Here’s a headline I am delighted to see:
Md. Woman Cited for Driving Too Slowly in Left Lane
Good! People who hog the left lane (which is the passing lane) and refuse to get over are not only rude, they are a hazard to everyone on the road, as they cause long lines of angry tailgaters to develop, which leads to passing on the right. Rudeness begets more dangerous rudeness.
I often wonder where on earth these people learned how to drive, because the idea that the left lane is for passing is a pretty basic concept, yet so many people absolutely do not get it. (I am hardly alone in being annoyed; there are numerous web sites and online discussions of what is a very aggravating problem.)
I find it very revealing that the way this story is linked focuses on the fact that she was driving 63 mph in a 65 mph zone.
The implication seems to be that it’s unfair to ticket her, because she wasn’t speeding. (As if that entitles someone to be a road hog.)
But that is the way the story reads. Even the AAA has voiced support for this idiot:
A Maryland woman was shocked after she received a traffic ticket on Interstate 95 — because it wasn’t for speeding.
In fact, she was driving two mph under the speed limit.
The driver, who didn’t want her name used, told News4 she was driving in the left lane of I-95 on Laurel last Friday when she was pulled over and cited for failing to move right.
[…]
“The reason [the ticket] is silly is because it’s sending the wrong message,” said John Townsend of AAA Mid-Atlantic. “And that is, ‘We will tolerate you driving at more than the speed limit, but it you drive below the speed limit, then you’re penalized for that’.”
The driver has filed a complaint with Maryland State Police and plans to fight the ticket.
While police said they can’t comment on this specific ticket, they said that driving too slowly can impede traffic, and that anyone who wants to fight a citation can do so in court.
Why are they talking about how fast she was going? For cripe’s sake, she was in the passing lane.
Doesn’t that mean anything anymore? It doesn’t matter whether you are going 80, and some maniac behind you is doing 90, you are still supposed to move over to the right. I used to drive on I-95 a lot when I lived on the East Coast, and I can tell you that anyone going 63 in the left lane is a fool, and if he or she refuses to move over, a rude fool and a public hazard.
What I would love to know is what it is that makes certain swinish people think that they have a God-given right to occupy the passing lane and refuse to move.
I’m glad to see that at least for once, the cops did something right.
As to what is in the heads of these selfish morons who won’t move over, I do not know. While I try to understand people by putting myself in their position, where it comes to this business, I’m stumped because I am in their position all the time. I have to drive in the left lane a lot, because here in Michigan, trucks are forced to stay in the right and follow the slower 60 m.p.h. speed limit, which means that cars that travel at their speed limit of 70 must either get in the left or be forced to slow down to 60. Under this system, naturally there are often people who driving faster coming up behind me. Sure, some of them are rude about it, but I always get over, just as I would expect the same from a driver in front of me going more slowly. It’s just one of the basic rules of driving on the highway, and I have been doing it for many decades. But it seems that there are more left lane road hogs than ever before, though. Is it because there are more drivers and they stand out more, or might the problem be that driving schools have stopped teaching that the left lane is for passing?
Or are people just ruder? In some cases, I think so. But the absolutely clueless looks that I see on their faces so much of the time don’t seem deliberately rude. It’s as if they just take it for granted that they are entitled to get in the left, set their cruise control, and stay there.
Comments
16 responses to “Road hogs are rude. But is their rudeness deliberate?”
Seriously.
Keep Right Except To Pass.
I do it. Everyone should. It helps traffic move, it’s safer, and it’s the law too.
(I especially keep this in mind when driving my relatively slower truck, among tractor-trailer rigs, like in your example.
Pass the truck, move right. Repeat.)
I don’t know which is more irritating the blissful zen driver on cruise control or the lane weaving jet jockey who thinks less time in the left lane means less chance of a speeding ticket.
http://ericpetersautos.com/2010/12/23/are-you-a-clover/
“What’s a Clover? It’s a person who needs some help behind the wheel – but doesn’t realize it. To put a finer point on it, a Clover is a person who thinks you’re the one who needs the help.”
