| Author | Message | ||
| BretM (Bretm)
Intermediate Member Username: Bretm Post Number: 2394 Registered: 2-2001 |
Good point Ed, I too watch them. I was thinking along the lines of the real world and road rules, I guess there are exceptions though. | ||
| Edward Gault (Irfgt)
Intermediate Member Username: Irfgt Post Number: 1114 Registered: 2-2001 |
Hey, I like Jackass and The Osbornes. | ||
| BretM (Bretm)
Intermediate Member Username: Bretm Post Number: 2378 Registered: 2-2001 |
The US is a tough nut to crack when it comes to cars. We have to make it easy to get a license or people would have no way to get around because everything is so far apart and essentially we have no public transportation system. The cities and close suburbs are the only reasonable public trans systems and they make up like nothing in the grand scheme. But I do think getting a license should be harder, people would be pressured to still get one because of necessity, they would just have to do a little more work. The 55mph speed limit, arguably the most ridiculous thing in the world. It rivals things like clown shows, MTV programs, and Ferrari's electrical systems. Damn those insurance company bastards. They truly do run the country. | ||
| wm hart (Whart)
Junior Member Username: Whart Post Number: 223 Registered: 12-2001 |
Dude: in Hollywood, some of those people aren't really girls.... | ||
| Reiner Kaiser (Reinerkaiser)
New member Username: Reinerkaiser Post Number: 27 Registered: 2-2001 |
women and tickets: big breasted girls in LA never EVER EVER get tickets! It's just not fair!! | ||
| Ken (Allyn)
Member Username: Allyn Post Number: 337 Registered: 10-2001 |
Lots of good points here! First, most Americans are awful drivers mainly due to lack of education. Second, the 55 speed limit is the biggest racket yet. No one drives 55 and the police can ticket at will. Insurance companies love this because 'safe' drivers get tickets and they can raise the rates. Women are in general worse drivers than men for that hand/eye coordination thing but men do way more stupid and dangerous things due to that penis thing, so they may be in fact the worst of the sexes. My Asian wife will be the first to say Asian women drivers in general are the worst; she's drives like Tony Stewart (okay, Michael Schumacher)herself and still has yet to get a speeding ticket. That's discrimination! | ||
| Willis Huang (Willis360)
Member Username: Willis360 Post Number: 632 Registered: 8-2001 |
Ever notice that even when you cruise along with traffic in the Ferrari, a few drivers get the sudden urge go really fast as you go by them? | ||
| Andrew (Mrrou)
Junior Member Username: Mrrou Post Number: 136 Registered: 3-2002 |
Magoo I have noticed that and its interesting..it seems like because your taking a risk..everyone else thinks its justified..they probably feel safe doing it if you do it..like they trust your (being another driver) judgement..pretty trusting for a stranger on the road | ||
| magoo (Magoo)
Intermediate Member Username: Magoo Post Number: 2454 Registered: 2-2001 |
Have you noticed when you pass someone how everybody behind you speeds up and paces you. Some tail gate even. No body would pass but when you do it everbody does it. | ||
| BretM (Bretm)
Intermediate Member Username: Bretm Post Number: 2343 Registered: 2-2001 |
Yeah exactly, I see this a lot when taking the 130 mile drive home and then back on the weekends when I have to do Fcar stuff. This kid even on a small road only wound up maybe 300yards ahead after 5 miles of driving because of cars he caught up to. Art is right about passing though, if you're gonna pass do it right cause people naturally (ignorantly I should say, not aware of speed control) tend to keep up with you even if they aren't being a prick and trying to not let you pass. When I pass cars on two lane roads (one each way) I usually wind up doing like 85 mph cause you never want to let up when in the other lane and be stuck out there, as the stakes of people's lack of speed control are a little greater in this case. | ||
| Edward Gault (Irfgt)
Intermediate Member Username: Irfgt Post Number: 1082 Registered: 2-2001 |
Most people that change lanes and tailgate and take risky passes usually end up one car length ahead of me as I plod along with traffic and try to judge lights. It is amazing to me that a person will risk their life for a car length in traffic. | ||
| Timothy J. Dressel (Tjd)
New member Username: Tjd Post Number: 49 Registered: 4-2001 |
