Driving in the left lane

[Creed of Heresy]

I generally zone out and go mind-out cruise-control when I drive on the highway. I get in the left lane and just keep the pace with the guy in front of me. Someone gets up behind me and wants to pass, I'll let 'im, long as they aren't a dick about it.

[KichigaiNeko]

Kris

[Aractus]

I never speed. Not even by 1 mph above. So perhaps I'm biased....

Seems like everyone complains about "slow" drivers in the left lane. What is a "slow" driver? Well it's apparently people who drive the speed limit or less. I can see getting mad at a granny going 30 in a 50 mph zone but getting mad at people going the speed limit in the left lane? What?

If I'm in the left lane going the speed limit and I'm blocking you from going above the speed limit (i.e. speeding) then I'm not the problem, you're the problem.

You're an irresponsible idiot, plain and simple. There's a lot of BS that people do on the road that pisses me off - changing lanes in an intersection (illegal), turning without indicating (illegal), changing lanes without indicating (illegal), etc. Just this afternoon I was driving home in the right lane (the equivalent to your left lane), indicated and went into the middle lane. Meanwhile the car in the left lane merged at the same time into the middle lane without indicating. Normally I would beep my horn repeatedly at bullshit like that, but it's not very loud these days, so I tailgated until I left the lane (not long after - a minute at the most). By tailgate all I mean is that when he entered the lane, I didn't back off, not that I went any closer. My way of annoying him for his irresponsible driving (he could have seen me indicating to merge lanes for one thing, let alone indicated himself).

You don't know the situation of the people speeding. They could have a medical emergency - I have a family member who has gone into an epileptic fit on more than one occasion while being a passenger in a car and has needed to be rushed immediately as a matter of urgency to the hospital. It isn't your place to interfere with the driving of others, if they're breaking the road rules that's their problem. I never stop someone who's speeding from overtaking me, I will usually move out of the lane in order to let them pass if necessary. Annoying other road users is stupid, irresponsible and dangerous, how do you think road rage happens?

[Great Ape]

I believe the unwritten rule is to follow the flow of traffic or get out of the way. If everyone is doing 75 and you're doing 65, you're in the way.

[festive1]

Driving on the Capital Beltway daily makes me feel I should contribute to this thread. I either drive with the flow of traffic or the speed limit if possible. Left lane, is the passing lane. If you aren't passing you will A: be smooshed, B: invite road rage, or C: cause traffic problems. I, however, fucking loathe tailgaters. My tactic to dealing with these assholes is not to slam on my brakes, not increase my speed (which is often not possible due to the cars in front of me), but to simply remove my foot from the accelerator. It gets the message across and allows the tailgater to pass. Note: I do not do this when driving in the left lane, only when there is a passing lane that the tailgater can use to get around me. Furthermore, I think the roads would be safer if everyone would look at cars not as objects in their way, rather as boxes on wheels that contain actual, living people. Too many fucking idiots on the road... I used to find driving enjoyable, but after moving to DC, this is no longer the case. It's just a massive headache.

[Great Ape]

I hate DC traffic.

[festive1]

It sucks massive dick. I saw an article in the Post a few years ago that claimed if DC area drivers were forced to retest for their licenses about 1/3rd would fail. I don't know how they figured that out, but with how people drive out here, I tend to believe it.

[Great Ape]

I'm up in northern Maryland and everytime I go to DC I tell myself never again...

[Jackalope]

You're an irresponsible idiot, plain and simple. There's a lot of BS that people do on the road that pisses me off - changing lanes in an intersection (illegal), turning without indicating (illegal), changing lanes without indicating (illegal), etc.

All of the above is understandably annoying, unlawful, and potentially dangerous. However, none of it justifies this....

Just this afternoon I was driving home in the right lane (the equivalent to your left lane), indicated and went into the middle lane. Meanwhile the car in the left lane merged at the same time into the middle lane without indicating. Normally I would beep my horn repeatedly at bullshit like that, but it's not very loud these days, so I tailgated until I left the lane (not long after - a minute at the most). By tailgate all I mean is that when he entered the lane, I didn't back off, not that I went any closer. My way of annoying him for his irresponsible driving (he could have seen me indicating to merge lanes for one thing, let alone indicated himself).

You see someone driving bad so your answer is to.... drive bad? Intentionally annoying other drivers is dangerous and irresponsible.

Annoying other road users is stupid, irresponsible and dangerous, how do you think road rage happens?

Oh, wait, it looks like you know this. Pity you don't practice what you preach.

[Autumnlicious]

Considering how fluid dynamics works, someone slowing down in a critical section is just enough to create knotting (IE traffic).

It depends on the context of the local traffic cohort and their modes of behavior.

If the cohort is moving faster than the "slow" driver, the slow driver is more at fault for anyone accident, including that of emergencies.

If the cohort is moving at the "slow" driver's speed, it's clear that the one who is trying to pass the slow driver is exceeding the speed of traffic and is more likely to be at fault in an accident.