Flash to pass?

[gigi]

@CookingWithGas

From Virginia Traffic code

Note that it does say “to the left and abreast of another motor vehicle” implying (IMHO) that the car in the left lane is *not *passing the car to the right but blocking progress of traffic wishing to go faster.

A subtle distinction lost on a Masshole.

[Bullitt]

@pulykamell

There are pockets. Once you start getting away from metropolitan areas in the Midwest, there does seem to be some lane discipline. I remember as a kid driving through Wisconsin on the way to UP Michigan and asking my dad why everyone was driving on the right side of the highway (two lanes in each direction) because I had never seen it before. Maybe it’s their Germanic roots, or something, but there are pockets of places in the States where people do follow those rules for the most part.

Them pockets ain’t in California, at least not in the SF Bay Area or the congested parts of southern Cal, that’s for sure.

Glad to hear it happens somewheres…

[Absolute]

When I want to pass something on a multi-lane highway, I express my intent in stages, in increasing order of directness (and rudeness).

Stage 1. Flashing the left blinker while maintaining a safe distance.

Stage 2. Accelerating and getting close to their bumper, then immediately backing off to a safe distance.

Stage 3. Flashing high beams from a safe distance.

Stage 4. Accelerating and getting close to their bumper, and not backing off.

I don’t think I’ve ever gone to stage 4 and started flashing my high beams, and in fact I can’t remember the last time I had to go past #2. Most people get the message and are polite about it. And in any case, I don’t advance to the next stage unless the driver ahead has obviously missed an opportunity to move safely to the right lane.

[Bullitt]

@Absolute

When I want to pass something on a multi-lane highway, I express my intent in stages, in increasing order of directness (and rudeness).

Stage 1. Flashing the left blinker while maintaining a safe distance.

Stage 2. Accelerating and getting close to their bumper, then immediately backing off to a safe distance.

Stage 3. Flashing high beams from a safe distance.

Stage 4. Accelerating and getting close to their bumper, and not backing off.

I don’t think I’ve ever gone to stage 4 and started flashing my high beams, and in fact I can’t remember the last time I had to go past #2. Most people get the message and are polite about it. And in any case, I don’t advance to the next stage unless the driver ahead has obviously missed an opportunity to move safely to the right lane.

Were you driving on Hwy 85 north in Mountain View, CA just now, while I was lolly-gagging in the left lane in my black Honda CR-V?

[CookingWithGas]

@pulykamell

There are pockets. Once you start getting away from metropolitan areas in the Midwest, there does seem to be some lane discipline. I remember as a kid driving through Wisconsin on the way to UP Michigan and asking my dad why everyone was driving on the right side of the highway (two lanes in each direction) because I had never seen it before. Maybe it’s their Germanic roots, or something, but there are pockets of places in the States where people do follow those rules for the most part.

I see it on two-lane highways, especially the Pa. Turnpike, although there are signs posted there requiring it.

@Absolute

…I express my intent in stages…

Stage 1. Flashing the left blinker while maintaining a safe distance.

Stage 2. Accelerating and getting close to their bumper, then immediately backing off to a safe distance.

That’s not rude, that’s dangerous. Your own description admits that it’s not safe. Flashing lights might annoy some people but tailgating is downright aggressive driving.

[SpeedwayRyan]

@CookingWithGas

Flashing lights might annoy some people but tailgating is downright aggressive driving.

True, but sitting in the left lane while not overtaking with faster traffic backed up behind you is downright clueless driving.

People (not talking about you here) that complain about “some asshole driving fast and riding right on my bumper” usually fail to realize that their mistake and lack of understanding of how multi-lane highways work is the root of the problem the majority of the time.

[Peremensoe]

Yes, but deliberate dangerous driving always makes you the bigger loser. Tailgaters are assholes under all circumstances, and if the vehicle ahead brakes, the tailgater deserves what he gets.

[SpeedwayRyan]

@Peremensoe

Yes, but deliberate dangerous driving always makes you the bigger loser. Tailgaters are assholes under all circumstances, and if the vehicle ahead brakes, the tailgater deserves what he gets.

