One More Try

i posted awhile ago about the "pass left, drive right" issue and i got
responses that i have thought about and given consideration to.

First, I am not a troll. I don't feel that I am unreasonable, and i
fully support the idea of staying out of the left lane unless you're
passing.

My issue was what if there are three lanes? 1. the left "passing lane"
2. the right "slow and merging" lane and 3. the middle lane.

my contention is that if i am in the left lane and faster traffic
approaches, i am obliged to move right...no problem with that.

however, when i said i was driving in the middle lane, at or above the
speed limit and faster traffic approached, THEY are obliged to move
left to pass. It's the "passing lane", right??

All responses to my query were that extra lanes just means more passing
lanes for us. I can't accept that. The reason I can't accept that is
that most freeway accidents occurr in the merging lane. If there are
only two lanes I'll play by the rules and take my chances. However, if
i have a middle lane, i'm taking it and i'm driving at least 60 in a 55
and 70 in a 65.

I have been approached by various assholes while i'm in the center lane
who flash lights and sound horn when there is a perfectly empty left
lane. I think this is bull****.

i drive a GMC truck, weighs about 4,000 lbs. i'm feeling inclined to
put on a bumper sticker that says something like " get a little closer
ricer-boy, it's your plastic vs. my welded steel."

i'm all for giving you guys the left lane to do whatever you want, but
i can't accept the "we want everything except the most dangerous part
of the road, that's for you."

Comments?

Nearly Normal Jimmy wrote:

> All responses to my query were that extra lanes just means more passing
> lanes for us. I can't accept that. The reason I can't accept that is
> that most freeway accidents occurr in the merging lane.

The right most lane of a freeway is *not* the merging lane. When we're
talking about driving in the right most lane, we're referring to driving
in the right most through lane (not merging area, nor a lane that ends
in an exit within the next half mile).

In any case, the onus is on you to watch for other vehicles. If you
plan ahead, you can easily time lane changes as necessary to avoid
"merge impaired" traffic. There's no legitimate reason for you to
remain in the middle lane based on the assumption that merging traffic
will appear in the right lane sometime in the future. IOW, they don't
just appear out of thin air. You'll see them ahead of time.

> I have been approached by various assholes while i'm in the center lane
> who flash lights and sound horn when there is a perfectly empty left
> lane. I think this is bull****.

Your opinion doesn't justify driving in the center lane when the right
lane is empty.

> i'm all for giving you guys the left lane to do whatever you want, but
> i can't accept the "we want everything except the most dangerous part
> of the road, that's for you."

Do you have a cite that states that the right most lane of a freeway is
the most dangerous? I spend roughly 85 to 100 percent of the time in
the right most lane of a freeway while driving. I've never had a close
call because of that.

Come to think of it, lanes closer to the left would be more dangerous
since you're more at risk of becoming the victim of a cross over collision.

Around 5/14/2005 8:48 PM, Nearly Normal Jimmy wrote:

> i posted awhile ago about the "pass left, drive right" issue and i got
> responses that i have thought about and given consideration to.
>
> First, I am not a troll.

Time will tell...

> I don't feel that I am unreasonable, and i
> fully support the idea of staying out of the left lane unless you're
> passing.
>
> My issue was what if there are three lanes? 1. the left "passing lane"
> 2. the right "slow and merging" lane and 3. the middle lane.

Close, but no cigar. Here's how the three lanes work:

#1 - The left passing lane, for use when passing someone in #2.
#2 - The middle passing lane, for use when passing someone in #3.
#3 - The right cruising lane, for use when cruising.

>
> my contention is that if i am in the left lane and faster traffic
> approaches, i am obliged to move right...no problem with that.

Good, though I have to wonder: what were you doing in the left lane in
the first place? If you're not actively passing anyone, you should be as
far right as possible.

> however, when i said i was driving in the middle lane, at or above the
> speed limit and faster traffic approached, THEY are obliged to move
> left to pass. It's the "passing lane", right??

If there is room for you to be in the right lane, that's where you
should be.

> All responses to my query were that extra lanes just means more passing
> lanes for us.

Close enough.

> I can't accept that.

And whose fault is that? Sorry, but that's how it works... Or at the
very least how it /ought/ to.

> The reason I can't accept that is
> that most freeway accidents occurr in the merging lane.

