The left lane is for PASSING you idiot!

I always thought the Left lane was the Right lane when passing. Now I'm confusing myself.

This isn't about going too slow or too fast. It's about the system making money at the expense of you! Please don't tell me that speed limits exist to protect us? I truly don't believe the system cares one cent, except those cents it takes from you.

Woohoo! I hope the stipulation on that ticket is $500. I do a lot of distance driving to take care of my mother and run into this @#!% all the time.

Kudos to the cop.

dear ATS,

driving is a group activity. period. you do not have any right, whatsoever, to the road or any segment of the road. you MUST cooperate....no matter what a terrible rush you appear to be in.

it is interesting and terrifying to get this glimpse (in this thread) of my fellow drivers. most of the responses tend toward driving being a game of some type. it is not a game. disgusting behavior, all of you.

after narrowly avoiding a horrific pile-up on the freeway several months ago, I have one (and only one) driving rule: to get as far away from YOU as possible. please return the favor, you dangerous fool.

Eat me. The left lane has a specific purpose. There's a reason there is a sign that says "slower traffic keep right" in my state.

Glad to know I'm not alone on this issue, bad drivers are the absolute worst, and along with bad sports officiating, it angers and frustrates me more than anything! I wish most of you ATSers could move to my home of LA and make my commute a heck of a lot more enjoyable for me. I swear Los Angeles traffic and drivers (plus the Detroit Lions, big fan) have taken at least 10 years off of my life.

This morning I took a drive up the canyon (I'm in Colorado foothills). I got up to a certain point and turned around, I should have done it three cars sooner. As luck would have it I was behind a truck, a sheriff and someone in front of said cop. The person in front of the cop was obviously nervous to have a cop on her ass all the way down the canyon and was doing slightly under the speed limit. Fine whatever, but then she got slower and slower like she was freaking out or something. Now we are coming down the canyon so I find I am having to put a lot of distance between me and the cars in front of me so I don't have to hit my breaks constantly at every turn. But even going 25 mph I was still catching up and having to hit my brakes. We finally get towards the base of the canyon where it opens back up to two lanes and this lady at the front instead of pulling over to the right lane to go slow, moves over to the left lane and slows down to damn near 20 miles and hour. The cop finally pulled her over and we passed by them.

I think here in CO you can be pulled over for obstructing traffic like that though. When I passed by her she looked all freaked out, so I wonder if having a cop on her tail all the way down the canyon freaked her out enough to drive that slow, but really she just looked suspicious and probably her driving is what got her pulled over. What I don't get is why not just pull over on any one of the many pull offs available down the canyon. There had to have been 5-6 pull offs she could have gotten out of the way before we hit the narrows where there are no pull offs. I found myself shaking my head in disbelief.

In the summer time here it is even worse! All the out of state drivers going up into the mountains freaking out at every little turn through the canyon. LOL . sorry to rant in your rant post.

reply to post by ThreeNF


That is true most of the time. There are many factors. If you are going exactly the speed limit, and all the other lanes are going the speed limit or less, and there are 20 cars packed behind you, you're probably obstructing traffic. This can cause accidents and can severely disrupt the flow of traffic. It is actually a bigger problem than you would think. It can cause adverse effects 15 miles down the road behind you.(i used that number for example, it may not be precisely accurate, but I have read many studies done by many cities and it has been proven that this type of thing can have that big an impact. Imagine if an ambulance or fire truck was trying to get through, but they were so far back in traffic because of this person that the person didn't see them. It would cause quite a delay and could be the difference between life and death. But that doesn't matter so long as you're going the speed limit. Driving is not so simple as always go the speed limit no matter what everywhere all the time.

The left lane is for passing vehicles going slower than the speed limit. The left lane is NOT for law breakers to speed in and go over the limit and break the law.

Originally posted by MystikMushroom
There is a reason it is called the SPEED LIMIT.

It is the LIMIT of how FAST you an go.

The left lane is not for going 10 MPH+ over the speed LIMIT.

If you're riding my butt in the left lane and I have my cruise control set to the speed LIMIT, then bug off. I'm not breaking the law for you, and I'm certainly not going to move over so you can.

