about tailgating and the left lane

[bertha katzenengel]

Please help me out here.

Imagine you're in the left lane of two lanes. Both lanes are quite full of cars but traffic's moving well, at about 65 MPH.

You are two car lengths behind the car in front of you, and there are several cars ahead of that guy at more or less equal distances apart. The cars are a little less packed in the right lane, but again, both lanes are at speed.

There's a car on your ass. You can't even see the leading edge of the guy's hood. The cars behind him are also tailgating, to about five or six cars back. If you have to slam on the brakes it'll be a huge rear-end chain reaction.

But here's the thing: there is no reason for you to move over and let the guy pass. You're at speed. There's nowhere for him to go in front of you. If you let him pass -- that is, IF someone in the right lane lets you in -- you know that with all those cars stacked up behind you, you'll never get back in time to make your left turn. And he won't pass you. And he won't respond to any kind of signal you give him to back off.

Who's the jerk? You or him?

PS Yes, I was the tailgate-ee this morning. :grr: I was extremely nervous!

[Mister K]

1. Two questions....

What is the speed limit of the road and do you live in New Jersey?

[bertha katzenengel]

3. LOL

55, Maryland...

[sexybomber]

30. Yeah, good question.

'cause if you're in Jersey, you start "threading the needle", so to speak, and to hell with anyone who won't get out of your way!

(also works in downstate NY)

[sui generis]

2. you're right - there isn't a one size fits all rule

in heavy traffic, all lanes must be used. Think of each lane as a pipe. If more water is piling up than the pipe can bleed off, eventually you'll have a flood, so the solution is to use as many pipes as possible.

In lighter traffic it is always smarter and safer to keep to the right unless passing, even when you're moving well above the posted speed.

Don't worry about your ass-tailer; he probably had a fish and W sticker on his bumper.

[blondeatlast]

5. Or perhaps it was one of these fine, lucid individuals...

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=105x3373201

[bertha katzenengel]

6. think of lanes as a pipe

Good advice, which I'll try to remember.

Do you know anything about Los Angeles? There is a river basin which is bone dry except during heavy rains, when it floods and then usually overflows. At least one idiot auditions for the Darwin awards in the L.A. River with a boogie board during each heavy rain.

Several years ago an L.A. city councilman proposed creating a new freeway along the path of the river basin. :eyes:

[Hobarticus]

4. You. Left-hand lane is traditionally for passing, not for "at speed"

If you want to be 'at-speed', pull to the right lane. Common courtesy.

[bertha katzenengel]

7. I appreciate that, but I am telling you:

There was nowhere for me to go to the right, and there was nowhere for the guy on my ass to go if I could move to the right. :shrug:

edit: both lanes were "at speed" -- everyone was going the same speed, left and right lane.

[Hobarticus]

12. "There is no reason for you to move over and let the guy pass"

There is no reason for you to be at-speed in the passing lane, either.

Naturally, circumstances in traffic make a difference, as in this case.

But to say that there's no reason to keep that lane clear isn't correct. I've been issued warnings for being at-speed in that left-hand lane.

[bertha katzenengel]

20. It was you, wasn't it?

;) kidding, Hobarticus.

Today, there was no passing lane.

[Hobarticus]

22. Your left-rear tire's going low...

Jes kiddin.

I understand.

:)

[bertha katzenengel]

24. LOL

:hi:

[GoddessOfGuinness]

71. "I've been issued warnings for being at-speed in that left-hand lane."

Huh? In what part of the country?

Around the DC area, you'd never get a warning for doing the speed limit; but those who want to do 80mph in a 55mph zone who tailgate someone in the left lane will get tickets...

Usually, if the right lane is moving at speed, I'll stay there, unless I need to move over to allow someone to merge onto the highway.
Much depends on the road, however. If I need to make a left turn, I'm going to drive in the left lane, and if some jackass flashes his/her lights at me and tailgates, it's just too bad for him/her.

[dr.strangelove]

76. In New Jersey I have gotten tickets for driving at speed in the left lane

The keft lane is for passing only in many highways in NJ. I have gotten two tickets over the past 20 years for driving in th eleft lane within the speed limit.

[ovidsen]

95. That's the law in NJ

Signs on interstates make it clear:

KEEP RIGHT
PASS LEFT ONLY

IMO it should be the law in every state.

PS - You'll also get a ticket if you pass someone on the right!

[Jessica]

9. Usually, I'd agree with you.

But when traffic is heavy & everyone is essentially traveling at the same speed, it just doesn't make any sense to pull over & let some asshole pass you -- just so you can pull back over & drive behind him. It's ridiculous.