I'd like to see some kind of reference for this.

> If there are
> only two lanes I'll play by the rules and take my chances. However, if
> i have a middle lane, i'm taking it and i'm driving at least 60 in a 55
> and 70 in a 65.

What, with no consideration for current conditions? What if it were
foggy or icy?


> I have been approached by various assholes while i'm in the center lane
> who flash lights and sound horn when there is a perfectly empty left
> lane. I think this is bull****.

Was there also a perfectly empty right lane? If so, it may be bull****,
but they're fully within their rights. You should be in the right lane
if you're not actively passing anyone.

> Comments?

Nothing further...

--
~/Garth |"I believe that it is better to tell the truth than a lie.
Almgren | I believe it is better to be free than to be a slave.
******* | And I believe it is better to know than to be ignorant."
for secure mail info) --H.L. Mencken (1880-1956)

On Sat, 14 May 2005, Nearly Normal Jimmy wrote:

> my contention is that if i am in the left lane and faster traffic
> approaches, i am obliged to move right...no problem with that.
>
> however, when i said i was driving in the middle lane, at or above the
> speed limit and faster traffic approached, THEY are obliged to move left
> to pass. It's the "passing lane", right??

If the passing lane's clear -- and it should be, in the situation you
describe -- then yes, they ought to move left and overtake, then move back
into the centre lane when they've passed you and whatever other
closely-grouped vehicles you're travelling with.

If you're in the middle lane and the right lane is largely empty, and
people keep coming up on you from behind and eventually overtaking, then
you're probably not going fast enough in the middle lane and should move
to the right.

> I have been approached by various assholes while i'm in the center lane
> who flash lights and sound horn when there is a perfectly empty left
> lane. I think this is bull****.

What is the status of the lane to your right in these situations?

A good general guideline is that under normal circumstances (no
extra-large/extra-heavy loads, etc.), you should pass roughly as many
vehicles as pass you. If you're passing a lot more vehicles than are
passing you, you're probably going too fast. If a lot more vehicles are
passing you than you're passing, you're probably going too slow.

DS

On Sat, 14 May 2005 20:48:55 -0700, Nearly Normal Jimmy > wrote:

>i posted awhile ago about the "pass left, drive right" issue and i got
>responses that i have thought about and given consideration to.
>
>First, I am not a troll. I don't feel that I am unreasonable, and i
>fully support the idea of staying out of the left lane unless you're
>passing.
>
>My issue was what if there are three lanes? 1. the left "passing lane"
>2. the right "slow and merging" lane and 3. the middle lane.
>
>my contention is that if i am in the left lane and faster traffic
>approaches, i am obliged to move right...no problem with that.
>
>however, when i said i was driving in the middle lane, at or above the
>speed limit and faster traffic approached, THEY are obliged to move
>left to pass. It's the "passing lane", right??
>
>All responses to my query were that extra lanes just means more passing
>lanes for us. I can't accept that. The reason I can't accept that is
>that most freeway accidents occurr in the merging lane. If there are
>only two lanes I'll play by the rules and take my chances. However, if
>i have a middle lane, i'm taking it and i'm driving at least 60 in a 55
>and 70 in a 65.
>
>I have been approached by various assholes while i'm in the center lane
>who flash lights and sound horn when there is a perfectly empty left
>lane. I think this is bull****.
>
>i drive a GMC truck, weighs about 4,000 lbs. i'm feeling inclined to
>put on a bumper sticker that says something like " get a little closer
>ricer-boy, it's your plastic vs. my welded steel."
>
>i'm all for giving you guys the left lane to do whatever you want, but
>i can't accept the "we want everything except the most dangerous part
>of the road, that's for you."
>
>Comments?

Don't expect any rationality out of the responses you're going to get here.
The bunch that post here have this notion, that you've already read several
responses about, that would have a long line of cars, bumper to bumper in the
right lane, fighting with those trying to merge into the lane, and causing
billions of unnecessary lane changes, some of which are really likely to go
wrong and cause accidents. It doesn't make any real-world sense.

The good news is you don't have to do anything anyone here says. Its like this
nutty assisted suicide idea - that someone needs "assistance" for a suicide is
nuts - they're only seeking the approval of 1 other person. If you cease to
concern yourself with what they think, and drive how _you_ _already_ know what
causes you less close calls than their pet theories dictate, you are going to
be safer than if you listen to someone else.

