If everyone passes you on the right....

[Cleetus]

If everyone passes you on the right you are going too slow.

Now, when this happens you may be saying to yourself-

(A) "What's their damn hurry, I'm *almost* doing the speed limit"
(B) "Damn fools, don't they know passing on the right is dangerous"
(C) "Why does everyone have to go so fast?"

Or maybe you see trafic passing you on the right and it doesn't even register.

Allow me to clue you in..

If you see a single car pass you on the right it's OK to carry on.
If you see two cars pass you on the right you should probably consider moving into the right lane.
If you see three (or more) cars pass you an the right then you are a clueless, inconsiderate self-centered selfish person. Move over to the right. Regardless of everything that you may think or feel, just move over. I've had a long, hard day and I want to get home. Being stuck behind you, doing 46 in a 50, pisses me off and it just ain't right.

You may be in a great, comfortable place, totally immersed in the moment, without a care in the world, but I just want to get the fuck home and have a nice, cold beer.

[Rosemary2205]

1. I have to turn left 2 streets up.

And there's not a chance in hell you are going to let me back over when I get there. :)

[Cleetus]

3. The *only* good excuse

Rosemary, you're off the hook.

[Rosemary2205]

16. Ya but you didn't know any of that when you got mad and flipped me the bird!

:evilgrin:

[hootinholler]

27. But you weren't in the left lane for 20 miles, were you? n/t

[Cleetus]

56. Flipped the bird?

It's one thing to get in the left lane two blocks before you're going to turn. Getting in the left lane 2 miles before you're going to turn is entirely something else. If you do that, then you get the bird, and you deserve it.

[Ms. Toad]

73. On the 60 mph road,

I travel from which left turns are permitted, if I'm not in the left lane well before two blocks out I'm not gonna be able to get there, then get in the turn lane in order to make the turn.

Between a half mile and a mile (depending on traffic) would probably be sufficient.

[cherokeeprogressive]

101. I wish more people drove like you. n/t

[CurtEastPoint]

2. Amen brother

And to our UK friends, just change right to left!

And I'm sure he's talking about freeway left lane hoggers. It's annoying and dangerous!

[tridim]

4. Makes me mad too, but the anger passes about a mile down the road.

It is extremely dangerous to drive under the speed limit in the left lane on the highway. I believe it's a question on the driving exam, apparently lots of drivers get it wrong.

[Rosemary2205]

11. Well here in Atlanta is extremely dangerous to

drive under the speed limit in the RIGHT hand lane. You don't DARE make Joe speed demon doing his pin ball routine down as he gets close to his exit. :)



(((Pin ball routine = changing lanes as many times as humanly possible in as short a distance as possible.)))

[RebelOne]

83. Here in the Atlanta area, it is extremely dangerous

to drive under the speed limit in either lane.

[WillyT]

5. But I Thought The Left Lane Was The...

talk on the cellphone, apply your lipstick, and check the map lane.

Am I wrong?

:evilgrin:

[Cleetus]

7. It never fails..

You're right. Some clueless, self-absorbed person, in the left lane, in their ridiculous SUV, talking on their cell phone, doing 58 in a 70.

I swear, it happened just yesterday. And I couldn't pass her. Clueless airhead in her Grand Cherokee, yakking on her phone, doing 58 in a 70. And I couldn't pass, as she was pacing the Winnebegobeside her in the right hand lane, also doing 58.

Duechebag should rot in hell.

There, I said it.

[Warren DeMontague]

8. My favorites are the ones who suddenly SPEED UP when you try to pass.

Like, it's some big dick-swinging contest. Fucking imbeciles.

[sabbat hunter]

100. or the ones taht refuse to let you merge in,

speed up if you try to get in ahead of them, thus making a dangerous condition. and if you slow down other cars behind you have trouble merging in, plus htere is more traffic coming often.

[Warren DeMontague]

6. Here in California, that's when we briefly flash our lights on & off at the person.

Usually they get the hint.

Self-appointed speed monitors in the far left lane piss me off. But then again, so do overly aggressive drivers who tailgate and get psychotic with road rage over being slowed down.

[Cleetus]

10. What I *used* to do...

Nowadays, I'm in electronics, working and living in the Nevada High Desert. My commute is to and from Reno. Their is traffic, but nothing like the BQE at rush hour. Years ago I drove a cab in NYC. I was fucking ruthless. People wanted to play road rage games? So did I, only I was willing to die playing them. Some schmuck would be in front of me going real slow, I would get in front of them, then slam my brakes. That would usually wake them up. I was a miserable bastard. I was so bad that the owner of the cab company where I worked told me he would give me a company sweatshirt if I could stay out of trouble for a week. I never got the shirt.

