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By the way, to anyone here who drives Route 7 between Reston and McLean, if you're turning left onto Lewinsville Road you don't need to get into the left-hand lane all the way back at Baron Cameron Avenue and then crawl. Those clueless Lewinsville Road commuters boil my blood more than anyone else, as they hold up those of us trying to commute into Tysons.
I think the issue with Lewinsville is that traffic often backs up in the left lane prior to the turn onto Lewinsville, and drivers who are in the right lane and wait too late to shift to the left lane are often out of luck. Once that's happened to you a few times, it's probably a natural tendency to try to make sure it doesn't happen to you again, although there's usually room to get in the left lane well after Baron Cameron. If you were working in downtown McLean rather than Tysons, you'd probably have more sympathy and we'd all be hearing instead about the horrible drivers who honk at you as you head to work.
Actually, I think the answer to this all would be to try an experiment. For one week, we could declare "Everyone Must Drive in the Right Lane Only Week." Policemen could stand along all highways, forcing tens of thousands of people to move to the right hand side. Instead of thousands and thousands of people using the left lane, it will be used only by a few hundred people.
Why will so few use the left lane? Because the police will hand out tickets to anyone who does anything more than passing, so few will attempt it once they see all you'll be able to move at any single time will be two car lengths on the left hand lane.
Then you would see what would happen: the gridlock would extend for miles. Think how bad the roads were when the snowpiles eliminated whole lanes of traffic. Then multiply that.
1. You're holding up traffic, causing gridlock for the rest of us.
2. You're not a cop, it's none of your business how fast they're going.
3. You don't get to arbitrarily set the speed limit to 65 and enforce it on to others.
4. Because it's the right thing to do
5. Because it's the law
6. etc.......
All good points. My pet peeve is the person who is so close on your rear that you can't see their license plate and won't move over to the left lane to pass you. What are you supposed to do, move to the left lane so they can pass on the right? Don't suggest putting on your brakes and risking a rear end collision, I often have grandchildren in the back seat. And, no, I do not drive like a granny, I am at the speed limit or slightly above.
All good points. My pet peeve is the person who is so close on your rear that you can't see their license plate and won't move over to the left lane to pass you. What are you supposed to do, move to the left lane so they can pass on the right? Don't suggest putting on your brakes and risking a rear end collision, I often have grandchildren in the back seat. And, no, I do not drive like a granny, I am at the speed limit or slightly above.
This is a pet peeve of mine as well. Often times I'll be driving in the right-hand lane a comfortable following distance behind the vehicle in front of me. Then someone will come up and ride my bumper with a wide-open left-hand lane. Why? I can only go as fast as the motorist(s) in front of me. I know I should stop tailgating the left-lane lolly-gaggers because by me trying to "enforce" the law by intimidating them into moving into the right-hand lane I'm truthfully no better than them for trying to "enforce" their own interpretation of the law. We're both at-fault there. If Normie set her cruise control to 50 in the left-hand lane, and if I tailgated her, I'd hope we'd BOTH get tickets (sadly, I know given the way Fairfax County cops operate I'd be the only one given the ticket, but I digress).
I think the issue with Lewinsville is that traffic often backs up in the left lane prior to the turn onto Lewinsville, and drivers who are in the right lane and wait too late to shift to the left lane are often out of luck. Once that's happened to you a few times, it's probably a natural tendency to try to make sure it doesn't happen to you again, although there's usually room to get in the left lane well after Baron Cameron. If you were working in downtown McLean rather than Tysons, you'd probably have more sympathy and we'd all be hearing instead about the horrible drivers who honk at you as you head to work.
When would it be "too late" to get into the left-hand lane? I suppose that's just where you and I see the disconnect. In my personal experience since moving here if I've flipped on my blinker I can get into the lane of my choice after just one or two cars in the adjacent lane pass, as the third car will have noticed I was trying to get over far enough back and will (normally) create a gap in traffic to let me squeeze in. I've only ever had trouble with that on very rare occasion. Likewise if I'm in the left-hand lane zooming down Route 7 towards Tysons and see one of those putt-putt Lewinsville Road commuters trying to get in front of me I will flash my high-beams and let them in. It's called common courtesy.
