Left lane squatters

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P&R Fan

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One of my biggest pet peeves is people who drive in the left lane on interstates. If they are there and I want to pass I will get behind them and flash my lights, even if the right lane is open. This always mkes Missus Fan mad. In the newspaper today there is an article about a member of the Iowa Legislature introducing a bill to make that something that will get you a $100 fine.:cool:
Personally I always wanted to mount a cannon on the front of the car, but that might be a little extreme.:D
Jim
 
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During the annual Sturgis Classic in the Black Hills, SD, motorcyclists often jam both lanes on the interstate and Highway 16, and ride slower than the posted speed limit, even when the roadway is clear. They somehow feel entitled to do so, slowing traffic, and causing confusion among other visitors in four wheeled vehicles, and frustrating the locals. As a fellow local rider, I was often embarrassed by their behavior. On one occasion a pack of about a dozen riders on Highway 16 was blocking both lanes, doing 50mph in a posted 65mph zone when I came upon them on my way home from work. They were stacked single file with reasonable following distances between them in both lanes. When the passing lane refused to pull ahead or yield the right of way, it was obvious they were just being jerks for no reason other than they could. After about five minutes, I got frustrated and blew through them on the lane divider. My bad. Oh well. I put the bike away for the rest of the week.
 
The lane one chooses to associate with (left or right) seems to correspond to ones philosophical and political leanings...

I have a friend who claims that driving the Autobahn is a thing of beauty due to the left lane always being open for passing due to considerate drivers.

The same friend advocates for a .22 short to the kneecap for drivers around here that permanently abscond with the left lane, even when moving below the speed limit.

I have a peeve too, but haven't made it a pet yet. ;)
 
My sister is brilliant--incredibly high IQ, and a very nice woman. But she gets in the left lane, sets her speed five mph below the posted limit, and stays there. I don't ride with her anymore, and I've warned her that there are loonies out there who might force her off the road or shoot her. She won't listen. "It's their problem," she says. I gave up mentioning it years ago. We're a stubborn family. Apparently we have a streak of insanity too.
 
On a related note, one morning, during rush hour, a marked Alaska State Trooper patrol car was driving at exactly 55 mph in the right lane, daring people to pass him. He had traffic backed up behind him for a half mile. I decided, "What the Hell". I inched past him at an agonizingly steady 57 mph until I overtook him. As expected, he pulled me over. He asked if knew how fast I was going. "Yes sir. 57", was my answer. He countered by telling me I was driving between 58 & 59 mph. I asked if he was really going to write a speeding ticket for 3 mph over the limit. He looked quite annoyed, and told me to slow it down. Meanwhile all the other drivers on the road made it to work on time!
 
I too suffer from this raising my blood pressure . I was taught drive right & left was for passing . For those that share my affliction don't drive I-65 thru Indiana . Between left lane loafers & underpowered tractor trailers it's something else . Compounding the issue is that they believe that flashing your lights & following closely is aggressive driving with fines that are stiff .
 
P&R Fan said:
Nah, too wimpy. I'm thinkin' a .50 caliber slug through the trunk.:D
Not that I'm into road rage or anything.
Jim
Click to expand...

Unfortunately a .50BMG through the trunk would exit through the grill, possibly causing collateral damage to the next car in front.

C-470 which constitutes the largest part of the Denver bypass is hopelessly out dated. It is two lanes only. In some parts it was a cable barrier, in others it has a chicken wire barrier, and in at least one place there is no barrier. It carries such a volume of traffic there is no choice but to cruise in both lanes.
But I stand by this statement that I frequently make to my wife, "If you're being passed by cars in the right hand lane, YOU ARE IN THE WRONG LANE!"
 
shouldazagged said:
My sister is brilliant--incredibly high IQ, and a very nice woman. But she gets in the left lane, sets her speed five mph below the posted limit, and stays there. I don't ride with her anymore, and I've warned her that there are loonies out there who might force her off the road or shoot her. She won't listen. "It's their problem," she says. I gave up mentioning it years ago. We're a stubborn family. Apparently we have a streak of insanity too.
Click to expand...

As a courtesy to you, out of respect for the rules, and a mortal fear of the Big Giant Ape; I will withhold my opinions of your sister.
 
zzzippper said:
Unfortunately a .50BMG through the trunk would exit through the grill, possibly causing collateral damage to the next car in front.

C-470 which constitutes the largest part of the Denver bypass is hopelessly out dated. It is two lanes only. In some parts it was a cable barrier, in others it has a chicken wire barrier, and in at least one place there is no barrier. It carries such a volume of traffic there is no choice but to cruise in both lanes.
But I stand by this statement that I frequently make to my wife, "If you're being passed by cars in the right hand lane, YOU ARE IN THE WRONG LANE!"
Click to expand...

If the .50 caliber slug goes through the car and hits the one in front of it, so what? That would just be another idjit left lane squatter.
I believe that would be a classic example of two birds with one stone.:D
Jim
 
Several months ago my neighbor was having chest pains and his wife was took him to the hospital. They thought it would be faster than waiting for an ambulance. She said there was a car in the left lane that wouldn't let her pass even though see was using her flashers and horn. They got to the hospital in time and I am sure the person that wouldn't let pass really felt good about himself. I was a volunteer fireman and was responding to a wreck in my personal vehicle and I couldn't get a car to move out of the left lane and let me pass. Nobody was hurt bad in the wreck and no fire so that turned out ok and again I'm sure the person that wouldn't let me pass felt good about themselves. Larry
 
A chief engineer with my company had duties at several far flung, out of state facilities he had to drive to.
He once told me, while almost "strangling" himself with rage;..." If I can be lucky enough to get through the golden gates, I want my Heaven to be traveling highways in a Sherman tank"!
 
