bluenoise

Last night as I was driving home from work, I was cruising along in the number one lane on the freeway around 73-75 MPH when I came upon an old beater Prelude with four highschool-ish guys in it. They were doing about 64 in the "fast lane" and I was now a few car lengths behind them hoping they'd move over. They just hung there while other traffic that was behind me pulled around and passed on the right. When I could see it would be a safe time for them to move over, I gave them a quick blink of the highs. They all turned around and flipped me off and then started braking. I pulled into the number two lane and passed them. I moved back into the number one lane to pass slower traffic in the number two lane. Meanwhile, Prelude turns on his high beams and driving lights (ricer!) and is slowly gaining on me while I do about 75. I move back over to number two as I was no longer passing anyone and they pull in behind me. Ok, so they're following me now? I move all the way over to the far right lane and slow to 65. They do the same, all the while lighting the night with their bright lights. Luckily, the autodimming mirror makes that a non-issue. We proceed like this for a mile or two so I determine they aren't going to get bored that easily. I slow to 55 and keep it at that speed for another mile and they still don't get bored of it. Now that I have wide open road ahead of me and a car that can radically out-accelerate a fully-laden Prelude, I floor it and open a good half-mile or more between us. When they are but a distant set of lights in my mirror, I take the next exit and get back on in the other direction. I was able to see they took the same exit, but they didn't seem to see me get right back on in the other direction as they continued past the onramp. So I lost them.

While they were tailing me, I considered calling my buddy who's a cop in the next town up because I knew he was working right then and we could "meet up," but I don't want to abuse that relationship. Overall, I guess I handled the following "OK," even though I hit 110+ in losing him and put myself and others at risk. The overall lesson learned, though, is just ignore those who ignore common courtesy and pass them like everyone else. I wish I hadn't blinked the guy and gotten him pist at me, but I made it home without his tail and that is the goal. Road rage (the phenomenon, not the forum member ) sucks.

Why don't people understand they should keep right unless they're passing people? Aren't they teaching that anymore? Are people content with other drivers passing them on the right?

/vent off

bluenoise

Oops! This may be better posted in the Ramblings section as it's not specific to the TL. Sorry for that.

Prolanman

Road Courtesy is dead. I come across people on the Long Island Expressway all the time who refuse to move. If someone is doing 65 or better and I want to pass them I ususally go around them if it's safe to do so. If they are going slower and I can't pass them then I flash them. I've had people pull similar manuvers on me like the jerks in the Prelude did to you. If there's one person and they want to follow me, I get off at the nearest exit and pull into a gas station and get out of the car. I'm not a small guy, I've yet to have anyone get out and challenge me. If there's multiple people in the car, then they're welcome to follow me to the nearest Police precinct or Firehouse (always a cop there). I had called the Police one time and reported them as driving dangerously (and they were). They were pulled over a couple miles down the road.

Ron A

Probably, but we can't move it and besides I want to reply to it. It can stay open here unless it gets ugly.

Some people will never understand this. And I found that they are just slow drivers. If I get in front of them and slow down to make them move over, they just slow down also, and will never get into the right hand lane unless they have to because that is where they are going to turn.

As you can guess, this is my biggest pet peeve and I see them every day. I have just about given up flashing my lights, except under extreme conditions, like the one that drove the speed limit right next to another car so no one could get around.

1995hoo

Flashing your lights at someone IS courteous, but unfortunately any number of assholes now think that it is rude and that the proper thing to do is to tailgate instead, or just to pass on the right without even trying a flash of the lights. So, as a result, now it seems like people get pissed when you flash your lights like you're supposed to do!

Unfortunately there are lots of dumb shits who think that if they are going at or above the speed limit, anyone else can rot in hell because anyone going above the speed limit is breaking the law and "why should I help them do that." In Virginia it's illegal not to move over for someone going faster than you, but it's never enforced.

I may have to buy a set of Road Rage Cards (go to http://www.roadrage.com), except that I'd be afraid of someone having a gun and retailiating.

ericajackhannahjamie?

I'd like to comment on this.

Highway speed limit is set at 65mph.. in an utopian world everybody would be driving at or below the regulated speed limit. But we live in an aggressive world, where police will pull us over if you go over the speed limit but it's ok for them to pass by you driving well over 100+mph themselves...
Driving over 100mph trying to lose a Prelude did put others in danger, especially yourself. In a situation like that, I usually just maneuver to the next lane and proceed to pass them without any incident. Driving Friendly does not happen as often as road raging, so please keep in mind that small things can get ugly pretty fast depending on the drivers inside the other vehicle. Our lives isn't worth the extra 5 minutes rush or needless to say getting from point A to point B a few seconds faster.

at least you guys don't have to deal with drivers whistling or honking and smiling at you rediculously....