But, I do agree that when traffic is light/moderate, the left lane should only be used for passing. I hate permanent left-laners. :grr:

[bertha katzenengel]

11. A few years ago Mrs. V. brought it to my attention that I was a permanent

left-laner. I learned. That's why I'm so sensitive to this, I guess.

[Jessica]

13. You definitely weren't at fault today, Bertha.

I can't stand people on my ass when traffic is heavy. It's just stupid. And I especially hate it when I'm in the left lane, traveling at pace with everyone else, and some idiot finds a spot just big enough for his car in the right lane to pass me on the right side! Grrr - why??? You're not getting there any faster than me, dumbass!!

Whew - sorry. Had to get that off my chest. :D

[kwassa]

19. This is the plague of traffic in Maryland, and the region

People who sit in the left lane and refuse to let others pass. There is no traffic law against doing so in this state, and it is legal to pass in other lanes. There is no law mandating the left lane as the passing lane, only, though it is common road courtesy.

The result? It creates the aggressive drivers that everyone complains about, who are frustrated by the slow ones in the left lanes. It is not unusual to see a freeway essentially blocked by four people driving side by side at the same speed.

The guy behind you is being an asshole, but you were not the cause of the situation. I would move over, let him get ahead and harass the source of the problem up the row.

[GoddessOfGuinness]

99. What drives me nuts is when I'm passing somebody

and I suddenly have someone on my butt flashing his lights at me because I'm not passing at the speed he wants to go. So I'm expected to move over into the right lane and go slower than I want to drive so someone else can violate the speed limit...:grr:

[YellowRubberDuckie]

86. It's ok to be a permanent left laner as long as you're passing...

constantly. I'm a permanent left laner, but I'm passing everyone in the right lane. I always go five mph over the speed limit on the interstate, because if I didn't I'd get ran over. Especially on the interstate in the middle of Oklahoma City. And I'm always passing someone, and even I tend to have fuckers tailgating which pisses me off like no other.
Duckie

[radwriter0555]

39. Well not in Los Angeles metropolitan traffic actually. All lanes are

traveling lanes, and it isn't until you get unto rural areas that the left lane is actually the passing lane.\

The rules change subtley when the freeways aren't congested, however, and common courtesy does dictate to concede right of way in the left lane to speedier vehicles.

[masshole]

8. Slower traffic stay right

Is the general rule of the road. The other general rule is tailgating is NEVER acceptable.
Since you needed to make an upcoming left, and it would have been hazardous to change lanes twice before your turn I would say you were fine, and you simply encountered some asshat late for work.
Don't give it another thought.

[MissB]

23. Perfect answer for this situation.

Spot on.

[notadmblnd]

10. If used properly the left lane is for passing

but often people prefer to drive in the left lane, leisurly at that. The right lanes should be for the slower traffic, the daydreamers and the people who decide to get on the freeway to take their daily naps. I like to call these people "those who have no where to go and no time to be there". My goal when driving is to get around these people and get off the road and to my destination in a timly manner. If someone is just crusin in the left lane and allowing traffic to back up, then yes, I get upset. I don't want you to hurry to get where you are going, I just want you to move over and allow me to get by, once that is done you can feel free to resume your leisurly drive in whatever lane you select.

[tk2kewl]

14. Thats when you go wingnut on the guy. Like this...

I hate people who clog the left lane, but given your description of the situation the guy was being a jerk

[Maddy McCall]

15. The reason the left lane was "at speed" is because some asshole...

well in front of you wouldn't move over and let left laners move through.

[Hobarticus]

17. First laugh of the day goes to...

That cause-and-effect thing is easy, ain't it?

[MissB]

25. Maybe I'm not quite understanding the "at speed" term

But if she is going 65 in a 55, how is that "at speed"? Wouldn't "at speed" be 55?

[Tsiyu]

38. Not in this world.

n/t

[bertha katzenengel]

78. By "at speed," I meant the same speed everyone else was going.

Perhaps this'll clear some things up. I don't know what's a techincal term as regards traffic and what's just spewing from my addled brain.

So I and everyone else was going about 65-70. Everyone was getting there fast but some were in more danger than others.

[YellowRubberDuckie]

87. You were going with the flow of traffic...

[bertha katzenengel]

90. yep...

[hobbit709]

16. I've had idiots

try to pass me on the left shoulder because I didn't move over for them, even though the other two lanes were also bumper to bumper. They back off when I let them see me pick up my cell phone.

[RebelOne]

18. Whenever someone tailgates me

I just keep tapping my brake. They usually get the message and back off.

