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Florida to Illinois road trip, left lane bandits, enforcement of slower traffic keep right laws, road rage, truckers, passing lanes, tailgaters, written and unwritten laws of the highway
When someone is just dawdling along in the left lane I just zoom in past them in the right lane, as does everyone else. It's illegal, to my knowledge, to pass on the right here in PA, but it's also illegal to use the left lane except to pass. If a cop pulled me over I'd ream him out for not enforcing the other law, which is what causes so many of us to endure road rage. It doesn't help that Scranton's population is very geriatric either, and we all know how most senior citizens today drive!
I usually tail them for a little while and if they don't get the clue or refuse to move out of the way cut them off, sometimes throwing up the middle finger if they really pissed me off.
If someone does that to me they'll be met with my removing my foot from the gas and coasting, slowing down all the way. If you were to do that to me in a deserted rural area, you would be met with a rapid application of my brakes, where I would then enjoy great happiness watching you in my rearview mirror as you swerve off the road into a tree at full speed.
In other words, tail gating, cutting people off, and giving them the finger is NOT cool, and you risk a variety of things happening to you if you do any of them to the wrong person.
It's important to note folks, that left lanes are not "speeding lanes". Posted speed limits apply across-the-board to ALL lanes on that road. If it says 65mph, then that means you should not be traveling more than 65mph in ANY of those lanes. Left lanes are for passing only, and passing those who are going slower than the posted speed limit in the middle and right lanes, to boot. Now, do most of us drive faster than the posted speed limit? Yes. Should people who are driving at the posted speed limit or slower keep to the right lanes? Yes. But still - it needs to again be clarified that left lanes are (contrary to what some believe) not "as fast as you want to go" lanes. And riding someone's bumper or cutting them off to prove a point puts lives in danger - and you possibly in prison if you cause an accident because of it.
If someone does that to me they'll be met with my removing my foot from the gas and coasting, slowing down all the way. If you were to do that to me in a deserted rural area, you would be met with a rapid application of my brakes, where I would then enjoy great happiness watching you in my rearview mirror as you swerve off the road into a tree at full speed.
..and that makes you no better than the person you are responding to. Didn't your mamas ever teach you that two wrongs don't make a right? It's ridiculous when people try "teach a lesson" to the driver they are percieving as being wrong, or assuming the person driving slower than you is "arrogant and just doing it to frustrate people". I don't drive anymore, but when I did I abided the rules, NEVER drove aggressively or flipped people off, etc.; shockingly I've never been in an autombile accident or received a ticket.
I agree with the above poster! Tail gating is more dangerous than the person who is doing under the speed limit in the "fast lane". The laws go for BOTH sides.
If someone does that to me they'll be met with my removing my foot from the gas and coasting, slowing down all the way. If you were to do that to me in a deserted rural area, you would be met with a rapid application of my brakes, where I would then enjoy great happiness watching you in my rearview mirror as you swerve off the road into a tree at full speed.
In other words, tail gating, cutting people off, and giving them the finger is NOT cool, and you risk a variety of things happening to you if you do any of them to the wrong person.
It's important to note folks, that left lanes are not "speeding lanes". Posted speed limits apply across-the-board to ALL lanes on that road. If it says 65mph, then that means you should not be traveling more than 65mph in ANY of those lanes. Left lanes are for passing only, and passing those who are going slower than the posted speed limit in the middle and right lanes, to boot. Now, do most of us drive faster than the posted speed limit? Yes. Should people who are driving at the posted speed limit or slower keep to the right lanes? Yes. But still - it needs to again be clarified that left lanes are (contrary to what some believe) not "as fast as you want to go" lanes. And riding someone's bumper or cutting them off to prove a point puts lives in danger - and you possibly in prison if you cause an accident because of it.
Actually that's pretty much the only time I flip someone off is when they pull this kind of crap. I have quick reflexes and good brakes so do what you will but I'll still cut you off, really close too, then flip you off if you pull that spiteful BS with me, but that rarely happens b/c most drivers in my area pull to the right after their clueless self realizes how slow they're going.
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And riding someone's bumper or cutting them off to prove a point puts lives in danger - and you possibly in prison if you cause an accident because of it.
So is deliberately slowing down in the fast lane and slamming on your brakes for no reason , that's so hypocritical for you to do that then say this BS.
