critique my freeway driving habits

There seems to be a lot of talk in this newsgroup about how it's immoral to
stay in the left lane. Well, guess what, I do just that. I'll explain my
reasons for doing it in what follows.

If I don't have to exit for another 5-10 miles and the freeway is divided, I
tend to get into the left lane and stay there, driving at 75-80 mph, which
usually puts me in the 70-90th percentile, or so, in terms of speed. If I
see a cop I would usually slow down to about 70 and I might change lanes to
let them go and chase the real speeders. (There is a 65 mph speed limit in
San Diego). If someone else is blocking me I follow them at a safe distance
and don't pass them on the right unless they are really slow, like 60 mph,
which is rare.

Now, every once in a while someone would come up from behind and follow me
very closely, trying to "make me go faster", which, needless to say, never
works. They would typically keep at it for a while and then, realizing they
are being preposterous go lane-swirving (good luck).

MY RATIONALE:

1. I like the left lane. Whereas in other lanes you have to worry about
traffic on your left and right, the left lane feels more tranquil.

2. There is often a shoulder on the left, which I can use if required.

3. The left lane is typically faster than other lanes

4. I don't especially like changing lanes (to pass or whatever)

5. I'm already going at 10 mph over the limit. You want to go faster? Well,
that's your problem. I could imagine feeling a bit guilty if I was doing 10
mph below.

6. By staying away from the on-ramps I reduce the related risks for merging
traffic and myself.

7. I've never heard of anyone being ticketed for blocking the left lane
while doing the speed limit or more.

Now, I don't claim this to be the best strategy for everyone, or even the
optimal one for yours truly, but this is the best one I've come up with
with my own interests in mind.

Usual Suspect wrote:

> There seems to be a lot of talk in this newsgroup about how it's immoral to
> stay in the left lane. Well, guess what, I do just that. I'll explain my
> reasons for doing it in what follows.
>
> If I don't have to exit for another 5-10 miles and the freeway is divided, I
> tend to get into the left lane and stay there, driving at 75-80 mph, which
> usually puts me in the 70-90th percentile, or so, in terms of speed. If I
> see a cop I would usually slow down to about 70 and I might change lanes to
> let them go and chase the real speeders. (There is a 65 mph speed limit in
> San Diego). If someone else is blocking me I follow them at a safe distance
> and don't pass them on the right unless they are really slow, like 60 mph,
> which is rare.
>
> Now, every once in a while someone would come up from behind and follow me
> very closely, trying to "make me go faster", which, needless to say, never
> works. They would typically keep at it for a while and then, realizing they
> are being preposterous go lane-swirving (good luck).
>
> MY RATIONALE:
>
> 1. I like the left lane. Whereas in other lanes you have to worry about
> traffic on your left and right, the left lane feels more tranquil.
>
> 2. There is often a shoulder on the left, which I can use if required.
>
> 3. The left lane is typically faster than other lanes
>
> 4. I don't especially like changing lanes (to pass or whatever)
>
> 5. I'm already going at 10 mph over the limit. You want to go faster? Well,
> that's your problem. I could imagine feeling a bit guilty if I was doing 10
> mph below.
>
> 6. By staying away from the on-ramps I reduce the related risks for merging
> traffic and myself.
>
> 7. I've never heard of anyone being ticketed for blocking the left lane
> while doing the speed limit or more.
>
> Now, I don't claim this to be the best strategy for everyone, or even the
> optimal one for yours truly, but this is the best one I've come up with
> with my own interests in mind.

You're an asshole. Please cut up your driver's license now.

you'd actually using exactly the same "logic" as Aunt Judy, just at a
higher speed. That makes you no better than she. Please, either drive
considerately or not at all. There's no place for your
passive-aggressive driving games on a public road.

nate

--
replace "fly" with "com" to reply.
http://home.comcast.net/~njnagel

Nate Nagel wrote:

>
> You're an asshole.**Please*cut*up*your*driver's*license*now.
>
> you'd actually using exactly the same "logic" as Aunt Judy, just at a
> higher speed.**That*makes*you*no*better*than*she.**Please ,*either*drive
> considerately or not at all.**There's*no*place*for*your
> passive-aggressive driving games on a public road.

Please, allow me to retort. If the speed limit was enforced and followed by
the majority of drivers, I'd happily obey it. If you want to drive at 90mph
on a busy freeway with 65mph limit and the traffic going at 65-75mph, you
are an asshole, and you deserve every inconveniece I may create for you.

On Wed, 02 Feb 2005 10:38:06 -0800, Usual Suspect > wrote:
>Nate Nagel wrote:

>>
>> You're an asshole.**Please*cut*up*your*driver's*license*now.
>>
>> you'd actually using exactly the same "logic" as Aunt Judy, just at a
>> higher speed.**That*makes*you*no*better*than*she.**Please ,*either*drive
>> considerately or not at all.**There's*no*place*for*your
>> passive-aggressive driving games on a public road.

