in front of you is already going the limit, you have no legal right to pass them. Why do so may people seem to think that other people are obligated to help them break the law?
There is nothing about driving on public roads that has anything to do with “rights,” regardless of speed limits, traffic laws or anything else. Nobody has any “right” to drive a vehicle at all.
Because the law in most places is that you stay right except to pass. If you are not passing, you stay right. What others are doing doesn’t enter into it.
Two different laws. One says you shouldn’t exceed a particular speed. Another says you shouldn’t drive in the left lane if you’re not passing someone.
If you want to style yourself as a law abiding person, abide by BOTH laws. If you can’t be bothered to follow the keep right law, you have little standing to declare someone in the wrong because they didn’t follow the speed limit law.
And if you feel compelled to attempt to prevent me from abusing my privilege from either malice or plain old stupidity, I’ll be more than happy to put you in fear for your ever-lovin’ miserable life as a consequence of said unacceptable behavior.
Aside from what everyone else said, how do you know you’re speedometer isn’t a bit high, and whoever behind you is a bit low? You might think you’re doing the limit (but you’re not), and you’ll think he’s a speeding idiot (but he’s not; he thinks he’s doing the limit). Get out of the way.