ETA: And yes, I WILL brake check you if you continue riding my ass.

edit on 12-3-2013 by MystikMushroom because: (no reason given)

The cop did the right thing by pulling her over and ticketing her. You are what I call a self annointed traffic monitor. There are lots of those idiots in the states of Virginia, South Carolina and Texas. I have seen people almost wreck themselves and others by crossing numerous lanes of traffic as soon as they merge to get to the left lane. I have also watched folks merge and immediately cross several lanes to get ot he left lane when no one else is near them. I will never understand the burning compulsion to immediately get into the left lane. It's like they have an aversion to the right lanes for some reason. They must not teach "stay right unless passing" in drivers' education any longer.

ETA: Oh....and then there are those people operating a motor vehicle ( not going to call them drivers because then I would be saying they know what they are doing) who cruise in the left lane and wait until the very last minute to move right...across several lanes of traffic to hit their exit....many times risking an accident or two in the process instead of moving right with enough time to smoothly exit and cause not problems. You've seen 'em. Yea....you have a right to cruise in the left lane alright!
.
You say you will not break the law for anyone nor will you move over so they can. I don't know where you live, nor care, but I would submit that you ARE breaking the law by NOT moving to the right regardless of where that may be. I would also submit that your refusal to yield the left lane to faster cars is in itself aggressive driving, with the intent to create a road rage incident where none would exist if you would simply obey the slower traffic keep right signs and be a courteous driver.

You and drivers like you obviously feel you are entitled to drive in the left lane. "I pay taxes and drive where ever I damn well please". Heard it over and over and over again. And, granted in the grand scheme its more a nusance than anything. More states should begin pulling and ticketing all of those jack asses out there who feel the compulsion to come left, and stay left, come hell or high water.

Agreed. People who think their cruise control dictates what happens in the left lane are deliberately inciting road rage. If you want to be a jerk do it in your own neighborhood not on the highway.

Other people have places to go. Some of us happen to be damn good drivers and we know what we're doing behind the wheel.

Originally posted by kthxbai
hmmmm I think I've found a new way to peeve off people!!

It's not as good as my favorite, but close.

When people "tailgate" me, I like to slow down, really slow... until I get to a dashed line, then I speed up so they can't pass until we get back to the double yellow line and slow down again. I figure if they're gonna ride my bumper, they're gonna ride it slow

Just for the record, if they stay at a safe following distance, I will speed up for them, then ease off when we get to a passing zone so they can get by, it's only the tailgaters I do that to.

So, you're an @#!%. Burn in hell. You'd cause an accident or road rage just to get your rocks off. Sick puppy.

Originally posted by 123143

Originally posted by kthxbai
hmmmm I think I've found a new way to peeve off people!!

It's not as good as my favorite, but close.

When people "tailgate" me, I like to slow down, really slow... until I get to a dashed line, then I speed up so they can't pass until we get back to the double yellow line and slow down again. I figure if they're gonna ride my bumper, they're gonna ride it slow

Just for the record, if they stay at a safe following distance, I will speed up for them, then ease off when we get to a passing zone so they can get by, it's only the tailgaters I do that to.

So, you're an @#!%. Burn in hell. You'd cause an accident or road rage just to get your rocks off. Sick puppy.

edit on 3/13/13 by 123143 because: (no reason given)

Yup!

I see you've been behind me before!

Originally posted by MystikMushroom
There is a reason it is called the SPEED LIMIT.

It is the LIMIT of how FAST you an go.

The left lane is not for going 10 MPH+ over the speed LIMIT.

If you're riding my butt in the left lane and I have my cruise control set to the speed LIMIT, then bug off. I'm not breaking the law for you, and I'm certainly not going to move over so you can.

ETA: And yes, I WILL brake check you if you continue riding my ass.

edit on 12-3-2013 by MystikMushroom because: (no reason given)

Yes, it's an UPPER limit, not a lower limit

Haha. I've been a slow driver all my life. I regularly drive 5-10 mph under the speed limit. Did you know you get way better fuel efficiency at 55 than at 75? I sometimes find myself in the left lane and I get a chuckle from people in a rush. People get so mad about having to take an extra minute to get somewhere.