>Please, allow me to retort. If the speed limit was enforced and followed by
>the majority of drivers, I'd happily obey it. If you want to drive at 90mph
>on a busy freeway with 65mph limit and the traffic going at 65-75mph, you
>are an asshole, and you deserve every inconveniece I may create for you.

Sorry. But you're the asshole if you can't behave with a reasonable
level of curtesy. Wether the person you've just cut off was doing 70mph
or 90mph really is irrelevent.

The highways were designed to handle traffic at 70mph when cars would wobble
like mad at that speed. These same highways in a modern automobile in good
condition can easily be driven at speeds well over 100mph. The fact that speed
limits are set for a nearly blind inexperienced driver driving a car on three
wheels doesn't change anything. There are of course exceptions like the
horrible highway system in Hartford CT, but most highways have grossly
underset speed limits.

If the speed limits were truly set to a speed where the roads were unsafe,
then more people would respect them. Right now, they are set so that the
most incompetant drivers can feel that they are "really good drivers" driving
at a speed more suitable for a two lane highway that isn't limited access.

If you're not passing somebody, get the **** out of the passing lane.
If you have to pass somebody, try to use the passing lane so that you
don't cut anyone off and then get out of it when you're done.

> Please, allow me to retort. If the speed limit was enforced and
> followed by the majority of drivers, I'd happily obey it. If you want
> to drive at 90mph on a busy freeway with 65mph limit and the traffic
> going at 65-75mph, you are an asshole, and you deserve every
> inconveniece I may create for you.

You're on a downward spiral to this level of insanity:
http://www.identitytheory.com/insight/zackel2.html

Also read
http://www.driveandstayalive.com/art...dly-threat.htm

"What Prompts Road Rage?
....
She wouldn't let me pass."

JUST pull over dude!

> Also read
> http://www.driveandstayalive.com/art...dly-threat.htm

"Don't block the passing lane. Stay out of the far left lane and yield
to the right for any vehicle that wants to overtake you. If someone
demands to pass, allow them to do so."

In article >, says...
>Nate Nagel wrote:

>> You're an asshole.**Please*cut*up*your*driver's*license*now.
>>
>> you'd actually using exactly the same "logic" as Aunt Judy, just at a
>> higher speed.**That*makes*you*no*better*than*she.**Please ,*either*drive
>> considerately or not at all.**There's*no*place*for*your
>> passive-aggressive driving games on a public road.
>
>Please, allow me to retort. If the speed limit was enforced and followed by
>the majority of drivers, I'd happily obey it. If you want to drive at 90mph
>on a busy freeway with 65mph limit and the traffic going at 65-75mph, you
>are an asshole, and you deserve every inconveniece I may create for you.

You are another poor driver created by underposted speed limits. The speed
limit is not a recommended travel speed. Unfortunatley because speed limits
are so often incorrectly set, this is what some drivers have concluded. They
drive at that speed because they think it is safe at all times and will keep
them from getting ticketed. The roads would be much safer for everyone one
if you kept right except to pass.
-----------------
Alex

Although you're probably a troll, it's still worth stating...

Basically it usually doesn't matter which lane you're in UNTIL someone somes
up from behind. If you're in the left lane, GET THE **** OVER, thank you
very much. Once they pass, ooze back over if you must and keep on your
merry way.

Hell, I do this all the time - I'm with you on preferring the left lane.
But the moment someone wants to pass, I'm outta there.

What's annoying and almost predictable is when I get over for Captain
Speedy, they then see this large expanse of open freeway, then think "COP!"
and slow down and end up paralleling me in the left lane. Then I of course
get trapped behind some slowpoke in front of me. DAMN those people burn me
up.

Sam O'Nella wrote:

> Basically it usually doesn't matter which lane you're in UNTIL
> someone comes up from behind.

Well said, Sam.

IMO, there *are* often reasons to *prefer* to be in a "faster" lane
than a strict application of the standard rules dictates: the road
surface is often better; it can substantially reduce the number of
lane changes; it reduces (as the OP says) the number of directions
from which the idiots can attack you; etc.

Using a "faster" lane in such circumstances DEMANDS close attention
to the mirrors.

Except when I *am* actively passing slower traffic (and am, therefore
in the *correct* lane) other drivers simply CANNOT[*] "come up from
behind and follow me very closely" (as the OP put it), as I'll be out
of the way in plenty of time.

[*] Well, I suppose Andy Green in Richard Noble's "car" just *might*
be able to approach unnoticed if they hadn't dismantled it:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/low/uk/30471.stm

Usual Suspect wrote:
> There seems to be a lot of talk in this newsgroup about how it's immoral to
> stay in the left lane. Well, guess what, I do just that. I'll explain my
> reasons for doing it in what follows.

Nice trolling.