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#1
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Right Lane Impatience
We all understand how an ideal KRETP-based world would work. If there are 3
lanes in your direction of travel, the left lane would have the fastest drivers while they were passing the in-between speed drivers in the #2 lane; the #3 lane would have the slowest drivers who aren't passing anyone else. So, when I'm traveling at nearly the posted speed limit in the far right lane, and another vehicle changes lanes from a faster lane to be behind me, and then rides my bumper like I'm driving too slowly, I don't understand it. He had a choice; he could have passed me before moving into the far right lane. If he thought I'm not following closely enough, his obvious better move would have been to change lanes ahead of me rather than behind me. Can anyone offer some insight into this driving behavior? |
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#2
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Right Lane Impatience
Larry Scholnick, > was motivated to say this
in rec.autos.driving on Thu, 15 Dec 2005 12:58:17 GMT: > So, when I'm traveling at nearly the posted speed limit in the far right > lane, and another vehicle changes lanes from a faster lane to be behind me, > and then rides my bumper like I'm driving too slowly, I don't understand it. > He had a choice; he could have passed me before moving into the far right > lane. If he thought I'm not following closely enough, his obvious better > move would have been to change lanes ahead of me rather than behind me. > > Can anyone offer some insight into this driving behavior? The MFFY mentality. Unless the person has an exit coming up (I am assuming a limited access road here) I fail to see how that driver can justify the actions described. And even if he has an exit coming up and decides to get to the right well in advance of the exit, there is no justification for his tailgating. |
#3
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Right Lane Impatience
On Thu, 15 Dec 2005 12:58:17 GMT, "Larry Scholnick" >
wrote: >We all understand how an ideal KRETP-based world would work. If there are 3 >lanes in your direction of travel, the left lane would have the fastest >drivers while they were passing the in-between speed drivers in the #2 lane; >the #3 lane would have the slowest drivers who aren't passing anyone else. > >So, when I'm traveling at nearly the posted speed limit in the far right >lane, and another vehicle changes lanes from a faster lane to be behind me, >and then rides my bumper like I'm driving too slowly, I don't understand it. >He had a choice; he could have passed me before moving into the far right >lane. If he thought I'm not following closely enough, his obvious better >move would have been to change lanes ahead of me rather than behind me. > >Can anyone offer some insight into this driving behavior? Some people just like to tailgate - they don't need a reason. Dave Head > |
#4
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Right Lane Impatience
Larry Scholnick wrote: <brevity snip>
> So, when I'm traveling at nearly the posted speed limit in the far right > lane, and another vehicle changes lanes from a faster lane to be behind me, > and then rides my bumper like I'm driving too slowly, I don't understand it. > He had a choice; he could have passed me before moving into the far right > lane. If he thought I'm not following closely enough, his obvious better > move would have been to change lanes ahead of me rather than behind me. > > Can anyone offer some insight into this driving behavior? ----- I read an opinion about the psychological reasons for tailgating back in the 60's before I began driving legally and interstates were usually wide-open. He suggested insecurity; some people don't feel secure making their own way and need to follow somebody, anybody; the closer, the better. In your particular instance I would guess that the "everyone on the highway *should*: be concerned with *my* travel; know I'm late; cue their speed from my speed since I'm obviously the best driver to ever live or else they're MFFY's and/or Sloths" phenomenon... was at play. The "best driver to ever live" often calculates their progress in inches or divisions thereof, therefore the closer they are to the vehicle in front, the faster they feel they're going to arrive. The traffic and control device at the off-ramp never finds it's own way into the equation (because that's how it would have to get there). It's always assumed that the *next* road will (should) be completely free of other vehicles and any lights will be green i f o n l y I c a n g e t o u t f r o m b e h i n d t h i s S O B... The underlying question is, how can so many of the "best driver to ever live" feel comfortable tailgating so closely to their imitators, and so often, at such a velocity? My theory is that the brain is hardwired for travel at walking speed due to millions of years of walking and, evolutionarily speaking, half an eye-blink of faster travel. Humankind has focused their attention about 3 feet ahead for millions of years to avoid stones, sticks, snakes, etc. Without training and continual conscious effort it's only "natural" to let your focus fall back to that 3 foot (or 0.5 to 1 second) interval. It happens to me everyday, anyway. [Note to Brent P: That does not say... nor mean... that I tailgate.] Also consider that the "best driver to ever live" doesn't have driving as the primary thought in their head (almost said "mind"). They're thinking, "I'm gonna be late"; "Is that dirtbag gonna get my daughter pregnant"; "Did I forget to turn off the coffee", or any of 1000 things they feel are more important in their life than would be a collision. "I didn't crash yesterday so I probably won't today and I drove the same *exact* way", is their habitual assumption. Or "Peoples is stupid" as we say in my family. ----- - gpsman |
