Hey fuckwit! The signs say, "keep right except to pass" ...

[John_DiFool]

@thelurkinghorror

I-80 in the Sierras is two lanes for a good part of the length and this happens often. Most of the truckers are good enough that if they make an attempt they will step on the pedal but occasionally there is a slow one. I normally have more problems with civilians who seem oblivious to the train of cars behind them.

The problem that often occurs is that there may be (at a minimum) 3 different speed cohorts out there-the slowpokes who drive at or even below the limit, those (like me) who prefer to do 5-10 over, and the maniacs who do 20+ over.

Thus I am often literally put between a rock and a hard place when deciding to either pull out and pass a slowpoke, when I can see a maniac flying up in the left lane, vs. staying put, esp. when there is a huge line of maniacs coming. And once I am in the left lane and passing a long line of slowpokes, and the maniacs are all riding my ass? If I stay where I am until I finally reach the front slowpoke and can merge right, they all get pissed at me. If I can manage to find an opening to go right (and I often can’t), then I am stuck there going much slower than I want as the long line of maniacs all pass me.

This is why I love 3 lane highways.

[BubbaDog]

@Saint_Cad

My favorite which I’ve seen a lot of up here in Northern Colorado is two trucks in the right lane doing about 65 in a 75. OK no big deal but then the truck in the back pull into the left lane to pass at (if lucky) 65.5 mph.

As annoying as that is I can understand it. From the trucker’s point of view he can either slowly make his way past the guy in front of him or he can sit behind him forever.
For me, truckers get a pass on this one. The bonehead imbecile who uses his cruise control which is set to 0.5 MPH faster than the truck? He needs a cactus shoved up his ass.

[swampspruce]

Sideways.

[rat_avatar]

Yep, just saved about an hour coming across snoqualmie yesterday. People seem to have a tendency to believe they are fast enough and if others want to go faster, even if it is the speed limit they are going too fast. Oddly in Washington state if a roadway is wide enough for two lanes, even if marked it is legal to pass on the right.

(1) The driver of a vehicle may overtake and pass upon the right of another vehicle only under the following conditions:

 (a) When the vehicle overtaken is making or about to make a left turn;

 (b) Upon a roadway with unobstructed pavement of sufficient width for two or more lines of vehicles moving lawfully in the direction being traveled by the overtaking vehicle.

There are a few roads here in Seattle, like 85th NW where this is true. Even without markings it can legally (if not typically safely) be used as two lanes.

Now going up another pass I had some asshat in a large SUV get his feeling hurt that I passed him in a yukon going up hill in a little abarth. He would wait to break in the middle of curves which is just 100% stupid and dangerous, which is the reason I passed him. He drove up hill around curves at dangerous speeds for him to try to pass me, and when he could going down the other side he drove 90MPH + speed to just get around me, to sit within 3mph slower than the legal rate I was going. I pulled off to look and walked through trees a while just to avoid dealing with his fragile ego and dangerous driving.

[Lumpy]

Worst of all is when two slowpokes decide to drive side by side, with no way of passing them.

[CoastalMaineiac]

@Lacunae_Matata

Last summer, Georgia passed a “slowpoke” law, which explicitly requires that drivers in any except the far right lane of a multi-lane highway must move to the right if approached from behind by a faster driver, even if the slower driver is meeting or exceeding the speed limit. When that law was passed, you’d have thought that Mr. Tortoise in the Left Lane was being required to kick puppies, spit on grandmothers, and burn American flags, based on interviews, posts on social media, etc. “But that’s just giving people permission to break the speed limit, and it’s the law!” (Hint: those signs posted on the freeway also have basis in law, and those signs have, as long as I can remember, instructed slower traffic to keep right*.)

Just move the fuck over. Your dick won’t be any smaller just because you drive in the right-hand lane, Pokey. And, unless you have pretty blue lights on your car? It’s not your job to enforce the speed limit.

