PSA: You drive like an asshole!!

[BmillsSkier]

"very little".

Thank you

Bonus points if you're in a Prius in the HOV lane doing 45?

It's a Tesla now.

This.

Around here the HOV lane is the get in and hammer it lane.

Until you come up on some joker in one of these doing 45.

[stuckathuntermtn]

Gotta extend that range, yo.

[The AD]

I've seen people hovering right around the speed limit in HOV lanes around here, but have yet to see anyone going 45 other than when traffic is moving that slow. I think you guys may be exaggerating.

[Ted Striker]

There was at least a foot of cold blower! Probably 18 inches on the arm! Sucks you missed it, brah.

[BmillsSkier]

Highway traffic is always heavy here but generally people know that the speed limit is rarely enforced and that the left lane is for passing, faster traffic.

Luckily I don’t use the highways during rush hours but when I do it’s not uncommon to see a solo driver with the “Low Emissions” plate in the HOV lane hovering right about the same speed as the far right lane, 7 lanes over, which during those times is ~45.

These people would normally be driving in the right lane at that slower speed because to Prius drivers and the like, actually driving is about 10th on their list of priorities when behind the wheel. They just get to do it in a less congested lane thanks to the nifty license plate.

[skaredshtles]

<snip> actually driving is about 10th on their list of priorities when behind the wheel.

This is true of about 98% of the drivers on the road.

[BmillsSkier]

True. But I think that number approaches 100% when the driver sees it only as a necessary evil commuting box.

[Ted Striker]

No shit.

Cell phone, kids in the back seat, lap dog, daydreaming, thc, npr, conservative talk radio, or just general vacuousness.

[Danno]

Don't get me started about RT 36. I hate that fucking highway and 90% of the people that use it. It is up there in my top 10 clusterfucks of all time. And I have only been on it a couple dozen times. One of the reasons it is so annoying is that it is a rural road. I expect urban roads to be cluttered with fuckery. Not a mostly straight rural highway with a 70 mph speed limit. It must be something in the drinking water. If it was out towards Rocky Flats, then that would be a distinct possibility. It's been 10 years since I last used it so maybe things have changed?

36 is a rural road? Are we talking about the same 36? Because I wouldn't have classified it as a rural road when I moved here 19 years ago, and it sure ain't rural now. And the speed limit is not and to my knowledge has never been 70.

It's a road used exclusively by people from Boulder - you should not expect anything else.

Um, have you heard of Broomfield/Westminster/etc? It's not the correct choice of road if you want one used exclusively by people from Boulder.

[evdog]

I understand that with a short on-ramp you may not get up to 65, but it's like people aren't even trying. Even when it's long enough, you can see people stop accelerating at 55. Like I said, am I missing something? Everyone doing it gives me the feeling I'm missing something.

I often get stuck behind people who barely seem to be accelerating up on-ramps. Next thing you know we're hitting full speed freeway traffic at 40, 45, 50 and shit-for-brains ahead of me is still plodding along, barely gaining speed. If my ancient 4-banger tacoma can not only keep up to you but easily overtake you while accelerating, you need to pull your head out of your ass and hit that gas pedal.

[old goat]

I often get stuck behind people who barely seem to be accelerating up on-ramps. Next thing you know we're hitting full speed freeway traffic at 40, 45, 50 and shit-for-brains ahead of me is still plodding along, barely gaining speed. If my ancient 4-banger tacoma can not only keep up to you but easily overtake you while accelerating, you need to pull your head out of your ass and hit that gas pedal.

Last year Sacramento installed metering lights at the top end of an uphill freeway on ramp. For some reason these lights were working all the time--weekend and middays with traffic moving at the usual 5-10 over. Made it impossible to get up to speed to merge, and since the entrance lane was also an exit lane, people wanting to exit were forced to hit the brakes because of the slow moving entrance traffic. They successfully created a traffic jam (and hazard) where there was none before. Since then they've improved the timing of when the lights are working, but they still are on at inappropriate times.

[S_jenks]

At his point in my driving life, I simply assume that everyone driving around me are either drunk or high.

After enough years of driving, people get lazy. You start looking at your phone more, you start making more assumptions, you start thinking it's okay to divert your attention, etc, etc, etc.

People freak out about all sorts of ski-related stuff that can kill you, but the drive to/from the mountain is more likely to take a life any day of the week.

Please stay safe on the roads people. We need every mag we can get.


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[Kinnikinnick]

Left me see if I can cut through your rage and try to explain better. I don't like people who camp in the left lane with open road in front of them any more than you do. What I'm talking about is situations, like driving home from skiing, when all lanes are fully occupied. You say that anyone in your way in the left lane is breaking the law. In CA at least, the law is that cars moving at LESS THAN THE NORMAL SPEED OF TRAFFIC must drive right. When all lanes are fully occupied and are all moving at the same average speed those cars in the left lane keeping up with the cars in front of them are not breaking any laws. This is not just legal, it is common sense.