#5
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Right Lane Impatience
Larry Scholnick wrote: > We all understand how an ideal KRETP-based world would work. If there are 3 > lanes in your direction of travel, the left lane would have the fastest > drivers while they were passing the in-between speed drivers in the #2 lane; > the #3 lane would have the slowest drivers who aren't passing anyone else. *we* understand this... I'm guessing only a small percentage of motorists do... > > So, when I'm traveling at nearly the posted speed limit in the far right > lane, and another vehicle changes lanes from a faster lane to be behind me, > and then rides my bumper like I'm driving too slowly, I don't understand it. > He had a choice; he could have passed me before moving into the far right > lane. If he thought I'm not following closely enough, his obvious better > move would have been to change lanes ahead of me rather than behind me. > > Can anyone offer some insight into this driving behavior? They're ignorant a-holes? nate |
#6
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Right Lane Impatience
On Thu, 15 Dec 2005 12:58:17 GMT, "Larry Scholnick"
> wrote: >So, when I'm traveling at nearly the posted speed limit in the far right >lane, and another vehicle changes lanes from a faster lane to be behind me, >and then rides my bumper like I'm driving too slowly, I don't understand it. >He had a choice; he could have passed me before moving into the far right >lane. If he thought I'm not following closely enough, his obvious better >move would have been to change lanes ahead of me rather than behind me. > >Can anyone offer some insight into this driving behavior? These guys, like Ducklings, defy explanation. My guess is that they are retarded. |
#7
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Right Lane Impatience
On Thu, 15 Dec 2005 08:15:45 -0500, necromancer
> wrote: >> Can anyone offer some insight into this driving behavior? > >The MFFY mentality. I this case, it's more like MLFY (Me Last, **** You). |
#8
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Right Lane Impatience
gpsman wrote:
> The "best driver to ever live" often calculates their progress in > inches or divisions thereof, therefore the closer they are to the > vehicle in front, the faster they feel they're going to arrive. The > traffic and control device at the off-ramp never finds it's own way > into the equation (because that's how it would have to get there). > It's always assumed that the *next* road will (should) be completely > free of other vehicles and any lights will be green i f o n l y I > c a n g e t o u t f r o m b e h i n d t h i s S O B... Sure, sometimes you can pass someone and then they catch up again at the next lights. But if you beat the lights and they don't, then you're 2 minutes ahead of them and that gap will usually never be reversed. Passing someone *does* actually get you there faster than them, on average. Most of the time, when someone passes me at a good rate of speed, I never see them again -- or I see them parked at the diner half an hour later, etc. > The underlying question is, how can so many of the "best driver to > ever live" feel comfortable tailgating so closely to their imitators, > and so often, at such a velocity? They assume that the guy in front will continue to behave the same as he has been behaving in the past. The philosopher Wittgenstein asked us, why should we expect the sun to rise in the morning? |
#9
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Right Lane Impatience
>
> The philosopher Wittgenstein asked us, why should we expect > the sun to rise in the morning? > Because the sun doesn't have a brake pedal, gear shift or steering heel. -Dave |
#10
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Right Lane Impatience
Old Wolf wrote:
> Sure, sometimes you can pass someone and then they catch > up again at the next lights. But if you beat the lights and they > don't, then you're 2 minutes ahead of them and that gap will > usually never be reversed. Passing someone *does* actually > get you there faster than them, on average. Faster than them, of course! Not "on average", every time. But how much faster? There's almost always another set of lights beyond the set at the bottom of the ramp, usually several. > Most of the time, when someone passes me at a good rate of > speed, I never see them again -- or I see them parked at the > diner half an hour later, etc. Sometimes, I'd disagree that it's most times. I often notice that the person who passed me five minutes ago is walking to the door or not even out of their vehicle yet. Not much of a gain. > > The underlying question is, how can so many of the "best driver to > > ever live" feel comfortable tailgating so closely to their imitators, > > and so often, at such a velocity? > > They assume that the guy in front will continue to behave > the same as he has been behaving in the past. They also assume every driver in front of *that* driver will continue to behave the same, and the next driver, etc. It usually works out but when it doesn't, it's often a catastrophe. To me, it just doesn't seem worth the risk. What is accomplished or gained? A few feet that are returned at the ramp, more often than not. Ever been involved in a lawsuit? I'll trade a few minutes for a reduced chance of just that. > The philosopher Wittgenstein asked us, why should we expect > the sun to rise in the morning? Well... the solar system is far more predictable than human behavior and the sun isn't likely to miss it's exit and slam on the brakes or collide with an object of equal or far greater mass... ----- - gpsman |
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