*The old law allowed drivers to remain in the left lane as long as they were driving at least the posted speed limit, or if there was another driver beside them - no requirement to pass, follow, etc. The new law, written by the former head of the Public Safety Commission, does away with those exceptions. The only legal exceptions now are for hazardous road conditions (flooded lane, trees down in the right lane, etc.,) or if the driver is in the left lane to make a turn or exit. It wasn’t written to encourage speeding, but to unclog roadways and make things a little more civil.

That has been the law most of I-95 and I-295 in Maine for a while now, although it is not just “if approached from behind by a faster driver.” You can get a ticket here for failure to keep right even if you are the only car on the highway, because the law requires you to return to the right-hand lane “at the earliest opportunity” (Cite). The idea here is that nobody should have to wait for you to check your mirrors and realize you’re holding people up. Move left to overtake, and then move right as soon as you’re safely beyond the slower cars.

Perhaps they should have signs like this every so often: http://i1360.photobucket.com/albums/r658/CoastalMaineiac/lane%20use_zpsc5ejameq.png

Obeying the speed limit does not give drivers a legal right to disregard other rules of the road, but so many of them act like the speed limit is the only rule that exists.

[Spectre_of_Pithecanthropus]

@John_Mace

We do have signs in CA that say that*. We also have signs that say “slower traffic use turnouts” when there is only one lane, but almost no one pays attention that those signs either.

*Or, “slower traffic keep right” which is the same thing.

I don’t think it’s quite the same. In some places you’re not supposed to be in the left lane at all except for passing the car or cars in front of you, in the next lane over, or that’s my understanding. In California we can stay in the left lane as long as we please, but obviously it’s still a dickish move to poke along and hold everyone up behind you.

[CoastalMaineiac]

@Spectre_of_Pithecanthropus

<snip> In California we can stay in the left lane as long as we please <snip>

Not entirely true.

“Notwithstanding the prima facie speed limits, any
vehicle proceeding upon a highway at a speed less than the normal
speed of traffic moving in the same direction at such time shall be
driven in the right-hand lane for traffic or as close as practicable
to the right-hand edge or curb, except when overtaking and passing
another vehicle proceeding in the same direction or when preparing
for a left turn at an intersection or into a private road or
driveway.” (Cite)

[Sam_Lowry]

@BubbaDog

As annoying as that is I can understand it. From the trucker’s point of view he can either slowly make his way past the guy in front of him or he can sit behind him forever.
For me, truckers get a pass on this one. The bonehead imbecile who uses his cruise control which is set to 0.5 MPH faster than the truck? He needs a cactus shoved up his ass.

Except if there’s an Eighteen Wheeler going 65 mph, and either another Eighteen Wheeler or an SUV passing him at 65.5 mph, then it will take longer for the Eighteen Wheeler to pass, since it’s substantially longer than the SUV. But the slightly faster Eighteen Wheeler won’t have saved himself much time if he passes. Even if he keeps going for 500 miles at 65.5 mph instead of 65, he’s only saved himself about 3 minutes.

[Spiderman]

I had opportunity to drive the Autobahn in Germany & Poland; it was absolutely Heaven!

People drove in the right lane & passed in the left lane, & as soon as they safely made their pass, they pulled back into the right lane! Even when a car / truck pulled out to pass the slowest vehicle, I knew it would only be a few seconds before they were back in the right lane & out of my way. I so wish we could have those roads/drivers here. Even with three lanes we have more idjits then they have with two lanes.

[Chimera]

@CoastalMaineiac

Perhaps they should have signs like this every so often: http://i1360.photobucket.com/albums/r658/CoastalMaineiac/lane%20use_zpsc5ejameq.png

Wouldn’t work here. I get on the bus at night on a downtown street clearly marked in BOTH lanes as Buses Only, there’s an overhead sign at like every other intersection saying the same, and I still watch idiots in their cars and suicidally stupid bike riders trying to ‘share the road’ with a gazillion buses who keep changing lanes as they move around each other and stop every other block.