Donte99TL

I think a lot of people just don't understand the rules of the road. If you read any of the driving hand books it explains all of this to them. They are just idiots.

1995hoo

Since the original poster is from California it could be set up to 70 mph on the road he was on, although I don't know for sure. It's pretty much only the northeastern US that sticks to the 65 mph speed limit, not counting Alaska and Hawaii.

I think absurdly low speed limits, and the years of the idiotic National Speed Limit, just feed the phenomenon noted in the other posts above about people not being willing to get out of the way.

DiscoTL

Drive Right.

It's called "flash to pass" in the manual for a reason.

The only thing worse than a slow car in the left lane is a truck that refuses to use the truck lane. Even when there are signs that warn the truck "Trucks must use right lane!", far too many stay in the left or middle lane.

JZ

Prolanman

I've been driving for 28 years and it used to be common road courtesy for a driver in the left or passing lane to move when someone is driving faster than them. We all know that it is rare to see anyone driving the speed limit on a highway (if you don't try driving the Long Island Expressway). It is also accepted that slower traffic should keep to the right and it is posted in many locations (at least on Long Island roads). The norm here is that you have to be doing 70 or better to flow with traffic on a highway outside of rush hour. Slower traffic can cause accidents in this type of situation. I'm sure that most of the folks here would rather not have to worry about getting into an altercation with someone who forgot to take their Prozac that morning.

As for the problem you have with guys honking their horns, whistling, and smiling rediculously at you, I wish that I had that problem (as I'm sure the other guys here would). I would welcome that from such an attractive young lady as yourself.

kosh2258

I gave up getting annoyed at this sort of stuff long ago because it finally occured to me that if these sort of people knew better, they wouldn't be doing it in the first place. So it's really just a waste of energy to try and educate them.

It tends to end up in a situation like bluenoise had. So I, like the others he mentioned, just pass these slugs on the right and keep on movin'.

Ignorance can be corrected, but stupid goes to the bone.

TBone2004

Oh you'd be surprised! ahhh..sigh...it is so hard to be good looking.

01Blacura

I agree, and part of the problem is it's just too damn easy to get a drivers license in this country. I know a girl who has her license and almost caused a wreck in an empty parking lot with no other cars in it! (she also forgot to turn off the parking brake) Explain to me how she can be fit to drive? But the state of PA says its ok, so shes on the highways. And from what i've seen I know shes not the only one.

JoganJani

I'll say Never Ever flash your lights. Once I flashed lights to a driver in front of me and he moved aside to make a way and when I passed him he came right behind me with his flasing lights on and pulled me to a side. He happened to be a cop and warned me not to do that and said there are some crazy people out there who would not think twice to shoot at me.

bluenoise

I acknowlege I was going faster than the posted limit (65 in this case) when I came upon the Prelude, but, as was mentioned prior, traffic as a whole was moving about my speed. There are a few slower-moving cars peppered around and it's easy to see the clots they cause in an otherwise smooth flow of traffic. I don't know any other way to have effectively ended the chase than to simply lose the Prelude. I could've called the CHP on my HFL and asked for guidance, but past calls to them for other emergencies have gone unanswered. Though I'm a bigger guy at 6' 3" 195 lbs., I don't want a physical altercation, especially when some nutjob might be armed. Perhaps I should've stayed at 65 in the slow lane with them following and then led them to my buddy's patrol. It may have been the safest way to end all this, but it would also be taking advantage of our friendship.

I don't like going as fast as I did and I certainly don't like the way my heart was pounding out of my chest while I did the quick maneuver of exiting, turning around, and getting back on. I sure don't like that kind of stress. As I said before, I'll just go around next time this situation presents itself.

On the upside, I filled my gas tank last night when I got closer to home and, because I drove like a little old woman this morning, I'm averaging 29 MPG on this tank so far.

HondaOnly

I like the law in Colorado that fines people who drive too slow in the left lane. I wish that were a federal law. That and a law to ban cell phone use while driving.