Have a good drive, and don't worry about the background noise you're going to
find here.

Dave Head

In article >, Scott en
Aztlán > wrote:

> On Sat, 14 May 2005 20:48:55 -0700, Nearly Normal Jimmy
> > wrote:
>
> >i posted awhile ago about the "pass left, drive right" issue and i got
> >responses that i have thought about and given consideration to.
> >
> >First, I am not a troll.
>
> You must be new to USENET. Around here, some people will call you a
> "troll" when your comments hit too close to the mark, or when they
> don't agree with what you're saying. It's a word that is highly
> misused.
>
> >I don't feel that I am unreasonable, and i
> >fully support the idea of staying out of the left lane unless you're
> >passing.
>
> Nothing unreasonable about that.
>
> >My issue was what if there are three lanes? 1. the left "passing lane"
> >2. the right "slow and merging" lane and 3. the middle lane.
> >
> >my contention is that if i am in the left lane and faster traffic
> >approaches, i am obliged to move right...no problem with that.
> >
> >however, when i said i was driving in the middle lane, at or above the
> >speed limit and faster traffic approached, THEY are obliged to move
> >left to pass. It's the "passing lane", right??
>
> As long as you are moving faster than the vehicles in the lane to your
> right, then you are correct.
>
> In general, you should stay as far right as you can, and only move as
> far left as you need to in order to pass slower traffic - and then
> return to the right as far as you can.
>
> >All responses to my query were that extra lanes just means more passing
> >lanes for us. I can't accept that. The reason I can't accept that is
> >that most freeway accidents occurr in the merging lane.
>
> If you want to stay out of the merging lane, all you need to do is go
> a little faster than the traffic in that lane and you'll be perfectly
> in the right (pun intended).
>
> >I have been approached by various assholes while i'm in the center lane
> >who flash lights and sound horn when there is a perfectly empty left
> >lane. I think this is bull****.
>
> I agree. They should pass you on your left and be done with it.

Thanks Scott and Dave for clearing things up. makes sense.

i gotta go out now and scrape the front half of a ricer off my bumper

On Sun, 15 May 2005 09:33:17 GMT, Dave Head > wrote:

>On Sat, 14 May 2005 20:48:55 -0700, Nearly Normal Jimmy > wrote:
>
>>i posted awhile ago about the "pass left, drive right" issue and i got
>>responses that i have thought about and given consideration to.
>>
>>First, I am not a troll. I don't feel that I am unreasonable, and i
>>fully support the idea of staying out of the left lane unless you're
>>passing.
>>
>>My issue was what if there are three lanes? 1. the left "passing lane"
>>2. the right "slow and merging" lane and 3. the middle lane.
>>
>>my contention is that if i am in the left lane and faster traffic
>>approaches, i am obliged to move right...no problem with that.
>>
>>however, when i said i was driving in the middle lane, at or above the
>>speed limit and faster traffic approached, THEY are obliged to move
>>left to pass. It's the "passing lane", right??
>>
>>All responses to my query were that extra lanes just means more passing
>>lanes for us. I can't accept that. The reason I can't accept that is
>>that most freeway accidents occurr in the merging lane. If there are
>>only two lanes I'll play by the rules and take my chances. However, if
>>i have a middle lane, i'm taking it and i'm driving at least 60 in a 55
>>and 70 in a 65.
>>
>>I have been approached by various assholes while i'm in the center lane
>>who flash lights and sound horn when there is a perfectly empty left
>>lane. I think this is bull****.
>>
>>i drive a GMC truck, weighs about 4,000 lbs. i'm feeling inclined to
>>put on a bumper sticker that says something like " get a little closer
>>ricer-boy, it's your plastic vs. my welded steel."
>>
>>i'm all for giving you guys the left lane to do whatever you want, but
>>i can't accept the "we want everything except the most dangerous part
>>of the road, that's for you."
>>
>>Comments?
>
>Don't expect any rationality out of the responses you're going to get here.
>The bunch that post here have this notion, that you've already read several
>responses about, that would have a long line of cars, bumper to bumper in the
>right lane, fighting with those trying to merge into the lane, and causing
>billions of unnecessary lane changes, some of which are really likely to go
>wrong and cause accidents. It doesn't make any real-world sense.
>
>The good news is you don't have to do anything anyone here says. Its like this
>nutty assisted suicide idea - that someone needs "assistance" for a suicide is
>nuts - they're only seeking the approval of 1 other person. If you cease to
>concern yourself with what they think, and drive how _you_ _already_ know what
>causes you less close calls than their pet theories dictate, you are going to
>be safer than if you listen to someone else.
>
>Have a good drive, and don't worry about the background noise you're going to
>find here.
>
>Dave Head

