Crazy Driver Rant

[Ray Garlington]

Originally Posted By: Pablo
Originally Posted By: ARCOgraphite
2 Peeve:

Dont use the far-left passing lane as a moderate speed travel lane. This despicable practice is called "left-lane bandit". Now when someone travelling faster from your 6 wishes to pass - pull over and let them pass. This isnt an "I'm in front of you and I win, I just deputised myself highway Cop and tough luck buddy" game. ...



So, say someone is doing the exact speed limit (executing a pass for example) in the left lane and you come up on them. Are they supposed to move over, Mr. Deputy? Can we we get a legal reading on that?

...


ARCO is correct up until the bumper car [censored]. If you are unwilling to execute a pass properly, you should slow down and follow the car ahead. People creeping along at 1/2 mph faster than the car adjacent need some training.

 

[scurvy]

Originally Posted By: Pablo
So, say someone is doing the exact speed limit (executing a pass for example) in the left lane and you come up on them. Are they supposed to move over, Mr. Deputy? Can we we get a legal reading on that?
I would say maybe go back to several schools.

Agree with Pablo - there's nothing illegal about doing so.

There's two somewhat conflicting ideas here, but they have to work together.

#1, Keep right unless passing / slower vehicles keep right. Different states have different language on this issue, but generally you're supposed to stay in the rightmost lane whenever possible.

But temper that with...

#2, the posted speed limit is the MAXIMUM LEGAL SPEED in optimum conditions.

So if someone in the leftmost lane doing the speed limit and passing a slower moving vehicle in the lane to their right, anybody who wants to go faster than the speed limit is gonna have to wait until they are done passing and move back over. Anyone saying different needs to go have a Coke and a smile - them's the laws. If you disagree, write your congressman.

Legally (unless local statutes prevent it) it is permissible to have a wall of vehicles all doing exactly the speed limit. Some Georgia State students (all of whom had received speeding tickets for going over 55 mph) did this as an experiment.

 

[brianl703]

Writing your congressman isn't going to do squat about your state and local traffic laws.

 

[scurvy]

Originally Posted By: brianl703
Writing your congressman isn't going to do squat about your state and local traffic laws.
Really? I thought most states had their own congress or general assembly. Maryland's general assembly has both a House & Senate, as do Illinois & Georgia. Haven't lived in any other states, so I won't comment on them.

Even if you take the view that 'Congress' solely means the bicameral legislative branch of US Federal Government, writing to your federal elected officials will frequently get you in touch with the correct person.

 

[Samilcar]

Originally Posted By: brianl703
Writing your congressman isn't going to do squat about your state and local traffic laws.


Perhaps.

However, NOT writing your congressman is 100% guaranteed to not do squat.

 

[brianl703]

Originally Posted By: scurvy

Even if you take the view that 'Congress' solely means the bicameral legislative branch of US Federal Government, writing to your federal elected officials will frequently get you in touch with the correct person.


Depends on your (Federal; I know of no other use of the term) Congressman, I suppose. Asking them to do something about which they have no control over may just well land your request into the circular file (or you get a form letter; same effect either way: Nothing). I've heard from Congressional staffers about the number of requests that come in to the Congressman's office for things like stop signs and traffic lights..obviously some people need a lesson on levels of government.

 

[bigmike]

Depends on what name is attached on the document or email.

My dad works for the Navy. People respond to him much more pleasantly when they see [email protected] attached to it than they would otherwise.

He emailed our mayor over a street light and it was fixed within a week. The previous phone calls and email to the correct agency did nothing.

I've had a coworker have a personal lunch with one of our state senators due to a mutual friend. When my coworker brought up a few egregious acts being committed at our place of employment, he was quick to respond with whom to speak to and followed up with him on it to make sure it was resolved. That's pretty good class, if you ask me.

Most of your mid-level representatives (especially local) usually do not care, but there are a few. Next time remind them you vote.

 

[brianl703]

The last time there was a problem with a traffic signal here, I emailed the public works director. After a month goes by with no response, I again email the public works director, this time cc'd to the city manager who is his boss.

Then I got a response. Funny how that works.

In the original email, I even told the public works director exactly what I thought was wrong with the signal (stuck pedestrian button) and that's exactly what it turned out to be. And I ain't never worked on traffic signals before.

 

[Gary Allan]

Quote:
But temper that with...

#2, the posted speed limit is the MAXIMUM LEGAL SPEED in optimum conditions.

So if someone in the leftmost lane doing the speed limit and passing a slower moving vehicle in the lane to their right, anybody who wants to go faster than the speed limit is gonna have to wait until they are done passing and move back over. Anyone saying different needs to go have a Coke and a smile - them's the laws. If you disagree, write your congressman.


Well, we're getting into Asimov's three laws of robotics type thingie..except the individual gets to choose the hierarchy for his/her convenience. If they feel the lanes that they SHOULD be in are too congested AND just don't feel like running with the big boys, they fall back on the "it's the law" speed limit trump card and, by lawful decree, get to be a rolling barricade to smoother traffic flow.

I can sorta understand it if your reflexes and overall skill level are heading south. There "wisdom" should dictate your approach to driving ..assuming that you accept/acknowledge/recognize/concede to those limitations. I would not, however, look at it as some entitlement to have the rest of the prevailing world subject to your deficiencies. Driving at other times where the traffic is more suited to your abilities would be a much more socially responsible disposition to take.

Joyce's uncle would go a substantial number of miles out of his way to avoid NYC with his motorhome. The thing was so big I asked him where the telegraph was to call down to the engine room for more steam. He was an ex-naval commander and a military aircraft sales rep (SA,etc.) so it wasn't for lack of available ego. His wisdom was in avoiding the stress and the protection of his inventory of available assets

 

[SteveSRT8]

nice rebuttal, Gary.

And it should be noted that many municipalities do not even follow the law when setting speed limits

http://www.caranddriver.com/features/10q2/feeding_the_machine_sandbagging_on_speed_limits-feature

So what to do now?

 

[LordAbbett]

Nobody owns the left hand lane. But if you're in the left lane and there's a car beside you on right, And it's the same car thats been there for like 5 miles. You are not passing anyone!
Just let people by in a reasonable amount of time.
I don't usually even drive that fast. But if i'm on the interstate I'm aware of whose behind me and don't try to block them in just because I'm in front.