I do agree that the left-hand turn lane from Route 7 Eastbound onto Lewinsville Road is FAR too short, though. A double-left turning lane would be better here, with a portion of Lewinsville Road widened to two lanes headed towards Downtown McLean to help keep overflow traffic from the turn lane from holding up the left-hand lane of Route 7.
If Normie set her cruise control to 50 in the left-hand lane, and if I tailgated her, I'd hope we'd BOTH get tickets (sadly, I know given the way Fairfax County cops operate I'd be the only one given the ticket, but I digress).
I'm glad you're starting to get the message.
That's right--you would be the one getting a ticket, not me. If 50 is the speed limit, then 50 is what I'll be driving. I drive the speed limit, not faster and not slower (as long as traffic is moving), which makes me a law abiding citizen who does not get tickets.
Give yourself an ulcer about it if you wish, but I won't be changing this habit, no matter how much it irks you. I will continue driving in whatever lane of traffic I happen to get into, without worry if it is the left lane or the right lane. If you decide to get aggressive about it, you will be the one getting the expensive ticket, and the one getting the ulcer. It's your choice.
BTW, just because I choose to drive the way most Virginians do, doesn't mean you have to. If YOU wish to drive in the right lane, be my guest. Since you think that is the right thing to do, think of it as setting a good example.
1. You're holding up traffic, causing gridlock for the rest of us.
2. You're not a cop, it's none of your business how fast they're going.
3. You don't get to arbitrarily set the speed limit to 65 and enforce it on to others.
4. Because it's the right thing to do
5. Because it's the law
6. etc.......
1. Actually, as stated in my initial post, I am passing cars, using the left lane for its intended purpose. If you're able to go 75, there's not much gridlock. You just want to go 75.
2. It's my business to drive safely. Ducking in and out between lanes for the convenience of maniacs going SL+20 is not safe for me, and is not safe for folks in the right lane.
3. The posted speed limit in my example is 55. Did you even read my post?
4. So going 75 in a 55 zone is the "right thing to do?"
5. I am using the left lane for its intended purpose, overtaking vehicles in the right lane going 55. I am not about to jet over into the right lane and get stuck behind someone going 50 just so you can reach your destination 5.0 seconds faster.
Normie, I've seen most folks going SL-5 to SL+10 when permitted to go at speed. It is also a law (as quoted by others here) that in normal circumstances, the left lane is for passing.
Of course:
1. that law is rarely (if ever) enforced, as is the law against passing on the right.
2. Most of the time during rush hour, though, there are so many cars on the road that everyone just tries to get on the road and shuffle along for the ride. Hence, being parked in the second lane on I-66 when EVERYONE is going 20 and under is not causing gridlock in se ... I suspect other strategies such as proper merging are involved here.
If I'm going 65 in the left lane in a 55 zone, and passing cars, why should I move over at the convenience of some maniac moving 75?
You shouldnt move over at the convenience of anybody. It doesn't matter if there's a car riding your bumper, a car 100 yards back, or no other cars at all. As soon as you pass whatever you're passing get over to the right. This is regardless of who is behind you or what speed they're traveling. When you come up on the next obstruction merge left, pass the vehicle, and get back over. This is not hard. You only have to keep your brain half way engaged in the driving task, which is more than most people in this area can muster.
As for the "this is how we drive in Virginia" nonsense, it has never been customary, courteous, or legal to hog the left lane in this state. And I've lived here more than 20 years.
As soon as you pass whatever you're passing get over to the right.
Which brings up a way to be at peace with this, no matter which side you take.
Who's to define how many cars need to be passed for a driver to be "passing"? If a guy on the left is annoying you, just tell yourself that he isn't "driving" there, he's passing a very large number of cars.
Meanwhile, the Serenity Prayer can come in handy. "God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change." Traffic is one of those things you cannot change--all you can change is how much you let it bother you.
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