# Driving in the left lane **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [December 16, 2022, 1:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/driving-in-the-left-lane/976644 "2022-12-16T13:52:31Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2022, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/driving-in-the-left-lane/976644/21 "2022-12-16T17:11:50Z")
> [@Crafter\_Man](#): > > She’s also my contract sponsor, so I really don’t want to say anything negative to her. She’s wrong, and there’s nothing you can or should do about it. It’s not your problem. Let her be wrong. No good will come from you telling her how to drive. (easier said than done, but you must let go and find your happy place) ---
**Author:** ![WildaBeast](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wildabeast/32/6_2.png) [@WildaBeast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WildaBeast)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2022, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/driving-in-the-left-lane/976644/22 "2022-12-16T17:22:19Z")
> [@Horatius](#): > > Around here, the rule is “Slower traffic keep right”. I think I read somewhere that people are less likely to comply with the rule if it’s phrased that way rather than “keep right except to pass”. If you phrase it “slower traffic keep right”, then people like the woman described in the OP tell themselves “I’m not going slow. I’m going a perfectly reasonable speed. So it’s ok for me to be in the left lane.” ---
**Author:** ![Dinsdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/97f17d/32.png) [@Dinsdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dinsdale)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2022, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/driving-in-the-left-lane/976644/23 "2022-12-16T17:29:20Z")
I’d make it about me, and say something like, “Would you mind moving over to the R lane. All of these cars passing us on the R makes me nervous.” ---
**Author:** ![k9bfriender](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/k9bfriender/32/3283_2.png) [@k9bfriender](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/k9bfriender)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2022, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/driving-in-the-left-lane/976644/24 "2022-12-16T18:03:13Z")
You could make it all about the other drivers. Complain about all these idiots illegally passing on the right. ---
**Author:** ![Horatius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/horatius/32/3572_2.png) [@Horatius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatius)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2022, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/driving-in-the-left-lane/976644/25 "2022-12-16T18:28:31Z")
> [@Horatius](#): > > Around here, the rule is “Slower traffic keep right”. > [@Akaj](#): > > That’s the rule everywhere. Too many drivers are just clueless. No, there’s a subtle difference. “Keep right except to pass” means no one should ever spend a lot of time in the left lane. You drive in the right lane, change lanes briefly to pass, then move back to the right lane. In moderate but not too heavy traffic, that means the faster drivers are constantly changing lanes. Under, “Slower traffic keep right”, faster than average drivers can spend quite some time in the left lane, only changing lanes to allow even-faster-than-average drivers to pass them. If you’re looking to minimize the number of lane changes, which is when a lot of accidents occur, “Slower traffic keep right” is better, but it does impose a burden of care on left-lane drivers to be aware of what’s going on behind them. > [@WildaBeast](#): > > then people like the woman described in the OP tell themselves “I’m not going slow. I’m going a perfectly reasonable speed. So it’s ok for me to be in the left lane.” And those people are idiots, because it’s “slow **er** ” traffic, not “slow”. Of course, if people weren’t idiots, we probably wouldn’t need so many traffic rules. ---
**Author:** ![pkbites](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pkbites/32/204_2.png) [@pkbites](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pkbites)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2022, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/driving-in-the-left-lane/976644/26 "2022-12-16T20:37:48Z")
> [@Crafter\_Man](#): > > I don’t know why she drives in the left lane Because like others who do this she Can’t Understand Normal Thinking. If she were doing other obvious traffic violations would you have spoke up? Had she been driving at an extremely high rate of speed or texting would you have spoken up? You can gently say something without insulting her or starting an argument. I disagree with those that said it’s not your problem. You knew what she was doing and said nothing about it. You share in the blame for the frustration other drivers were experiencing. ---
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2022, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/driving-in-the-left-lane/976644/27 "2022-12-16T20:50:22Z")
> [@pkbites](#): > > I disagree with those that said it’s not your problem. > You knew what she was doing and said nothing about it. You share in the blame for the frustration other drivers were experiencing. It’s hard enough convincing a spouse that they’re driving incorrectly. This guy has to take two trips with this driver. One has already happened. The odds of fixing her are close to zero. The odds of friction are considerably higher. Get through the last trip, and move on with your career, that’s my advice. ---
**Author:** ![Cheesesteak](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cheesesteak/32/3694_2.png) [@Cheesesteak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cheesesteak)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2022, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/driving-in-the-left-lane/976644/28 "2022-12-16T20:53:17Z")
There’s a difference between being annoying and endangering my life. Riding the left lane @ right lane speeds on a mostly empty highway isn’t dangerous. Going 110 while texting… you’re going to earn me a closed casket ceremony, so I would feel justified in speaking up. Fire up a podcast, put in the earbuds and just chill out until you get home. ---