I'm in a totally different place now, but the angry cab driver is my default persona, and it doesn't take much for me to revert back to it. I try real hard to be a better person than I was, but sadly, 12 years of therapy and anti-depressents go out the window the minute I see some asshole ahead of me who won't do the speed limit.

[michreject]

40. The old geezers and soccor moms in minivans here in Mich

Don't get the flash the headlight thing. They're too fucking stupid.

[Cleetus]

57. Same here *sigh*

[donco6]

92. Same here. n/t

[eppur_se_muova]

9. If you are driving in the 3rd lane from the left, the two left lanes are open,

and everyone is passing you on the right despite the fact that you are doing 15 mph over the speed limit ... you are too close to D.C.

I wish I had your problems! :(

Apparently some people believe that if you are not in the 'fast' left lanes the cops won't catch you. Duh.

[11 Bravo]

82. As soon as I read your subject line I thought of the Beltway!

The limit is a posted 55, but try going as slow as 65 and you'll get your doors blown off.

[krispos42]

12. Right on!

If you need to feel morally superior to everybody else by saying "I'm going the speed limit" while hogging the left land(s), then you have self-image problems.

[MADem]

13. Or ... you are driving at acceptable speed, in the UK, the Virgin Islands, Bermuda or Japan

But what you are describing is basic etiquette in the rest of the driving world from Italy's tangenziales to Germany's autobahns and damn near everywhere else outside of the US that I know of.

It's only here in the US that I've seen that clueless "Well, I'm DOOOOOOING the speed limit .... in the FAR LEFT LANE" attitude.

People who are not from Boston think Boston drivers are rude. They aren't. They drive like Europeans, understanding the innate rules of the road, which include things like the law of gross tonnage, the law of appearance (which car is more dented and rusted), the "flashing headlights means get the fuck over" regulation, the horsepower corollary, and the Size Does Matter codicil.

I can, and do, tool around any European city, from Rome to Paris to Madrid, and blend in without difficulty and feel entirely at ease. But then, I'm accustomed to driving in Boston!

[Rosemary2205]

18. I thought Italians drive down the sidewalk

and flip obscenities to pedestrians who don't jump outa the way fast enough. :) Heard from an older lady who had to take a cab in Rome and wondered if she was going to get to the hotel alive.

[MADem]

19. No, no, that's IRANIANS!!!!

I've driven there, too!!!!

But no obscenities--you SMILE as you whip down the sidewalk doing forty. But here's a good trick--so long as you, as a pedestrian, do not MEET THE GAZE of the driver barrelling towards you, he is honor-bound to avoid YOU. Once you look him in the eye, though, you'd better hop-to...even if you're Grandma!!!!!

The Italians are good friends to the breakdown lane, and while they may dart in and out of the sidewalk, and use it occasionally if traffic gets REALLY bad, they'll often prefer to PARK on it, so pedestrians must take to the streets!!!

In both countries though, the lines marking the lanes on the road are simply rough guides. If a road has markers for three lanes, that's EASILY five lanes when traffic gets heavy! Traffic lights, too, are simply .... suggestions.

[AngryAmish]

108. Saigon traffic is just like that

[MuseRider]

22. Sounds like Moscow cab drivers to me!

It is all a race there with hundreds of cars weaving in and out and going quickly into places that only they think to drive through. Scary stuff.

[Stinky The Clown]

32. Traffic laws in Italy are merely suggestions

Aren't the sidewalks *made* for driving? :shrug:

[Buns_of_Fire]

48. ...which leads us to my all-time favorite bumpersticker:

"If you don't like the way I drive, stay off the sidewalk"

[Prophet 451]

47. That's just Romans

I've had the same near-heart attack.

[Chovexani]

77. Italians drive like psychopaths

And so do Bostonians, but whatever helps you feel better on the road. :shrug:

[MADem]

84. No, though it might seem that way if you don't know the rules of THEIR road

First--turn off the radio. You are DRIVING, not listening to music. The radio is for when you are parked at the beach.

Second, if you go slow, stay to the right. If you go fast, stay to the left. If you see someone coming up behind you flashing their lights, you are in the wrong lane and should move to the right.

If traffic is heavy, the lane markers cease to have any relevance. Lanes are determined by the number of cars that fit across the road. Small cars, like the compact Fiats, can scoot down the sidewalk or the verge beyond the breakdown lane to get where they need to go--this is a good thing, as it frees up space on the road for other vehicles.

It is your responsibility to ensure that your driver's side door doesn't get hit--after all, you are closest to that door!! If someone dents your passenger side door, well, of COURSE that was not your fault!

The horn is a useful tool. Not only can it be used while driving, it can also be used to notify your friends in the tenth floor apartment that you have arrived to pick them up or to visit--at any hour of the day or night.

