I'll give you the story. (Cliffs at the bottom)

I was driving back to my apt sunday night from my hometown. I-45 from Huntsville to about Ennis (the stretch from about Houston to Dallas) has almost nothing. It's just fields and trees everywhere.

Out in the boonies, the speed limit is 70. I usually cruise between 78-80.
Here's what happened Sunday night though.

I was in the fast lane, and the people in the 'slow' lane were going not much faster than 70 at all. I was passing them at a decent rate...not flying past them, but not creeping either. Now when someone comes up behind me going even faster than me, despite the fact they are probably going ridiculously fast (since I'm already speeding ), I usually get over into the other lane and let them pass. No problem. I appreciate it when other people do it for me if I'm going a little faster too.


But here I'm am with a string of people in the slow lane, and I'm still passing them up at a decent rate and this guy comes up behind me, maybe going 5mph faster. He gets up on my tail and flips his brights on and doesn't turn them off. They are on for probably about 1-2 minutes. Turns them off. I thought maybe he did it on accident because of the duration. Nope. He continues to flash them at me on and off. Meanwhile there are still cars in the slow lane. Mind you, I'm already going almost 10 mph over the speed limit. I brake check the douche and then continue to cruise at 78-80 while he continues with the brights.


Like I said. I'm usually more than happy to get over once I have room to, but when there is a string of cars that I am passing, I'm not going to roll over and play dead when I'm already speeding. So for asshats like that I just stay in the fast lane even after I can get over. He flys around me flicking me off, proceeds to get about 1/4 mile ahead of me, and with my cruise still set to the same speed, he goes the same speed as me for probably 20 miles.






Is that an asshole thing to not get over after they have been flipping their brights on?







Cliffs:

- Was going about 78-80mph (in a 70mph zone) in the fast lane, passing others at a decent rate
- Had some asshat who comes flying up behind me going between 5-10 mph faster
-I'm still passing everyone at a decent rate, yet he proceeds to lay on his high beams like he has somewhere to go
-I'm brake check him, and then don't get over (when I usually would) once the slow lane is clear of other cars
- He flicks me off, and speeds up ahead of me approx. 1/4 mile and then goes the same speed as me for about the next 20 miles (mind you, my cruise control has been set at the same speed the whole time)

 

I would have just gotten out of his way and let him go. Don't really see the reason you needed to do all of that. Just move and let him speed to his destination.

Worse case I would have hit the brakes to freak him out a bit and to slow down to move over into the lane of slower cars, let him go, then just resumed in the fast lane.

 

I would've as soon as there was a break in the slow lane. I always do when there is someone who is I can tell wants to go faster. Driver courtesy I guess you could say. But when he's being that much of a tool when I'm already passing this string up people at a decent rate....

1) I can't get over/I would have to slow down to get over
2) I don't think he deserves for me to get over once there IS a break in the slow lane after he was a complete ass IMO.


That's just my thought.

 

If someone is going faster than you, get the fuck out of the way. He should have waited a little longer before flashing you though.

 

So are you suggesting that I slow down and get in the strain of slower cars even though I'm passing them rather quickly just so this guy can pass?

 

Yes

 

I don't see anything wrong w/ what you did. I speed sometimes too, but I don't get pissed off if someone is speeding slightly slower than me.

I guess I wouldn't have intentionally stayed in the fast lane, but he's the asshole for flashing you and being so impatient. It not like you were going the exact same speed as the people in the slow lane.

Maybe I just don't understand driving in texas. We don't really have a road that goes straight for more than a couple miles. I probably commute on the longest stretch of 2 lane road on the island though, and as long as people are going like 5-10 mph over the speedlimit in the fast lane, that's fine. I just hate people that are going the exact same speed as the people in the slow lane.

 

See if I were in your situation, granted there really was a long string of slower cars in the right lane, I would have kept my speed or maybe sped up a little til I pulled to the front of the long line of slow peeps then change lanes to let the guy pass. But granted he was being a prick and flashes his brights on and off, it was prolly some redneck dumbass so I would have *tried* to find a decent sized gap between 2 slower cars to change lanes then change back after the guy passes. But ya I hear ya, I remember that shit happening a couple times on Hwy 6. It was prolly some redneck dumbass.