[Deep13]

21. him

No question.

If you are traveling in the left lane at the speed limit, no one behind you has a right to pass because you are already doing the maximum speed. All drivers have a duty to keep an assured clear distance in front of them. That means, they need to keep enough space in front of them to react to sudden changes. The Ohio state police recommend keeping one car length for every ten miles per hour between vehicles.

What I hate is keeping an assured clear distance in front of me and having some idiot weave into that space.

[kwassa]

27. I couldn't disagree more

Deep13:
"If you are traveling in the left lane at the speed limit, no one behind you has a right to pass because you are already doing the maximum speed."

Is this left lane designated as the passing lane by law, or not? It is not the job of citizens to enforce the speed limit, is it? I don't think so.

Virtually no one, if they have the opportunity, sticks to the speed limit. Ohio is much tougher about enforcing it than most places, but here in Maryland on the freeway, if it is not congested 75 - 80 miles per hour is normal. Law enforcement officers speed, too, often driving way above the limit when not in emergency mode.

Since we spend so much time crawling due to high congestion, I simply see it as overall amortized speed, rather than a law violation. If you were in front of me in the left lane, and blocking it by driving the speed limit, I would not be happy with you.

[Deep13]

34. "It is not the job of citizens to enforce the speed limit"

That is not the issue. The issue is whether or not someone driving the maximum speed in the left lane has a moral duty to change lanes to allow a speeder to pass. Every driver has a duty to obey the speed limit. They exist for a reason. Fuel conservation is part of it, but mostly it is for safety. Frankly, most Americans are not very good drivers. By tailgating, you are creating an immediate risk of mortal injury. As speeds increase, the risk of an accident becoming fatal increases exponentially. Frankly, your rationalization about average speeds is simply wrong. If you wrap you car around a pole, the fact that your average speed is lower than it was at the moment of the accident will not save you.

Unless you are driving cross country, speeding will not save you any time. People speed because of purely emotional reasons that have nothing to do with actually getting anywhere. They do it out of frustration or because they "feel" like they are not moving fast unless they are speeding. I cannot tell you how many times I have been passed on the road only to be immediately behind that car at the next red light. Driving is a completely unnatural activity that our brains are simply not designed to do. You may think 30 mph is slow, but it is ten times faster than an Olympic marathon runner. 60 is a mile per minute. Think about that. How long does it take to walk a mile? Driving must be the product of thought and judgment and must never be a matter of instinct. Consequently, if I am following all the rules, I don't give a shit whether you are happy with me or not.

[kick-ass-bob]

36. FYI - this was apparently not a limited access highway.

it was in town I guess, because she mentioned an intersection.

[kwassa]

44. As I said, I couldn't disagree more

Deep13:
"That is not the issue. The issue is whether or not someone driving the maximum speed in the left lane has a moral duty to change lanes to allow a speeder to pass. Every driver has a duty to obey the speed limit. They exist for a reason."

There is no morality involved in this, it is simply traffic laws designed to maximize the safe flow of traffic. We all may have a duty to obey the speed limit, but few of us do, because most roads are labeled for a speed limit far below the safe limit, and we all know that. To observe such a limit is to waste time unnecessarily. Such a limit might be valid in bad weather conditions or at night, but often it is quite possible to drive safely above the posted limit. I'm not talking about driving extremely fast, but at a somewhat higher rate of speed.

"Unless you are driving cross country, speeding will not save you any time."

If I drive the way I normally do, I can cut 5 - 10 minutes off my commuting time from my home to the Capitol Mall, or National Airport, for example. This is about 30 miles.

"People speed because of purely emotional reasons that have nothing to do with actually getting anywhere."

The time savings can be quite measurable, actually.

"I cannot tell you how many times I have been passed on the road only to be immediately behind that car at the next red light."

Having been driving in congested urban areas for the past 30 years, I would disagree. There are times when I do make no progress, but it is usually impossible to speed anyway. A combination of lane changes, and slight use of speed can get me through the next light, however, and leave you in the dust.

"Driving is a completely unnatural activity that our brains are simply not designed to do."

I disagree with this as well, and think that there is no basis for this in fact.

[Deep13]

55. So weaving, speeding and tailgating ...

... to save five or ten minutes. You won't leave me in the dust, merely a few minutes behind. You might leave us both in the hospital. By the way, that kind of aggressive driving contributes to congestion. I can't stand being in a car while someone like you drives. I feel like I'm tempting death.

If there is no moral duty to shift lanes to allow a speeder to pass and there is clearly no legal duty to do so, then you have talked yourself out of a case. You indicate that road rules exist for a reason then try to rationalize why it is all right to ignore them to save a few minutes.