You must have a car alarm, and it must be loud. That doesn't mean you must respond to it if it goes off, however.

While the fancy, polished, pristine and sporty car is RESPECTED, the rusty, dented, ugly, mean-looking car is FEARED.

There are more rules, but those are the basics! It's a cultural thing, I guess.

I've driven in a number of countries, I haven't tried India yet, though I have heard they've got some interesting road rules of their own--about the only place I was ever a bit hesitant to drive was Hong Kong, but that was mainly because the traffic was so damn heavy.

[fizzgig]

14. that makes me crazy

you'll get ticketed in colorado for driving in the left lane on the interstate if you're not passing someone (well, in theory anyway...i wish they'd enforce it more)

i can't stand the people who get all pissy at me when i flash my lights at them or speed up when i go to pass on the right

oh well, deep breath...

[BadgerKid]

15. I wish drivers would be more tolerant

To the guy who zips in and out of lane to progress one car length at a time.
To the guy who goes feels a need to exceed the speed limit to cut in front of you to make a turn.

Relax. We're all going to get where we're going. Not shaving 1.343 microseconds off your ETA isn't going to kill you.

It was amusing how the high gas prices curtailed aggressive driving tactics.

[JANdad]

17. What about the dumb asses at the merge points

for entrance and exit ramps...

Dip shits driving in the right lane at the speed limit feel some compulsion to slam on their brakes to allow someone to enter the freeway (or worse those that enter the freeway at a crawl).

Then there are others who slam on their brakes to exit the freeway prior to getting on the exit ramp!

Burns me up!

[DemGa]

20. I hate being the in left lane at a stop light.

some aggressive drivers think it's then okay to tailgate and aggressively force you into the right lane because they accelerate faster. I try to avoid it, but sometimes it happens.

People cruising the left lane? Maybe they're selfish, maybe they are lost and don't want to miss an upcoming left turn. I just go around on the right.

[MuseRider]

21. I need to send this to

my husband. He OWNS the road doncha know. He will get us killed some day, thankfully I am never with him when he has a wreck and that is becoming too frequent for comfort.

I hate it too and I have to take all the nasty looks sitting on the right as you all pass him by. He says if he is going even 1 MPH over the limit he can stay where he is and if you don't like it that is too bad. I am sorry people, it drives me crazy.

[hfojvt]

23. maybe they need

to put their right foot on a diet.

I'm doing the speed limit + 5 and still these maniacs think they need to pass.

[michreject]

41. It isn't your speed

It's where you're doing it at. You can do the speed limit + 5 or - 5. If people are passing you on the right, move over.

[Cleetus]

58. Absolutely!

If everyone is passing you on the right, then move over.

[IDemo]

24. Two things.

First, I drive in the right lane whenever possible. Only when someone is driving somewhat slower than the speed limit will I move into the left lane for a pass.

But your concept of the speed limit as the minimum acceptable speed is simply wrong. That apparently a large number of drivers also feel that way doesn't change the fact that the law clearly states that posted speed limits mean maximum legal speed, not minimum. If you wish to do 80 in a 65, "prevailing speed" will not serve as an excuse in traffic court.

[MindPilot]

61. Actually in CA it is -- we have a "prima faca" speed law

Which basically means move with traffic. Although, it has probably never happened, the possibility exists to get ticketed for going too slow while exceeding the posted speed limit.

[rug]

25. And what if every car in the right lane is being driven by a drunken psychopath?

[immoderate]

71. It could happen!

:shrug: Ya never know.

--IMM

[MedleyMisty]

26. Funny, I always thought it was the people doing 10 or more over the speed limit

who were the selfish bastards who don't care if they kill other people.

As for me, if I need to turn left soon I'm going to be in the left lane so I don't miss my turn. Fucking deal with it.

[immoderate]

72. Do you assume speed limits make sense?

I know places where a two lane two-way road has a limit of 50, and a nearby limited access divided highway has a limit of 55. It's really stupid.

On most interstates, non urban freeways, the traffic moves at 80, if there's nothing to interfere, like weather, traffic, or enforcement crackdowns. Some people go faster, but it's rare. People move at an intuitively manageable rate.

--IMM

[ecstatic]

75. Actually, if you're driving at the speed limit yet way slower than the flow of traffic

Then you become a hazard to other drivers.

[DaveJ]

28. Although I rarely drive -- this is how I take it:

People who are in a hurry all the time are late. Try getting up on time. If on the way home, I don't know what your hurry is -- feeling subservient to something or someone maybe? Take it easy. People who rush look totally ridiculous to me.

