Keep It Right

[geminibear]

In the past two weeks I have done approximately 2600 road miles in business travel. Much of that driving was on 4-lane interstate highways. To pass the time I counted how many times I has to pass another vehicle using the right lane, outside of urban areas. (Which other than Denver, there really were none) The count was 89 times in 8 days.

 

Wikipedia-Common practice and most law on United States highways is that the left lane is reserved for passing and faster moving traffic, and that traffic using the left lane must yield to traffic wishing to overtake.

 

State "keep right" laws

Safe travels to all this holiday season.

[+ sniper]

Yeah, I think half the problem is old drivers with only one good eye who can see better if they're on the left, then there's the people holding their cell phones who don't want to deal with having to keep an eye on traffic merging in from the right so they stay on the left.

[MikeyGMin]

Then there is my brother-in-law who will plant himself in the left lane and go the exact speed limit and feel almost smug about the people he is holding up. One of these days he's going to get run off the road!

[Hornplatz]

Then there is my brother-in-law who will plant himself in the left lane and go the exact speed limit and feel almost smug about the people he is holding up. One of these days he's going to get run off the road!

 

He has quite a mean streak in him. It sounds as though he might be unhappy, powerless or unfulfilled about something and this left-lane control

over other drivers makes him feel powerful. You are so right about someday having something unfortunate happen to himself and maybe others.

[+ deej]

American drivers fail to understand one simple rule: YOU HAVE ONE JOB.

 

When you are piloting 2,000 lbs. of killing machine your only job is piloting that machine.

 

I actually rode with a neighbor on a short trip recently and pointed out that he was being very selfish by holding up traffic in the left lane. At first he took affront to being called selfish but as we discussed it he came to understand and MOVED OVER. He just hadn't thought it through.

[RM]

Often there are so many trucks in the right lane that there is only one speed available in the left lane - that of the slowest car passing the trucks.

[Guy Fawkes]

Let's reserve mean streak for the guy that plants his car in the fire lane in front of the store entrance because he's only going to be gone a minute?

 

Or the guy that parks six inches into the handicap space and disrespects the person that has to deal with it.

 

http://www.indiesunlimited.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/shirley.jpg

 

He has quite a mean streak in him. It sounds as though he might be unhappy, powerless or unfulfilled about something and this left-lane control

over other drivers makes him feel powerful. You are so right about someday having something unfortunate happen to himself and maybe others.

[+ deej]

Often there are so many trucks in the right lane that there is only one speed available in the left lane - that of the slowest car passing the trucks.

 

Or worse, the trucks moving to the left lane to pass the knuckle-draggers in the right lane.

[jawjateck]

Don't ya love it when a trucker fluctuating between 58 and 62 is passing another truck doing 60ish. That drama can play out for 2 very long miles. Ugh.......

[+ deej]

All too often! Yup!

[Nvr2Thick]

Then there is my brother-in-law who will plant himself in the left lane and go the exact speed limit and feel almost smug about the people he is holding up. One of these days he's going to get run off the road!

 

I had a friend who did this without the slightest hint of smugness or passive-aggression. He expressed a preference for the left lane, kind of like people who prefer window seats or aisle seats on airplanes. No amount of discussion would sway him from his position that it was his right to drive in the lane where he felt the most comfortable.

[Hornplatz]

Let's reserve mean streak for the guy that plants his car in the fire lane in front of the store entrance because he's only going to be gone a minute?

 

Or the guy that parks six inches into the handicap space and disrespects the person that has to deal with it.

 

http://www.indiesunlimited.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/shirley.jpg

Yep as they "oh, I'll just be a minute" or " I'll be right out" lazy-assed fuckers.

[Hornplatz]

Don't ya love it when a trucker fluctuating between 58 and 62 is passing another truck doing 60ish. That drama can play out for 2 very long miles. Ugh.......

 

I've been behind that game more than once.

[+ deej]

I had a friend who did this without the slightest hint of smugness or passive-aggression. He expressed a preference for the left lane, kind of like people who prefer window seats or aisle seats on airplanes. No amount of discussion would sway him from his position that it was his right to drive in the lane where he felt the most comfortable.

 

I've ridden the left lane myself in situations where it is simply less travelled so it is less bumpy. But I do tend to scoot along.

 

I move over when it's time to get out of the way.

[Nvr2Thick]

I had a friend who did this without the slightest hint of smugness or passive-aggression. He expressed a preference for the left lane, kind of like people who prefer window seats or aisle seats on airplanes. No amount of discussion would sway him from his position that it was his right to drive in the lane where he felt the most comfortable.

 

I've ridden the left lane myself in situations where it is simply less travelled so it is less bumpy. But I do tend to scoot along.

 

I move over when it's time to get out of the way.

 

This was his policy -- "I drive in the left lane; that's my lane. I feel comfortable there." The airplane analogy is apt. When he would enter the highway he'd seat himself in the left lane and that's where he'd stay until it was time to leave the highway. I used to discuss (OK, argue) this topic with him a lot more than I should have. Once, while I was his agitated passenger as he camped out in the left lane on I95 with cruise control set to 65 MPH, he made a crack about a lady who had left her turn signal on for about 20 miles. My comment was, "Maybe she's more comfortable with it on." The other two passengers laughed, and I was on his shit list for the rest of the trip.

