I was just traveling down a mountain road.

I understand that these can be intimidating with tight curves, narrow lanes and sheer drop offs. I also understand that you may not want to travel the limit due to being unfamiliar with the road. That's OK and I would never suggest that anyone drive faster than they are comfortable.

However, there are those who do want to travel a little faster. The county, state and even feds have conveniently provided places for the slower drivers to get out of the way and let other pass. They are called turn outs. USE THEM!!!

We were stuck behind this yahoo who was traveling 20MPH and slower (speed limit is 45MPH). It might be one thing if it was just me, but we counted at least 10 cars stuck behind this idiot. There were probably more, but that's as many as we could count before the turns prevented us seeing them. Yet he would not move over.

Also, I would understand if there was no place to get out of the way. That's not the case on this road. He passed no less than 20 places he could have pulled over to let us by. It would have cost him less than 20 seconds of time to let us all by.

The trip I took today usually takes me 1hr 15min. Today it took 1hr 45min because we were stuck behind this guy.

It's bad enough that people feel the need to drive slowly in the left lane on the freeway. At least there, there is the possibility to pass. But to just sit there on a winding mountain road holding up 10+ cars is the absolute height of selfishness.

The biggest problem with this behavior is what it can cause others to do. There was one, who was obviously less patient than I, who tried to pass several cars while going around blind curves. I was concerned that this guy, in a huge truck that had at least a 4" lift (not the best handling vehicle), was going to hit someone while trying to get around this idiot holding us all up.

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Freedom isn't free.

That surprises me. I used to do a lot of mountain driving in California. Cali drivers at that time were quite good about using the turnouts. That was fifty years ago, though. Things might have changed since then.

Then, too, it only takes one numbnuts.

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Not in jail.

I think that the loss of common courtesy is more to blame, and a lack of real world driving skills. I make it a point to stay in the slow lanes here in CA because if you go the posted limit in the fast lane on a highway you will be bowled over by those doing 10-15 mph above the posted speed limit. Old age does have it's advantages...there's no place I have to be to risk my life to shave a few minutes off my trip. Let 'em go, they can be my "blocker" when the blue lights come on the Highway Patrol cruiser. I do enjoy a good laugh when see some nimrod who passed me fives miles ago gets pulled over.

InNew Zealand the speed limit on the open road is 100 km/h. We generally allow a threshold before issuing a ticket of 10 km/h, except around schools during school time and on national public holiday long weeeknds when the threshold is 4 km/h.

Our vehicles have to comply with Australian regulations (we both source vehicles from the same Asian and European manufacturers) which stipulate speedometers must read at least 3 but no more than 5 km/h below. Most drivers know this so they add 5 km/h for the speedo reading low and another 10 km/h for the threshold.

The trouble really is our roads. Originally they were walking tracks through native brush in the early 1800's. Then they became horse tracks, bullock/wagon trails and finally roads when automobiles came along. Some of our State Highways built in the last 50 years or so are pretty good, most are far from flat and what looks like a flat road can have a down gradient enough to add another 2-3 km/h. They are surprised and often upset when stopped and told they are being ticketed.

Another is the GPS driver, they stick a cheap GPS unit on the windscreen and use that as a speedo, not realising that unless they are using an aircraft grade unit at several thousand dollars their is at least a 2 second lag in getting the reading from the satellite (I know, I have tested it against a moving radar unit several times). Again they scream when caught.

As for the slow drivers, when told that it'll cost them $150 for not puli g over and letting traffic pass they get very thoughtful. Unless there is some major inconvenience though I generally issue a written warning, telling them it gets recorded gainst their license and next time the cop will see and and could decide to issue a live ticket.

But one of the most humorist ones I have stopped was doing 35 km/h over the limit about 5 km past an overtaking lane who insisted he just had to speed up to get past the vehicle doing 95 on the passing lane and insisted he had slowed down after overtaking. The car he had overtaken drove past as I was speaking to him and gave me a big grin and a wave.