Read on! Tea.
That’s really bad in the Northern VA to norther MD corridor.
People just sit in the left lane will not move over.
I once asked a NY State Trooper friend why they didn’t give out that ticket more and he got all upset saying, “Those effing people piss me off!!!!” but he didn’t answer my question.
They cause more problems as they bunch traffic up and gum up the works.
Good for them.
Well – this is, indeed, a problem, and has been for a VERY long time. Extent of the problem, of course, varies with conditions; road, traffic and even weather.
Part of the problem – and the reason that woman’s ticket was written as it was (Failing To Move Right; i.e., obstruction of traffic) – is because of how the law is written and (largely not) enforced.
The reason they don’t give that ticket more often is simple: It’s a “discretionary” call, will not likely result in much of a fine if any (so, not much “revenue”), and the cops consider it a nuisance to deal with it – even though someone behaving this way obviously has a high potential for causing “road rage.”
Yes, she was being pretty stupid, and an annoyance and a potential hazard, and probably richly deserves the ticket and a fine, plus “points” on he driving record.
But – it’s a pretty minor thing, and there are lots of worse offenses (truckers who insistently try to pass on uphill stretches, people coming up behind with high beams/fog lights blazing, traffic-weavers, etc., etc.)
Just go around on the right side, first chance (and no, it is NOT totally verboten to do so, if that’s the only lane that’s left open), and go on with life…
I HATE passing on the right. Too many blind spots for the other driver there.
That said, let’s have a pet-peeve session on drivers. I, two days ago, got behind someone in the right lane doing -10 speed limit. I got in the left lane to pass (this is Florida, -10 is common among older drivers who know they CAN’T drive 55–or 50 in this case–anymore. So, I got in the left lane to pass. And he sped up to the speed limit. So I got back in the right, and he slowed down to 40 again.
So, I got back in the left and did 60.
And then I got in the right and slowed to 35 for about a minute. Vengeance is nice. 😀
P.S. In Florida, it is illegal to do more than -15 in any lane. I was very careful. 😛
But yes, that left-slow is REALLY a problem here. We have a lot of traffic, especially in tourist season. And it’s difficult to switch lanes (because of drivers who – rudely – won’t let you in). So we have a LOT of drivers who have to take a left turn 2 miles ahead get in the left lane. And stay there. At their -10. Probably why we have one of the highest auto insurance rates in the country.
But it’s not always the fault of the slow. Some – like my idiot – deserve what they get. Some are just doing the best they can with what they have (and, sorry, but losing a drivers license often means no way to get food, or get to a doctor or whatever). But the rest of the drivers need to let people in. Don’t force them to drive left forever. Ok?
It’s not one hand or the other – sometimes, you need to look at the third hand.
People don’t view the left lane as the passing lane. They understand it as the fast lane, the cool lane, the less trouble lane, the feel better lane.
When the weather deteriorates, fog, rain, snow, or high winds in the story many nervous drivers move to the left lane and slow down. Texting morons will not move over because their car is their sanctuary and the left lane is their “safe place.”
Nobody chooses a speed to drive, they increase/decrease speed subconsiously until they attaint their customary level of comfort. They could be driving 85 in a school zone or 40 on an interstate, they have no habit of even looking at the speedo. If they are passed, or are passing, more cars than they usually do they adjust speed to attain their usual passing/passed traffic count.
Try this sometime. When you are a passenger say something like “see that red car way in front of us? Keep an eye on him and tell me what speed were you intending to drive?” Universally, the driver will quickly glance at the speedo, “it must be somewhere here on the dashboard, give me a minute” and only then tell you their current speed.
When you get on a road you should pick a number and stay near that speed until conditions warrant a change. This speed ignorance is why everyone slams on the brakes when they see a cop, even if they are already 10 below the speed limit.
The driving public is the best argument against the idea that humanity is perfectible. People are just as careless and clueless in most things as they are with their driving.