Driving is a natural activity? Don't see too many automobiles painted on cave walls! The mind is the product of millions of years of evolution. During that time nothing moved as fast as a car. Driving requires constant attention. Physics is an unforegiving mistress. The ambulances on the sides of the highways every time the weather changes out to be proof of that. Add to that distractions like talking, cellular phones, pedestrians, the radio, that coffee, that project waiting at the office and it is a recipe for road salad.

[kwassa]

60. Sorry

Deep13:
"If there is no moral duty to shift lanes to allow a speeder to pass and there is clearly no legal duty to do so, then you have talked yourself out of a case."

Cute, but no cigar. It isn't about moral or legal duty (and there is a legal duty in many states where the left lane is for passing only) it is about efficient use of the highways, and maximizing traffic flow.

Anyone who sits in the left lane when they are not passing is blocking traffic, and creating traffic congestion and inefficiencies of traffic flow, regardless of whether they are going the speed limit or not.

[madmom]

101. my uncle once got a speeding ticket because...

the officer said just because you are passing , that doesn't give you the right to speed! You still must stay with in the speed limit.

[mark414]

48. left lane is a passing lane

they tell you that in driver's ed

[Deep13]

51. traffic code cite?

I paid pretty close attention in driver's ed and do not remember that. My understanding is that the left lane is for passing if it is specifically marked as such. That is usually on a 3-lane interstate highway. Plenty of roads have multiple lanes simply to accomodate traffic.

Again, who can pass when the left lane driver is already at the maximum speed?

[mark414]

52. driver shouldn't be in the left lane

i took driver's ed 4 years ago; they said that the left lane should be for passing only, and you should move over otherwise

if you're doing the speed limit, and sitting stuck in the left lane with cars behind you, or you just won't move over, you're a dick. i like to drive fast (but i won't tailgate) and nothing is more annoying than someone who thinks they don't have to move over.

[purr]

My neighbor got ticketed for driving in the left lane...

Something to the effect of "failure to yield right" and a bunch of other offenses for driving in the left lane. I'm in PA.

I think it only applies to 2 lane roads. I'm pretty sure the parkway into Pittsburgh that has 3 lanes that isnt a rule. Theres signs that state "slower traffic right lane, trucks right lane, countless dont tailgate, and watch out for drunk driver" signs all over the place.

[bettyellen]

73. oh i want a rex too!

are they the best.. or what?
does it really have a dog's personality? is it a cornish?

[purr]

82. Shes a Sphynx

[bettyellen]

85. she's amazing!

[kwassa]

69. The Uniform Vehicle Code states .... (and state laws vary)

http://www.mit.edu/~jfc/right.html

State "keep right" laws
You may use the left lane (when there is more than one lane in your direction) to pass. You may or may not be able to use the left lane when not passing. A few states permit use of the left lane only for passing or turning left. These have "yes" in the "keep right" column. Six states require drivers to move right if they are blocking traffic in the left lane. Most states follow the Uniform Vehicle Code and require drivers to keep right if they are going slower than the normal speed of traffic (regardless of the speed limit; see below).

(jump: chart showing specific state laws)

The Uniform Vehicle Code states:

Upon all roadways any vehicle proceeding at less than the normal speed of traffic at the time and place and under the conditions then existing shall be driven in the right-hand lane then available for traffic ...

Note that this law refers to the "normal" speed of traffic, not the "legal" speed of traffic. The 60 MPH driver in a 55 MPH zone where everybody else is going 65 MPH must move right. Contrast Alaska's rule, 13 AAC 002.50, allowing vehicles driving at the speed limit to use the left lane, and Colorado rev. stat. 42-4-1103, prohibiting blocking the "normal and reasonable" movement of traffic.

[YellowRubberDuckie]

88. Not anymore...

Slower traffic keep right...There are even signs.
Duckie

[MissMillie]

26. One of the reasons

that no lane is passing no other lane is because there is someone up ahead of you who thinks as you do... that there's no reason to move over and let someone pass.

I understand that you were going to make a left turn, and that getting back into the left lane would be difficult, but the reason why all the cars were stacked up like that is because someone didn't feel the need to pull over and let other pass.

[bertha katzenengel]

29. I understand what you're saying.

The main reason I didn't move wasn't because I was going to make a left. I have no qualms about going through the intersection and turning around. The main reason I didn't move is because there was nowhere to go.

[kick-ass-bob]

33. This is not a highway!?! Then there are no "passing lanes"

Passing lanes do not apply on city streets.