I think that all higher speed highways should post a maximum and minimum speed with a penalty for not complying. The minimum speed travelers should be restricted to the right lane in the US.

I feel your pain, Rastoff.

Forget about "E. Pluribus Unum", "It's all about me!" That's the new national motto!

Yesterday must have been National Bad Driver Day, during a bad rain storm all the 18 wheelers got in the left lane at 10MPH below the limit, then they wouldn't back get over when there was plenty of room and opportunity, then traffic sped up and they couldn't get over. It was 15 more miles before things settled down and people used their brain.

There was a pile up on the other side. Caused by the down pour and an idiot that slammed on the brakes when nobody can see. There is the law about assured distance, but the laws of physics always apply! Stop short in front of an 18 wheeler on wet pavement, and you will see many laws in action! If I can't see on an Interstate, I head for the berm, 'cause nobody can see me!

Well we all have vented and survived (or vice versa). Try and have a better week.

Ivan

Give them the chrome horn.

Those who vent on the internet for more than a short paragraph
or two are really the "all about me" people.

I suffer only one type of road-rage...left lane drivers. I don't think it's selfishness. It's total lack of awareness.

I've often wanted to make a cardboard sign that says, "Who are you passing?" to hold up when I go past them on the right.

I don't believe there are many tickets issued for this, but if I were in LE, I would make this my number one priority. Armed felons can wait!

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Because of the metric system?

Having gone to college in Boone, NC, I have become used to following Florida cars in a half-speed parade on two lane curvy roads. They can't help it, there are no hills or curves where they live. I really like it when their brake lights come on at just the sight of a curve or hill in the distance.

And then you got home and spent that extra 30 minutes ventimg and posting on the internet!

Yep and then all the NC drivers, along with Ohio , Michigan, NY and all other places come down here and clog the roads, driving in the left lane with turn signal flashing, not knowing where the heck they are going!

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Still Running Against the Wind

I have a eleven mile commute to work, eight miles of which are four lane highway. Not a single blessed day goes by where I don't have to pass at least four vehicles doing 45-50 MPH in the left lane. Many days, I pass the same cars. Worse yet, quite a large number wait until the last 1500 feet before the expressway ends and then move into the right hand lane!

PennDot put KEEP RIGHT EXCEPT TO PASS signs along this highway several years ago. The signs did nothing.

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Virtue,Liberty & Independence

He was probably too busy on his phone to notice the pileup of cars behind him.


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" I LOVE A PARADE". Not a sole in front and a parade behind them.

Last time I was in Texas on a motorcyle trip drivers rural drivers would typically slow and pull to the shoulder and let you pass. The first time this happened I was wondering what was up but then noticed is was quite common. Very nice of them. But I can't say the same about the Texas city drivers.

Sounds like Route 28!

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Because of the metric system?

I do think the main problem is the lack of consideration for others.

I may be wrong, but I thought there was a set minimum speed limit of 15 under the posted maximum. That being said, most times people who stay in between the two number don't bother me. Those who run about 5 miles over don't bother me either. The "Speed Racers" who fly by doing 80 in a 55, those are the ones who tick me off. Leave earlier if getting there at a certain time is so damn important. Driving that fast is going to get someone killed besides yourself sheep dip!


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I've logged many miles in western NC and while I can't match the ability of the locals I can hold my own.
What gets me is the ones that poke along then speed up where the 2 lane straightens into a passing zone.
One of the toughest drives I can recall was when my kids were tired and my wife grouchy after a long day in Smoky Mtn. Park. making my way back to Otto. Dark thirty, raining just hard enough to make the new blacktop hard to see I did the best I felt capable of doing.
Wasn't good enough.
Traffic began to back up behind me, the turn outs were few and far between and I know of a couple I flat out missed due to reduced visibility.
Nobody pushed me , no flashing of the high beams I appreciated the patience of the ones behind me and I was even more determined to get out of the way.
It was a busy stretch of road but I managed to pull over 2 or 3 times to let them pass.