[+ deej]

There's no arguing with the entitled.

[+ glennnn]

I feel the pain of all of the above.

[Hornplatz]

This was his policy -- "I drive in the left lane; that's my lane. I feel comfortable there." The airplane analogy is apt. When he would enter the highway he'd seat himself in the left lane and that's where he'd stay until it was time to leave the highway. I used to discuss (OK, argue) this topic with him a lot more than I should have. Once, while I was his agitated passenger as he camped out in the left lane on I95 with cruise control set to 65 MPH, he made a crack about a lady who had left her turn signal on for about 20 miles. My comment was, "Maybe she's more comfortable with it on." The other two passengers laughed, and I was on his shit list for the rest of the trip.

 

Your reply was right on the mark. That was quick and good thinking.

[MiamiLooker]

Drivers that camp out in the left lane are baiting for a road rage incident. I don’t understand why someone would purposely anger other drivers, especially with road rage incidents becoming much more common. All it takes is one pissed-off, gun-toting driver behind him to completely lose it.

 

[gallahadesquire]

On the Mass Pike east of I-84:

 

There are three lanes. Theoretically, the Left lane is for passing. The Center and Right lanes are for travel.

Then there's the issue of "Getting On" [which isn't the same as "Getting Off," but related]. People are too stupid to be at merge speed at the end of the entrance ramp, and it screws up traffic. So traffic moves to the Center and Left Lanes to avoid this problem.

 

But there's not enough pavement for the cars that are there, so the Center Lane traffic winds up in the Left Lane.

 

Frankly, if you live in an area where there is little enough traffic so that it makes a difference in driving in the Left lane or not, all power to you. Most of the Mass Pike is so dense that all three lanes are packed and, during rush hour, stop and go.

 

I'd take the train in, but that takes even longer.

[Hornplatz]

Yeah, I think half the problem is old drivers with only one good eye who can see better if they're on the left, then there's the people holding their cell phones who don't want to deal with having to keep an eye on traffic merging in from the right so they stay on the left.

 

I take exception to your comment about old people. I'm old (80) and prefer the right lane and am always glad to be back in it after

having passed a vehicle.

[+ bashful]

Drive in Chicago area, and you could be passing on the right 89 times a day. After moving to Chicago, I actually thought they taught them in driver's training to go as quickly as possible to the left lane, stay there regardless of how many people are behind you, and then when you need to exit, act like you own the road and proceed to the right. Urg!

 

It was so prevalent, they actually passed a law about 10 years ago where you could be ticketed and fined for left-lane-lollygagging. However, I never saw a car pulled over for that.

[+ deej]

Frankly, if you live in an area where there is little enough traffic so that it makes a difference in driving in the Left lane or not, all power to you. Most of the Mass Pike is so dense that all three lanes are packed and, during rush hour, stop and go.

 

I live in the Los Angeles area. There are often five lanes in each direction.

 

I've driven the roads in the wee hours of the morning often enough to observe people merging onto the freeway below freeway speeds and immediately squirt over two lanes. It's like a habit.

 

Honestly, if you want to make the best time on the roads here you need to hang in the right lane because NOBODY stays there for very long.

[instudiocity]

Honestly, if you want to make the best time on the roads here you need to hang in the right lane because NOBODY stays there for very long.

Ain't that the truth. I've watched LA drivers virtually turn right from the left lane across 4-6 lanes of traffic after the Exit 1/2 Mile sign like that's the way you're supposed to drive. But yes, the far right lane is often the faster lane and with the exception of exit and merge traffic, you can virtually fly.

 

Utah put yellow highlighter on the top of their "Slower Traffic Keep Right" signs:

http://cdn.deseretnews.com/images/article/firstheroimage/1076154/1076154.jpg

I considered a series of signs to be carried by the annoyed driver that he can flash as he passes on the right:

 

"Your driver's license is NOT A TITLE DEED to the Left Lane."

 

"Slower traffic keep right" IS NOT a comment on your intelligence."

 

"IT'S NOT THAT YOU CAN SEE BETTER, IT'S WHAT YOU CAN'T SEE FROM THE LEFT SIDE OF THE LEFT MOST CAR."

 

"Keep Left to Get Passed by ME!"

 

"California is so LEFT in it's thinking that 40% of all drivers drive in the Left Lane Exclusively."

[Guest]

Drivers that camp out in the left lane are baiting for a road rage incident. I don’t understand why someone would purposely anger other drivers, especially with road rage incidents becoming much more common. All it takes is one pissed-off, gun-toting driver behind him to completely lose it.

 

The biggest problem this country faces is that there aren't enough gun-toting drivers who will blow the brains out of slow drivers in the left lane... :mad:

 

http://files.harrispublications.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2012/10/CarJack_spread2_phatchfinal.jpg