With apologies to Sammy, I CAN drive 55.

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When someone uses the international one finger greeting, its best to smile and wave. That annoys them much more than mutual fingering. I got tailgated at 60 mph in the right lane yesterday by someone who was in a real big hurry to get off the freeway. She had a pretty determined look on her face as she passed me on the right on the exit ramp.

However, the reason I have averaged over 48.5 mpg in my Jetta wagon so far this year isn't because I get there fastest. 60 MPH plus or minus is best for the combination of mph, wear on the car and overall safety. I also think brakes should be used as little as possible. When you know you have to stop ahead you don't need to see how fast you can get to the stop sign or how fast you can get going again.

Don
 
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The slow lane is on the left side in Mexico...


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or Oklahoma. Actually in OK i think they must teach them that you must always drive in the furthest left lane and that the right lane is for passing and exiting. If there is a middle lane it is just mcuh too confusing so it is just promptly ignored by the natives.
It is particularly bad and advisable not to go out on the hiway except for emergencies up here during Texas-OU weekend as every other car you pass as they toddle down the left lane will have an OK plate as they stream in from the North in an annual invasion.
Actually, seriously i know that the reason for this behavior having driven through the state to the north umpteen jillion times is that truck traffic stays predominately in the right lane, and since in the past roads through the state are generally repaired in glacial time basis, the left lane is often the only lane to ride in without risking major kidney damage. Thus this is ingrained in the local populace that the only lane to drive in is to the left no matter where you are.
 
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The slow lane is on the left side in Mexico...

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What? Don't they drive on the right side? In nearly every civilized country that drives on the right, the left lane is for passing. It goes back to two lane highways--you pass on the left--in the oncoming lane--on those. The rule was carried over to highways with more than two lanes.
 
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It's because of idiots like that that I favor the use of a national ID and dropping drivers licenses as main form of ID, and then toughening the licencing requirements. Getting a drivers license is as easy as getting a toy out of a happy meal.

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In some places, when the police do their DUI checkpoints, they find more drivers operating without a license than they do impaired drivers.

Furthermore, 20% of fatal accidents involve a driver without a license.

Enforcement and punishment is very obviously lacking in that regard.
 
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I remember one time I was driving home and decided to take the backroads, and there was this little old mazda protege in front of me, weaving all over the road, doing about 15-20mph (45mph speed limit)

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I hate the "I'll take my half in the middle" types on narrow back roads. It's impossible to pass them because they won't stay over where they're supposed to be until oncoming traffic makes an appearance, after which they move right back over to the middle. They're usually so spaced out that they're driving erratically, anyway, so it's no good slowing down a little and waiting til the road is wide enough to blast past them. I don't get that at all - when a faster car comes up behind me, I don't feel comfortable until they've passed me. On a really narrow, twisty road, I'll put my signal on and pull off to let the car behind me go around and get on down the road, and most people around here do the same for me. But some of them are utterly clueless.

I love a gas saving 55mph car in the right lane. When traffic is flowing right and everyone is minding their manners, it's easy enough to pass them. When the left lane is flush with non-passing half wits, the gas saver provides the "a broken clock is right twice day" opportunity to pass on the right. And, if they're driving smoothly and evenly, I might even tuck in behind them for some relaxed cruising. Nuthin wrong with 55, although I do admit I prefer 80+ sometimes.
 
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It's because of idiots like that that I favor the use of a national ID and dropping drivers licenses as main form of ID, and then toughening the licencing requirements. Getting a drivers license is as easy as getting a toy out of a happy meal.

Click to expand...


In some places, when the police do their DUI checkpoints, they find more drivers operating without a license than they do impaired drivers.

Furthermore, 20% of fatal accidents involve a driver without a license.

Enforcement and punishment is very obviously lacking in that regard.

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While I agree that enforcement should be a major part of it, besides the obvious reason of having a revoked license, the main reason people drive without a license is due to being unable to prove residency, SSN, signature, etc., NOT because of failing the written or driving tests. Those are a joke.
 