"What gets me is the ones that poke along then speed up where the 2 lane straightens into a passing zone."

According to the Boone locals, those are Yankees who've moved to Florida.

"But I can't say the same about the Texas city drivers."

That's because they're not from Texas.

One game I sometimes play while out driving is to pretend I'm a police officer and count how many tickets I would give out. Usually quite a few. The three blatant ones are left lane lurking, blowing stoplights, and not using turn signals. Beyond that it's always fun being behind a driver who feels the need to tap his/her brakes every ten seconds and brake at an intersection when they have the green light. I do my best to get in front of these folks because I know they have no business driving.

That is a pet peeve of mine also. They are not in a hurry but they sure are not going to move over. Nice polite people who would not think of obstructing a hallway or elevator, when put behind the wheel, change. Manors go out the window. We have to travel South Park often and the wife and I for something to do, count the number of cars hung up behind one slow person. Fifty to ninety happen often. The WINNER of the contest was a small foreign station wagon obviously going well under the speed limit, had 256 cars stacked up behind it. This was last year and thought this record could not be beaten but we were wrong. This year 374 cars were obstructed by one rude driver. While we are on the subject of rude drivers, those that pull up to a gas pump and camp out for a half an hour, reading maps, going to the bathroom, visiting with the neighborhood dog, getting a soda, ect need a manners lesson from my grandmother.

Some of the interstate highways in North Carolina have a maximum/minimum speed limit posted, both of which are blatantly ignored by probably 90% of drivers.

It may be a good idea to have max/min limits, but who do you think's going to enforce compliance? The highway patrol? They're already hard pressed to enforce existing laws and issue citations due to staffing shortages and time constraints.

This made me smile. I'm undoubtedly guilty of that, but still...I wish I could hit the "Like" button a bunch of times on your post.

I live on a winding hilly road on a lake that the population quadruples during the good months, especially on weekends and holidays. I call that class of people "flatlanders"

Oh the things I have seen would make a big list.

Some of the worst are way undersized/ under powered vechicles pulling large trailers. That gives you pendulum type swaying, no power to navigate the roads responsibly. That in turn slows every body down.

People just driving and looking at the scenery at about 1/2 to 3/4 of the allowed speed, who of course are totally oblivious to the procession of vechicles behind them and will never pull over and let the line behind them pass. There are very few legal passing places on most of these roads, and in some places those passing zones are over 5 miles apart

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14 S&W Revs none with locks!

Well, the good folks in Boone shouldn't complain too much, because those "Yankees" sure do spend a lot of tourist dollars in their little town.

Plus, there's a lot of those folks from "up north" who have summer homes and vacation cabins up there in the mountains. By the time they've spent a month or so, or even the whole summer up there, they've spent a bunch of money on golf courses, restaurants, gift and craft shops, and not to mention the casino up in Cherokee and the residuals that generates.

"Yankees"? Yep, I reckon so. But their money spends as good as mine does, that's for sure, and there's people up in the mountains only too happy to take it from 'em.

I hear what you're talking about. Here in Missouri we have plenty of tight curvy roads. I drive one every day on my daily commute. Speed limit is 55 and more often than not someone is doing 32 and hitting the brakes at every turn and on the only straight stretch for no reason at all.

If that's their skill level then that's fine but see that mom & pop grocery store up ahead? Pull off.

This road is easily and safely traversed at 55, it's paved, it has stripes.

I believe Nevada has a law on the books about having to use a
pull out if you are holding up five or more cars, behind you.

Troopers will site a driver for holding up traffic if they see it and
are not on an important call or mission, at the time.

Over 100 cars !!
That's jail time, pardner...................

In Texas, back when Freeways/Expressways were fairly new to urban areas (Houston/Dallas) there were posted minimum speeds. Maybe it's me that's not paying attention but I think they have all been deleted. Hopefully someone can come along and correct me. IIRC, it was no more than two years ago that Texas Interstates and four lane highways got "Left Lane for Passing Only". At the time the statue was enacted even LE admitted it was going to be tough to enforce. Those and the "Slower Traffic Keep Right" are a joke. The theory is great, the reality - not so much.