It seems to me that not long after the speed limit was set to 55 mph around the country, communities discovered the wonderful benefits of traffic fine revenues. Traffic law enforcement officials shifted efforts to speed enforcement, which often involved a stationary officer with a radar gun. With less concern and oversight by the authorities over general driving behavior, the more daring, reckless, and incompetent behavior has been permitted. Add to that the frustration by so much of the driving population regarding the 55 mph speed limit and the differential of expectation of what is the common speed. And then add to that the last many years of public policy by our elected officials, Presidents included, for accommodation of deficiency and incompetence, whether behind the wheel or elsewhere. There seems to be a policy of threatening a general population, whether a population of drivers, a population of students, a neighborhood, etc., with degradation of their standards if they don�t do something to accommodate or support those less able, or more typically, less willing to adhere to those standards. �tim d | ||
| Greg Rodgers (Joechristmas)
Junior Member Username: Joechristmas Post Number: 227 Registered: 3-2001 |
Bret, I am with you. If you drive around the speed limit it seems to bother people but if you see the way most of these people drive it won't bother you too bad. Many people gun it right when the light turns green. I take my time in my 308 and go around the speed limit, just slightly over. It gets on my nerves also. Everyone is always in such a hurry to go nowhere. People just don't seem to respect others anymore especially on the road. They only worry about themselves. I always let people over and am very courteous but it seems like the more aggressive you are the better. Plus our roads aren't the best so I will slow down for the pot holes and the fool behind me seems to want to hit it at 50mph. Just take your time. It is your car and remember your life too. | ||
| arthur chambers (Art355)
Member Username: Art355 Post Number: 383 Registered: 6-2001 |
If I'm in a hurry, I don't wait to pass them. I just go around them, and do it forcefully. I learned a long time ago when passing someone (if theydon't want to get passed) don't give them a chance to change your mind. I see people who gradually speed up to pass people. I don't when someone is in the fast lane, going less than 20 over the limit, I just get around them as soon as possible, as fast as possible. Gives them less time to cause grief, and is safer in the long run. By the time they realize they've been passed, I'm around the car in front of them and gone. Works for me. Art | ||
| Chris Young (Bimmerboy)
New member Username: Bimmerboy Post Number: 27 Registered: 12-2001 |
I agree on the drivers education. Some states, such as Michigan (where I live), are requireing anyone wanting to get their license while under 18 to take the "Graduated Drivers License" program. It's alot to go through, and pretty annoying, but I guess it's good to know that new drivers on the road are somewhat well educated on what they're doing. So, hopefully in the future this should mean a better number of good drivers on the road (skill wise, there's still the other issues discussed here..). | ||
| BretM (Bretm)
Intermediate Member Username: Bretm Post Number: 2335 Registered: 2-2001 |
Nika your point about young guys was true today in a sense. I was coming back from riding today (I bike every evening) in the jeep and I'm doing like 45-50 in a 30 cause that's pretty much the speed everyone does on this road as it's in the middle of nowhere really. So this kid comes up on me in a black BMW going really fast, I'm like alright what's your deal. So he's like tailing me for like two miles (one point is my $4000 bike is on a rack on the back of the jeep so even a minor fender bender is gonna wreck it, the second point is I'm going the normal speed for this road which is already 20mph over, the other point is I have NJ plates and Sheriff Bucktooth would be more than happy to pull over a "Southerner" so me going this fast is kind of courteous as to not hold this guy up). So he keeps tailing me and I'm getting pissed so of course I dump the clutch and stand on the brakes while looking in the rearview mirror so I can avoid him if he's gonna wreck, sending him into a panic stop and he's flailing his arms. So then he backs off for like another mile and we come to a light. I stop and go to turn