Maybe he was even from A&M haha

 

F!ck that!

I will even do that sometimes. I just felt no sympathy after he flashed his brights from the get go though.

I think I'm transferring there next semester.

 

You probably should have just gotten over when possible and let him go. I understand your anger at the guy though...

 

He was doing a better job of passing people than you were

 

The guy was being a douche, you did the right thing. He was just a impatient prick.

 

 

I always extend the courtsey to faster vehicles....However on a 2 lane highway a lot would depend on how long the chain of cars behind is. If I get over to slow lane and then can't get out because some other car doesn't have the courtsey to let me join into the fast lane then I will just continue driving in the fast lane untill there is safe opening in slow lane and a good chance of me getting back into fast lane in reasonable amount of time.

 

What's the big deal? You should have just sped up & then got in front of the slower cars then slowed down.
Brake checking him was also a ass thing to do.

I drive all over & see this kind of thing. You both are wrong, but as a driver you should have been the better one.
I mean by the time this all unfolded you could have sped up to 80+ just to pass the slower people & then let him pass & got back into the left lane & been done with it.
I can feel where the guy was coming from, as I said I see it all the time, 2 lanes, I'm in the left lane doing 80, someone comes into the lane to pass the slower traffic, going just above that speed. It's annoying yes, but nothing that serious.

 

I hate when people come up fast like that and start flashing their lights before wiating a while, especially if you were already passing cars. I agree with you and would have done the same thing you did.

 

I am not big on the brake checking, but if I was already technically speeding I wouuldn't have gone faster just to appease some ass who is flashing me. Obviously if there was an opening I would get over and let him go by, but if he can see that the right lane is blocked and he is still flashing me then he is just a complete moron and I could care less about his rush.

 

And then you get pissed that he rides your ass. I dont understand peoples logic. Yes maybe you are going fast enough but if someone wants by and is riding your tail why sit there longer making him more angry and possibly do something stupid that could effect others as well? Its VERY easy for you to just move over and alleviate the situation by letting him by. Its not hard.

 

My friend brake-checked a lifted 4x4 F250 that was tailgating him once. The guy swerved and nearly wiped out. It was hilarious and scary at the same time.

 

I'll always do what I can to get out of a faster car's way, either speed up and let them go or try to meld into the slower lane.

However.....

If a dickface like that roars up behind me and acts like an asshat without giving me any chance to let them go, I will simply go as fast as I please and its up to them to get around me. I stopped brake-checking people years ago after a guy yanked out a Desert Eagle and pointed it at me, now I simply let off the gas and coast to lower speeds. Its the safer, gentler form of brake checking.

 

If i'm passing cars on the right and someone is behind me flashing their brights at me, I immedeatly take my foot off the gas and proceed to do the same speed as someone to the right of me. I don't give a shit how fast or slow I'm going, you don't flash your brights at someone. That shit will get you shot.

 

big fawkin

I would have moved over well before he had a chance to flash. After all you should have seen him coming up from behind you fast...

 

I clearly stated that is there was any kind of opening, I would get over and out of an approaching cars way. Thats what I always do, I don't see what you don't understand about my logic there. In fact I prefer to let a faster car pass me so I can get in behind and go about 5-10 miles slower, that way if we pass a cop they get the ticket and not me!!

My main point is that if there is NOT room to get over than I am not gonna speed up to his speed just to get out of the way. I don't see any need to rush up to 90 or whatever and possibly blow by a cop just to make the guy behind me happy. To be honest I don't get pissed if someone rides my ass, they can do whatever they want back there as long as they don't hit me, I just think its dumb. If I happen to come up behind someone already speeding and they can't get over, I understand and don't make a big deal out of it.

 

holy.....

i remember the times when going from cali to arizona and arizona to cali..

never ran into a situation like that..



probably cuz i was the one going.... yea.... fast.. hehe

but everything is good up until brake checking..
i don't get why people brake check.
i had this young lady in a old civic brake check me while i was in a huge Chevy Express van. i guess she did it cuz i kinda stopped late and kinda came up close to her at a light but no reason to brake check me.