I will not rant against stupid drivers, I will not rant against stupid drivers, I will not rant against stupid drivers. There I feel better. Thanks folks!! hardcase60

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You want me to do what?

Well heck, it used to really get me when living up in Wisconsin, Iowa and that general area,

Those darn Farmers with their slow vehicle triangle where always clogging up the the 2 lane roads. Hay blowing all over.Always a double line and no passing!
Even slower where the Amish in their horse buggies, did they pull over?? Noooo!

The Nerve of those folks!

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Still Running Against the Wind

Sounds like Pocahontas County West Virginia!

I vacation down there from time to time and know where every single darn passing zone is on the winding two lane roads. The locals poke along at 35-40 MPH (55 MPH limit) until there is a marked passing zone, then wham! Up to 65 MPH or they floor it when they see me start to pass. I've had to get up some serious speed to get buy on several occasions. Heck, I know they have no place to go in a hurry, however I do!

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Virtue,Liberty & Independence

Hey!!!!. I resemble that.

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Reg. Magnum wants/Rossi wallet

With the joke headlights fitted to most American vehicles that's hardly surprising. I got here in '97 and found my new rental car had sealed beams with transverse filaments. Hadn't seen those in Europe for nearly 20 years. I call them "black hole creators" due to the patchy beam they create. After driving here for about a week it became apparent that US cars need airbags because of the inevitable accident caused by you seeing where you are going.

It's not really got that much better. My current 4-door has HID headlights, but they were clearly neutered by the USDoT on the import dock.

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Release the Kraken

Don't get me started on "dabbers". Mind you, we create that issue for strangers here in Vegas because the city is too cheap to put up signs telling you what major cross-street is next. As the major surface streets have three lanes and 45 mph speed limits, you have to have eyes like a hawk to read the street sign at the light in time to get in the lane you need. I'm sure if you brought this up officially the city's paymasters in the casino industry would say something like "tell me more about this concept of visitors leaving the Strip", before laughing manically.

Oh, and then there are "two-footers" who are accelerating while showing brake lights. That overheats my mechanical sympathy chip.

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Release the Kraken

They're called "Obliviots"

Many states with steep gradients also have a law REQUIRING slow traffic to use turnouts to allow others to pass; Same for Interstates and other 4 lane divided highways. The inner-most lane is called the passing lane, and you are SUPPOSED to "Keep right EXCEPT to pass". Texas enforces that rules, as do others.

My ex-FIL got a ticket for going to SLOW in that lane when he retired to the Mesa area several decades ago..........Here they get a polite flash of the lights, and if they don't pull over, folks go around - and many will cut it close pulling back into the passing lane as a sort of passive-aggressive middle finger gesture.

Down here in FL, the worst left lane huggers seem to be from (and sorry if it offends anyone) Michigan, Georgia, and Indiana. The BEST about getting out of the way seem to be from Ontario, Canada.

And yes, I take those little black and white signs as merely a suggestion..........

Yes, that is 100% correct. Very handy on the two-lane parts of US-95, i.e. most of it.

This year's legislature also passed a law that you have to be doing the speed limit to be in the left lane on the freeway. Can't imagine anybody on my commute going that slow...

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Release the Kraken

there was a guy in our avionics shop in Germany (1970)that had a late 1950ish or early 1960ish VW Beetle that the headlights could have been improved upon greatly be just by taping a couple of 4 cell maglites to the fenders. anything over 30 mph and you were outdriving the lights

All you peeved drivers, from wherever you are, may you all
live long enough to enjoy infirmities that will slow but not
curtail your independence in driving---driving in all parts
of the country and all types of roads.

And remember your postings here this week.

I'm old enough to have more than a couple of infirmities, but that doesn't stop me from being polite, and getting safely out of the way of others.

