Va. hwys' left-lane law (Fairfax: schools, electric, commuter)

[snowdenscold]

Originally Posted by spencgr

All I said was that "the electric charging stations are only functional to less than one percent of the population" and then I was subjected to a deluge of questions regarding that statement. I'm still not sure why that particular fact elicited such a response.

Probably because it's presented with an assumption that it's something inherently negative, that anything that benefits a minority of the population is somehow a bad thing. Sometimes this may be the case, and sometimes it won't be, but your criticism of Mosaic's choice to implement such a policy based solely on that fact, and without a more fleshed out argument is causing the pushback, IMO.

Maybe it is silly to have electric parking spots, I don't know. Haven't thought much about it. But I personally would need more than "not many people currently use them".


Oh, and the confrontational sarcasm in other posts probably doesn't help either.

[cardinal2007]

Originally Posted by persnicketygal

Have any of you seen signs on our major highways (or other states') saying something like "Left lane drivers must yield to faster traffic"? (I know the wording in other states is most certainly fewer words, but this is the best phrasing I could come up with so you'd know what I was asking about!)

I drive on 395 frequently, and I sometimes see other drivers who aren't aware of Va's law about that.

I've been behind a driver going 55 in that lane. It's not illegal to drive at that speed, but Va. law gives others behind that situation the right to flash your lights and hope the driver understands that you would like them to move over so you can proceed. Let me state right now that I don't do that if there's not an opening in the next lane that would make it easy for him/her to move. If the person doesn't move, and that opening in the next lane's still there, I move, and farther along, if I still want to get in the left lane and there's a spot open, I take it. I don't ride somebody's tail or beep (as others might do).

This isn't a question about speeding, so let's not go there.
For me, it's an issue of general traffic flow and sometimes left-hand exits or merges into, say, the HOV lane.

It occurred to me yesterday that I've not seen any highway signs that make that law clear to drivers. Yesterday, it was a D.C. driver blocking a few cars (I was in the middle lane), and some of those drivers slowed waaay down -- I know what speed I was at, so "waaay down" is an accurate description -- to get back into the middle lane to eventually pass on the right (which I'm pretty sure is illegal in itself). Other times it's a Va. driver (or at least a car with a Va. plate) or a driver from elsewhere.

But if flashing the headlights once or twice doesn't work, what's the alternative?
I know that VDOT has lots of other things to spend its money on... I'm just wondering about this!

This seems to be an issue for me every time I go to NoVA, I have decided not to stress out about how much of a jerk other drivers are there. There is a significant population of drivers that are jerks in NoVA, either tailgaiting you when there is nowhere else to go, as if I would go 20 over in NoVA where there are cops just waiting for you everywhere, and there are people that go less than the speed limit on the left lane, I give them one chance to move over, and if they don't then I go around them, no stress, just go, life is too short to stress about other drivers. There are a few real a**holes that will move into the right line after you signal and start moving there, they can **** me off, but I calm down after I lose them.

I was on a trip back from Tahoe recently and we where on the left lane following another car, and after we passed a large set of cars on the right lane the driver in front of us just instinctively moved over to the right to let us pass, it reminded me of how you would never really ever see that in NoVA. The traffic and the drivers are definitely something I don't miss after moving out here.

Anyway, the point is just pass on the right, everybody else does it, I see nothing wrong with it there, I certainly hesitate doing that here, but in NoVA, it is pretty standard, I see that on Fairfax County Parkway all the time. BTW I think pressing the point of trying to get them to move over just seems to make them more stubborn. At the end of the day I'm just trying to get to my destination, not teach people the rules of the road. Don't stress, be happy.

[spencgr]

Originally Posted by snowdenscold

Probably because it's presented with an assumption that it's something inherently negative, that anything that benefits a minority of the population is somehow a bad thing. Sometimes this may be the case, and sometimes it won't be, but your criticism of Mosaic's choice to implement such a policy based solely on that fact, and without a more fleshed out argument is causing the pushback, IMO.