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I hate the "I'll take my half in the middle" types on narrow back roads. It's impossible to pass them because they won't stay over where they're supposed to be until oncoming traffic makes an appearance, after which they move right back over to the middle. They're usually so spaced out that they're driving erratically

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Do your backroads generally not have any pavement markings? Many of the ones here do. A couple of weeks ago there was a letter in the local paper in the "Getting There" column from some woman who complained about "aggressive drivers" passing her on roads with no pavement markings, apparently under the belief that no pavement markings means it's illegal to pass. (It is not. I checked.)

I've been stuck behind erratic drivers on back roads before and I often wonder if they're drunk.
 
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the main reason people drive without a license is due to being unable to prove residency, SSN, signature, etc., NOT because of failing the written or driving tests. Those are a joke.

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That's probably true, but regardless of the reason for driving without a license, a whole lot of people are getting away with it. So making a license harder to get probably isn't going to stop a lot of people from driving, unless enforcement (and punishment) is increased, as they'll just drive without a license and get away with it too, or if they're caught, they'll get a slap on the wrist. (Interestingly, if you drive on a suspended in this state you can expect jail time).

In addition to that, I should mention that one can get what is colloquially referred to as a "walker's license", an ID card that conveys no driving privileges.
 
IMO, enforcement is getting more and more difficult because the polce forces haven't increased at the same rate as the number of drivers.
 
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I don't have a problem with people going less than the posted limit (70mph 'round these parts). But, make sure you're NOT in the left and/or HOV lane when attempting this feat!

The right lanes are for the slower vehicles. I had some guy in his early '90's smurf blue Ford Escort (azzcart) going all of 59mph in the left lane. Sir, MOVE OVER. He did have that glazed-over look on his face where he had not a clue that traffic was flashing at him, passing him, etc.

If this was New York or Chicago or LA, he would have been given the finger. Here, people just stare in amazement that a person could be so clueless.

OK, back on topic now...


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I saw this guy yesterday on a two lane driving 45 mph and while he was probably getting good mileage he was causing everyone else to use a lot because everyone was using passing gear and really on it to get around this jack a$$.
The car club that I belong to met this morning and I was telling the guy's about how narrow minded some are on this forum.
They will make all kinds of disparaging remakes about someone driving and SUV but those same ones are talking about the excellent mileage that they got on their 1200 mile trip or post the miles on their car and that indicates that they are averaging 40,000 miles per year.
I have a SUV it gets 20 mpg and I average 4500 miles a year.
Do the math who is using the most oil.
So just remember when I go by you when you are driving 55 mph in your motorized skateboard that at the end of the year I will use only a portion of the oil you will
 
Agreed ... there has to be a balance that Black Bart has recognized. If you're going slow yet causing others to use double gas when they floor it around you - you aren't doing anybody any good. That's just stupidity on your part.

However, if you have an open freeway and you stay on the right hand side - be my guest. On my 75mph trek home where most people are going 80+mph there are many people who go 40-60mph in the right lane and no one gives them problems.

Driving 55 mph will give you incredible MPG. When I lived in Iowa - I got 49mpg doing 55mph on those flat tops. I averaged about 45mpg. Nowadays, doing 75mph I get 35mpg and 40 at best.
 
on my weekly trips up to new hampshire the way i drive makes a huge difference in MPG. i can make 1 trip up in less than an hour at a avg speed of 90/95 and get 20 MPG or i can slow it down to around 70 and not going WOT all the time and get 31 MPG. if i tried to go 55 the whole trip i could get maybe 35/36MPG on a car rated epa at 26MPG highway thats been tuned and modified.i make the trip every week and fill up at the same gas station and almost always the same pump
 
With gas prices soaring over $3 here, first time I've seen it, I'm going to drive 70 on 70 speed limit instead of my 80mph right lane of course. but I will have to move to the left lane occasionally for the slow mergers who like to go 55mph.
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