on red and he cuts through a parking lot on the right side at like 20mph. Sure enough behind him I can see it's got 4 young guys in it. Then this kid is like huh huh, I'm gonna play a joke on this NJ kid and he slows down to like 20mph and lightly taps his brakes, I was like seriously dude I'm used to going this slow I live in NJ and if you want me to get flustered you're gonna have to stop a lot harder than that. WTF are these people's deal? Another point, I'm getting onto campus and a fairly attractive girl is jogging going the other way on a very large shoulder, so I go by at like 35-40 (it's a 30mph zone), in no way doing anything but being courteous, not staring at her or anything and not speeding excessively, and she gives me the finger. I was like alright. Then I get on campus and some crazy ••••• is jogging in the middle of the lane. Not like to the side, in the middle. So I'm doing like 5mph in 1st gear, in a 25mph zone, waiting for her to get her ass out of the way. What the f&*( is wrong with these people. Do you guys find a black jeep wrangler with mud tires and a congo cage rack, and a slightly louder than normal exhaust (weber carb and not cat) offensive? Am I missing something here? Should I speed out of control, would that make people happier? Nika I think what I said before applies a lot more to NJ area girls with lipstick on the brain type deal. Sorry guys I had to vent about my adventures with driving today. Off to dinner I go now, and I'm walking. | ||
| Ernie Bonilla (Ernie)
Member Username: Ernie Post Number: 282 Registered: 11-2001 |
The point is that you shouldn't have to go around them. Last year I was in England, and drove the whole time. It was so easy to drive over there. The hardest thing to get used to was looking right instead of left, at a stop. But that only took less than a day. As far as going around people on the wrong side. That was a huge no-no. The drivers on the raod over there would go out of their way to let you by. Once I tried passing in the slow lane, and I got honked and yelled at. After that I would just stayed put, and at the first opportunity they would get out of my way. I rarely had to flash the high beams high beams, and when I did it was like parting the waters. So if one ENTIRE COUNRTY can learn to drive this way, so can we. I truely think that you should have to pass a one month driving school, with a 95% score as not passing. The driving standards here truely need to be raised by the government. | ||
| wm hart (Whart)
Junior Member Username: Whart Post Number: 215 Registered: 12-2001 |
Agreed about diminishing, rather than encouraging road rage, but my observations about left lane blockers are not limited to my experiences in driving ferraris. I have the same experiences when driving the suburu. Also, if you have to flash, it usually indicates that the driver in front is inattentive, cause if he were watching his mirrors, he would have seen you approaching, but then again, why should he be in the left lane slogging, to begin with. It does auger for improved (and continuing) driver education. The thing that surprises me though, is that when i first began driving in 1971, people did seem to respect the left lane more than they do now. The mid 70's oil crisis, with the 55 mph limit gave government support to the self-righteous; our society has, as others here have pointed out, only encouraged this sick sense of moral ambivalence. Sorry to vent, it is one of my pet peeves (along with SUVs, cell phones,commercial air travel generally, and trendy or overhyped restaurants with poor service). | ||
| Willis Huang (Willis360)
Member Username: Willis360 Post Number: 630 Registered: 8-2001 |
I think people trying to block you after you've passed them in the Ferrari do so because they believe you're playing with them. In reality, all you're doing is just passing slower traffic. You blow by and they think, "Oh, boy! A Ferrari! That guy must want to play! Let's catch up and join the fun!". | ||
| Scott Anderson (Srandrsn)
Junior Member Username: Srandrsn Post Number: 99 Registered: 4-2001 |
