DPS to crack down on drivers hogging left lane. (Houston: moving, car)

[DejaBlue]

Originally Posted by astrohip

I didn't read your entire post (too long), but if this is the gist, you are (1) wrong, and (2) exactly what they are going to target and ticket.

The police said their target is people who drive in the left lane, going around the speed limit, when the freeway is not crowded. Those drivers should be in lanes 2,3,etc, not lane 1.

The more I think about it, your actions are exactly what causes road rage. You say you get it in "actual traffic", but if by that you mean heavy traffic, that's when the left lane just becomes another lane. You can't hold up traffic in the left lane when everyone is going 20MPH.

But when "it's 1pm with really no one on the freeway", that's when a safe and aware driver can drive fast in the left lane. Except that you're blocking it.

And if I misread your post, my apologies. If I didn't, move over!

Next time read it to avoid misinformation. I mean if you're going to try and tell someone off best to know what they said.

I had a post typed but hey you did misread so read before next time.

[radiolibre99]

What's a good speed to go down the left lane then? Cus I tend to use the left lane in rate occasions but go ten above the speed limit maybe less depending on traffic. I do get honked at by people behind me wanting to go 20+ above the limit and get irked that I don't follow suit by going 100.
Going the limit on the left lane I could understand is stupid and I get cross with people doing lurching along when traffic is weak but at the same time I do get equally annoyed by those people that just want to haul a s $ at 90+ in their jacked up trucks. Anything lower that that they consider hogging so what's the consensus?

[CindyDavis]

Originally Posted by DejaBlue

I take it you're usually driver A with that comment. I have restraint but many don't and when drivers like that get bumped I truthfully don't feel bad. It sucks but hey it's not right being an a-hole either. Most know they're doing it and don't care.

I'm forced to actually go well below the speed limit do to drivers like them and probably you Cindy. Why? Speed limit is 40, they/you're going 35 so I have to go what? 20 to keep a car's length between us. Why? SO you can text, because just because it's a minivan common sense is out the window and people think those big numbers are the odometer are just for decoration? The vehicle goes above 30. It really does. It even goes 60 on the highway not 40.

Brilliant. You have it all figured out.

Except the difference between "do" and "due".

[CindyDavis]

Originally Posted by radiolibre99

What's a good speed to go down the left lane then? Cus I tend to use the left lane in rate occasions but go ten above the speed limit maybe less depending on traffic. I do get honked at by people behind me wanting to go 20+ above the limit and get irked that I don't follow suit by going 100.
Going the limit on the left lane I could understand is stupid and I get cross with people doing lurching along when traffic is weak but at the same time I do get equally annoyed by those people that just want to haul a s $ at 90+ in their jacked up trucks. Anything lower that that they consider hogging so what's the consensus?

Who cares? There's a speed limit. I'm not going any faster than 5-7mph over it.

[Trae713]

Originally Posted by DejaBlue

Hold up. Now I get it in actual "traffic" but at like 1pm with really no one on the freeway I'll drive the left lane all the time just flowing the speed limit and like 5+ miles above because I'm going straight and don't need people cutting in front of me to exit. I often drive the left 45 going to downtown.

I had a dentist surgery Friday and took the day off and drove the left down 45 until 610 because 1. no one smart stays in the right and the next lane over between like 249 and Tidwell because not ONE person exiting Parker, Little York, Tidwell, etc can drive so I stay far away from people coming on and needing to exit.

Now the effers being turtles going in the left do need tickets.

Them and the people blocking in traffic.

There's NO reason for this kind of driving.

Example/all the damn time:

(A) | (B) |

(C) |

Driver/effer A needs to move the F*** out of the way and get behind the driver/effer B on and let driver C pass.

That causes me probably more road rage than anything. I'm a peaceful person but sometimes I almost want to ram into A because it's just beyond stupid. The people switch when I'm forced to tailgate, whip in front of B then get in front of A. Be cognizant on the road and courteous. You KNOW you're going slow. People KNOW and everyone looks in their mirrors so do you NOT see the drumming fingers on the wheel of the driver behind you? That's 10 second from pissed off.

Your driving that you just described is almost no different than you scenario. If you're not passing, stay to the right. If cars are entering the freeway, speed up enough to pass them before they get onto the freeway, or just move over to the next lane and pass them. You probably have a lot of cars passing you on your right.