Well said. I agree with you and Jimmy 100%. The unnecessary lane
changes required by someone driving in the right-most lane are
dangerous. My "cite" is common sense.

In article >, Dave Head wrote:

> and causing
> billions of unnecessary lane changes, some of which are really likely to go
> wrong and cause accidents. It doesn't make any real-world sense.

Only the incompetent driver finds lane changes dangerous because he
doesn't make them safely. Back when I was 16-19 years old I found lane
changes dangerous too. Over time I learned how to make lane changes and
do so safely.

I've been doing a fair amount of late night driving, and thusly spending
a great deal of that time in the right lane doing 55mph to avoid being
revenued. Do you think I should be doing this in the left lane? Keep in
mind the average speed of traffic is about 75mph, probably more.

On Sat, 14 May 2005 20:48:55 -0700, Nearly Normal Jimmy , said the
following in rec.autos.driving...


<snip>

> I have been approached by various assholes while i'm in the center lane
> who flash lights and sound horn when there is a perfectly empty left
> lane. I think this is bull****.
>
> i drive a GMC truck, weighs about 4,000 lbs. i'm feeling inclined to
> put on a bumper sticker that says something like " get a little closer
> ricer-boy, it's your plastic vs. my welded steel."

:-)

> i'm all for giving you guys the left lane to do whatever you want, but
> i can't accept the "we want everything except the most dangerous part
> of the road, that's for you."

The way that someone put it to me one time was that "if you are being
passed on the right, you are too far to the left." Personally, If you
want to cruise in the middle lane, that doesn't bother me (esp. if the
left lane is clear for passing), just make sure you signal your lane
change if you do decide to move over to the right for a faster car in the
middle lane. It just might be someone like me who thinks nothing of
passing on the right and does it quite frequently (I know that some in
this group will have a cow over that maneuver, but I don't give a damn).

In article et>, Paul
> wrote:

> On Sat, 14 May 2005 20:48:55 -0700, Nearly Normal Jimmy , said the
> following in rec.autos.driving...
>
>
> <snip>
>
> > I have been approached by various assholes while i'm in the center lane
> > who flash lights and sound horn when there is a perfectly empty left
> > lane. I think this is bull****.
> >
> > i drive a GMC truck, weighs about 4,000 lbs. i'm feeling inclined to
> > put on a bumper sticker that says something like " get a little closer
> > ricer-boy, it's your plastic vs. my welded steel."
>
> :-)
>
> > i'm all for giving you guys the left lane to do whatever you want, but
> > i can't accept the "we want everything except the most dangerous part
> > of the road, that's for you."
>
> The way that someone put it to me one time was that "if you are being
> passed on the right, you are too far to the left." Personally, If you
> want to cruise in the middle lane, that doesn't bother me (esp. if the
> left lane is clear for passing), just make sure you signal your lane
> change if you do decide to move over to the right for a faster car in the
> middle lane. It just might be someone like me who thinks nothing of
> passing on the right and does it quite frequently (I know that some in
> this group will have a cow over that maneuver, but I don't give a damn).

i'm glad that there are some people here who recognize my intention
which is to strike a balance where i don't impede faster traffic who
have free access to the left-most lane while exercising my right to
avoid the dangers of geezers who drive to the top of the on-ramp and
stop, or semi-trucks struggling into the rightmost lane, etc.

i drive the center lane because it's where i feel safe, comfortable and
i in no way impede anyone except certain jackasses who have a totally
free left lane but insist upon their self-given right to force me aside
because they can't be bothered to "pass left" as they blather on about
all day long. for those people, some of them here, it's not at all
about "passing left", it's all about "forcing right" in a type A,
juvenile power trip.

nuff said.

Jim