[bertha katzenengel]

43. It's Crain Highway in Prince George's County, MD

Two-lanes north and two lanes south. Divided. Passing lanes?

[gardenista]

92. I think that's technically passing lanes.

[kick-ass-bob]

32. Not really. Rush hour traffic does not follow normal road "rules"

If all the punks who need to go 80 had the left lane to themselves, then the 85% of people who don't go that fast are stuck in one lane. That is not what the engineers had in mind.

[MissMillie]

40. I don't mean to imply that you have to be going a certain

speed to be in the left lane.

I only mean to say that you should be passing. When you're done passing, you pull over.

[Telly Savalas]

77. On a really busy road the left lane isn't a passing lane.

If a road is busy enough that both lanes are full for long stretches,then clearly all of the traffic isn't going to fit in one lane, hence the left lane can no longer be regarded as the passing lane. In most cases it is considered the fast lane and somebody driving too slow in it is being an obstruction to traffic, a safety hazard, and hence an asshole. People who tailgate to discourage such behaviour are even bigger assholes, and would be well advised to kill themselves before they hurt somebody else. It's such a remarkably reckless practice that tailgating should be punishable by a 30 day license suspension.

[Shell Beau]

28. Him. Screw him! Let him ride your ass, he will get nowhere.

I hate when people do this. I understand your nervousness, though!

[kick-ass-bob]

31. Is this a highway? I am confused because you said left turn

If there are left turns, then there is no "passing lane" as both lanes are needed for normal traffic. That's one reason I never understood those "left side exits" off of highways.

Also, in rush hour traffic, "passing rules" don't really fully apply. Traffic as a whole needs to move as smoothly as possible, and lots of lane changes, caused by the assholes that are more important than everyone else trying to race through traffic, only slow traffic down as a whole. The pipe philosophy that sui mentioned is a great example of this.


I would be tempted to pull out a water gun from the glove compartment...
:evilgrin:

[kwassa]

45. Some people get in the left lane to turn left miles down the road

They feel a great need to get prepared way in advance, and will drive slowly in the left lane until they finally get to that intersection.

[mark414]

53. ahh that's the worst

when they change lanes RIGHT in front of you and make a left turn a few miles down the road...bah!

[auntAgonist]

35. As a former OTR TruckDriver and having seen SO many accidents...

if traffic was moving along just fine, both lanes, you were not at fault in any way. I drive similarly. Traffic starts to snarl and accidents happen because of people NOT staying in their lanes. You are at greater risk moving right then trying to move back left than you are staying put. IF you were first in line and no one ahead of you for a LONG way, I'd wonder if you weren't going just a tad too slow, but as described, I think you were fine.

kesha

[Tsiyu]

37. I hate when people tailgate!

It is so rude. The other driver is the jerk, you were entitled to be pissed. Some people "own" the road, and they are by god gonna go faster than anybody and you by god better get out of their way.

Generally, if I can't go anywhere I let them simmer. If I'm in a good mood, I get over just to get them off my back.

Here in Tennessee, you can ALWAYS tell the drivers from Georgia. They all drive squished on top of each other in that left lane, inches from one anothers' bumpers as if they really can't drive unless they are almost attached to the car ahead of them. They'll drive all bunched up in little waves like that, while everyone else is just give gap/take gap kinda cruising through the beuatiful mountains and valleys. The groups of tailgaters all look so unhappy, stressed, and miserable.

When one of those "waves" of cars sails past in the left lane, you look and you see "Cobb" Gwinnett" "Fulton" County and you know you are dealing with the Road Warriors from Atlanta, and you see them come up on a car like you described ( maybe a car stuck behind a truck passing another truck on a mountain curve in the left lane with no way to go any faster) and they will all bunch up behind that car even WORSE. It's like "catch a clue. Ever hear of physics? You can't go THROUGH the GD car can you?"

I just kinda laugh at these people and really feel sorry for them. But they can get on your nerves when they ride your ass. That's when I want a freakin' fireburner blowing flames out the tailpipe, know what I mean?

:hug:

[CottonBear]

56. In Athens, GA I deal with Atlanta area students: The WORSTdrivers ever

Cobb, Gwinnett, Fulton & DeKalb plates = deadly driving habits: speeding (55 in a 35 is typical), running redlights (We have redlight cameras in several key locations now, tailgating (get off my tail you asshole! I can't even see your headlights!), swerving from lane to lane, don't know how to use turn signals, pass in NO passing zones, talk on cell phones, and they even pass you from left turn only lanes by scooting into the middle of an intersection while you are proceeding forward on green in the adjacent straight ahead lane.