[Dante]

I see an interesting phenomenon here (Toronto) on a regular basis. When there is very little traffic, I’ll often see a vehicle in the middle lane, with another vehicle right up its ass. I’m talking less than a car length. Empty space for miles around, but this guy is drafting like its the last lap at Daytona.

The only way to make him move is for another vehicle to pass them on the left, which breaks the spell and reminds him he can actually pass the vehicle in the middle lane.

I’ve no idea what the thought process is for that one.

[CoastalMaineiac]

@Dante

I see an interesting phenomenon here (Toronto) on a regular basis. When there is very little traffic, I’ll often see a vehicle in the middle lane, with another vehicle right up its ass. I’m talking less than a car length. Empty space for miles around, but this guy is drafting like its the last lap at Daytona.

The only way to make him move is for another vehicle to pass them on the left, which breaks the spell and reminds him he can actually pass the vehicle in the middle lane.

I’ve no idea what the thought process is for that one.

Ontario drivers definitely have a sort of herding mentality going on. Last few times I was up there, traffic would be going around 40 miles per hour in a 100 kilometer per hour zone, all clogged up in the left and middle lanes, with not a soul in the right lane, until I came along. People would enter the highway from the on-ramps and, almost as if compelled by force, slow down and merge into the other lanes with all the slowpokes.

Of course, I didn’t mind; I was traveling from Maine, and it takes over 13 hours, so I was glad they were keeping a path wide open just for me. As for dealing with mergers, the on-ramps and merging lanes were so long up there, there really was never a need to move over to make room

[Happy_Fun_Ball]

THis is a serious pet peeve of mine. Here in Colorado I drive a highway that in solid with traffic every day, two lanes (one each direction), and has a couple of 2 lane stretches on hills for slower cars. Even with signs that say keep right except to pass and slower traffic keep right (their are both), there is invariably some asshole, probably from California, that sets himself in the left lane and goes at less than an ideal speed. I pass these people on the right as a matter of course, just to prove the point (actually, only if it is safe to do so). If they had gone into the right lane as the law requires, I would have blissfully followed them as I know it won’t make much difference for the commute. They almost annoy me as much as the people who don’t know how to merge.

[CoastalMaineiac]

@Happy_Fun_Ball

THis is a serious pet peeve of mine. Here in Colorado I drive a highway that in solid with traffic every day, two lanes (one each direction), and has a couple of 2 lane stretches on hills for slower cars. Even with signs that say keep right except to pass and slower traffic keep right (their are both), there is invariably some asshole, probably from California, that sets himself in the left lane and goes at less than an ideal speed. I pass these people on the right as a matter of course, just to prove the point (actually, only if it is safe to do so). If they had gone into the right lane as the law requires, I would have blissfully followed them as I know it won’t make much difference for the commute. They almost annoy me as much as the people who don’t know how to merge.

Most people here in Maine do know how to merge, there are just certain situations where they don’t like to. A slow-vehicle lane coming to an end at the top of a hill? People in the left lane will usually take turns with the people in the slow lane so that everyone keeps moving. The same exact situation, but the other lane is ending because of construction, and the same people all want to get into pissing contests with each other.

And then there is the situation where there are two lanes at an intersection, and those lanes merge together after the intersection. They do this so that twice as many cars can get through on a green light. But people don’t get the point, and don’t want to realize that a little cooperation afterward will make everyone’s commute faster, so everyone lines up single-file at the traffic light, allowing the other lane to go unused. Of course, I will make use of it; there’s always plenty of time to merge back over.

Of course, this merging situation is my personal favorite. Notice how two lanes exit the rotary side-by-side, and then immediately afterward, there’s only one. This seems like it should be a recipe for disaster, but every time I have been there, it works amazingly well. Sure, plenty of people still behave like idiots within the rotary itself, but on that particular exit, everyone just gives way to each other, and there is no real slowdown.

[excavating_for_a_mind]

Oh, another pit thread about idiots who drive slower than I.

