Left Lane Police

[Thermo1223]

Driving down I78W closing on the the 309 interchange for you ABE people.

Trucking along in the left lane keeping pace with whomever is in front. They do 80MPH I do it that is unless someone behind me is going faster. I then of course move over. At this rate the the left lane is steadily passing the right lane as it usually does. The flow of traffic on this highway is usually 80-85mph in the left lane.

I happen behind a new white Lexus ES350 after some other cars move over to the right. I don't tailgate but I don't leave 2 truck/trailer lengths either because that just invites people to cut you off. 1 1/2 - 2 car lengths behind but the Lexus can't maintain a steady speed to save his life so I am constantly adjusting my right foot.

Closing on 309 once he sees the 55mph speed limit he literally coast down to 60mph even though he had no problem keeping it at least above 75mph before. Those that know this highway know it leads to a very steep grade that see's heavy truck traffic so just about everyone with an ounce of sense stays far left. It opens for 2 lanes to 3. Trucks usually stay right and everyone is happy except Mr Lexus.

He takes my adjusting to his free wheeling tactics as an insult and proceeds to brake check me...once....twice....still keeping a min. 1 car length everytime to his rear. Apparently the PennStatePolice tasked him with keeping order in left lane and this is my punishment for keeping with the flow of traffic.

Fine...I'll just pass him when the 3rd lane opens...NOPE! As soon as I try to pass he cuts me off, no signal. Fine I'll just pass you on the right. Forester has 0 problem doing this even if most drivers floor it.

Wife comments on what an idiot he is and off we go and guess who has a line of traffic behind him in the far left lane...sheesh

Way down the highway I've move back to the center lane after some busy off/on ramps. Guess who comes zipping down the left only to cut me off again so he can get to an exit ramp on the far right. Yup Mr. Lexus, he had at least 10 ways to not cut me off again to get over but apparently I deserved it.

Well he deserved something too, a certain bird...the one fingered variety.

I bet I'm the arse he talked about riding his rear that he taught a lesson to. Ya that was his dinner table convo that night.

 

[AuthorEditor]

Not worth it to get worked up and react to other idiots on the road or else you will always be angry and have high blood pressure. My motto is live-and-let-live. Karma will take care of things in its own way.

 

[Boomer]

And be careful of these types. They can be gunning to have you run into the rear of their car and then hit you with a big lawsuit for "loss of affection", "inability to work", etc. A guy tried this on my son by passing him, pulling in front and slamming on the brakes. After three tries, he drove off. This is one reason why I always carry a large liabilty cap policy that goes over the normal coverage for the house and car.

 

[Thermo1223]

O of course this is just the first time it's happened to me a long while...at least to this degree.

Edit: I thought about getting a separate umbrella policy just for that reason alone. Those phantom pains people tend to get when they realize I have a little equity.

 

[sky7]

"slower traffic keep right" is the law in every state I've lived in. Is it ever enforced? Nope. At least you only had one "mr. Lexus" to deal with. In the Seatlle area, the majority just shoot over to the left lane and hold a solid 5 under, and fail to notice that they are slowing on hills and turns.

 

[fdcg27]

An XT should eat just about any Lexus for breakfast.
Still, it pays not to allow morons who seem to think that driving is a video game with somebody keeping score irritate you.
Let guys like the one in the Camry or Highlander in drag (most "Lexus" cars) play all by themsleves.
Don't get sucked into their little passive-agressive power trip.

 

[GMBoy]

I feel your pain. It is a daily occurance to see people holding up the passing/left lane all the time. It, to me, is very inconsiderate. I don't tailgate anymore like when I was younger, however-- when I pass them, I will cut over in front of them a little sharp to try to let them know they need to move over.

 

[ABerns]

It does irritate me that people pull stuff like that, not because I'm inconvenienced, but because it's flat out dangerous. Some people don't think before they do stupid stuff on the road. I think like 80% of drivers would fall into this category.

 

[hattaresguy]

You need the right vehicle, than he can brake check you and well its his problem...

I wonder how a tin can Lexus would fair underneath a T55? I'm guessing it would feel about the same as running over a curb...

 

[hardcore302]

Makes you wish you had a 007 car with guns and missles in the front, and oil and tacs out the back.

 

[VicVinegar]

Virginia plates? Bought at Pohanka Lexus? Just sounds like a typical Northern VA driver.

Once driving back to NY for the holidays, I was on 81 and up ahead there is a car blocking the left lane with a number of cars backing up behind it. I hear some honking, notice some light flashing from the car behind it, and I joked to my now wife that is probably someone from where we came from.

The guy finally moves over and....it was a Lexus ES350 with VA plates, bought in Northern VA.

