KRETP - Works great in KY

The great state of Kentucky posts their freeways with the words we long to see: Keep Right Except To
Pass.

And, it seems to work; people seemed to understand that you travel in the right lane except while
you are in the act of passing a slower-moving vehicle.

Just one of my observations from a cross-country drive from Washington (DC) to (Tacoma) Washington
on Great Race (see www.greatrace.com for more details).

Larry Scholnick wrote:
> The great state of Kentucky posts their freeways with the words we long to see: Keep Right Except To
> Pass.
>
> And, it seems to work; people seemed to understand that you travel in the right lane except while
> you are in the act of passing a slower-moving vehicle.
>
> Just one of my observations from a cross-country drive from Washington (DC) to (Tacoma) Washington
> on Great Race (see www.greatrace.com for more details).

Ohio has similar signage and is enforced. I was trying to pass a flock
of cars on US 52 yesterday behind some left lane hogger who was going
55 MPH (traffic in the right lane was going 50-55) and had flicked my
high beams and had my left turn signal on to indicate "move over."

By the time we were 2 miles down the road, we had a slew of cars behind
us. An officer who was radaring in the median saw this and came behind
all of us. Instinctively we all moved over except for the lead car who
was STILL hogging the left lane. He was pulled over and I surmised he
got a ticket.



In a case I had a few months ago, traffic in the right lane of US 52
was going 40 MPH on a 65 MPH expressway. There was a funeral
procession, and state laws REQUIRE them to travel at normal operating
speeds and for cars to be broken up... not in one single file, and for
one lane of traffic to be clear at all times. Of course they did not
obey the law. Some woman in a green older model mustang tried to block
anyone from passing by keeping 40 MPH.

Of course this irritated the van that was behind it, who then moved
into the right lane and started calling the cops. I know this because I
had my window down and was idling next to the van; the driver yelled to
me that he had a cop on the line who would send someone down to break
up the procession. People were desperately trying to pass this left
lane hogger by attempting to pass on the LEFT shoulder and squeezing
in-between. When I finally had my opportunity, I laid on my horn,
blinked my lights, and had my left turn signal on. The woman finally
got over, in turn about 15 vehicles started flocking to the left lane
to honk and say a few choice words at the woman in the mustang. I had a
few myself, as she had blocked the lane for well over 5 miles.

When I came down the highway about 2 miles down the road, I saw a state
trooper sitting on the side of the highway.

On 26 Jun 2005 20:21:57 -0700, Sherman L. Cahal wrote:

>Of course this irritated the van that was behind it, who then moved
>into the right lane and started calling the cops. I know this because I
>had my window down and was idling next to the van; the driver yelled to
>me that he had a cop on the line who would send someone down to break
>up the procession.

Hmmm ... it's been my experience that many funeral processions get police
escorts, they get special dispensation to pass through red lights, etc. But that
may be in Kentucky which is more adherent to southern traditions than Ohio.


--
To reply by e-mail, remove the "restrictor plate"

H.B. Elkins wrote:
> On 26 Jun 2005 20:21:57 -0700, Sherman L. Cahal wrote:
>
> >Of course this irritated the van that was behind it, who then moved
> >into the right lane and started calling the cops. I know this because I
> >had my window down and was idling next to the van; the driver yelled to
> >me that he had a cop on the line who would send someone down to break
> >up the procession.
>
> Hmmm ... it's been my experience that many funeral processions get police
> escorts, they get special dispensation to pass through red lights, etc. But that
> may be in Kentucky which is more adherent to southern traditions than Ohio.

Kentucky is also in the Bible Belt, which is why many southern
traditions are outdated and date back to the horse and carriage days.
You don't see these outdated laws in countries in Europe, and
especially on the autobahn in Germany. The same principle should apply
here.

In Kentucky, they must identify themselves with a marker or purple
flashing lights IIRC. They must also travel at speeds not to obstruct
other traffic.