You know, years ago (maybe 10?), I would have joined right in, saying saying “Castrate these Motherfuckers and make them eat their own gonads”. But, I guess I’ve grown soft in my old age.

Really, I just asked myself, “where am I going that is so important?”. Usually, the answer was “work”, a place I really didn’t want to be, anyway. I tried to figure out what was so bad about driving. Nice seats, air conditioning, good stereo with a great music collection. In fact, I realized my commuter car was the most comfortable car I had ever ridden in for any significant amount of time. I finally realized that the problem was my attitude.

The difference between going 72 and 62 for a 20 mile commute is less than 3 minutes, and that is when there is no traffic. You add traffic to the mix, realizing that traffic will slow down the 72mph driver much more than the 62 mph driver, and difference becomes even less. So, while the asshole only going 62 in a 60 mph zone was only causing a delay of less than a minute or two, I was letting him make me angry and spoiling what should be a comfortable and pleasant trip.

What and Idiot! (I was being). I decided to let it go, go with the flow, regardless of what the flow was doing, and my life got happier. I also reacquainted myself with The two-second rule.
For anyone who never took Driver’s Ed (or took it and didn’t pay attention), the two-second rule is to allow two seconds of space between you and the car in front of you. The beauty of this rule is that it compensates for your speed. The bad part is that, when you get into heavy traffic, it can be difficult to maintain, as people will look at that space in front of you as “wasted space”, not realizing that it isn’t wasted, you were using it. In those cases where you cannot maintain the two-second rule, you have to realize you are in “heavy traffic” and when you are in heavy traffic, there really is no such thing as “the fast lane” or a “passing lane”. Trying to drive like there are such things when you are in heavy traffic is totally ignoring reality.

So, when I am driving behind someone in the left-hand lane who is driving slower, I will make sure I am two-seconds behind him and wait until he moves to the right. I’ve found that “riding his ass” is rarely helpful. Generally, the guy will pull over, when he can. This will rarely take much more than a minute or two, even if the guy is wanting to be difficult. If he can pull over, but just won’t, and there is plenty of room, I’ll just pass him on the right. If there isn’t plenty of room, that’s probably why he doesn’t move over. Regardless, he really isn’t adding much more than a few seconds to my trip.

And, remember, there is only one asshole out there whose attitude you are going to be able the change, and the sooner you do it, the happier you are going to be.

[CoastalMaineiac]

@excavating_for_a_mind

Oh, another pit thread about idiots who drive slower than I.

You know, years ago (maybe 10?), I would have joined right in, saying saying “Castrate these Motherfuckers and make them eat their own gonads”. But, I guess I’ve grown soft in my old age.

Really, I just asked myself, “where am I going that is so important?”. Usually, the answer was “work”, a place I really didn’t want to be, anyway. I tried to figure out what was so bad about driving. Nice seats, air conditioning, good stereo with a great music collection. In fact, I realized my commuter car was the most comfortable car I had ever ridden in for any significant amount of time. I finally realized that the problem was my attitude.

The difference between going 72 and 62 for a 20 mile commute is less than 3 minutes, and that is when there is no traffic. You add traffic to the mix, realizing that traffic will slow down the 72mph driver much more than the 62 mph driver, and difference becomes even less. So, while the asshole only going 62 in a 60 mph zone was only causing a delay of less than a minute or two, I was letting him make me angry and spoiling what should be a comfortable and pleasant trip.

What and Idiot! (I was being). I decided to let it go, go with the flow, regardless of what the flow was doing, and my life got happier. I also reacquainted myself with The two-second rule.
For anyone who never took Driver’s Ed (or took it and didn’t pay attention), the two-second rule is to allow two seconds of space between you and the car in front of you. The beauty of this rule is that it compensates for your speed. The bad part is that, when you get into heavy traffic, it can be difficult to maintain, as people will look at that space in front of you as “wasted space”, not realizing that it isn’t wasted, you were using it. In those cases where you cannot maintain the two-second rule, you have to realize you are in “heavy traffic” and when you are in heavy traffic, there really is no such thing as “the fast lane” or a “passing lane”. Trying to drive like there are such things when you are in heavy traffic is totally ignoring reality.