Fortunately I live in a place where it is common for people to drive really slow. The speed limit is 65mph and I can be passing people all day at 60mph. This is the only place in the US that I've seen like this. It's like a sanctuary for slow drivers. I guess it could be a little annoying when two people going 50 block both lanes trying to pass one another, but I'm not really in a rush so...

More like Number 2.

I guess all of the complaining posters are idiots who failed to read that the winds that day were 40mph

..... don't believe me ... read the article

2 mph is a joke .... especially when the winds were as strong as they were that day .....

like the rest of America ..... this up-side-down .... when conditions are not safe ... drive faster !!!!!!

LMAO

don't get me wrong... I hate slow drivers in the fast lane but this is unwarranted bullsheetz ......

reply to post by FortAnthem


YES Thank you for this thread!!!!!!!! I hate slow drivers that go in the left lane and don't even pass the person on the right..I ride there ass or honk and say move out of the way..Left lane pass, right lane slow..I'm glad this person got a ticket, now she knows left lane for people that need to get somewhere..

My ex-boss was the worst, woah huuuge road rage, he would like cut ppl off, anyone cuts him off he would chase them all down the high way especially in traffic, and he would get racist and all. It was funny to hear..But I swear hes going to have a heart attack someday..

But, point is if your slow MOVE THE F OUT THE WAY. why would you go in the left lane anyways..It's common sense it's there to pass.. but, I salute the cop for ONCE! for doing something right!

I have rules that I follow.

I drive less than 5 mph over the speed limit everywhere I go during the day. At night I drive the speed limit if well lit. In the country at night frequently less than the speed limit (deer are a real problem).

A few observations.

In my experience Cops never pull anyone for doing less than 5 over. I've passed cops doing 4 to 5 over - no problem.

On the interstate if the right lane is full and slower than my five over I stay in the left lane. Sometimes people ride my ass when this happens because 5 over isn't good enough for them. But heck I'm already technically breaking the law by doing 5 over and I'm not going to ride behind some truck doing 5 less than the speed limit so I say - oh well get over it. When the opportunity presents itself I will move over. Unless the person behind me is ridiculously close then I'll move over just to be away from them.

Its never worth getting "involved" with people on the road. Trust me if they are being a total jackass then you don't want to be anywhere near them anyway. Just pull over let the fool around you or slow down and let them pass. Its not worth getting all disturbed over some idiot on the highway.

If out on country roads someone comes up behind me and rides my ass regardless of how fast I am going I usually pull over on the shoulder and let them pass.

If I am in a situation where someone is tailgating and have no choice to let them around me I never slow down or brake check (anymore). I ignore them. And If I find that I am getting really annoyed I'll even turn my mirrors to the side so I don't even have to look at them.

My goal is to have a stress free and uneventful ride to my destination.

I am in control of my emotions - not some moron on the highway.

Originally posted by MystikMushroom
There is a reason it is called the SPEED LIMIT.

It is the LIMIT of how FAST you an go.

The left lane is not for going 10 MPH+ over the speed LIMIT.

If you're riding my butt in the left lane and I have my cruise control set to the speed LIMIT, then bug off. I'm not breaking the law for you, and I'm certainly not going to move over so you can.

ETA: And yes, I WILL brake check you if you continue riding my ass.

edit on 12-3-2013 by MystikMushroom because: (no reason given)

Or you could not try to police what others do, try mixing in some politeness/manners, and move over out of the way. The left lane is for passing only, there are many many signs all over the place that state as much. If you are not passing then you should be in the right lane doing the speed limit or in your case below it if you so choose. I understand not liking people riding your butt, however it has been my experience when you mix ego in with driving and annoyance of having someone on your butt it only leads to trouble on the road. Just move over into the right lane since you should only use the left lane for passing anyway. The idiot who is speeding will eventually end up with their ticket.

What's even more annoying than the idiot riding my butt in traffic is the idiot who holds up traffic for some personal issue.