“. . . traveling at about the same speed . . .”
“. . . any attempt to slow down on my part . . .”
If you’re actively passing, you will not be traveling at “about the same speed.” While you might approach the other driver at about the same speed, you should increase your speed significantly when you move into the left lane to overtake the slower driver. Also, if you’re actively passing, why on earth would you even consider slowing down? Especially with a faster vehicle bearing down on you. Again, the only appropriate option here is speed up - something you should have already been doing anyway.
See? You’re not passing. The pickup truck has gained distance on you. Further, if the SUV driver moved into the right lane to get by you, it is reasonable to assume that the pickup is moving faster than you. At this point, the safe option is indeed to slow down and let the SUV complete his admittedly unwise right lane passing maneuver. You, however took the opposite action. You chose to increase your speed. And not to pass the pickup, but to match his speed. Again, you’re not passing when you do this.
Hey, let’s take a quiz, shall we? This question comes directly from the sample driver’s license test on the West Virginia Deparment of Transportation website:
Uncle, you’re mixing up posters. CynicalGabe is the bad driver from the OP. CandidGamera is a completely different bad driver who has given us a far fetched scenario claiming to be passing. Although, he/she is also applauding the actions of the OP.
He. And the scenario, while you consider it far-fetched, actually happens, and I have seen it occur with variations numerous times. And I was indeed passing. Thanks.
There are 37 questions. Of course, the more “no” answers the worse the driver. Notice how the first four questions all deal with idiots like CynicalGabe and CandidGamera who block traffic by driving slow in the left lane.
If there is a crash, it’s the ESM’s fault in the eyes of the law. She’s the one who initiated the risk and thus has to live with the consequences.
How is Gabe doing agressive, illegal (other than speeding) and obstructive driving if he’s going over the speed limit himself? If ESM had just kept her distance, there would be no danger.
Taligaters get their own plane of Hell as far as I’m concerned.
No argument. But had the OP just moved the hell over when and where he should have by the commonly practiced rules of the road, there’d have been no opportunity for anyone to tailgate.
there was a 16 car pile up on I 5 sunday near seattle…care to guess how many of those 16 cars were tail gating? let me give you a hint. the lead car was the only one that DIDNT sustain front end damage.
did I mention that this was on a SUNDAY?!?!? there was no rush hour traffic.
I dont give a crap how fast you want to drive or what kind of emergency you are in, tailgating is YOU putting a random strangers life and vehicle at risk, back the fuck off and pass when you can, if its an emergency call 911 or learn to drive on the shoulder cause the general public doesnt get paid to figure out if you are some jackass or a mom with a sick kid in the car.
and for the pick up vrs semi argument…there is simply never, ever any reason for a semi driver to deliberatly tailgate, people die when 80,000 pounds of truck run them over, thats alot like loading a revolver with 1 round, giving it a spin and then fireing into a crowd.
It’s passive-aggressive if you are deliberately blocking the people behind you because of temper and ego. The actions of the OP certainly were aggressive. Did you read it?
"I am an asshole when driving" "I now feel adrenaline (or Red Bull. One or the other) coursing through my veins" "…my revenge already planned." "My plan-of-attack calls for rapid acceleration on my part to pass the ESM."
How anybody can claim that this isn’t “aggressive” is beyond me.
It’s illegal in many states to be in the left lane if you aren’t passing. It should be illegal everywhere. It’s certainly the standard practice everywhere for slower traffic to move to the right. This is also the law in many places.
The OP comes right out and admits it. "I tend to be an obstructionist."
If you are blocking those behind you then that is “obstructive driving”. This is true regardless of speed.
Yes, and if the OP had just moved out of the way there would also have been no danger. In fact, the actions of the OP made the situation a lot more dangerous than ESM’s.
Yep. And the left lane blockers are burning right next to them.
Huh. And I’d answer yes to all four of those - I only use the left lane for passing, see. If someone comes along going faster than I am, I try to get over when I can - unless they zip right up to my bumper before I have the chance, revealing themselves as a jerk, and making me reconsider helping them.
CG, I’ve been in your neck of the woods quite a few times, mostly on I-68. This phenomenon–which I’m all too familiar with–is why I hardly ever venture into the passing lane there. Much safer that way.
CG is in an area with steep grades and heavy truck traffic avoiding Pennsylvania Turnpike tolls. I’d venture to say CG was likely going downhill at the time and the truck was building momentum to help get up the next hill.
Though the incident described was on 1-79, on my way from Clarksburg back to Morgantown. And as I recall, his initial approach was on a downhill grade, though he didn’t back off once we started going uphill again.
an SUV, driven by Ghandi, who is making salt in defiance of British law, is in the left lane, with a semi trailer coming up behind at 80 mph, driven by Jawaharlal Nehru, in a hurry to pick up his laundry before the dhobi-wallah closes for Vijayadashmi. Ghandi is unable to merge into the right lane, as a jitney carrying Rati, the Balinese godess of fertility is already there, forcing him to remain passively blocking the fast lane.
