Keep It Right

[mike carey]

Yegads! You back up traffic because you're too lazy to hit the accelerator for a few seconds then hit the "resume" button when you're ready to go back on cruise control?

Rarely happens, and it's usually only one car. By the same token, I'm not worried at all if someone else slows me a little. It sounds as if you are affronted at the slightest inconvenience when driving. Imagine, the indignity of being unable to drive at exactly the speed limit. If it's busy traffic or if I'm only passing by 1 or 2 km/h I'll accelerate. Same deal with a truck that is travelling faster than me down hill or on a flat road but 10km/h slower up hill (even though truck speed limit is 100km/h): I'll accelerate then to put some distance between us.

With most cruise control systems it's only necessary to resume after braking or pressing the clutch (if applicable). Accelerating tends to leave the cruise control setting intact.

Yep, mine does that, and if I'm travelling more than 5km/h faster than my selected speed it flashes at me. My car ia a manual, so it can't kick down to maintain speed on hills, so it avoids those fuel economy issues.

[+ Charlie]

I love cruise control when I am traveling on relatively empty interstates in rural areas, because my leg gets tired from staying one position holding down the gas pedal for miles and miles, but in most of southern California, I don't find myself in that situation. However, driving from, say, El Paso to Austin, or Fargo to Bozeman, it's a godsend.

[escortrod]

Yep, mine does that, and if I'm travelling more than 5km/h faster than my selected speed it flashes at me. My car ia a manual, so it can't kick down to maintain speed on hills, so it avoids those fuel economy issues.

 

Even with a manual it can hit fuel economy because it's so dogged about maintaining the selected speed.

[mike carey]

Even with a manual it can hit fuel economy because it's so dogged about maintaining the selected speed.

Yes it does. I've watched the instantaneous fuel consumption display going up hill to get an idea. The steepest rise on the highway from Sydney to Canberra makes consumption go to about 10l/100km (from 4.5) for the kilometre or so of the climb. Going the other way it drops to zero and the car coasts to 107km/h.

[MiamiLooker]

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:

 

It may not be the slow driver in the left lane that gets the brunt of the road rage. On the news this morning was a local story of an angry driver driving erratically and taunting another driver. A few miles down the road, the angry driver crashed into a school bus causing a four vehicle accident and two injuries (including the driver who suffered a fractured leg). So when your friends think they’re justified to piss off other drivers, you might mention to them that they have no idea what chain of events they might be encouraging.

[Rudynate]

I direct a certain amount of passive aggression at drivers who have an inflated idea of their own importance, especially at this time of year when so many people are rushing around, determined to have A PERFECT HOLIDAY and FUCK YOU if you don't get out of the way of me and my preparations for my PERFECT HOLIDAY. I was waiting for a green arrow to make a left turn and a woman behind me honked her horn before the light even changed. I waited a full five seconds before I made my turn and at each stop sign very carefully came to a full stop, looking each way, before proceeding at a prudent speed of 20 MPH. She realized she was being punished and stayed far behind me.

[Guest]

...I'm not worried at all if someone else slows me a little. It sounds as if you are affronted at the slightest inconvenience when driving....

 

You're not worried even though you might have to <gasp!> turn off your cruise control and resume later? It's not a matter of whether I'm affronted, in your own words you said that you didn't care how others felt. If you insist on passing someone over a long period of time, you risk causing major backups that can really add up. I find that inconsiderate, especially because you really only have to go off of your precious cruise control for some 20 seconds or so. I rarely use cruise control, because I feel I should be constantly adjusting my speed according to the drivers and conditions around me. In other words, I pay attention to others, and try not to be a pest.