I agree that there are times when it is the right lane that is moving fastest due to most people wanting to drive left. Why is that? People know that if they drive on the right and come up on a slow moving car or truck, the people in the left lane will not let them merge in order to pass, and will in fact aggressively speed up to prevent it. Also, frequently the situation is that there is a slow moving truck in the right lane well ahead. People see the truck and move left as soon as they can to pass the truck. Meanwhile, someone seeing all that open road in the right lane speeds by the cars on the left waiting for their turn to pass the truck and then forces their way into the left lane at the last possible moment, forcing cars in the left lane to hit the brakes and increasing congestion.

The question is--do you drive so that you get there as fast as possible regardless of the effect on other drivers, or do you wait your turn, share the road, and drive with consideration of your fellow drivers? Judging by your use of terms like "moronic", "stupid", "self-deluded" I'm guessing the former. I know it's frustrating to be stuck in traffic. I hate it. But try to keep in mind that when traffic is bad you're just as much a part of the problem as everyone else.

And yes, people should accelerate to freeway speed when entering a freeway and wait to merge until they get to the end of the line separating the ramp from the travel lane. Unfortunately that's not always possible.

That’s some deep insight into the psychology of the left lane loungers. Yeah, they have some reason for staying left - I might get stuck in the right lane behind a truck. Which shows that their thinking has moved away from driving properly into some petty selfish reasoning - ie I don’t want to be inconvenienced so instead I’ll contribute to fucking this situation instead.

In your scenario - If both lanes are moving at the same speed then why are you to the left? Get to the right. You don’t gain anything and you fuck everyone behind and yourself.

Let’s look at the math.

If everyone is in the left lane coming out of a slowdown caused by accident or heavy traffic merging from a side road or whatever:

1) Left lane traveling at 30 and right at 35. No one can speed up. You’ll go 30-35.

2) everyone gets to the right unless passing.

Now people can gradually accelerate to 40, 50, 60, 70 in the left lane and 35, 45, 55, 65 in the right lane. They can’t do that if everyone parks in the left lane and goes 30.

Which is better traffic flow? If you have 100 miles to go, which do you want? 3 hours or 1.5?




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[Danno]

That’s some deep insight into the psychology of the left lane loungers. Yeah, they have some reason for staying left - I might get stuck in the right lane behind a truck. Which shows that their thinking has moved away from driving properly into some petty selfish reasoning - ie I don’t want to be inconvenienced so instead I’ll contribute to fucking this situation instead.

In your scenario - If both lanes are moving at the same speed then why are you to the left? Get to the right. You don’t gain anything and you fuck everyone behind and yourself.

Let’s look at the math.

If everyone is in the left lane coming out of a slowdown caused by accident or heavy traffic merging from a side road or whatever:

1) Left lane traveling at 30 and right at 35. No one can speed up. You’ll go 30-35.

2) everyone gets to the right unless passing.

Now people can gradually accelerate to 40, 50, 60, 70 in the left lane and 35, 45, 55, 65 in the right lane. They can’t do that if everyone parks in the left lane and goes 30.

Which is better traffic flow? If you have 100 miles to go, which do you want? 3 hours or 1.5?




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You won't be happy unless everyone gets out of your way so you can go the speed you want, and anyone who doesn't get out of your way gets derisively referred to as a left lane lounger. Your critical thinking skills, at least on this point, have failed you.

Let's say you're on an interstate, 2 lanes, lot of volume so everyone's going 50 in both lanes (speed limit 65). You want to drive 80. I want to drive 75. We're both in the left lane. According to you, neither of us should be in that lane: "If both lanes are moving at the same speed then why are you to the left?" Do you really think we all should move to the left so you can go 80? What if you're preferred speed is 70, we all should move left so you can go 70? Even if I want to go 75? Do we all need banners in our cars declaring our preferred speed so we can sort this out? Sometimes it simply isn't possible to go 80 when there's heavy volume, and it has nothing to do with cars not moving to the right lane.

Yes, if there's space on the road, slower cars should be on the right, I'm sure old goat would agree. And Americans can do better at this for sure, I bet he'd agree on that too. But there are times where that protocol simply doesn't work, something you're too rigid and self centered to see.

ETA: it's like you think slow moving traffic wouldn't exist if we just all moved to the right, which is silly.

[::: :::]

Thread title is still the most concise post in here

[old goat]

You won't be happy unless everyone gets out of your way so you can go the speed you want, and anyone who doesn't get out of your way gets derisively referred to as a left lane lounger. Your critical thinking skills, at least on this point, have failed you.

Let's say you're on an interstate, 2 lanes, lot of volume so everyone's going 50 in both lanes (speed limit 65). You want to drive 80. I want to drive 75. We're both in the left lane. According to you, neither of us should be in that lane: "If both lanes are moving at the same speed then why are you to the left?" Do you really think we all should move to the left so you can go 80? What if you're preferred speed is 70, we all should move left so you can go 70? Even if I want to go 75? Do we all need banners in our cars declaring our preferred speed so we can sort this out? Sometimes it simply isn't possible to go 80 when there's heavy volume, and it has nothing to do with cars not moving to the right lane.