I think it has much more to do with driver education than anything to do with gender, race or religion... Yes there are people who like to play games in the fast lane (especially with ferraris and such) but mostly I just think people don't know. Its been a very long time since drivers ed but I don't remember much being said on the topic, thus when I (or others) flash the headlights to to try and get them to move over I'm sure their fist thought is "what an ***hole" not "oh I shouldn't be here"! I give the driver ahead of me a reasonable chance to move over (for the most part you can tell if they see you and are going to pull over or not) and if they don't look like they are going to do it I just go around...there's no need to create greater friction on the highways or greater animosity towards Ferrari drivers. | ||
| Edward Gault (Irfgt)
Intermediate Member Username: Irfgt Post Number: 1079 Registered: 2-2001 |
Afew years ago Jeff Gordon was put up against the World champion Daytona video game player on the Video game. Gordon beat him 2 out of three times. I was impressed since I have always not given much credability to the accuracy of these games. | ||
| wm hart (Whart)
Junior Member Username: Whart Post Number: 210 Registered: 12-2001 |
Now that we've bashed Asians, women and immigrants (nobody said anything about nuns, let alone Asian nuns), i think it has absolutely nothing to do with ability, since some of the assholes that i have experienced in the left lane seem to have no trouble getting on it, once you've passed them on the right. Indeed, some of them like to play this as a game and will try to box you in after you have pulled right to pass, by speeding up to block you in behind the car in front of you in the right lane. This requires a certain level of malicious skill... | ||
| Nika (Racernika)
Member Username: Racernika Post Number: 424 Registered: 12-2001 |
Hand eye co-ordination can be learned - there's no gender bias here like upper body strength. I see your point that men may have better hand/eye coordination but that is really due to the fact that more young boys play video games then young girls. I say video games since they are a prime example of an activity based on hand/eye movements. But as for the generalization that women are worse drivers because they lack in this - no....I think it's more of bad driver training, less experience behind the wheel - many factor that are not gender specifics. Young males still have the highest accident rates. | ||
| BretM (Bretm)
Intermediate Member Username: Bretm Post Number: 2330 Registered: 2-2001 |
It is an example of lack of coordination, and if you honestly think that most young girls are as coordinated as most young guys than I think you missed something in highschool. My sister is quite a good driver, but my dad's girlfriend's daughter was nothing short of terrifying behind the wheel. I specifically point out there are exceptions so let's not turn this into one of those totally illogical debates not really about the topic but just to see who can talk more. You are obviously an exception Nika and I'm sure you know a lot of girls from your racerchicks that are also exceptions. But the fact still remains. All the more kudos to you girls over there for being so much above the bar. | ||
| Nika (Racernika)
Member Username: Racernika Post Number: 423 Registered: 12-2001 |
Since when does throwing a basebell mean you can drive? | ||
| F-J'87EuroTR (Ferrarijoe)
Junior Member Username: Ferrarijoe Post Number: 111 Registered: 5-2001 |
I've got it! FOMASAD Ferrari-Owners-Mad-About-Slow-Ass-Drivers Joe | ||
| BretM (Bretm)
Intermediate Member Username: Bretm Post Number: 2328 Registered: 2-2001 |
God help you when an older Asian women are involved in driving. I've also noticed young African American women to be very aggressive, I've seen a couple essentially run people off the road in order to get in that lane. Although young man are known for being reckless, I've noticed this is making it's way into some young women. I've also noticed that these same young women when driving at normal speeds are very good, but when driving fast are nothing short of a menace. Not for nothing, but guys are a hell of a lot more coordinated on average (yes Nika is good we know) and I find a young girl that can't throw a baseball really has no place driving aggressively, not that anyone does really. | ||
| Willis Huang (Willis360)
Member Username: Willis360 Post Number: 628 Registered: 8-2001 |