Yep I'm now 72 and have been slowed down a bit. After owning a bunch of performance cars including 7 Corvettes all with manual transmissions my last purchased (15 Convertible) I ordered with a auto box. ------O woe is me!

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14 S&W Revs none with locks!

70 this year. I have had many Corvettes in my 55 years of driving. A 2017 in the garage now. It's my wife's show off car.
S.C. used to have signs on all 4 lane roads to keep right except to pass and minimum speed signs. Can't remember when I've seen one.

Mostly my Car(04 MACH1)and my truck (03 F150 Lightning) and my bike (01ZRX1200R) are quick enough for me to pass left lane lazies.

Highways have multi lanes for a reason.

Two laners mostly have spaces to pass.

Nice thing in TEXAS usually on two laners when some one is holding up the train they pull to the shoulder and let people pass.

City folks and all these dam out of staters are not so courteous or intelligent not sure which but leaning more towards the latter.


FYI have been driving 40 plus yrs.

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There are only 3 kinds of drivers. IDIOTS: drive slower than me, Jerks: drive faster than me, those that drive just like me are rare. Feel free to insert more colorful words for idiots/jerks.

You do the limit on I75 or I95 here in FL and someone's grandma in a Prius will be passing you and flipping you off............

I think there is often a distinct difference between the inconsiderate drivers who won't pull over to let others pass and the incredibly impatient and dangerous tailgaters who feel they are more important than anyone else on the road.

The former are often not as observant as they should be, but seldom malicious. The latter are always mean and nasty. Others may characterize them as jerks, but that's a bit mild.

Indeed. After my day I needed a little "me" time. Thanks for noticing.

I completely agree.

I'm not a speedy driver, but neither do I poke along. Whenever I'm stuck behind a driver that I feel is going too slowly, I ask myself, "Is he going too slowly or am I the problem by going to fast?" Yes, sometimes it's me being the impatient one. I try not to be. However, in this case, the guy was really going slow. Like I said in the OP, that's fine. This road is dangerous and claims at least one life every year. So, he can go as slow as he wants, just pull over and let the other idiots by. I don't think he was intentionally holding us up, but he wasn't being considerate either.

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Freedom isn't free.

Here in WA the twisty mountain roads all have signs that say
DELAY OF MORE THAN 5 VEHICLES ILLEGAL - USE TURNOUTS
And if they catch you doing what the OP describes, they WILL issue you a ticket. People going too slow are just as likely to cause an accident as people going too fast.

There are also signs every few miles on the freeways that say KEEP RIGHT EXCEPT TO PASS, and all the freeways have a ``minimum 40 MPH speed limit posted too.

And thank goodness all the perfect drivers are here on the forum!

Wonder if the are posting on there phone while driving??

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Still Running Against the Wind

Was that you beside me!!!!


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George Carlin - Idiot and Maniac - YouTube

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Or something like that . . .

California also has a five or more rule requiring a slow driver to pull over, but regardless of what any law says, I'd say it boils down to that increasingly rare commodity, common courtesy. It doesn't matter if I'm driving 80 mph, if I see somebody coming up behind me, I'll pull over. If the lane to my right is blocked, I'll even accelerate to get past them so I can pull over quicker.

When circumstances have me driving slower than the normal flow, you betcha I'm in the far right lane. Now, if somebody's speeding and trying to get around a knot of traffic by taking the right lane, I have some sympathy for you, but it's not me you should be angry at.

I really hope that those slow drivers in a single lane, holding a bunch of others back, are doing it maliciously. That's far preferable to the idea that they are that clueless about what's going on around them.


Vaguely related story: A while back one of my brothers & his wife took a road trip to Texas to visit some of her family. At one point, he pulled over to check the map & get situated, and in the maybe 10 minutes he was there, three different people stopped to see if he needed any help! Being from the SF Bay Area, he was thoroughly confused by this behavior.

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TEAM DNF