I've been hit by speeding students, uninsured drivers and speeding pizza drivers as well as distracted soccer moms.
Argghhh! :grr: :grr: :grr: :grr: :grr: :grr:

[Tsiyu]

57. So what's up with those folks?

I mean, I'm on the highway quite a bit and I see the same three or four counties - sometimes add Forsyth to the list - on the tags of the most road raging drivers' vehicles. Is Atlanta toxic? Is everybody habitually late? What?


I feel your pain, CottonBear. Those folks drive like psychos.

[CottonBear]

58. They are part of the daily I-285 500, the GA400 short track race

and the GA 316 drag races, not to mention the I-20 250 and the Downtown connector 100.

There is no enforcement of traffic rules in Atlanta. Therefore, when they come to Athens they drive like they're in Atlanta. These folks think that they are NASCAR drivers. There is no drivers ed. All of the upper income parents buy their spoiled spawn new trucks, SUVs, sports cars and rice rockets.

My stepdaughter lives in Duluth and is learning to drive. :scared:
She thinks it's ok to stop practically on someone's bumper and rocket off from redlights "because that's how they drive in Gwinett and someone will be mad if you don't move fast when the light turns green."
:scared: :scared: :scared: :scared: :scared: :scared:
We didn't let her get a learners permit until well after she was 16. She's almost 17 and still doesn't have a regular license. Thank god. She can ride the bus to school in Duluth. It's close by.

edit: These folks are psychos, IMHO.
Please drive safely buddyhollysghost.
I can't tell you how many accidents I've seen on GA 316 (including dead bodies.) :scared:

[Tsiyu]

61. Yeah, I always love when

people come up to the mountain to "escape the city" and then they drive in a fucking frenzy like they're right back where they came from.

On these mountain roads, we haul our kids and hay and our elderly and we respect one another, cuz we know one another and we don't consider it neighborly to ride people's asses. It is so annoying to be having a pleasant day, and then some freak in his SUV from Atlanta or Chattanooga - on some sort of "vacation" - rides your ass and acts like he's in some Presidential motorcade and you need to get off your own neighborhood roads or he'll run you the fuck over.

We have ways of messing with the out-of-towners, but I won't go into it here....

[CottonBear]

62. I grew up on Signal Mtn.(Chatt.) I love to drive that road up to the top.

Lookout Mountain has tourist traffic galore. Signal just gets residents, relatives and friends traffic for the most part.

I've driven back and forth from Athens to Chattanooga/Signal Mountain since 1981. The traffic and drivers have gotten exponentially worse. I say it all goes back to raising the speed limit from 55 MPH along with the advent of the SUV.

I HATE driving on the interstate ever since my family and I were run off of I-65 North between Mobile and Evergreen, AL and sent into an uncontrolled spin (our trusty Corolla didn't tip over!) and sent ACROSS the southbound lanes of I-65 South going NORTH!

Did I mention that this was the Sunday after T-Day in heavy traffic?

By some miracle, we did not hit any cars and survived. The car was damaged but drivable. The assholes who ran us off the raod fled the scene. All we could think while it was happening was Arghhhh!
:wow: :scared: :wow: :scared: :wow: :scared: :wow: :scared: :wow: :scared: :wow: :scared: :wow: :scared: :wow: :scared:

edit: Where in the lovely TN Mtns. do you reside? I miss the mountains. I'll be on Signal and Lookout in a few weeks.

[Tsiyu]

65. I'm a little farther north, South Cumberland Plateau

Up in the hills trying to hide out from all the stressed out folks but they keep showing up here!

[CottonBear]

66. I'm sorry. I hope you can scare them off or at least slow 'em down.

The South Cumberland Plateau is so beautiful!
Havea great day up there! :) :hi:

[Tsiyu]

64. Dupe

dupie dupe dupe

[Gidney N Cloyd]

41. Illinois recently passed a law

requiring drivers to move from the left lane to the right to allow faster traffic to pass (if the lane change can be done safely), regardless of whether the faster driver will be exceding the posted limit. Part of the reasoning was that drivers(especially those trying to peer over the steering wheel of a Mercury Marquis that's had its turn signal on for the last two miles) shouldn't take it upon themselves to enforce the speed limit. Interestingly, the somewhat new state senator who sponsored the law is a former policeman.

Sounds like you got caught in the middle of an "enforcer" and a tailgater.

[Philly Buster]

104. PA has a "no cruising" law

which outlaws staying in the left lane for more than 2 miles. It isn't enforced though.