**Author:** ![pkbites](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pkbites/32/204_2.png) [@pkbites](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pkbites)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2022, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/driving-in-the-left-lane/976644/29 "2022-12-16T20:54:22Z")
> [@Procrustus](#): > > > [@pkbites](#): > > > > I disagree with those that said it’s not your problem. > > You knew what she was doing and said nothing about it. You share in the blame for the frustration other drivers were experiencing. > > It’s hard enough convincing a spouse that they’re driving incorrectly. This guy has to take two trips with this driver. One has already happened. The odds of fixing her are close to zero. The odds of friction are considerably higher. Get through the last trip, and move on with your career, that’s my advice. If it were a trip across town I’d agree. This was a cross country journey. Not talking about causing an argument. But one can mention something tactfully. ---
**Author:** ![Kropotkin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kropotkin/32/18045_2.png) [@Kropotkin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kropotkin)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2022, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/driving-in-the-left-lane/976644/30 "2022-12-16T20:54:37Z")
Let me just toss in this bit of “advice”: any time you can avoid what might be interpreted as “mansplaining,” you should ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2022, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/driving-in-the-left-lane/976644/31 "2022-12-16T20:58:16Z")
From the look of the pictures she was just saving the passing car having to change lanes, not holding up streams of overtaking traffic. I would have to ask why she does it though when there is no other traffic around. That seems really odd. Maybe she almost died once in a fiery wreck in the right hand lane and can’t bring herself to drive there any more? ---
**Author:** ![pkbites](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pkbites/32/204_2.png) [@pkbites](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pkbites)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2022, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/driving-in-the-left-lane/976644/32 "2022-12-16T21:01:29Z")
Just out of curiosity, why is the OP and the fed making that awful drive instead of jumping on a plane? ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2022, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/driving-in-the-left-lane/976644/33 "2022-12-16T21:03:18Z")
It’s probably a rom-com. ---
**Author:** ![pkbites](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pkbites/32/204_2.png) [@pkbites](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pkbites)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2022, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/driving-in-the-left-lane/976644/34 "2022-12-16T21:06:34Z")
Huh?? ---
**Author:** ![k9bfriender](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/k9bfriender/32/3283_2.png) [@k9bfriender](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/k9bfriender)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2022, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/driving-in-the-left-lane/976644/35 "2022-12-16T21:06:48Z")
It’s probably significantly cheaper. ---
**Author:** ![Dag\_Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/439d5e/32.png) [@Dag\_Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dag_Otto)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2022, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/driving-in-the-left-lane/976644/36 "2022-12-16T21:13:25Z")
I always assume that a driver who sits in the left hand lane is also a driver who never checks the mirrors. ---
**Author:** ![pkbites](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pkbites/32/204_2.png) [@pkbites](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pkbites)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2022, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/driving-in-the-left-lane/976644/37 "2022-12-16T21:13:58Z")
> [@k9bfriender](#): > > It’s probably significantly cheaper. I don’t see how that can be. Depending on exactly from where to where you’re talking at least a 30 hour round trip, cost of a rental car and fuel, food, possible hotel stay, paying employees for that time. Unless they had things to do on the way just seems wiser to fly. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2022, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/driving-in-the-left-lane/976644/38 "2022-12-16T21:16:59Z")
Just a WAG, but since they were traveling for business, they might have had to take a lot of equipment with them. ---
**Author:** ![pkbites](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pkbites/32/204_2.png) [@pkbites](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pkbites)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2022, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/driving-in-the-left-lane/976644/39 "2022-12-16T21:21:49Z")
Maybe. I’m just curious and would like to hear from the OP. ---
**Author:** ![Dead\_Cat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9fc29f/32.png) [@Dead\_Cat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dead_Cat)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2022, 10:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/driving-in-the-left-lane/976644/40 "2022-12-16T22:46:12Z")
> [@pkbites](#): > > Because like others who do this she Can’t Understand Normal Thinking. ISWYDT - good one! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/driving-in-the-left-lane/976644.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/driving-in-the-left-lane/976644.md?page=3)