It is probably one of the larger contributors to the gridlock around here. I've been "stuck in traffic" at 5:30 AM because people just pick and lane and sit there no matter what speed they are going. Four cars were going about 57 that morning and about 20 cars built up behind them before the "wall" broke. I don't understand how no one here learned to keep to the right. Heck, it was one of the first things my Dad taught me when I got my permit.

 

[donnyj08]

Sounds like an Ohio driver.. i swear everytime i go anywhere i see someone with Ohio plates that cannot drive a lick.. its always a chuckle

 

[Pop_Rivit]

Originally Posted By: Thermo1223


Trucking along in the left lane keeping pace with whomever is in front. They do 80MPH I do it that is unless someone behind me is going faster. I then of course move over. At this rate the the left lane is steadily passing the right lane as it usually does. The flow of traffic on this highway is usually 80-85mph in the left lane.


So by your own admission you're just following the rest of the scofflaw herd, and you fell into someone's trap. Rather than act like a mature adult and ignore them, you elect to get suckered into their little game, to the point that you make a juvenile gesture. By your own admission you were tailgating:

Quote:
still keeping a min. 1 car length everytime to his rear

1 1/2 - 2 car lengths behind but the Lexus can't maintain a steady speed to save his life so I am constantly adjusting my right foot


Quite honestly you're just as bad and guilty as the "left lane police" driver, and both of you were behaving in an infantile manner.

 

[fdcg27]

Originally Posted By: donnyj08
Sounds like an Ohio driver.. i swear everytime i go anywhere i see someone with Ohio plates that cannot drive a lick.. its always a chuckle


Funny, we've thought the same thing of drivers with cars sporting Indiana plates everywhere we've gone.
I especially liked the Indiana "Crayola" plate.
Seemed to depict the driving ability of Hoosiers pretty well.
A number of Indianans seem to have to commute to Ohio to find jobs.
They tend to get in the way on our roads.

 

[GMBoy]

Originally Posted By: Pop_Rivit
Originally Posted By: Thermo1223


Trucking along in the left lane keeping pace with whomever is in front. They do 80MPH I do it that is unless someone behind me is going faster. I then of course move over. At this rate the the left lane is steadily passing the right lane as it usually does. The flow of traffic on this highway is usually 80-85mph in the left lane.


So by your own admission you're just following the rest of the scofflaw herd, and you fell into someone's trap. Rather than act like a mature adult and ignore them, you elect to get suckered into their little game, to the point that you make a juvenile gesture. By your own admission you were tailgating:

Quote:
still keeping a min. 1 car length everytime to his rear

1 1/2 - 2 car lengths behind but the Lexus can't maintain a steady speed to save his life so I am constantly adjusting my right foot


Quite honestly you're just as bad and guilty as the "left lane police" driver, and both of you were behaving in an infantile manner.


Your comments are correct. My only point to add is that it is the lane blocker that causes this type of behavior from other drivers. So, in my opinion, the lane blocker is the root cause of a lot of dangerous driving by people just trying to get around them. That does not make it right, but if everyone just stayed to the right there would probably be less road rage and risky lane manuevering.

 

[Spazdog]

The world is full of stupid and inconsiderate drivers.

How they affect you is a reflection of your driving ability.

That being said, I have had occasion to think to myself, "Can you believe this [idiot]?"

Many years ago, when I had more horsepower than patience (not to mention intelligence), I would slow down for tailgaters. When they went to pass, I would floor it and rocket away from them or trap them between two large trucks. I'm glad I didn't get shot.
I move over. Let 'em go.

 

[HTSS_TR]

Many years ago there was many shooting on CA highways, the ones got the bullets mostly were the left lane bandits. After the news about shooting the left lanes were almost emptied of slow cruisers.

Many drivers when they get on highway they change 3-4 lanes within few hundreds feet then cruise slightly below or at speed limit forever. Many of them wait until the last 300-400 feet then cross 3-4 lanes for exit.

 

[Zako2]

I pay absolutely no attention, beyond what's necessary to keep myself safe, to what some crazier people do on highways. Some are crazy, some are jerks, others are just talking on a cell phone. Life is too short to worry about them.

 

[SteveSRT8]

^^^My sentiments exactly. Drive your own race, try your best to ignore the antics.

I swear it gets worse as the Holi-daze get closer!

 

[Kruse]

Originally Posted By: Thermo1223

Well he deserved something too, a certain bird...the one fingered variety.


Don't even bother giving him the bird. Sounds like he's got a twisted mentality and they thrive off of that. You've just inflated his ego and made his day.
Too bad you weren't an unmarked police officer, though.