And many times my tailgating them or cutting them off wakes their oblivious butt up b/c they either pull to the right and let me pass or do so after I cut them off and they realize how slow they're going. And I see other drivers do the same thing and get people who are just oblivious to the fact they're going slow pull to the right. That is why i generally like the drivers in my area, they know what a "fast lane" is most of the time.
If you were to do that to me in a deserted rural area, you would be met with a rapid application of my brakes, where I would then enjoy great happiness watching you in my rearview mirror as you swerve off the road into a tree at full speed.
I couldn't find any happiness in harming other people only because they have a style that clashes with mine.
I couldn't find any happiness in harming other people only because they have a style that clashes with mine.
While I'm not for retaliation against these left lane drivers (although I've done it in my years of driving), this type of driving is not a matter of style, but of ignorance or worse and is a major contributor to road rage.
Pennsylvania now has a lot of electronic signs along the sides of roadways reminding idiots "Left Lane; Passing Only." I'll continue to tailgate people who feel the need to "dawdle" in the left-hand lane. By trying to play vigilante traffic cop and slowing everyone else down, all you do is cause congestion, which leads to road rage. MOVE OVER!!!
I have to agree with atlantagreg30127 when he says that passing lanes are NOT speeding lanes. Personally, I regularly go 10 over what's posted on the freeway, and only 5 over on a regular two lane highway. But it's ridiculous when some a**hole comes right up on the tail of my car wanting to go even faster. Since semi-trucks are bound to the right lane on freeways, I will hang out in the left lane to avoid them since there are a LOT of them around here. If that aforementioned a-hole comes up wanting to pass and I can't get over, I will slow down, especially on a regular two lane highway. By you slowing down, the person behind you will be less likely to rear end you if you have to make a panic stop because they'll have less speed to scrub off and can stop in less distance from a slower speed.
Moral of the story is don't be an a**hole on the road. It's rude AND unsafe to tailgate, to pass on the right, or to not get into the right lane when someone wants to pass and you are able to get over. And don't flip people off... Give them the peace sign. Don't pass on the road rage, guys.
Just got back from a FL to IL roadtrip.
What is UP with all the left land bandits here in the US? I am convinced that MOST american drivers just will not accept the concept of the left lane being for passing drivers only.
They will sit in the left lane, do the speed limit, and will NOT move over for faster traffic. They get all upset, and perturbed when you wish to pass them.
PEOPLE: IT'S NOTHING PERSONAL! We just want to go someplace faster.
Along the highways, there are many signs for slower moving traffic to stay in the right lane. And signs that say, left lane is for passing only.
PLEASE - stay out of the left lane unless you are moving faster than traffic (and I mean much faster, not 1 or 2 miles faster!!!), or are passing. Then when you pass, get BACK over into the right lane.
Am I the only person who gets aggravated by this? Sorry - after 1200 miles of dealing with the U.S. left land bandits, I need to vent...
"PEOPLE, IT'S NOTHING PERSONAL! I just want to get somewhere faster (than the posted speed limit allows)" - AND I just want you to obey ME, while I totally DIS-OBEY the speed limits!
You mention the people who get perturbed and upset when people want to pass them, but then you mention how perturbed and upset you get because they obey the speed limits. So, first consider that not all areas even have "left lane laws." Why do you expect people to obey your desires, when it is not a law? And even if it IS a law, why do you expect THEM to obey that law, when YOU don't obey the speed limit laws? I'll bet that even where there are left lane laws, the speed limit signs outnumber the "slower traffic keep right" signs by 5 to 1. Isn't this the very definition of HYPOCRISY?
And just to give something to think about - if you get stuck, for an ENTIRE MILE (which should just about never happen, if you really want to be going faster, rather than just getting his goat by tailgating (another violation)) behind some "slowpoke" who drives the speed limit, say 65, but without him, you would drive 75, THEN, in that entire mile, he will have cost you an astounding 7.4 seconds! Do the math! Is THAT what you are so perturbed about? 7.4 SECONDS?? At higher speeds, that time only goes DOWN. You might also want to consider that - perhaps even totally unbeknownst to you - that idiot in front of you might have kept you from getting a speeding ticket in that 7.4 seconds.
Again, DO THE MATH! And while you're at it, check the definition of "hypocrite" in your dictionary.
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