I was in Northern Maine this weekend, seeing family. On my way there and my way back, I was stuck on 2 lane roads that twisted through mountains.
On the way there, I was behind a small Kia SUV that kept speeding up, then slowing down, speeding up, slowing down, trying to get along the road. I stayed off quite a few car lengths until a safe passing area, hoping to downshift at the next safe passing area and speed past, but they’d accelerate just then and make it dangerous to pass.
What bugs me is that there was not a car ahead of us, nor behind, so just let me pass and you’ll never see me again.
Instead it’s speed up, slow down, speed up, slow down, all the way there and all the way home.
I just don’t understand the mentality of it. Why is it seen as an insult in this country to be passed on the road?
On the way home I finally got my chance and passed on a legal area, but the guy holding me back accelerated at least 10mph more than he’d gone that day as if to block. Why!!! I passed him, then maintained the legal speed limit without slowing. I was able to keep my car around 2500 rpm for quite a while until I hit another person unwilling to let me pass safely.
Why is it seemingly seen as such an insult to be passed on American roads?
What bothers me are people who would rather tailgate me than to pass, even when it is on a multi-lane freeway, I’m already in the right lane, and there’s absolutely no reason why they can’t just pass and go on their merry way.
Hee! When we went to Washington state, it was Mom’s first experience driving on winding mountain roads, and I kept on asking why there were so many places along the side of the road that were just like big shoulders. We figured out it was for slow people like my mom to pull over and let the semi trucks pass her. It was hilarious, because around here, the land is flatter than Britney Spears when she was a Mouseketeer and in Soviet Saskatchewan, you pass semis, they don’t pass you.
We’ve usually got passing lanes on narrow roads… you’re driving behind someone doing 75kph in an 80 zone… and the passing lane starts which means the limit goes up to 100kph to facilitate passing of slower traffic. They’re supposed to drive the same speed and let faster traffic drive the 100 to pass them; over half of the slow drivers floor it instantly… and end up doing 110-120 for the entire length of the passing lane. And before you know, you’re breaking 300 just because you’re pissed off at them.
I’m guessing it’s an ego thing; “I’m the center of the universe, nobody passes me!” People are idiots.
This is why I have a car that will out accelerate almost every other car on the road. That KIA SUV would have seen something blue flash by and he would not even have a chance to read the plate number.
No, I don’t have any tickets on my record and am not an aggressive driver, but sometimes you just need a car that will do 165 mph in short order.
I drive 2 lane mountain roads every day. I suspect MOST of these drivers aren’t being passive aggressive, as much as they are being oblivious and timid.
You see them all the time. Those that aren’t locals. They go way under the speed limit when the roads are twisty and tight, but as soon it straightens out a little, and a passing lane is present, they feel safer and speed up.
It’s no less aggravating, but I think most of this can be attributed to just plain bad drivers that do not know what a rear view mirror is.
There’s a bike path along the banks of the Charles River; lots of pedestrians, bikes, and the occasional rollerblader. I was out riding the other day, and I came up behind a guy on blades. It was kind of a crowded section of the path, so I was just matching the guy’s pace. Figured I’d pass him once we got out of traffic. We went around a bend, and he kicked in the afterburners. I gave chase. There was a tailwind. I managed to get up to 24.5 mph, and I wasn’t catching him.
I couldn’t keep that speed up. After about a mile, he turned around and came back the other way, had about a 50 yard lead on me by then. I never seen anybody skate like that before.
Amen. I used to drive in that kind of country a lot, and I loathed drivers who let long trains of cars build up behind them. Pull over, let them go by, pull out. You’ll lose virtually no time, and they’ll save greatly.
When I was first learning to drive, my mother made me do this a lot. She was right.
This morning. Two lane road. Stupid jerkweed behind me. I am behind a slower driver. As soon as the opportunity to pass comes along, I put on my blinker check my mirrors and move over. Simultaneous to this, jerkweed behind me pulls out to pass both cars (mine and slow guy).
Now I’m in the opposite lane, jerkweed is on my ass and giving me the finger! Presumably because I had the audacity to pull out to pass exactly when he did. And anyway, don’t I get first crack at passing slow guy, instead of jerkweed attempting a double pass? He gave me the finger too when he passed me.
Then he turned right 5 minutes later. :smack::smack::smack::smack:
When towing my boat, I frequently move over and give others a chance to pass. About 50% of the time, the driver behind me goes for it, and most others in the train behind pass, too. Most are appreciative and wave, although some don’t.
Unfortunately, 50% of the time, the first person in the train behind me does nothing. They won’t pass. The car behind them hesitates as they wait for car #1 to make a move. Maybe car #2 goes for it in the reduced time/distance they now have.
The next time I offer a chance for all to pass, the same #1 nitwit hesitates, and forces others to guess.
I get way over, and make it easy and obvious that you can pass.
People drive with no rhythm, and are prone to hesitation. Sometimes I pass people not to get anywhere substantially faster, but it’s nice to drive with a rhythm and to actually glide over and around the road. I don’t always pass because I am cooler or can go faster… sometimes it’s just because I want to drive smoothly and with a rhythm.
I love you dude. When someone does that, I take extra care not return to the lane too close in front of them… especially if it’s dark or wet, and give a big wave… or if it’s dark I do the R-L-R signal thing. Communicative driving is one of the things why I like driving at night… more truckers, less timid drivers. And at least here truckers are good at communicating with their lights.
I’ve observed my mom (when she was younger) driving at a moderate speed and not thinking about the drivers behind her. When someone appears alongside her, passing, as they move into her peripheral vision, she suddenly realizes she’s going slower than other drivers and semi-consciously steps on the gas. Not to beat the other driver, mind you, but just because she suddenly feels like she’s been going slower or she is reminded to look at her speed.
This has the net effect of appearing exactly like a nitwit who is insulted and won’t let you pass – but it’s not. It’s a nitwit who pays attention to driving only when something intrudes on her awareness.
I wonder how many other people do that? Maybe a lot of what we see comes from this sort of driver, and not actual road rage.
My mom does this really annoying thing where she pulls out to pass, then slows down. Drives me absolutely up the wall. So it takes us 3x as long to pass anyone as it should because she’s tapping and then letting off the gas. She just can’t commit. Or, when we’re going by someone who is driving a little suspiciously (weaving in their lane, seems to be on the phone, etc.), she will freeze up and hang back right in their blind spot, as if she’s afraid they’re going to crash into her. Well, they may do that, but if the person really is being that oblivious, hanging around where they can’t see you easily would seem to increase the probability of disaster. When my dad was teaching me to drive, he very specifically told me, “Don’t do what your mother does. You want to get around someone, commit and do it quick.”
We made an 11-hour drive from Montreal to DC today and got stuck behind a bunch of trucks riding side-by-side in both lanes, oblivious to the cars slowly backing up behind them. And it was pouring rain, so this subjected us to unavoidable blinding road spray. I hate I-81.
Don’t know if it is still on the books but Idaho (with a lot of winding two lane mountain roads) had a “parade” law. The law said that if you had three vehicles behind you you had to pull over to let them pass. Made all the sense in the world to me.