[jgraz]

29. And remember: In California, the left-lane speed limit is 87

Going 85.5? Move the fuck over. :banghead:

[DaveJ]

30. What about speeders?

Is is okay to speed yet wrong to go under the limit? I have a revolutionary concept the left coast might want to consider... take it easy, stop lashing out at innocent people, and you'll have a better life.

[jgraz]

31. But lashing out at innocent people is fun

Also, people speed. Period. One slow driver isn't going to stop that. If you're going 65 in the left two lanes, you're a traffic hazard.

[DaveJ]

34. I drive like an old man -- never been in an accident

With rare forgivable exceptions, slow traffic is caused by speeders. They change lanes frequently which causes slowdowns (the main cause of slowdowns) and they are the ones who get into accidents which cause traffic jams.

It's simple math. If everyone goes 30-40 in an urban area everything would be fine. Problems occur when people are in a hurry and press on their brakes to change lanes.
Everyone taking it easy would make things faster.

[jgraz]

35. Oh -- you're a Chicago driver

I was one of those for 5 years (damn, I miss that town). Believe me when I say that Chicago driving and Bay Area driving are two different animals. What you say makes perfect sense on the Edens or Kennedy, but going south on 280 in heavy traffic you better be doing at least 80 in the left lanes or you're gonna cause an accident.

[A HERETIC I AM]

51. Actually, slow traffic has more to do with capacity being reached

although i understand where you are coming from. A given stretch of road, be it surface street or rural interstate has a given capacity of vehicles per mile at a given speed. If one takes into account the normal vehicle spacing the average driver provides himself at highway speed, the primary cause for the slowing of that speed is simply more cars on the road.

You are, to a degree, correct however. I have seen a situation numerous times where a driver actually starts a traffic slowdown because they entered the highway too fast, merged and had to brake in order to keep from hitting the car in front. The brake lights set off a chain reaction of brakes and that is it, the backup starts. The drivers in the right lane slow, drivers started to change lanes to the left and that lane slows, etc. The thing is with all these type of situations, the highway was just at it's capacity for speed limit travel. Had that initial driver not touched his brakes, the heavily traveled section of freeway would have continued to move at or about the speed limit.

[Cleetus]

59. Actually, not true..

If you have 50 people that want to go fast, and one hag in her Navigator who wants to go slow, then everyone goes slow. That's the explanation for "volume delays". 2 people, side by side, going slow, causes everyone behind them to go slow too.

And I am sometimes guilty of it also, only I move over as soon as someone passes me on the right, regardless of how fast I'm going.

[jgraz]

69. Recipe for a rear-end accident

Nobody passes on the right around here, even if all the other lanes are clear. They just get up on your bumper and ride your ass until you move over.

As for me, I drive 70-75 in the second-from-right lane. I still get tailgated on occasion, but it's far less frequent.

[Canuckistanian]

33. I'll never move to the right

Let them crash because they're moving too fast.

[michreject]

42. You're right

I probably will crash someday. I'll loose control cutting off the car I just passed on the right. I'll end up taking us both out.;(

[Jonathan50]

54. How progressive..

Anyone moving faster than me is moving too fast.

[Canuckistanian]

67. I was wondering if someone would get my lame joke

You win.

[Cleetus]

60. The defense rests...

eom

[benEzra]

106. Do you elbow people in the stomach while you are walking down the sidewalk?

I'll never move to the right

Let them crash because they're moving too fast.

Do you stiff-arm people while you are walking down the sidewalk, too?

Because blocking the passing lane (illegal in 48 of the 50 states, BTW) is just as rude as stiff-arming fellow pedestrians and blocking the sidewalk because you think they are walking too fast.

If you want to drive slower than prevailing traffic, fine, and I'll certainly stay off your bumper. But there is no reason to drive slower than traffic in the passing lane, unless you get a kick out of being rude to others.

[AngryAmish]

109. Don't drive if you are going to be a dick.

[CANDO]

36. Being a truck driver...

depending on the highway, I stay out in the left lane to avoid those who don't know the meaning of "yield". And god forbid if I am in the right lane and need to get to the left, there is no way in hell you speedy little four-wheelers are going to let me over. Many of you actually speed up to make sure you have me boxed into my lane regardless of the hazard I am trying to avoid. It's a tough go out there sometimes.

[donco6]

94. I let whoever in - truck or car.

That's my biggest beef - highway entrance merges. Here in CO, people think that once they're on the highway, they OWN that lane and by God they aren't moving over for NOTHING. I just don't know what they're thinking - how is anyone supposed to get onto the highway?

And then there are the people who think they can merge into 65 mph traffic doing 30 (trucks excepted of course - not much you can do).

It's enough to make you think about walking.

[Wcross]

37. Please use your turn signal when you make the lane change.

My ES freakin P ain't what it used to be.