So, when I am driving behind someone in the left-hand lane who is driving slower, I will make sure I am two-seconds behind him and wait until he moves to the right. I’ve found that “riding his ass” is rarely helpful. Generally, the guy will pull over, when he can. This will rarely take much more than a minute or two, even if the guy is wanting to be difficult. If he can pull over, but just won’t, and there is plenty of room, I’ll just pass him on the right. If there isn’t plenty of room, that’s probably why he doesn’t move over. Regardless, he really isn’t adding much more than a few seconds to my trip.

And, remember, there is only one asshole out there whose attitude you are going to be able the change, and the sooner you do it, the happier you are going to be.

Good advice, and advice I try to follow. But it is hard to maintain a two second gap in front of you when people change lanes right in front of you for reasons known only to them. I don’t tailgate people, whether they are lane hoggers or not. Leaving a good space cushion is a necessary habit in a state where large animals can run right out in front of you (or the guy in front of you) at any random time. http://i0.wp.com/static.bangordailynews.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/10016201_H13257319-600x450.jpg?quality=90&w=600

[eschereal]

@excavating_for_a_mind

… remember, there is only one asshole out there whose attitude you are going to be able the change, and the sooner you do it, the happier you are going to be.

You know this is going to get stolen, right?

[Balthisar]

@CoastalMaineiac

And then there is the situation where there are two lanes at an intersection, and those lanes merge together after the intersection. They do this so that twice as many cars can get through on a green light. But people don’t get the point, and don’t want to realize that a little cooperation afterward will make everyone’s commute faster, so everyone lines up single-file at the traffic light, allowing the other lane to go unused. Of course, I will make use of it; there’s always plenty of time to merge back over.

That’s ignorance, though. To them, they’re trying to be fair by not cutting in front of someone else, and they regard those of us who use the lane as assholes that are just trying to get the jump on everyone else. They exhibit the very same type of behavior on freeways that lose a lane (by design or for construction), and don’t understand that zipper merging is better for everyone, and that the people doing it aren’t freeloaders. I admit I used to think I was doing the right thing by getting into the queue instead of using the available space.

[excavating_for_a_mind]

@CoastalMaineiac

Good advice, and advice I try to follow. But it is hard to maintain a two second gap in front of you when people change lanes right in front of you for reasons known only to them. I don’t tailgate people, whether they are lane hoggers or not. Leaving a good space cushion is a necessary habit in a state where large animals can run right out in front of you (or the guy in front of you) at any random time. http://i0.wp.com/static.bangordailynews.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/10016201_H13257319-600x450.jpg?quality=90&w=600

Perhaps you missed a bit

In those cases where you cannot maintain the two-second rule, you have to realize you are in “heavy traffic” and when you are in heavy traffic, there really is no such thing as “the fast lane” or a “passing lane”. Trying to drive like there are such things when you are in heavy traffic is totally ignoring reality.

If you cannot maintain two seconds between you and the car in front of you because people keep changing lanes into that two second gap, then you are in heavy traffic. In heavy traffic, concepts like fast lane, passing lane, etc…, become nebulous. You have to learn to relax and wait. Things will either get better or get worse; they never stay the same. If they get better, well, you can go on your way. If they get worse, well, then you might look back on the current situation as not being all that bad. The thing is, to try to drive in heavy traffic as if it was light traffic is both irrational and a hazard to others.

@Me

… remember, there is only one asshole out there whose attitude you are going to be able the change, and the sooner you do it, the happier you are going to be.

@eschereal

You know this is going to get stolen, right?

Sure. At least, I hope so. It’s hardly a new concept, but one that many people seem to have a lot of trouble with. Happy people chose to be happy. Unhappy people chose to be unhappy. It really is up to you.