I guess you are correct. I assumed my original response indicated that, in my opinion, these are things that are not necessary to provide for such a small portion of the population. I guess that fact didn't come across until I said the same thing ten separate times. Next time I'll flesh it out in a tome early on.

Originally Posted by snowdenscold

Oh, and the confrontational sarcasm in other posts probably doesn't help either.

Yes, the sarcasm came out after I continued to be asked the same thing again and again.

[brooklynborndad]

Originally Posted by spencgr

I'm certain your family, friends, and society in general appreciate your thoughtfulness and overall generosity.

why do you assume it would only be about thoughtfulness and generosity?


It just might be that providing something I personally wouldnt use, might be profitable.

[brooklynborndad]

Originally Posted by spencgr

Yes, the sarcasm came out after I continued to be asked the same thing again and again.

Because your responses were, at least to me, confusing, and contradictory.

But now we have settled it, that A. you dont like the charging stations and B the reason you dont like them, is not just that they accommodate few people, but that you personally wouldnt use them, and you dislike things that you personally don't use, things are much clearer.

[snowdenscold]

Originally Posted by spencgr

I guess you are correct. I assumed my original response indicated that, in my opinion, these are things that are not necessary to provide for such a small portion of the population. I guess that fact didn't come across until I said the same thing ten separate times. Next time I'll flesh it out in a tome early on.

Yes, but why not? I'm saying ending the argument at "They're not necessary because they serve a small % of the population, and I'm not part of that group" is not very fruitful. I can think of numerous examples of things that serve only small and specific groups, of which I'm not a part that I don't object to. So that can't be sufficient on it's own. And since I assume you're not the world's most selfish person, I just wanted to see it elaborated as to why this particular policy is a bad one. Maybe it is, I just haven't seen the case made yet.

[brooklynborndad]

Originally Posted by snowdenscold

And since I assume you're not the world's most selfish person, .

My sense is there are lot of people who beleive that anything that benefits a small group, of which they are not a part, is a bad idea regardless of what wonks say about its cost-benefit ratio. Many things ive seen and heard about bike lanes, bikesharing, etc, lead me to believe that.

Whats odd about this, of course, is that its not a public investment, but a private developer, presumably motivated by profit. If its NOT profitiable (which I doubt) its their own money at stake.

thats why I assumed, from the moment this came up, that the motivation was resentment of "self righteous elitist hipsters" who drive electric vehicles, more than anything else (and thats why i also brought in the bike shop issue, as cyclists are also often accused of being self righteous elitist hipsters)

[spencgr]

Originally Posted by snowdenscold

I'm saying ending the argument at "They're not necessary because they serve a small % of the population, and I'm not part of that group" is not very fruitful. ..

At that point, it wasn't an argument at all. I was just making a pointing out the number of users.

Originally Posted by snowdenscold

So that can't be sufficient on it's own.

um, yes it can. I am allowed to have that opinion.

Originally Posted by snowdenscold

I just wanted to see it elaborated as to why this particular policy is a bad one.

Never once did I say it was a bad policy. I've maintained from the beginnning that I feel it is unnecessary because of the small number of users. It's my opinion. Just that. Nothing more.

[brooklynborndad]

Originally Posted by spencgr

um, yes it can. I am allowed to have that opinion.

indeed. Everyone is entitle to their opinion, however difficult it is for others to fathom the logic behind it. And some of us (including myself) need to learn to be less obsessive about the illogical opinions expressed by others.

xkcd: Duty Calls

[spencgr]

Originally Posted by brooklynborndad

thats why I assumed, from the moment this came up, that the motivation was resentment of "self righteous elitist hipsters" who drive electric vehicles, more than anything else (and thats why i also brought in the bike shop issue, as cyclists are also often accused of being self righteous elitist hipsters)

Oh, so you read the status line in my header (which was just a funny line I pilfered from another post) and jumped to the conclusion that I was "resentful of self righteous elitist hipsters"? Why didn't you just ask that in the beginning? Would have saved a lot of time. I assure you, I am not resentful of anyone. But I would never say I don't like "self-righteous" or "elitist" people of any group, because I, obviously, possess those traits myself.