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This is something that has vexed me for years. And I can't fathom what the phsychology behind it is...other than people just wanting space. I see this so often that I just have to wonder. Let me explain.
I am one of those rare breeds. I have no aspirations to be the fastest one on the road. Part of this is because I'm just not in YOUR hurry but also I don't feel like donating $300+ to the State. But at the same time, I don't want to be that obstructionist slowpoke either. So yes, I drive at a good speed but also check my rear and sideviews constantly. I'm definitely cognizant of my surroundings.
My travels frequently take me up and down I-5 and Hwy 99 in Central CA between LA and Fresno (via the Grapevine, Bakersfield, etc). Most of this road is rural area. So heavy traffic is rarely a concern. There's cars, but unless it's a Holiday weekend, there's plenty of room.
I usually drive in the fast (#1, far left lane), until.....
I see someone bearing down on me from behind.
Because I'm actually a nice driver, I'll pull over to the next lane. So long as you don't drive like an ass and crawl up to one inch behind me. But again, this seldom happens because like I told you...I pay attention to my surroundings including what's going on behind me.
So tell me. Why will someone come rocketing down the road, doing 90+, then as soon as I get over, they just stay there and don't proceed? They'll either stay behind me or at best, pace along side?
Often times I'll see speeding up behind me, I'll again merge to the right and then remain 3-4 lengths behind me. So it turns out that they don't want to pass after all. But then if I get back in front of them, they are immediately on my tail.
???
This one strikes me as the most passive-aggressive of all.
I'll move to the right, they remain several lengths behind me. But if there's a big rig or other slowpoke ahead, before I can get back to the left, they immediately floor it thus blocking me from getting in front by going just fast enough to prevent me from getting in front of them but barely more than a couple mph faster than what they were doing.
So what is it? It's not that people want to speed. Is it just that they don't like other cars in front of them?
Why not default to the right lane in the first place?
Too many trucks. On the 3 and 4 lane stretches, yeah. I'm usually in #2. The brickfoots can pass all day long. I don't care. It's on the two lane sections that I see this behavior.
If I am understanding correctly, you are likely annoying and/or confusing other drivers by 1) using the left passing lane as your cruising lane, 2) going slower than the typical car in that lane, moving to the right only when approached quickly from behind, 3) obstructing the lane when you decide someone is tailgating you or otherwise not driving their vehicle to your expectations.
This is something that has vexed me for years. And I can't fathom what the phsychology behind it is...other than people just wanting space. I see this so often that I just have to wonder. Let me explain.
I am one of those rare breeds. I have no aspirations to be the fastest one on the road. Part of this is because I'm just not in YOUR hurry but also I don't feel like donating $300+ to the State. But at the same time, I don't want to be that obstructionist slowpoke either. So yes, I drive at a good speed but also check my rear and sideviews constantly. I'm definitely cognizant of my surroundings.
My travels frequently take me up and down I-5 and Hwy 99 in Central CA between LA and Fresno (via the Grapevine, Bakersfield, etc). Most of this road is rural area. So heavy traffic is rarely a concern. There's cars, but unless it's a Holiday weekend, there's plenty of room.
I usually drive in the fast (#1, far left lane), until.....
I see someone bearing down on me from behind.
Because I'm actually a nice driver, I'll pull over to the next lane. So long as you don't drive like an ass and crawl up to one inch behind me. But again, this seldom happens because like I told you...I pay attention to my surroundings including what's going on behind me.
So tell me. Why will someone come rocketing down the road, doing 90+, then as soon as I get over, they just stay there and don't proceed? They'll either stay behind me or at best, pace along side?
Often times I'll see speeding up behind me, I'll again merge to the right and then remain 3-4 lengths behind me. So it turns out that they don't want to pass after all. But then if I get back in front of them, they are immediately on my tail.
???
This one strikes me as the most passive-aggressive of all.