[piyf]

Originally Posted by CindyDavis

Who cares? There's a speed limit. I'm not going any faster than 5-7mph over it.

lol

[kfbolger]

Originally Posted by DejaBlue

Hold up. Now I get it in actual "traffic" but at like 1pm with really no one on the freeway I'll drive the left lane all the time just flowing the speed limit and like 5+ miles above because I'm going straight and don't need people cutting in front of me to exit. I often drive the left 45 going to downtown.

ok, i did read your entire post & i see where you're coming from. you still, however, should be driving in a lane to the right. other than in rush hour traffic (where, practically, we all know it can't really be helped) the left-most lane should be used for passing.
and passing alone.
period.
once you've passed the vehicle going slower than you *go back to the right*!

i think this might be my biggest problem with Houston (which, btw, i happen to love- i feel like i'm constantly defending this city, even to other Houstonians!)- all the left lane driving and CONSTANT passing on the right absolutely shocked me when i moved here. shocked. and it continues to. of all the places i've lived and known around the country Houston absolutely has the worst drivers i have ever seen (disregarding, of course, south Florida).

i think every Houstonian needs to go up to PA and take a driving course, particularly in the Philly area .
while H. & P. are clearly very different places (very. veryvery different. very.very. different ), particularly when it comes to driving and getting places in general i think a correlation can be made--

(btw, y'all do NOT know what you're missing if you've never lived in a city with a regional rail...bliss, in so many ways bliss. you live a different life. sighhh.)

--imagine drastically reducing the numbers of drivers, say by as much as 65%-75%-ish- but then having to put those drivers on a very small number of specific highway routes, a good majority of which are no larger than 2 lanes each way!
in terms of the roads and routes, what's not controlled by the fact that the city and a large surrounding area (several counties, but primarily Bucks & Montgomery Cos. in my mind) was planned and constructed over 300 years ago is controlled by the geography (lots of geology). both are essentially irreducible.
ok, so you're driving along (outside of rush hours of course. which are sooo much shorter than they are down here) a four lane road that is one of the only thoroughfares between the city and some major population centers in the western suburbs. there are a *lot* of cars on the road- this is a major highway, and quite possibly the *only* major highway route from here to there.
you may, however, expect that you will NOT (really! almost NEVER) hit a jam or backup or not be able to pass whomever you'd like.
because there is no one in the left lane.
emergency vehicles can get through as well. because there is no one in the left lane.
mind you, the overall speed is probably slower than you'd see down here, because people don't drive like raving a******s, but you do tend to get places quicker at a consistent 65mph than at a never ending stop & go.

and oh yeah- while you're up there y'all can learn how to park properly too.

btw- if you're still with me(!) my partner & i took a road trip up through PA this past summer. we did a lot of driving & saw a lot of the state. he was so amazed by this fact (re: the discussion above, not the fact that we saw a lot of the state, haha) that he actually volunteered that he had never believed me before when i told him.
(must be something in the water- real hoagie rolls & drivers who know how to drive properly...)

[astrohip]

Originally Posted by radiolibre99

What's a good speed to go down the left lane then?

Originally Posted by CindyDavis

Who cares? There's a speed limit. I'm not going any faster than 5-7mph over it.

If you read the law, it says "Left Lane for Passing". It's not how fast you drive in the left lane. You should pass, then move back to the right.

CindyD--there is no reason to drive any faster than you do. 5-7 over the limit is all most people drive. Just don't do it in the left lane.

[ToyYot]

Originally Posted by radiolibre99

What's a good speed to go down the left lane then? Cus I tend to use the left lane in rate occasions but go ten above the speed limit maybe less depending on traffic. I do get honked at by people behind me wanting to go 20+ above the limit and get irked that I don't follow suit by going 100.
Going the limit on the left lane I could understand is stupid and I get cross with people doing lurching along when traffic is weak but at the same time I do get equally annoyed by those people that just want to haul a s $ at 90+ in their jacked up trucks. Anything lower that that they consider hogging so what's the consensus?

I move over and let the *ssholes pass because (a) that's what you should do, its not your job to play traffic cop and (b) I always like someone speeding in front of me to run interference with the guys who are the traffic cops. It's especially fun on the I-10 to S.A.!

[Even Further]

Originally Posted by radiolibre99

What's a good speed to go down the left lane then? Cus I tend to use the left lane in rate occasions but go ten above the speed limit maybe less depending on traffic. I do get honked at by people behind me wanting to go 20+ above the limit and get irked that I don't follow suit by going 100.
Going the limit on the left lane I could understand is stupid and I get cross with people doing lurching along when traffic is weak but at the same time I do get equally annoyed by those people that just want to haul a s $ at 90+ in their jacked up trucks. Anything lower that that they consider hogging so what's the consensus?

A good left lane speed would be faster than anyone behind you, otherwise you should not be in the left lane. There isn't a specific mph, left lane is the fast lane for passing/ left turn only. People go 15 to 20 over on the beltway all day long, if your only going 10 over, your the one holding up traffic.

On the beltway I would say 15 over in a 65 is what the general left lane passers travel at.