Hit & Skip

Yeah, we have rolling road blocks in California, too. I hope both of you got tickets.

I agree with Ratbert. "Rolling Roadblocks" are a pain in the butt. Without more info though, I wouldn't be able to tell who's fault it was. You, teem, are the 2nd person I have heard that uses the term "Fast Lane", which actually makes me think you are the one that doesn't use it correctly. That left-hand lane is called the "Passing Lane"; You 'pass' people in that lane, you don't drive 'fast' in it. If you really want to be technical, all lanes are fast lanes.

Usually it doesn't bother me much if someone does it, because I'm hardly in a hurry to get to my destination. I figure it's happening for a reason, like some sort of divine intervention. It only gets annoying when that driver doesn't give a crap at being courteous and driving safe, so they 'stay' in the passing lane.

I'll say too, for your description of the hit, it seemed like it would be worse than what really happened, so I'm glad it wasn't major damage.

Ratbert wrote:

I truly believe if everyone would adhere to the basic rule of "Stay to the right except to pass" that it would eliminate 80%of the aggression seen on the roads. People get pissed off and aggressive because of a-holes who believe who putz in the left lane. I ALMOST have no problem with people if they do want to cruise in the left at the speed limit, IF they drive with their rear-view mirror and when they see someone coming up of them, move over and let them through.

I think I'm going to make bumper stickers that read:

"If I'm passing you on the right, YOUR WRONG!!"

Hey - add your own and maybe I'll get 'em made!

BTW Teem - How (apparently in Ohio) is one supposed to use the left hand lane "correctly"? Were you passing anyone at the time? If not, YOUR WRONG!!

Scott

intervention.

intervention.

I don't call it the fast lane or passing lane, it's just another lane to handle the traffic. Around here the right lane just seems to have more potholes and rough spots so I stay left. The folklore here is that you can drive 5 mph over the limit and you won't get ticketed (some say its 9 mph but I don't have the guts to test that theory). So if someone is in the left lane doing 5 mph over, the right lane is full of cars doing a bit less than the limit, and a guy comes up in the left doing 20 over the limit, is the guy doing 5 over in the left lane obligated to get out of the way of a law breaker? I don't see that someone doing 5 over is causing a roadblock.

ron

My view is that I'm not a cop, so I don't get to decide whether it's appropriate for someone to be doing more than the speed limit. Maybe s/he has an injured passenger and is on the way to the hospital. So I feel I should get out of the way if I'm in the passing lane. OTOH, I am sympathetic with the view that accommodating someone breaking the law is not your obligation. Passing on the right, as the teem's experience shows, is dangerous and should be avoided. The truck's driver (the one that hit teem) should, IMHO, have first tried to get teem to move over to the right. In fact, in Connecticut (last I checked), passing on the right is strictly forbidden.

That's the problem right there. It's the passing lane. Learn road etiquette: the far left lane is for *passing*. If someone comes up behind you, you are obliged to get out of the way (speed up or move over).

Too many people have this "I'm going XX which should be fast enough for anybody. That jerk needs to slow down."

Wrong!

It sounds as though you were wrong to block the passing lane. But hitting another vehicle is also pretty stupid.

Brian

How 'bout "YOU'RE WRONG"? Otherwise, the grammar police will get you.

And this helps illustrate just how bad driver's education is. At least in the U.S., which, I (perhaps wrongly) presume is the country from which you're driving.

The left-most lane is, in fact, the passing lane. Certainly, in most congested areas, it accommodates traffic as do the other two or three lanes to the right, but it is *supposed* to be used for passing slower vehicles.

You *could* put in a call to your local town/city supervisors and ask them to fix the problem.

Oh dear....

YES! MOVE THE FUCK OVER! WHO THE HELL ARE YOU TO PASS JUDGMENT ON THE OTHER DRIVER? If you were in another lane, you wouldn't find anyone else on your tail. Why do you think that is, hmmm?

That's probably because you ARE the roadblock. I can't stand 'em.

Passing on the right is not entirely legal in NYS, either. But if you do it, a cop won't pull you over, unless you're doing mach 3 in which case you'll get a speeding ticket instead.

Thanks for phrasing the argument in a more politic fashion than I did just now.

Whoops! :)

BTW for everyone - This link puts it better (and more civil)

Scott

jees, chill a little.

It's not worth the time to call anyone about long stretches of bad roads between towns, all the highway money is getting poured into roads in the large cities. What's the "oh dear" for? that I might drive a few miles over of that I don't have guts to drive 9 over? Are you saying I'm a fool or a chicken? (don't care which, been called a lot worse, just curious). I DO MOVE OVER ! I DON'T PASS JUDGMENT ! i just wish there was a speed trap to catch the guy that just blew my doors off. imho doing 5 over the limit in the left lane is not being a road block, especially if I pull over for speeders. doing 5 under in the left is a road block; somehow that distinction has come up in the thread yet. ron

How 'bout a compromise? I'll lighten up if you'll try to remember that there are those who prefer to pass (as opposed to merely drive 5MPH over the speed limit) at whatever speed they choose in the fast lane. Fair?

If the roads are in bad enough condition that you are compelled to drive in the far left lane and thus impose yourself as a potential hazard to other drivers, you absolutely should consider it worth the time to contact someone.

It's a matter of local culture, I expect. I know in some areas in the Pacific Northwest, driving the speed limit is the norm. Where I am, driving 15+ over is the norm. (Of course, the base speed limit plays a role.)

Okay, then there should be no problem. :-) If someone comes up on you quick when you're in the left lane and you make every effort to get out of their way ASAP, then you're acting appropriately.

When you're asking about the roads, you might bring up the topic of additional speed traps, too.

I don't care if you're going 150MPH. If someone else wants to do 180, YOU MOVE! If that's what you're doing, great - no worries. :-) It sounds as though maybe you're not fully understanding the use of the left lane, is all.

Just move over...write down the license plate number, call the Highway Patrol and let them handle the fool...Oh, smile and wave when you go by while they are getting a massive ticket.

Good suggestion ... and do remember to make sure that you tell them that the driver appeared to be drunk and was a danger to others so they make sure they pull them over. \

of cars doing a bit less than the limit, and a guy comes up in the left doing 20 over the limit, is the guy doing 5 over in the left lane obligated to get out of the way of a law breaker?

Absolutely, without question. Law breaker or not, regardless of speed. Get the heck out of the way.

Lane [ lane (at) evilplastic.com ]

And thank YOU for the kind words! I'm not always that polite because there are some times and some subjects about which I feel more as you do. :) Too bad about the NY cops failing to enforce the "no passing on right" law. I wish they'd at least issue warnings more often, if not issue a ticket.

Teem-

OK - I'll give you back a small amount of credit - You had failed to mention that you were TRYING to move over and he didn't wait. I'll give you the benefit of the doubt that maybe you were passing someone (with the p/u on your tail) and then didn't give you enough time to move over after you passed slower traffic. As I said before, as long as your passing someone, and not "traveling" in the left lane, I wouldn't mind much slowing down to let you finish your pass, as long as you then moved over.

On a side note, we have a additional problem on Long Island that amplifies this whole problem and that is the addition of the HOV lanes. They put them in the far, far left lane, so the idiots have to work their way through 3 lanes of traffic (usually chatting away with their passengers), and cruising at 55 in the left lane until the entrance to the HOV comes up. The same when they get out of the HOV - They are entering into traffic moving around

75 doing 55.... Between them and the people trying to go around them it's a friggin' miracle anyone gets where their going in one piece....

Scott