[BreweryYardRat]

38. I try very strongly to avoid going below the speed limit.

If I've got to turn somewhere right after making a turn onto a main road, however, I'm not going to speed up to 45 just to slam on brakes, y'know?

I've been stuck behind assholes who go 20 or 25 in a 40 for long stretches, and I do my best not to imitate those bad examples.

And people who go slow on the INTERSTATE?! Sheesh, people, they're not going to pull you for anything under 80 unless you're near some dinky-ass little town that makes its money off speeding tickets.

[Jonathan50]

39. It is the *difference* in speed that leads to crashes on the interstate..

If the prevailing speed is 80, which it usually is around here, then the person doing 65 is the one causing the danger. Particularly so if they are doing 65 in the far left lane.

Then all the other drivers have to change lanes at least twice to get around you. Changing lanes is another source of danger on the highway.

I rode motorcycles too long to enjoy having people come up on me from behind at speed.

I've been hit from behind three separate times, I'm more than a little paranoid about being tailgated.

If I slow down, I have more time to listen to right wing talk radio in the car.

[undeterred]

43. And I'd like you to take an anger management course

oh angry white male

[NuttyFluffers]

44. you don't pass on the right. that's a question on the CA DMV test, too.

since we drive on the right side of the road we can only legally pass on the left. and we can only pass when the yellow line on our side is broken, not solid. passing on the right would entail getting onto the shoulder, which is dangerous and negligent. perhaps you are referring to getting/speeding ahead of someone. remember, on a freeway or highway, as long as you are in your appropriate side, such "passing" is merely lane changes. if you are in the "fast lane" you are "changing lanes" to the right, speeding ahead of someone, and then "changing lanes" back into the "fast lane."

but yes, the "suggested speed" on the freeways in the western part of the united states is around 85+, especially on the innermost lane. theoretically it's posted as 65 or 75 mph, but then there's that delightful rule of maintaining proper speed with the rest of traffic while on a freeway. :P 65 mph on the innermost lane in some freeways will get you killed mighty fast. ever seen a big rig w/ 4 trailers hitched doing 110mph up your tailpipe in the middle of the nevada desert at night? i have. wakes you up mighty fast.

[A HERETIC I AM]

53. ummm...no, you haven't

ever seen a big rig w/ 4 trailers hitched doing 110mph up your tailpipe in the middle of the nevada desert at night? i have.

No, no you haven't. You might have seen a big rig with THREE trailers doing 65, but you sure as hell have never seen 4 trailers behind a tractor and certainly not doing triple digit speed. Not in this country, anyway.

One other thing:

remember, on a freeway or highway, as long as you are in your appropriate side, such "passing" is merely lane changes. if you are in the "fast lane" you are "changing lanes" to the right, speeding ahead of someone, and then "changing lanes" back into the "fast lane."

If you drive in the left lane of the freeway, change lanes to the right to pass and then change lanes back to the left, YOU ARE DOING IT WRONG! What you describe is completely ass-backwards of how proper lane discipline is practiced. The guy in front of you should move over to the right so YOU can pass in the lane you are in. When you complete the pass you should move to the right. I have seen that absurd situation countless times, mostly in California. I don't get how CA drivers figure that is the right thing to do on the freeway. It isn't. Passing on the right side of a vehicle is inherently dangerous and should be avoided. As the original post stated, if you are getting passed on the right you are in the wrong lane!

[NuttyFluffers]

81. what are you talking about? you are talking about courtesy, not law

when you are on a freeway the person should be driving an appropriate speed, obviously. but what do you do if they are going slightly lower than the speed limit and your with a batch of cars going far faster and need to get around them? you don't ram up their ass or tailgate, you simply change lanes when there's an opening, get ahead, and then move back into the lane. unless the CHP is right there to pull them over i cannot force them off the road. so there's nothing wrong with what i and others are doing. sure the guy is being a discourteous ass by being a lane hall monitor, but what he SHOULD DO has no relevance on what I CAN DO. seriously, are you advocating tailgating as a response to this situation? perhaps slamming on my brakes and doing nothing?

and passing, that technical term for driving on the lane of oncoming traffic momentarily to pass a car in front of you, is always done on the left in this country. you are not allowed to pass -- technically -- using the shoulder, that would be illegal. but in a freeway it's just lane changes, nothing terribly difficult at all. be it getting ahead via the right or left of the car is immaterial as long as you are within the freeway boundaries. it's just a nuisance that some people have poor driving etiquette and sunday drive in the fast lane.

and about the 4 trailers on an rig going 110, oh yes, yes i have seen that. you may not believe that, fine. but don't tell me what i have and have not seen. it was over by Elko by the way and it was clocking easily 110 -- how do i know, my dad was clocking 95+! and we counted 'em 4, counted each and every one, 4 trailers. they were weaving back and forth from the speed and wind. what you might be talking about is legality, which is neither here nor there because you see some crazy shit in the nevada desert at night -- and it's because most likely whoever is doing it can get away with it! huge swaths of nothingness doesn't even begin to adequately express nevada desert driving at night.