 

Now that is taking it too far!!!

 

I'd rather get the hell out of the way of people going faster than me. I tend to speed anyway, and the more people I have in front of me going faster than I am the better chance I have of not getting tagged by a cop. I'm more than happy to let anyone pass me

 

Leave it to me

 

Honestly, I would have gotten out of his way because there is no reason to do anything stupid that may lead to an accident. You were already driving fast and he was making it dangerous by going a lot faster.

 

Again, he put them on right when he got behind me.
The point is, is that there was already a string of cars in the other lane that would've prevented me from getting over unless I slowed down considerably. Like Rock and myself have said, if there is plenty of room to get over, I will more than glad do so, but there wasn't, and by me already speeding in the first place and passing the other cars, I didn't find any justification for him flashing his brights at me. I'm not going to speed up just to get a ticket from a cop waiting over the next hill. I'm not looking for people to pick fights with on the road, but people like him deserve to be shot.

Everybody's different though.

 

This is exactly how it is done on the Autobahn. The left lane is for passing only, and people do not drive in the left lane (unless they are Americans ). I know there are different circumstances in Germany, but when somebody is going faster than you--you move over.

 

Yeah, the other driver is the idiot....

 

I still don't understand why this discussion is continuing. Seems pretty simple to me

 

The other difference is that on the Autobahn, they start the high beams about a half mile before they get to your ass..

The guys sounds a little aggressive on the brights, but as sho-nuff pointed out, lead follow, or get out of the way..

 

 

Yes.

Actually, I am going to add more. I'm generally a pretty laid back guy but this is a pet peeve of mine. Just because you're passing people "rather quickly" doesn't mean someone else should have to slow down to your speed. Just because you're 10mph over doesn't mean they should either. If a cop is going to pull him over then that's his problem, but it isn't your job to slow him down. Just move over for 10 seconds, let him pass, then get behind him. In fact, I'd let someone like that in front of me and let them go 1-2mph faster just in case there is a cop; let them get popped.

Oh, and while leaving brights on for 2 minutes right when you get behind someone is a total douchebag move - I still think flashing brights after a minute to alert someone that you want them to move over is ok. It's a shame more people don't do it, actually.

 

You're correct. It isn't my job to slow him down.
But the simple fact is, is that I was already in front of him on the highway.

Lets look at this from a philosophical stand point. What if he left his destination 5 minutes earlier? Chances are he would've been ahead me from the get go. We both left our point of origins when we did, and nothing can change that. It's all circumstantial. Sure, if he knew that he would've gotten behind me, he would've left just enough time to get in front of me from the start.

We can't see into the future though, and that's just how the cards played out.

I already said I would pull over AS SOON as I got a break in the traffic (and I do; I wouldn't even find what you said, giving a little flash after a minute, douchey...that would be fine; I would usually be out of their way before that would happen though).

So back to what you said.
You are right that it's not my job to slow him down. I didn't leave my house with foresight that I would slow down someone wanting to go 15mph over the speedlimit.

Likewise though, it's not his job to slow me down so I can move over into the string of traffic just so he can pass.

I'll admit. I'm not a very patient person, but if he can't wait a minute or two until there is a sufficient break in traffic for me to get over without changing my driving , than he has issues. I was already going well over the speed limit.

If I was going the same speed as the people next to me he would have an argument. Until then, he can wait a minute.

 

I'd slow down to about 50 mph just to piss him off.

 

You never know what he was rushing to, it could have been important. I would have moved out of the way, the guy might be crazy and do something crazy to you.

 

I don't slow down, but I'm definitely not speeding up for someone flashing me.

I'd gladly move out of the way for someone going faster than me, given I could do it safely, and without hitting my brakes.

but flashing your brights, means you are bossing me around, and think you are entitled to do so. What makes you so important that you can tell me to move? I'm probably far less likely to move for someone trying to boss me around. It is just as rude as honking your horn.

 

If it was a life or death issue...literally, he would've been on the shoulder passing me.

Otherwise, I have no sympathy for his lead for or lack of planning, or both. Whatever it was.