New immigrants tend to be slow because of their unfamiliarity with the road, language, and driving in general. You just have to be patient with those people. However, I've seen a few who might be "newbies" and they're just outright rude. One morning, I drove around, from the left side, a very slow moving car driven by an Asian woman. No big deal and I was driving the Nissan. I stopped at a intersection red light waiting to turn left, from the far left lane, to get to the freeway on-ramp. In my mirrors, that woman was approaching on the far right-hand lane and still going slowly with her right turn signal blinking. When the light turned green, that idiot woman sped up and cut across all the lanes to the left, doing a 90 degree turn, and cut me and everyone else off as I turn toward the freeway entrance. Of course, once she got on the freeway, she's going about 50MPH while everyone's trying to go around her. | ||
| Bill Sawyer (Wsawyer)
Junior Member Username: Wsawyer Post Number: 84 Registered: 2-2002 |
We really need a National Drivers Organization, which we haven't had since the AAA discovered the profit in insurance and became a business rather than an advocacy group. There was another organization about 15 years ago, but they focused so heavily on the 55 mph speed limit that they became, well, limited. I remember putting their sticker on my back window and having my window smashed and my radar detector stolen the same evening. Maybe they still exist, but they aren't doing anything. It would be great if such an organization could be associated with one of the major car magazines or, better yet, with a race sanctioning body. The SCCA would make sense, although I'm aware of all the reasons why they would never do it. | ||
| wm hart (Whart)
Junior Member Username: Whart Post Number: 209 Registered: 12-2001 |
So, is there anything we can do? Sort of like the MADD movement, with a catchy acronym? I know this will invite a plethora of funny acronyms, which we can get a few laughs over, but seriously folks, how bout we organize in our localities, petition the state police, media, etc., since staying right will reduce hi-way accidents, will encourage the perception of us fast-car drivers as somewhat responsible, et cet. | ||
| Ernie Bonilla (Ernie)
Member Username: Ernie Post Number: 281 Registered: 11-2001 |
You guys have no idea what frustration is. Yes here is Southern California the weather is the best for driving, but.........it is packed with idiots. The imigrant population here is now the majority. With that said, they are some of the absolute dumbest drivers on the planet. Forget about the back roads too. Try driving Mach7 down the the road and then have a lemon orchard truck pull out in front of you at the last second with out looking first. Then the ignorant farm worker has the nerve to get mad at you cause you blast around him, after you get sick of driving at a crawl for the last 10 miles. The freeway is even worse. How about all five lanes stopped up with about a mile of open road ahead, and the thought that they are blocking the flow of traffic never crosses these dorks mind. Or old people behind the wheel, that can barely read what their drivers license says. Oh yeah not to mention they all have "handicap" parking plates issued to them from the doctor cause they have a gimpy arm. Helloooooooo!!!!!! If half thier body doesn't function what makes you think they should be on the road. As far as some of our other friends on the road. Without mentioning names, I understand why they are only allowed to ride bicycles in thier country. They are completely oblivious to anyone one the road. No matter what the road conditions are or what the signs say, you can be sure they didn't see anything and almost caused five wrecks on the way to the store. If you think I'm making this up, ask our x-CHP chatter who used to work in the San Fransico area. | ||
| Willis Huang (Willis360)
Member Username: Willis360 Post Number: 627 Registered: 8-2001 |
In that guy's mind, he just knocked a Ferrari driver down a notch. That's probably why he had a sh!t-eating grin. When people pull a stupid stunt like trying to "get the Ferrari guy", I just go around them (pull well head if given the chance). If they look dangerous, I move to the far right to add distance or exit the freeway. Also, make sure I'm not being followed. Never give anyone the finger or any gesture that give people more reason to hate us Ferrari drivers. | ||
| F-J'87EuroTR (Ferrarijoe)
Junior Member Username: Ferrarijoe Post Number: 110 Registered: 5-2001 |