[A HERETIC I AM]

85. Where to start?

Regarding your statement about driving on the freeway;

you simply change lanes when there's an opening, get ahead, and then move back into the lane. unless the CHP is right there to pull them over i cannot force them off the road. so there's nothing wrong with what i and others are doing.

Actually, there is plenty wrong with that. If you are traveling on a limited access highway that has 3 lanes in the direction you are driving and you come up on a car in the center lane, passing on the right is not only ill advised it is inherently unsafe As i said in my post above, why California drivers think it is quite alright to change lanes to the RIGHT, pass and change lanes back to the LEFT is a mystery to me and virtually every student of safe highway driving in the civilized world.

seriously, are you advocating tailgating as a response to this situation? perhaps slamming on my brakes and doing nothing?

By no means do i suggest you do "nothing". What i advocate is passing on the left. Plain and simple. If you are passing on the right the person you are passing is in the wrong lane. The appropriate thing to do is follow the offending vehicle at a safe distance, use your headlights to alert him/her to your presence and if they have ANY sense of lane discipline at all (And it is obvious if you are in California, they will rarely have any) they will move over. If you have to change lanes to the right and pass, you should stay in the right lane and not move back to the left. The only reason to be in the left lane is to pass. PERIOD. (I am thinking here of a road like I5 through the central valley, NOT the 405 or 880) The exception would be a left hand exit or a roadway at or near capacity.

and passing, that technical term for driving on the lane of oncoming traffic momentarily to pass a car in front of you, is always done on the left in this country. you are not allowed to pass -- technically -- using the shoulder, that would be illegal.

Thanks for the tip. I was concerned after 30 years of driving i had been doing it wrong.

but in a freeway it's just lane changes, nothing terribly difficult at all. be it getting ahead via the right or left of the car is immaterial as long as you are within the freeway boundaries.

See above. It is HARDLY "immaterial", in fact, it is entirely my point. Passing on the right is inherently unsafe.


Regarding your sighting of a tractor/4 trailer combination on a stretch of Nevada Interstate;

you may not believe that, fine. but don't tell me what i have and have not seen.

You're right. My apologies. I shouldn't infer you didn't see what you claim to have seen. But what you claim to have seen stretches the bounds of credulity so incredibly far as to be completely suspect. When was this? How old were you? Was this the only sighting of such a vehicle? Do you think it is commonplace? You don't have to bother answering because i have a pretty good idea of the answers. They would go something like this; 20 years ago, 7, yes, yes.

how do i know, my dad was clocking 95+! and we counted 'em 4, counted each and every one, 4 trailers.

Again, i won't argue with the way you recollect this most unlikely vehicle but it is my bet that this was probably the last time that driver ever did anything like that.

huge swaths of nothingness doesn't even begin to adequately express nevada desert driving at night.

Again, thanks for the tip. After 20+ years of operating Tractor Trailers in the lower 48 states and Canada with over 1.5 million miles of accident free driving which includes scores of crossings of Nevada via I80, I somehow forgot about the desolate stretches. By the way, in all those years of driving, in all seasons at all hours of the day and night i have never, NOT ONE SINGLE TIME, seen a tractor/Trailer combination that had more than 3 trailers and i have never, ever, NOT ONE SINGLE TIME, seen such a vehicle doing much more than about 75MPH. Why? Because nobody is stupid enough to operate one like that. Oh...one exception...the guy you saw that night going 110 MPH.

You claiming you saw a vehicle like you describe is something i find so incredibly unlikely that it compares with me claiming i saw YOU running figure 8's while naked in the outfield of Yankee Stadium. Is it possible you have run in such a fashion at such a place? Yes. Is it likely? No. Not at all.

[stlsaxman]

45. Hey the second word in speed limit is "limit"- not minimum.

"Being stuck behind you, doing 46 in a 50, pisses me off and it just ain't right."

If I'm in the middle lane and doing 53 in a 55 zone- and you come up behind me doing 70 and expect ME to get out of YOUR way so you can get home sooner to your precious beer...?

... I feel totally justified in slamming on my break.

this ain't Germany and this ain't the autobahn.

[A HERETIC I AM]

55. If you are in the MIDDDLE lane and people are passing you on the right AND left

YOU ARE IN THE WRONG LANE

Whether or not you think another driver 'expect(s)" you to get out of the way or not is beside the point. If you are in the middle lane, you are part of the problem.

