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?

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.

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
>

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

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

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.

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).

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?

>
> 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

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