What is up with people being in the left lane on the highway... (condo, compensation)

[StanStelle]

I wonder if anyone ever gives a quick wake-up honk at a slow person on the left lane. I've often wanted to do that. On this weekend's long trip up IH35 every time I passed someone on the right, they moved over once they realized they had a line of cars behind them. Maybe a quick beep would make them take notice.

[JuneOf48]

I've definitely given a quick flash of the lights, which where I'm from (up north) is taken to be a simple "letting someone know you're behind them" gesture. Sometimes it works here, but sometimes people take it as a hostile act, which it isn't.

And I pass on the right all the time, although it ALWAYS feels more dangerous. But when someone is camped out in the left hand land and not even glancing at their rear view mirror, it's sometimes the only option.

[dba07]

Originally Posted by JuneOf48

I've definitely given a quick flash of the lights, which where I'm from (up north) is taken to be a simple "letting someone know you're behind them" gesture. Sometimes it works here, but sometimes people take it as a hostile act, which it isn't.

And I pass on the right all the time, although it ALWAYS feels more dangerous. But when someone is camped out in the left hand land and not even glancing at their rear view mirror, it's sometimes the only option.

Agreed, people take the flash as an aggressive move. Strange.

[TXStrat]

I just speaks to the mentality of the people camping in the left lane. In Europe (most countries) a flash of the headlights indicates a desire to pass, and normally the traffic in front will move right to allow the faster driver to get around. Here, camping in the left lane is seen either as a God given right, or as being some sort vigilante enforcer of highway speed. Thus, when you blink the headlights, the person in the way perceives this desire to pass as a threat to their sovereign territory and a prelude to possible hostilities. People that hang in the left lane fall into two groups, the deliberate and the oblivious. The deliberate crowd willfully camps in the left lane to shore up self esteem, exercise the ability to control other random drivers, or satisfy their inner Dudley Do-Right. The oblivious crowd is easily spotted by the cell phone either stuck to their skull, or in texting mode in their hand. These critters are not deliberately slowing traffic, they are simply unaware that they are doing it because their conversation is obviously more important than the safe operation of their car on the freeway. In either case, both groups will take a headlight flash or horn honk as an offensive gesture and will either slow down more, or more often than not, match speed with a car in the center lane to prevent passing, and actively increase speed anytime they are being passed on the right. I would love to see more of these clown get ticketed for impeding the flow of traffic.

[lessQQmorePEWPEW]

Originally Posted by StanStelle

I wonder if anyone ever gives a quick wake-up honk at a slow person on the left lane. I've often wanted to do that. On this weekend's long trip up IH35 every time I passed someone on the right, they moved over once they realized they had a line of cars behind them. Maybe a quick beep would make them take notice.

someone honks at me in the fast lane and im going the speed limit, they get the one finger salute. wherever you have to be is not more important than breaking the law.

Originally Posted by JuneOf48

I've definitely given a quick flash of the lights, which where I'm from (up north) is taken to be a simple "letting someone know you're behind them" gesture. Sometimes it works here, but sometimes people take it as a hostile act, which it isn't.

And I pass on the right all the time, although it ALWAYS feels more dangerous. But when someone is camped out in the left hand land and not even glancing at their rear view mirror, it's sometimes the only option.

if you stop speeding, you wont have to flash your lights at people going the limit in the fast lane. now, if they arent going the limit, you are justified in flashing lights/tapping horn.

Originally Posted by TXStrat

I just speaks to the mentality of the people camping in the left lane. In Europe (most countries) a flash of the headlights indicates a desire to pass, and normally the traffic in front will move right to allow the faster driver to get around. Here, camping in the left lane is seen either as a God given right, or as being some sort vigilante enforcer of highway speed.

do you have a medical emergency of some type? an emergency of any type thats life or death? if not, STOP SPEEDING. if im going the limit in the fast lane, thats as fast as ANYONE should be going since its the bloody law.

[ItsTheTruth]

Originally Posted by lessQQmorePEWPEW

someone honks at me in the fast lane and im going the speed limit, they get the one finger salute. wherever you have to be is not more important than breaking the law.

Of course, nobody is more important than you. Not the guy bringing his pregnant wife in labor, not the child going to the hospital, and not the police car going to a robbery call.

The more you type, the more I realize that you will likely be the next victim of road rage. I wonder if you're smart enough to just throw up your middle finger to the grannies on the road or if you would do it to some gangster in an Escalade?

[TXStrat]

Originally Posted by lessQQmorePEWPEW

someone honks at me in the fast lane and im going the speed limit, they get the one finger salute. wherever you have to be is not more important than breaking the law.



if you stop speeding, you wont have to flash your lights at people going the limit in the fast lane. now, if they arent going the limit, you are justified in flashing lights/tapping horn.



do you have a medical emergency of some type? an emergency of any type thats life or death? if not, STOP SPEEDING. if im going the limit in the fast lane, thats as fast as ANYONE should be going since its the bloody law.

Follow the context....most people are discussing people hanging in the left lane, that are not passing, and are going under the speed limit. Again, I will ask for the benefit of posterity, what is wrong with getting out of the left lane if you are not passing? Why would you stay there just to get in everybody's way?

[ItsTheTruth]

Originally Posted by lessQQmorePEWPEW

do you have a medical emergency of some type? an emergency of any type thats life or death? if not, STOP SPEEDING. if im going the limit in the fast lane, thats as fast as ANYONE should be going since its the bloody law.

Did you invent some type of mind-reading device or something that detects injuries from 50 feet away? If so, modern medicine would love to have a chat with you. If not, get out of the left lane. For all you know, someone could be dying because you're too childish to get out of the way.

[ItsTheTruth]

Originally Posted by TXStrat

Follow the context....most people are discussing people hanging in the left lane, that are not passing, and are going under the speed limit. Again, I will ask for the benefit of posterity, what is wrong with getting out of the left lane if you are not passing? Why would you stay there just to get in everybody's way?

It's just what people do when they're stuck in a miserable life where they have no control. Every day, their boss yells at them, their spouse nags at them, but in the car, they try to abuse what little bit of power they have. Sad, really.

[JuneOf48]

Originally Posted by lessQQmorePEWPEW

someone honks at me in the fast lane and im going the speed limit, they get the one finger salute. wherever you have to be is not more important than breaking the law.

And the people who are ten cars behind you, bunched up--do you have any idea where they need to be? Is it up to you to judge them? Is it up to you to uphold and enforce the law? Next time I see someone making a left hand turn without using their signal, I'm just going to smash right into them! Serves them right for not following the law!

You know, I could almost live with this position if it weren't for the fact that about half of the speed limit warriors I witness are also the types to completely break the law by going over the limit to keep someone from passing them on the right.