AdamNJ

What about WOW'ing someone? (O & A fans should get this)

automata

I've given up on flashing people. The truth is most people equate beeing flashed to beeing flipped the bird.

rets

Tons of ppl driving their vehicles slowly on the LEFT in my areas, it's quite normal here. It has no way to kick ppl out of roads, except HOV lanes. While the highway is full of trucks, those slow drivers are likely to stay on the LEFT, too... it's really really hard to correct this matter... IMO.

bluenoise

Several years ago, I was traveling in the east for work and noticed two things:

1. The signs on the highway didn't say, "Slower traffic keep right" as they do here in CA. They said, "Keep right except to pass."

2. People stayed to the right, except when passing.

I wonder if changing the wording would really make a difference. Perhaps these traffic clots figure they're not "slower traffic" as the cars behind them aren't going any faster than them (only because they can't).

go_blue

I agree. I used to do the light thing a lot more often. Now with the TL, I found people usually get very pissed if I flip the high beam. They either don't like the TL or don't like the people driving them.

Most of the time I will just drive behind the slow(er) moving car in the No. 1 lane (not tailgating) and wait for a clearing to pass them.

At least with the TL, I don't need too much of a "running start" or space to do that.

There are people (well, at least in the Bay Area anyway) out there that will go out of their way to drive 65 MPH at the No. 1 lane, just to piss you off.

pilozm

I assume it would be more polite to use left turn signal, when in the left lane. People seem to really get pissed off if you high beam them.

I have driven on the autobahn and you MUST get out of the way if you're in the left lane. It's just an accepted fact that left lane is for the faster drivers. And it's much harder to obtain a valid drivers license in Germany.

Vanwall

I never flash to have someone move over. I got a ticket a few years ago. The cop said he saw me flash my lights and thought I might be speeding. (I violated rule No. 1 of speeding .... do nothing to draw attention to you!)

When somone runs in the left a lane I just wait for a good time and pass them on the right. There are a lot of zombies out there that are totally removed from what is going on. They usually pull over after you pass them on the right. They never notice that you were following them for miles.

EZZ

Not worth the road rage. You guys have maneuverable cars so just go around them. I gave up on people using intelligence while driving. I drive very defensivley and am always ready to pass on the right if there are left lane loungers. Its not something I like to do but I have a long commute everyday and traffic patterns are always the same...if the guy doesn't care about other drivers, he will left lane lounge.

Bushwah

Here in Denver we have a law that allow cops to pull over slow drivers driving in the fast lane because
1. It can cause road rage.
2. It can cause an accident because people driving fast have to slam on their brakes.


One of my co-workers wife got pulled over for driving 55 in the fast lane. Everyone was going 65-70mph.

PoochaKannInc

Now THAT comment almost made me spill my tequila.

A-TLvic882

We have same law in Illinois, but nothing like:

bluenoise

I occassionally try the left turn signal trick, where I let it flash three times to show I'm not just forgetful, but few people have ever heard of that. It seems anyone I mention that to only knows about it if they've driven in Germany.

I think I tried it last night to no avail, so that's when I blinked the big guns that started this whole mess. Hopefully, tonight's commute will be a lot less exciting.

chusteveb

Most everyone loved it when they got flashed by my TL comming home from Mardi Gras. My girlfriend and her 2 roommates (twins) did the flashing (didn't matter which lane we were in). Sure a lot of them were honking and giving back the finger , I'm pretty sure that some of the truckers were trying to follow me too!

RhythmAddict

LOL.

Edit: Holy fuck that was funny, I'm still laughing my ass off.

MR1

I think the problems are multiple:

1. Too many drivers don't know what the hell they are doing.
2. They see the posted speed limit and feel they are helping the public and police by not letting anyone 'speed'.
3. Some feel that they got their first and 'f**k you'
4. Asking them to move is insulting, no matter how you try
5. In most areas, public schools don't teach driver training anymore or charge for it.
6. The #1 one lane is 'nice', not crowded like the others!

I think it's the law in most places in the country to yield the #1 lane to faster traffic. Also, it illegal to pass on the right. Neither law is often enforced as the cops are overburdened and have little desire to stir it up like this. As others have stated, easiest thing to do is wait for a safe time and pass on the right. But boy do I hate dummies.

avs007

Truckers can be some of the most polite people on the road, but they can also be some of the biggest jerks too. One time I flashed one, because he cut me off to get into the fast lane, and slowed down after getting in front of me. There was no reason for him to do that, as he was not passing anybody.

What did the trucker do? He drove on the dotted line for the next mile, and hogged both lanes. (It was a double trailer too). So that's when I gave a couple blips on the horn. He proceded to drive on the dotted lane, occupying both lanes. That was the only time I actually drove on the shoulder to pass someone.