I'm a very laid back guy. I'm the kind of guy who can talk to just about anybody. That being said, people who drive slow in the left lane and don't move to the right when I get behind them REALLY grinds my gears. There's a reason I use a radar detector in my truck when I visit my girlfriend in NJ.
 
P&R Fan said:
One of my biggest pet peeves is people who drive in the left lane on interstates. If they are there and I want to pass I will get behind them and flash my lights, even if the right lane is open. This always mkes Missus Fan mad. In the newspaper today there is an article about a member of the Iowa Legislature introducing a bill to make that something that will get you a $100 fine.:cool:
Personally I always wanted to mount a cannon on the front of the car, but that might be a little extreme.:D
Jim
Click to expand...

I sympathize with your original position that people should use the left hand lane of a 4 lane or larger highway for higher speeds and for passing. I would much prefer to see a law passed against people that "get behind them and flash their lights, even if the right lane is open." The first is ignorance or passive aggressive behavior and not good. However your behavior is actively aggressive, and far more reprehensible, especially when you have an empty right lane and all you have to do is pass them. I hope you don't carry concealed with a temper like that.

That is one way road rage incidents get started. People who find a minorly bad situation and escalate it to the next level.
 
About 1985, I was an EMT, and a volunteer on my local ambulance. In accordance with CT state law, we were issued green emergency lights for our cars when responding to the ambulance or scene of the call.

One morning, I was paged for a bad MV accident, and responded in my personal vehicle. Shortly after leaving my house, I came upon a school bus. The bus driver would not pull over and let me pass. Every stop she made, she sat the bus in the middle of the road - no way I was going to pass her in those circumstances. I watched her watching me in her mirror - she just wouldn't let me by.

Took me about three times as long as it should have to get to the fire dept. and pick up the ambulance. The call turned out to be a fatal, and I can not say if her delaying me made a difference.

I do know she was rather shocked later that day when I showed up at the high school, yanked her off her bus, and arrested her. She said if she knew I was a trooper, and not just "some play fireman", she would have let me by....:(

Larry
 
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the issue does not bother me unless it takes the form of a rolling road block.
If they are in the left lane, making a decent pace and maintaining the flow of the lane .. forge on.
The practice tends to reduce the chaos of traffic movement and provides a clean route option to the right lane occupants when that rig on the on ramp merges in 3rd gear.
 
P&R Fan said:
One of my biggest pet peeves is people who drive in the left lane on interstates. If they are there and I want to pass I will get behind them and flash my lights, even if the right lane is open. This always mkes Missus Fan mad. In the newspaper today there is an article about a member of the Iowa Legislature introducing a bill to make that something that will get you a $100 fine.:cool:
Personally I always wanted to mount a cannon on the front of the car, but that might be a little extreme.:D
Jim
Click to expand...

The only thing worse then that for me is the 18 wheelers in the left lane. Taking up the whole left lane for miles while you are trapped behind them. Also they will get next to another one and just sit there with traffic backed up for miles while they just coast along. :mad:
 
finesse_r said:
I would much prefer to see a law passed against people that "get behind them and flash their lights, even if the right lane is open." The first is ignorance or passive aggressive behavior and not good. However your behavior is actively aggressive, and far more reprehensible, especially when you have an empty right lane and all you have to do is pass them.
Click to expand...
Your assumptions here are incorrect. Flashing your high beams at the person driving in the wrong lane is simply alerting them to your presence. It's neither ignorant nor aggressive. Further, it wouldn't be necessary if the driver blocking traffic were less selfish.

In Europe this is a common practice. Flash your lights and the car in front will move over. That's why this feature has become common in cars today. Pull the turn signal lever toward you and it is a momentary high beam switch. It's built into just about every car these days for just this purpose.

Further, in most states it's illegal to pass on the right. This is why most people try to pass on the left.
 
Fishinfool said:
About 1985, I was an EMT, and a volunteer on my local ambulance. In accordance with CT state law, we were issued green emergency lights for our cars when responding to the ambulance or scene of the call.

One morning, I was paged for a bad MV accident, and responded in my personal vehicle. Shortly after leaving my house, I came upon a school bus. The bus driver would not pull over and let me pass. Every stop she made, she sat the bus in the middle of the road - no way I was going to pass her in those circumstances. I watched her watching me in her mirror - she just wouldn't let me by.

Took me about three times as long as it should have to get to the fire dept. and pick up the ambulance. The call turned out to be a fatal, and I can not say if her delaying me made a difference.

I do know she was rather shocked later that day when I showed up at the high school, yanked her off her bus, and arrested her. She said if she knew I was a trooper, and not just "some play fireman", she would have let me by....:(

Larry
Click to expand...

She sounds like one of the idiots who drive bus's here in CC--for the RTA.... They KNOW better but decide to play stupid.
 
Must be getting annoying everywhere as there was legislation introduced here in Alaska this week covering left lane usage. We have a law on the books that covers RV traffic if you back up 5 cars you have to pull over till they pass. Per a Top Gear Episode on the Autobahn Europe has left lane problems but mostly with the eastern European truck drivers.
 
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