This might not be Germany and it might not be the Autobahn but the rules are the same.

SLOWER TRAFFIC KEEP RIGHT. If you are doing 2 mph under the limit and people are passing you (or catching up to you), YOU are the slower traffic.

[stlsaxman]

70. it's simple- three lane highway...

Right Lane - slowest traffic, merging, entering and exiting highway.

Middle Lane - through traffic, maintaining speed limit.

Left Lane - passing, at or above speed limit.

On the Autobahn, where there is NO SPEED LIMIT, if someone comes up behind you and tailgates- it is the rule that you merge right and let them drive through. On American interstates, it is the rear drivers responsibility to pass ON THE LEFT. The rear driver has control of the situation- the front driver would have to let their eyes leave the road to look behind them THEN to the right lane then back in front of them THEN move into the right lane probably into a big blind-spot. The rear driver need only check the driver side mirror to see if it's safe to pass.

That's why in most, if not all, states the rear driver takes responsibility in a crash.

[One_Life_To_Give]

90. Not Quite

Right Lane Slowest thru traffic
Middle Lane THru Traffic
Left Lane Passing

Merging, entering, exiting are what Acceleration/De--acceleration lanes are for.

And why would anyone drive without knowing what is happening Behind them and to the sides both left and right? Next we will hear that you don't need to look past the rear bumper of the car in front.

[donco6]

95. Slamming on your brake? That's dumb

We just had a guy here convicted of manslaughter for doing that. Really stupid. Just move over and create a little peace in the world.

[dysfunctional press]

46. smartass cop gave me a warning ticket for speeding on the expressway-

about a month ago.

60mph in a 55mph zone...

So- from now on, when i'm on the expressway- i get in the center lane, put the cruise control on 55mph, sit back, and relax.

[MindPilot]

63. I had a somewhat belligerent CHP officer upset with me because

I *wasn't* drunk. So now I have a 3-martini minimum on the freeway. :sarcasm:

True story from just a couple months ago. I think before he lit me up, the cop got fixed in his mind that I was the drunk who was going to run. After the full dangerous felon takedown, the cop seemed pretty pissed that I was stone cold sober and he had wasted his time with me.

[madokie]

49. didn't you know the left lane is almost always the smoothest ;-)

:evilgrin:

[SoCalDem]

50. Here in CA, it usually means that you are in the HOV lane

People can't wait to get INTO that lane..and then they seem to slow down..:)

[lonestarnot]

52. How bout left turning behind you!

I couldn't see around the left turner facing me and a high profile punk decided to turn before me and did. People never cease to amaze me.

[Make7]

62. meditation on the speed limit ( YouTube video )

Thought some people here might find this interesting....

   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zy7825Pd0us

... a freeway slowdown caused by people obeying the speed limit.

- Make7

[Gidney N Cloyd]

64. It's way too easy to get a drivers license.

The knuckleheads poking along in their own little worlds should be taking the bus.

[sutz12]

65. If you're passing everybody on the road....right or left.....you're going too fucking fast. nt

[OPERATIONMINDCRIME]

79. Hmmmm. I Consider That Speed To Be 'Justtttt Right'.

:rofl:

[Breeze54]

66. The middle lane is for traveling! - I pass right and left on the highway!

From Massachusetts General Laws: http://www.bikexprt.com/massfacil/laws/passright.htm

Ch. 89 § 2. Passing vehicle traveling in same direction

...The driver of a vehicle may, if the roadway is free from obstruction and of sufficient width
for two or more lines of moving vehicles, overtake and pass upon the right of another vehicle
when the vehicle overtaken is

(a) making of about to make a left turn,

(b) upon a one-way street, or

(c) upon any roadway on which traffic is restricted to one direction of movement.

Most other states have a different wording based on the Uniform Vehicle Code,

and which applies to bicyclists as it does to all other drivers

11-304--When passing on the right is permitted

(a) The driver of a vehicle may overtake and pass upon the right of another vehicle

only under the following conditions:

1. When the vehicle overtaken is making or about to make a left turn:

2. Upon a roadway with unobstructed pavement of sufficient width for two of more lines
of vehicles moving lawfully in the direction being traveled by the overtaking vehicle.

Of course, I only do that on a three lane highway.
Most roads, it's illegal, to narrow to pass or to dangerous. ;)
So, get the hell out of my way and stay in the center lane!! :rofl:
(I rarely drive on any highways, if I can avoid it!)

[alcibiades_mystery]

68. Man do I hate those fuckers

Ooooooo. Words cannot describe how I hate the left-lane slowfuck. Ugh. I wanna puke just thinking about those assholes. Get the fuck over to the right lane you clueless imbecile! Absolutely goddamn right.