Yes, if there's space on the road, slower cars should be on the right, I'm sure old goat would agree. And Americans can do better at this for sure, I bet he'd agree on that too. But there are times where that protocol simply doesn't work, something you're too rigid and self centered to see.

ETA: it's like you think slow moving traffic wouldn't exist if we just all moved to the right, which is silly.

Thank you for explaining it to him, but I doubt it will do any good.
A simple way to put it--if you are in the left lane and keeping up with the car in front of you you're not driving like an asshole. If you're not and you're not passing someone, you are.
And the best way to encourage people to stay to the right is to be courteous and let them into the left lane when they need to pass, instead of speeding up to block them. When people drive like assholes the net effect is to make everyone else drive like an asshole.

[ACH]

Tell you what, spend a few years riding a motorcycle in traffic and you will all learn that 95% of drivers are wielding rolling, heavy weapons of mass destruction, and they are all out to get you.

Bottom line, if you act as though the road belongs to you, or that through your own self entitled logic believe yourself to be better or more deserving than the person in front of you, you are being the asshole. I'm not proud of it, but I get impatient too sometimes, so yeah, if the shoe fits...


Sent from my highway, now get the fuck out of my way.

[The AD]

Thank you for explaining it to him, but I doubt it will do any good.
A simple way to put it--if you are in the left lane and keeping up with the car in front of you you're not driving like an asshole. If you're not and you're not passing someone, you are.
And the best way to encourage people to stay to the right is to be courteous and let them into the left lane when they need to pass, instead of speeding up to block them. When people drive like assholes the net effect is to make everyone else drive like an asshole.

Agreed. Reminds me of the last time I drove back from Whistler (Sunday of Thanksgiving weekend). It's a two-lane highway with frequent passing lanes. I'd say a good 90% of the cars refused to even attempt to stay to the right when a passing lane started and just continued in this long conga line in the left lane with no one passing anyone. Kinda defeats the purpose of having passing lanes.

[Mofro261]

Thread title is still the most concise post in here

Nope. "You don't just drive like an Asshole, you really are an Asshole" would be the proper title.

[skaredshtles]

Thank you for explaining it to him, but I doubt it will do any good.
A simple way to put it--if you are in the left lane and keeping up with the car in front of you you're not driving like an asshole. If you're not and you're not passing someone, you are.
And the best way to encourage people to stay to the right is to be courteous and let them into the left lane when they need to pass, instead of speeding up to block them. When people drive like assholes the net effect is to make everyone else drive like an asshole.

Agree totally with all this. I would add - if you are going to get left to pass, GET THAT SHIT DONE. I'm fine with folks moving left to pass, but don't move left and then fucking dawdle on the pass maneuver. Get it done and move back right.

[skaredshtles]

Agreed. Reminds me of the last time I drove back from Whistler (Sunday of Thanksgiving weekend). It's a two-lane highway with frequent passing lanes. I'd say a good 90% of the cars refused to even attempt to stay to the right when a passing lane started and just continued in this long conga line in the left lane with no one passing anyone. Kinda defeats the purpose of having passing lanes.

What's even worse are the dooshnozzles that cruise along those 2-laners at 55mph, then do 70mph when they get to the passing lane. That's fucked up.

I think we've re-hashed that a million times already, though...

[Danno]

What's even worse are the dooshnozzles that cruise along those 2-laners at 55mph, then do 70mph when they get to the passing lane. That's fucked up.

that's like 75% of all drivers on the road.

[skaredshtles]

that's like 75% of all drivers on the road.

And if you *do* manage to pass them doing 85 in the right lane, and then drop back to 75mph when it goes back to 2-lanes, they will ride your ass like that is what they've wanted to drive all along. Fucksticks.

[The AD]

Yes, people do that and it's bizarre.

[evdog]

Last year Sacramento installed metering lights at the top end of an uphill freeway on ramp. For some reason these lights were working all the time--weekend and middays with traffic moving at the usual 5-10 over. Made it impossible to get up to speed to merge, and since the entrance lane was also an exit lane, people wanting to exit were forced to hit the brakes because of the slow moving entrance traffic. They successfully created a traffic jam (and hazard) where there was none before. Since then they've improved the timing of when the lights are working, but they still are on at inappropriate times.

We have some like that in SD though they are pretty good about only being on during rush hour. Putting them at the top is still a problem as you don't have time to get up to full speed before hitting traffic, and its even more of a problem with said people who don't try to get up to speed.

The one near my office can be especially bad, right above where I-5 and 805 split. The two right lanes go to 805, which doesn't back up until a mile further so cars in those lanes are going full speed. I-5 often backs up almost to the the on ramp. Since I take the 5 I have to scramble to get up to speed to cross over 2 lanes of 805 going full speed only to slam on the brakes in the I-5 lane. Having the meter light further back there would make a huge difference.