[giant_robot]

42. Proof that I've lived in Buffalo too long:

I see the word "tailgating" and I immediately think about hamburgers and beer in the parking lot of Ralph Wilson Stadium. :crazy:

[sniffa]

46. do what's done up here

either hit the brakes a bunch (after a few sLams, he shouLd back off) or sLow down to a crawL. either one works weLL.

at the very Least, you've enraged him. :P

[xultar]

47. If you can get over get over. You're not a cop. So if people wanna speed

a little bit it's not your job to stop them.

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

49. If a car wants to pass you, get out of the left lane

If everybody did this there would be fewer accidents. The left lane is filled with people who think there's no need to get over.

[Radical Activist]

50. You

If you're in the left lane it means you are trying to get somewhere. You don't allow two car lengths in front of you because when evereyone is doing that it slows down the left lane. It also means slow pokes from the right lane will cut in front of you, which slows the left lane down even more. If you aren't willing to go, then get over.

[TK421]

54. I go SLOWER when one of these turds are behind me

Tailgating pisses me off the most because of the fact that if I had to make a stop, the idiot WILL hit my car. However, these jerk-offs don't seem to care if that happens.

[gardenista]

93. we had a guy say that in traffic school. The teacher reamed him.

Said that he was one of the worst hazards on the road, and that he was risking people's lives every time he decided to "teach people a lesson".

If you're in the left lane, he said that you should never have cars stacked up behind you.

[seemunkee]

59. What road in MD? And was that me behind you?

Edit: saw the road and I'm not familiar with it.

I kid. I usually back off if it looks like I won't end up going anywhere even if I get around the car in front.
As far as comments about NJ drivers I believe that DC area drivers are the most aggressive on the East Coast. I find NJ, NY and Boston drivers far more predicatable than DC area ones. I think they are more mean and vindictive than other areas.

[Hand]

72. Used to live in DC...

many years ago. I don't know about aggressive, but they were sure as hell the STUPIDEST drivers I'd ever seen. :dunce: :grr:

I hear traffic there has gotten much, much worse since I left in 1982--and back then, there was heavy incoming commuter traffic from 6 a.m. on.

I worked for quite a while as a motorcycle courier in DC. How the hell I lived through that mystifies me to this day.

[bertha katzenengel]

80. I was scared shitless to drive in the city when I first moved here.

Now I scare Mrs. V. shitless -- to get around you have to drive just as crazily as the rest of the assholes on the road.

This wasn't in DC, though. But it takes us avg 2 hours to get into town, and 1.5 hours to get home. SUCKS.

[hfojvt]

63. you say you had a left turn to make

does that mean an actual left turn, or an exit ramp that is on the left?

City traffic just sucks, there is no good way to deal with it. I typically do not feel the need to pull over to assist people who are speeding, unless they are emergency vehicles. So it takes me a few minutes to get around the semi - TTB (too tanjed bad). The speed limit is 55, not 75, so they can just cool their tanjed jets until I get around the truck.

I probably would have gradually slowed to 60 just for the heck of it. At least that would create some space in front of me. Then I could speed back up to create some space behind me. But I avoid city driving whenever I can.

[bertha katzenengel]

79. An actual left. I was in for a shock when I moved out here:

There are traffic signals on what at first I took for freeways. :scared:

My left was at a traffic signal. In fact it was a two-lane left turn lane. And, when I finally got to that point, the prick nearly took my bumper off in his pissy fucking mood. If Mrs. V. weren't with me I would've had a rage attack. Not chased him, but I would've raged. She has no idea how hard that shit is to keep inside me. And I don't talk about it because she doesn't get it. No one gets it. Not even me. But I can't turn it off.

Dude. Way to go off subject there, Bertha. :eyes:

[Mutley]

67. It sounds like in your situation the other guy was being a jerk

but in most situations slower drivers need to stay out of the left lane. this is one of my biggest pet peeves when driving. it does seem to be a big problem in MD.

[Sanity Claws]

68. Left turn while doing 65?

You said you would have pulled over to the right, if they allowed you and if you could back in left lane to make your turn. Is there really someplace where you can make a left turn from a road going 65 mph?
I don't know Maryland but if that's true, that's dangerous.
In any event, I would have tried to go to the right and get away from that jerk.

[aeolian]

75. Exit ramps.

Many highways around there have exit ramps from the left lanes.

[bertha katzenengel]

81. There are intersections (including signals & turn lanes) in the

highways here. I don't get it either.

At 65 MPH, when I come to my left turn, I slow down. Wouldn't you? Unfortunately, the traffic behind me does not slow down until it's almost too late. Nearly. Every. Fucking. Morning. Nearly every morning I'm nearly rear-ended when I come to this intersection.

