Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
I suspect there's another side to the story and that the OP is painting the other driver as the bad driver and he is the fair and righteous driver.
What makes me suspicious of his story is the time of day he said this occurred. At 8:20 in the morning, it is not the "tail end" of the morning rush like he suggested but is actually the heart of the morning rush.
During rush hours, because of the amount of cars, the left lane is no longer a passing lane but is fully occupied by many vehicles.
There's no reason to doubt it. Even in the Atlanta area there are places where this could happen even during the times stated. Several other posters said the same thing happened to them. I'll join them. The same thing happened to me on I-81 in Virginia. I even posted about it a couple of years back. I see no reason to doubt.
Here is what I do to the left lane hog.............I go to the right lane and then drive with my front of car behind them but not enough to allow a car behind them to pass on the right.
This makes the next driver behind them so angry he will lay on his horn for her to speed up a little.
If drivers pass on the right it does not phase them at all and they don't get the hint.
Well, I will agree that in states with speed limits like 85mph on the freeway, that people who don't feel comfortable going that fast should ride on the right. A lot of cars out there can't even DO 85mph for any length of time before blowing a radiator hose or something.
Still...this doesn't give drivers the right to play dangerous games with another driver just because they are in the way. So whaddaya do? Well, you could go hands-free on your cell and call the State Patrol. Or, if traffic isn't too bad, just pass them on the right.
I don't know...there are two schools of thought on it. One BIG problem in the USA is that (IMHO) drivers aren't properly trained. You should see what it takes to get a license in Germany, for example. I think the course is between six months to a year and costs around 800-1600 Euro or something. I also believe they have a point system on your license, and if you use up all your points, you lose your license for life. Good thing they have decent public transportation there.
They also have a different deal with the traffic lights, and how they pull you over. On traffic lights, they go yellow...then red, just like the USA. But...the light turns yellow AGAIN just before it goes green. And by God, I've heard you better get going or you will hear about it from other drivers.
How they pull you over is different. They get in FRONT of you and wave these paddles. You follow them, and pull over behind them where they say. If you get a ticket, you have it pay it right there and they DO take your credit or debit. If you can't pay, you're allowed to park your car off the main highway and that's all until you pay.
Don't quote me on this stuff too much. It came from an article I wrote ten years ago about driving on the Autobahn. Might be different now.
"Blocking the left lane isn’t only illegal — every state has some type of law restricting use of the left lane on multi-lane roads and highways — but keeping it open for passing causes fewer accidents than speeding because traffic flows more smoothly and there’s less tailgating and less weaving in and out of traffic."
This is just so hilarious. So driving at the speed limit in the left lane causes accidents because people behind them have to lose their temper and tailgate and weave in and out of traffic.
So whos causing the accidents?
Im not saying driving slow in the left lane is right; it isnt. But reacting to someone doing that by tailgating and weaving thru traffic is whats causing accidents. Do you really think you will get to your destination that much faster by going 85 instead of 70? If people would just take a deep breath, relax, and have just a freakin modicum of patience, they would get to where they need to go with a lot lower blood pressure, and maybe a few less accidents.
Again, I am not saying driving in the left lane slowly is correct. But you can't control them, you can only control your reaction to it. Take a breath, move to another lane, and pass them. Then continue breaking the law speeding on your way.
This is just so hilarious. So driving at the speed limit in the left lane causes accidents because people behind them have to lose their temper and tailgate and weave in and out of traffic.
So whos causing the accidents?
Im not saying driving slow in the left lane is right; it isnt. But reacting to someone doing that by tailgating and weaving thru traffic is whats causing accidents. Do you really think you will get to your destination that much faster by going 85 instead of 70? If people would just take a deep breath, relax, and have just a freakin modicum of patience, they would get to where they need to go with a lot lower blood pressure, and maybe a few less accidents.
Again, I am not saying driving in the left lane slowly is correct. But you can't control them, you can only control your reaction to it. Take a breath, move to another lane, and pass them. Then continue breaking the law speeding on your way.
It has nothing to do with the speed limit and everything to do with the flow of traffic. Speed limits are almost always set artificially low to enhance revenues. If the limit is 65 and the flow of traffic is 80, then yes, someone doing 65 in the lane designated for passing is much more dangerous than the people doing 80.
Re: the bolded. You often can't, which is why being a moron about driving slower than the flow in anything but the right lane is far more dangerous than speeding.
And pretty much every study ever performed on traffic patterns and speeding versus left-lane blocking confirms that going with the flow of traffic is the safest way to drive.
Here is what I do to the left lane hog.............I go to the right lane and then drive with my front of car behind them but not enough to allow a car behind them to pass on the right.
...which means that you are riding in the blind spot of that left lane hog.
What happens if and when he/she suddenly decides to move to the right and they are unaware of your presence?
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