Let’s say I’m in front of you at an ATM. You are trying to get to work and need to grab some cash really fast, and it’s the only ATM around. I stand at the ATM, fiddle with it a bit, look around, check my phone, maybe make a call or two, twiddle my thumbs a bit.

You ask politely for me to complete my transaction, but I ignore you and continue to screw around.

If you start acting like an asshole (maybe threaten me or insult me) are you the BIGGER loser? Or are you responding to someone who is not following a convention?

I’m not saying tailgating is a good idea, but there are certainly situations where the blame belongs to the guy in front. If he understands how to drive correctly, the entire situation doesn’t happen.

[Ludovic]

@SpeedwayRyan

Let’s say I’m in front of you at an ATM. You are trying to get to work and need to grab some cash really fast, and it’s the only ATM around. I stand at the ATM, fiddle with it a bit, look around, check my phone, maybe make a call or two, twiddle my thumbs a bit.

You ask politely for me to complete my transaction, but I ignore you and continue to screw around.

If you start acting like an asshole (maybe threaten me or insult me) are you the BIGGER loser? Or are you responding to someone who is not following a convention?

I’m not saying tailgating is a good idea, but there are certainly situations where the blame belongs to the guy in front. If he understands how to drive correctly, the entire situation doesn’t happen.

A better analogy in many situations, though is this:

There is a line at the ATM. The person in front of you stands at the ATM, makes some calls and twiddles their thumbs, and finally after several minutes leaves. Then, you walk up to the ATM and you take a couple seconds longer than usual finding your card. The person behind you then yells “come on, can’t you hurry up?”

I am more often behind slow drivers in the left lane that will not pull over than I am behind tailgaters who are unsatisfied with my decent rate of passing. But tailgaters are more dangerous and annoying, unless the slow driver is speed matching for miles on end, or does something dangerous themselves such as not pulling over when there is a chance, or even worse, moving into the right hand lane when I move to pass them on the right after I put my right hand turn signal on and start to move over without even putting their turn signal on.

However, even more dangerous and annoying are people who see that there is, literally, more than a car length between you and the slow driver ahead of you and so swerve over and slide into your safety zone.

Those drivers also tend to be the same ones who flash at other cars, and tailgate cars other than the slow lead car in a passing situation.

Tell me, how is tailgating someone who cannot speed up due to the laws of physics going to teach them a lesson or make them magically have the power to move any faster?

[SpeedwayRyan]

@Ludovic

Tell me, how is tailgating someone who cannot speed up due to the laws of physics going to teach them a lesson or make them magically have the power to move any faster?

I don’t have a problem with a driver who is behind the slow left-lane bandit…obviously it’s not his fault. I too am annoyed if I get tailgated when I can’t do anything about the guy in front of me and his rate of travel.

But your “rate of passing” thing brings up a good point…cruise control. Some people tend to leave it set in in a situation like you describe, so the slow car finally gets out of the way and now the new lead car has his cruise control set at 1mph faster than the traffic he’s passing. If I’m the “new lead driver” in a situation like that, I increase my speed a bit to complete the pass more quickly and get out of the passing lane, and then reduce my speed back to where it was. Clogging up the passing lane and backing up traffic by taking an inordinate amount of time to complete a pass just to be able to maintain a constant speed will probably annoy the folks bunched up behind.

[CookingWithGas]

@SpeedwayRyan

True, but sitting in the left lane while not overtaking with faster traffic backed up behind you is downright clueless driving.

People (not talking about you here) that complain about “some asshole driving fast and riding right on my bumper” usually fail to realize that their mistake and lack of understanding of how multi-lane highways work is the root of the problem the majority of the time.

1. I believe that you should drive no farther to the left than what allows you to drive at your desired speed
2. I believe that if you are behind someone who does not adhere to belief #1 that you may take legal action to urge them to come over to my way of thinking
3. Flashing lights is generally legal
4. Tailgating is generally illegal
5. If you are involved in an accident while tailgating it will almost always be deemed your fault[sup]1[/sup]

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1. There are cases and laws (no cites at the moment) where the lead driver can be at fault if he brakes for the purpose of causing an accident