[Pithlet]

84. MD road system is weird.

I lived in Maryland for ten years. People who've never driven there who are criticizing you don't understand.

[bertha katzenengel]

89. I'm glad to hear it's not just me.

MD road system IS weird?! Phew! Glad to know I'm not completely nuts. :hi:

[Dees]

103. Ah Maryland...what can you say

I live on the Eastern Shore and I don't give one healthy flying flip what road you are on you're going to have someone riding right up your ass regardless of how fast you're going. It's an obcession here. Generally the rule is to give one car length of distance for every 10 mph of speed. Here it is one foot for every 10 mph. Insane!

[gardenista]

94. Wow, sounds like another strategy is called for.

How about turning right and looping around?

[Burma Jones]

70. Don't you just love the DC area

Usually, I would say, get the fuck out of the way. But, I know exactly the condition you describe, and when all the lanes are full, you just have to suck it up. The person behind you was too damn aggressive and will probably die early of a heart attack or car crash.......

And, yes, we drive 70 miles per hour on regular access roads here. You should try the Beltway - there is an entire cottage industry of shrinks built around driving on that road.......

[cestpaspossible]

74. Doesn't matter who the jerk is. All that matters is that you survived.

[Jara sang]

83. Yep, I've posted a Beltway thread here too.

Welcome to the club.:hi:

[gardenista]

91. Sorry, Bertha, I won't call you a jerk. But I will say that the left lane

is the passing lane, not for traveling "at speed". Any time I am in the left lane, no matter how fast of slow the traffic is moving in front of me, I move over for faster traffic to pass me.

It's not just because it's the law (in California), but because I don't want to add to the road rage out there. Those who say, "screw them, I'm going the speed limit", are not getting the point. They are adding to the possibility of an accident, particularly if there are cars stacked up behind them, because this forces the faster driver (whether they are correct or not in speeding), to pass on the right, which is a stupid, dangerous thing to do on a high-speed highway. Just a week ago, I saw a very scary near-miss caused because someone was driving "at speed" in the left lane, and the car behind tried to pass on the right, just as the car two lanes over tried to pass on the left, with neither paying sufficient attention.

HOWEVER, there is ONE exception. If there is a left-lane exit, and you are within 2 miles of that exit and have serious concerns about being able to get back in the left lane, then you should stay there.

My rule of thumb, get out of the way if someone is behind you in the left lane. Leave it up to the cops to try to control their behavior.

[nytemare]

96. If you are going along with the flow of traffic, you are right

I admit, I have a bit of the leadfoot. Traffic in itself does not aggravate me. It is those drivers who do not keep with the speed of traffic who I try to pass. I don't cut people off when I do it. It makes no sense to chane lanes to try to pass a vehicle if there is a vehicle a safe distance in front of you.

If you are keeping flow with the vehicles in front of you, there is nothing you can do, and there is nowhere the guy up your ass is going to be able to go once he gets by you. If you are moving with the flow of traffic, then you are not blocking the flow of traffic.

Florida is passing a law now they call "road rage prevention" which will enforce the "slow traffic keep right" law a little more.

I love it when you can only see half of the hood of the vehicle behind you, and there is a string of cars in front of you!! If that was your situation, pretty much, you were right.

[ovidsen]

97. There ought to be a law

And there is in Europe!

Drive in France, Germany, Switzerland or Italy (I have) and on highways with 4 or more lanes, everybody stays to the right, except when passing. It's the law, and it's one just about everyone obeys.

I know that in NJ, thats the law, but it doesn't seem to be strictly enforced. Are there any other states where KEEP RIGHT PASS LEFT ONLY is enforced?

[rockymountaindem]

98. You weren't in Colorado this morning, were you?

Driving from Colorado Springs to Denver on I-25 one sees that almost constantly.

[SW FL Dem]

100. You are not a jerk!

I face this everytime I get on the interstate. It's packed like a freeway. The right lane is going 60-65 in a 70 mph zone, the left lane is doing 75+. I keep up with the left lane and then some jerk who wants to do 85 pulls up behind me and flashes his lights expecting me to pull over. There are 15 cars in front of me doing 75, if I pull over, the jerk can't go anywhere but he sits there in his huge SUV, five feet from my rear bumper. I will pull over for my own safety when I have room, but I won't pull over and get stuck in the slow lane just the let the jerk move up one car in the line.

[madmom]

102. if she had to make a left hand turn...

why should she have to go in the right hand lane then back to the left (if she possibly can) because as she said traffic is heavy, just so some impatient ass can go around?