[…] Eric Scheie contemplates the left-lane bandit (Decelerus scumbili): What I would love to know is what it is that makes certain swinish people think that they have a God-given right to occupy the passing lane and refuse to move. […]
I’ve thought about this post since yesterday. I live in Los Angeles, where most highways are 4 lanes or more. I get on the freeway, accelerate up to 60 and move over to the 2nd lane as soon as I can, and stay there unless there’s a good reason to move. I don’t like to stay in the 1st lane because there’s too much in and out, merging. Most cars pass me, but I figure they have plenty of room. It is very relaxing, if you have to be driving.
Jenny
LA, Big FREEways, many lanes, just get up to the speed limit, and stay there. The right lane is for TRUCKS, and getting off/on the freeway, and passing on the right is perfectly acceptable, but most of all, go with the flow of traffic, don’t panic, and always bring a towel 🙂
Bob
Opponents of this rule deliberately choose to misunderstand the expectations. The left lane hogging is best described as driving EXACTLY the same speed as the car in the right lane. This prevents safe passing even after an indefinite/infinite waiting time. The opposite is even as little 3 or 4 mile speed differential which in its due time will pass any number of cars on the right hand may that be 2 cars or 200 cars. But what if I’m already going 105? If the car on the right hand is doing 105 then your speed should be increased to 109. If your car doesn’t go that fast then you should fall behind and drive 105 behind the car in the right lane instead. Simple. If you ‘already’ drive 105 and the car in right lane drives only 65 then you should not move to the right lane because you will pass the right hand car in matters of seconds anyways. A five feet per second speed diff would pass a 15 ft long car within the next 3 seconds.
Protocol one: many cars in right lane, few cars in the left. Drive up to last car in left lane and wait a few seconds. If no passing occurs then squeeze in right lane instead thereby slowing down all cars behind. If the violated car behind you honks then the protocol would be to duty fully duplicate the honk at the cars in front of you. Remember that this was not your fault. Remain calm. May resolve the clot in which case you move on without hesitation. If nothing happens then wait for the next car catching up in left lane. Half a second before that fresh newcomer car is about to pass then you press your horn. If still no passing occurs then wait for next bend where the left lane hog can see your vehicle being the last. Flick high beam very briefly. Most drivers will think a cop was behind them or connotation with unpleasant photo intersection flash. Play with drivers unpleasant memories of a previous traffic citations to trick them into action. The bends in the highways are opportunities for a reshuffle. This is of course the wrong time for passing, but remember this is not your fault.
Protocol two: only two cars one left one right but driving exact speed. First stay behind left car. Wait a few second. Then very slowly move behind right car. Wait a few seconds. If no passing occurs then fall back by half a car length. Then drive smack center on top of lane divider. You will see both drivers face in side mirrors and they can clearly see you looking at them through the side mirror. Keep on driving and observe a carefully. One car will slow down ever so slightly! Typically the right hand driver will yield. You should allow the yielding car fall behind an immediately pass the non-yielding car.
protocol 3: every time you see a car in the the left lane approaching a left lane hog then honk. Repeat the honk for every time you observe brake lights on the held up car. Honks are annoying. It is better if the cars in front of you are only of the offending type or alternatively know very well what the problem that is they have seen the guy in the left holding up a line for a good while already.
You see: the sound not coming directly from the car stuck behind a left lane hog will create immense confusion. The left lane hog becomes consumed by thought process and will move to the right lane to figure what is going on. The car that should have honked at him did not honk. This mystery will consume their heads for the remainder of the evening.
Night time: the High beams should not be used during night time because it will blind the driver. This would both dangerous and irresponsible. Sometimes the opposite a head lights off for the just the psychologically correct amount of seconds is very effective. It is probably quite a bit menacing to see the tailgating car first with lights normally on and then moments later go offline driving only with the lead cars tail light as night guidance. Most drivers no matter how retarded or obstructionist by nature will realize that driving together with the car with no lights on is not a long term sustainable situation. They will try to stay away from you, and of course you already know this feeling is mutual. Pass as soon as you can. Another problem solved.