KJSmitty

There is a name for "left lane hoggers"

"Ignoranus's"

--Both ignorant and ass holes......

catsailr

Tennessee has a law to keep right except to pass, but it does not help much. My barber (80 years old) told me the other day that he figured out the best way to drive to Nashville on I40 was to stay in the left lane and go 65.

It had always amazed me that when we are walking, we hold doors for people, apologize if we walk in front of someone, but when we get in our cars we completely change.

JohnDoe2

I had an experience where a young driver was acting like a fool. I took the license number and got his home address and phone number.

When I called (from a pay phone) I talked to the mother. She got angrier and angrier as I explained what happened. Her last words where, "Just wait until he gets home".

Had I not gotten satisfaction from that, I would have repeated the call...at 3:30 AM in the morning and would have tried to explain there are consequences to actions.

These a**holes need to realize they are NOT anonymous.

DiscoTL

from John Doe....

mickey3c

Geez guys chill out there are always aholes on the roads and it seems on this forum as well. Some people insist on doing the speed limit in any lane they choose. And it bugs me as well but the thing is that you do not have the right to tell them what lane to be in...

Doing a 110 to get away from someone is more STUPID thing doing 65 in the left lane and not changing lanes for faster cars. You are as bad as the 17 year old calling another person stupid because that person failed to cut someone off and the 17 year old hit the subaru. The the kid clearly admits it is his fault but the other guy is an asshole because he failed to be a bigger asshole and cut someone off. This would have prevented the kid from hitting his car. I enjoy the logic since the subaru driver was an asshole either way...

Where does the flash to pass thing begin and end.. If you are doing 80 and someone wants you to move. You might think your car is cool and you're a bad ass, but geez start acting more intelligent about driving. And if you guys are all bent out of shape about racing, race another tl on a track driver against driver.
You go and race 8 year old pieces of iron or older ludes with HS kids in it. If those kids got hurt you would be cited for the incident as well.

And to the idiot that would call someone's house at 3AM, I would immediately report the jerk to the police and contact the utility about him using the phone system to place prank phones calls just to harass people. It is idiots like that who want to demand that people behave a certain way, good luck to you. You will wig out some day and end up in jail.

As I have said in the past, that having a few bucks does not mean you are intelligent. The TL is a dam car not a way you enforce your will on other people and if the other people are jerks you have to show that you are in fact a bigger one. Hell maybe someday you'll get someone who is a bigger jerk than you are and put you and your tl into a ditch or a rail...

We had just that happen last year and 3 people died.

Grow up

Nodoze2004

In Florida this issue is simply out of control. The problems are further complicated by the fact that 90% of the drivers around you have a cell phone stuck to their heads and are literally paying no attention whatsoever to driving (I really wish a state law would be passed to enforce hands free).

My solution is to propose a fee based fast lane with electronic enforcement. In this manner you would have a dedicated lane that you would pay the state for access to with a much higher speed limit (perhaps 85). The electronic enforcement would be in the form of a transponder that verifies your right to drive in that lane (similar to electronic toll roads). This would help to generate revenue for the state, would allow for those of us with more modern vehicles to drive a bit faster, and would prevent the 'civilian enforcers' as I call them from limiting your speed.

Unfortunately the general nature of Americans (i.e. they are entitled to do whatever they want regardless of it's effect on others) further outlines why the Autobahn concept would simply never work here. I would love to see some of these idiots on the Autobahn! I think getting rear ended by a car going 200mph would really knock some sense into these sheep!

mickey3c

Someone once said that since some cars are better equipped to be safer at higher speeds, tires, brakes, etc... then there should be a law that says you can drive that kind of car faster. One problem with that is how well people maintain their cars.. W rated bald tires are unsafe at any speeds, etc.

automata

A few years back I had a discusion with a buddy of mine about cutting people off to take an exit ramp on the freeway. I mentioned that on my comute home the exit ramp I take always gets backed up. He told me that he stays left until the last second then forces his way on to the exit ramp so he doesn't have to wait. I then asked him if he did the same thing at the grocery store or at the bank or anywhere you need to stand in line. Of course not. So what's the difference?

Why do the rules of common courtesy change when driving? The truth is they don't, we change. I'm sure we could all stand to more courteous when on the road, I know I can. But how do we get the true A-holes out there to change? I don't think we can. All we can do is try to be courteous and not let the rude drivers get to us. Move around the slower traffic, don't get to upset when you get cutt off, maybe imagine the the other drivers are people you know. Neighbors, friends or family members. You wouldn't do something rude and embarrassing infront of them, right?