I'll move to the right, they remain several lengths behind me. But if there's a big rig or other slowpoke ahead, before I can get back to the left, they immediately floor it thus blocking me from getting in front by going just fast enough to prevent me from getting in front of them but barely more than a couple mph faster than what they were doing.
So what is it? It's not that people want to speed. Is it just that they don't like other cars in front of them?
'Splain please.
Its because they have no idea how to use cruise control. I see it all the time driving in the mountains. I set my cruise to 70. Going uphill, I'm passing many people. Going downhill, many people are passing me. I never changed my speed.
Most people don't pay strict attention to what speed they are doing, they naturally drive at what speed they are comfortable with, and when they are next to a car, they driver at the speed of that car, or faster. It isn't necessarily a conscious decision. I see it all the time. I set the cruise control, I catch up with someone, I move over to pass them, and they immediately speed up, off into the distance. 95% of the time, I catch up to them again, without ever touching the cruise control. It's like subconsciously, them seeing you reminds them of the speed they are going and they realize they want to go faster or slower.
Another example, we have a road here that the speed limit changes from 35 to 55, and the road itself doesn't really change in terms of land width (2 lanes, one each way) or curves. Almost everyone drives 45-49 the whole length of the road. I'm sure the people who drive 10-15 over on the 35 MPH have no real intention of then driving 5-10 under the speed limit at the 55 MPH. They are just driving, paying no attention to the speed they are going or the actual speed limit.
This is something that has vexed me for years. And I can't fathom what the phsychology behind it is...other than people just wanting space. I see this so often that I just have to wonder. Let me explain.
I am one of those rare breeds. I have no aspirations to be the fastest one on the road. Part of this is because I'm just not in YOUR hurry but also I don't feel like donating $300+ to the State. But at the same time, I don't want to be that obstructionist slowpoke either. So yes, I drive at a good speed but also check my rear and sideviews constantly. I'm definitely cognizant of my surroundings.
My travels frequently take me up and down I-5 and Hwy 99 in Central CA between LA and Fresno (via the Grapevine, Bakersfield, etc). Most of this road is rural area. So heavy traffic is rarely a concern. There's cars, but unless it's a Holiday weekend, there's plenty of room.
I usually drive in the fast (#1, far left lane), until.....
I see someone bearing down on me from behind.
Because I'm actually a nice driver, I'll pull over to the next lane. So long as you don't drive like an ass and crawl up to one inch behind me. But again, this seldom happens because like I told you...I pay attention to my surroundings including what's going on behind me.
So tell me. Why will someone come rocketing down the road, doing 90+, then as soon as I get over, they just stay there and don't proceed? They'll either stay behind me or at best, pace along side?
Often times I'll see speeding up behind me, I'll again merge to the right and then remain 3-4 lengths behind me. So it turns out that they don't want to pass after all. But then if I get back in front of them, they are immediately on my tail.
???
This one strikes me as the most passive-aggressive of all.
I'll move to the right, they remain several lengths behind me. But if there's a big rig or other slowpoke ahead, before I can get back to the left, they immediately floor it thus blocking me from getting in front by going just fast enough to prevent me from getting in front of them but barely more than a couple mph faster than what they were doing.
So what is it? It's not that people want to speed. Is it just that they don't like other cars in front of them?
'Splain please.
See, I would see you cruising in left lane, and I would be saying to myself "I don't understand the psychology of why someone would do that"", lol. IMO there is no good reason to use the left lane as a cruising lane. I do try to make space, as often me and another car both want to go the same speed but IMO are too close to each other to do so, so I'll often get in the left lane and go 10 miles over for half a mile to put a nice size gap between us before slowing back down to cruising speed. There is also a 2-lane road I drive 40 miles a day on to and from work, which is a gorgeous over the river and through the woods type road, and it does drive me crazy when there's a bunch of us all driving in a tight little clump, when there are miles of open road ahead, so I'll pass to get space then, too, even if I don't care how fast I get there. It just makes a more pleasant drive.
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