[ecstatic]

74. & If you're turning left on a two lane road (without an arrow), put your $##$ing signal on!!

a$$hole

[BlooInBloo]

76. (d) You should get your jackass self-centered fuckwit ass out of the passing lane.

[OPERATIONMINDCRIME]

78. Agreed. But After I Pass Them On The Right I Cut Them Off To Wake Them Up A Bit, If Warranted.

If it's one thing I can't stand it's selfish or clueless people hangin in the left lane just goin all lahadee dahdee and shit.

You are right. Some people need to pay a bit more attention to their surroundings and then move the heck over.

[Hippo_Tron]

80. I was always taught that the left lane is for people who want to go over the speed limit

And that if I planned on going the speed limit in the left lane, I needed to watch people behind me because they might want to go over and start tailgating me.

[ProfessorGAC]

89. And Then We Should Break The Law For Their Convenience

Don't think so.
GAC

[Hippo_Tron]

91. Not about convenience it's about your own safety first

If someone is tailgating you, you speed up or let them go by, no matter who is right or wrong. Better to yield to someone speeding than to get into a wreck.

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

104. Driving in the left lane while not passing is breaking the law.

:shrug:

[ProfessorGAC]

107. For The Record, I Don't

I actually am one of the courteous slow drivers. I NEVER exceed the limit, but i do stay out of the way.

But, at the same time the OP was talking about getting out of the way at his convenience. So, that was the nature of my comment. Staying in the spirit of the OP.

But, if you're coming up behind me, i will get of the way. I'm slow, but not a jerk.

However, if we're on a two lane highway, don't flip me off when you pass because i was going 53 in a 55. No kiddin'! This has happened to me more than once! Got flipped off for going 2mph under the limit!

So, if you promise that, i'll guarantee to get out of your way on the interstate! Deal?
GAC

[slackmaster]

86. Or maybe everyone else is being an asshole

:nuke:

[stirlingsliver]

87. But I Have To Go Slow. I'm Text-Messaging

I know I drive slow in the far left lane.

But I HAVE to drive slow when I'm in the far left lane.

That's where I do my text-messaging.

It's also where I get the best reception on my cell phone, and I just HAVE to talk on my cell phone.

If I go too fast while I'm talking on my cell phone, I could cause an accident.

;-)

[ProfessorGAC]

88. No

That is all.
GAC

[Norquist Nemesis]

93. Or maybe your tooling around the UK!

*wink*

[lies and propaganda]

96. Raider Nation!

I hate to sayit cause i say it every season, but its really looking effing awesome!

[Blue Belle]

97. I'm with ya on that...

I also get incensed over people who haven't figured out what merge means.... :eyes:

[Scout]

98. if I'm already going 85 in a 70 mph zone, they can fuckin' pass me on the right... n/t

[LanternWaste]

99. This thread is odd...

This thread is odd. There are direct implications that I'm the cause of accidents because I drive the posted speed limit.

I suppose trying to please all the drivers out there will never happen, so I'm simply going to please the cops.

I'm an inconsiderate, self-centered bastard because you have to wait an additional x minutes to get home to your beer? Pot...? Kettle...?

[Jonathan50]

103. It is true that if a car is not driving at the prevailing speed then it is a hazard.

Human behavior is human behavior.

People are going to drive fast, faster than the posted speed limits.

Whether or not you are breaking the law has no bearing on who is actually the dangerous one on the road.

If the way you drive conflicts with normal human behavior then you are the one creating the hazard.

[LanternWaste]

111. So here I am-- doing 65 in a 65 zone...

So here I am-- doing 65 in a 65 zone. And through the rear view mirror, I notice a car approaching me. I do not increase or decrease my speed. Yet this car is consistently getting closer and closer. This car has the option of going around me, yet chooses not to. This car rear ends me.

And I'm supposed to think that I am morally at fault? Crazy, man. Just. Simply. Crazy.

Seems to me the car behind had other legal options rather than rear-ending me. So I guess I'll go out on a limb here and say, "Nope. Don't think so. Other guy's at fault"

We can justify all we want, but at the end of the day, one of us broke the law and the other didn't. Let's not blame the guys who are trying to adhere to the law, let's go ahead and place the blame where it belongs...

[chaska]

102. Maybe I'm staging a global warming/peak oil protest...

Going slower uses less.

[benEzra]

105. As long as you do it in the right lane, no problem whatsoever.

Blocking the passing lane, though, is just as rude as physically blocking the sidewalk so other people can't walk any faster than you. It's the automotive equivalent of a stiff-arm, and it's one of the cardinal sins of bad driving, IMHO.

FWIW, blocking the left lane, regardless of your speed, is illegal in 48 of the 50 states, and rightly so.

[RandomKoolzip]

110. Is this a political metaphor?