Last Thursday, I was returning from Olympia on I-5 north (3 lanes) in the TR and traffic was light to moderate in a 65-MHP zone. As I came up onto traffic, I made my way over to the far left lane and soon caught up to an el Camino with a load of shrubs in the back but they were not obscuring the drivers view. I followed him for about a half mile and when he had the opportunity to get over to the right, he just sat there doing 55-60 still in a 65-MPH. With the middle lane cleared and he staying put, I moved over to get around him (the immoral way to me) on his right. We were going down hill and seeing me move over, he sped up enough to catch up to some more cars in the middle and far right lane to effectively block me. As I moved back over behind him to go past the two right lanes of traffic, again, he gestured at me through the rear window with his IQ number. I did not fire back and patiently waited because now he was matching the speed (which was dropping) of the two cars in the right lane perfectly as we went up a long hill. At least a mile or so later he finally past the middle lane car but stayed in the far left lane. I dropped to fourth and drove around him without mucking about. As I went by him, he had this ••••-eating grin on his face as if he had just accomplished something no one has before. I was so tempted to acknowledge his IQ back but restrained myself. This definitely supports Bill�s theory to the �T�. Joe | ||
| Willis Huang (Willis360)
Member Username: Willis360 Post Number: 626 Registered: 8-2001 |
Speaking of people exercising their "rights" on the road. How about certain type of pedestrians in crosswalks? I've seen a few who are deliberately slow and tie up traffic. This is pretty bad around the Seattle area. I'm not talking about senior citizens though. These are people who actually stop and do a little dance while drivers start honking their horns. Some of these punks actually walk backwards from the middle of the crosswalk. I've seen a few who will run up to a honking car and slam their hands on the hood of the car. What's up with people like that? | ||
| Bill Sawyer (Wsawyer)
Junior Member Username: Wsawyer Post Number: 83 Registered: 2-2002 |
Several years ago we were towing our race car back to Raleigh, NC from Lime Rock. We were pulled over near Baltimore for a faulty trailer light. The policeman was kind and friendly and he started to tell us about an arrest he had made earlier that evening. A drunk driver from Massachusetts (this is happening in Maryland, remember) had traffic backed up for two miles. He was weaving and driving slowly and no one was willing to attempt a pass. When the police hauled him into jail he tried to bribe them with Celtics ticket. Apparently he had suffered an alcoholic blackout in Massachusetts and the next thing you know he found himself in Maryland. How he made it that far without killing himself and others is beyond me. | ||
| Nika (Racernika)
Member Username: Racernika Post Number: 422 Registered: 12-2001 |
Here's the story (reprinted with permission ) Have you ever been traveling in cottage country, stuck behind some slowpoke driving well below the speed limit for absolutely no reason? It's blood boiling. Teeth-grinding. And road rage-inducing. Last month, Brian Hughes of Midland, Ont. was one such slowpoke, casually driving his butt-ugly beater along Country Rd. 6 northwest of Barrie with no apparent concern regarding the ever-growing traffic jam he was causing. The speed limit on Country Rd. 6 is 80 km/h; Mr. Hughes was doing 65 km/h. He called it a "leisurely drive" . except that there were more than 20 vehicles bumper-to-bumper behind Mr. Hughes. And leisure was the last thing on the minds of those drivers. Still, Mr. Hughes puttered along; a full 15 clicks under the limit and hogging the road with no remorse. Alas, just to prove there may indeed be a God, it just so happened that an OPP cruiser was in the area that day. And the officer driving that cruiser did something that brought tears of joy to everyone's eyes - except Mr. Hughes. The officer pulled Mr. Hughes over and gave him a nice, juicy $110 "unspeeding" ticket. Two things worthy of comment: first, the officer that nailed Mr. Hughes deserves an immediate promotion and salary increase. As for Mr. Hughes, he still doesn't "get it." Indeed, Mr. Hughes has actually gone on the offensive. He has inexplicably issued statements to the press, whining that he doesn't believe his speed was "excessively slow." (That's our no-fault, blameless society for you: once upon a time, a motorist breaking the law would deal with a traffic ticket in court; today, one calls a press conference.) Bottom line: to drive 15 km/h slower than the posted speed limit when driving conditions are optimal is an act of supreme selfishness, comparable to an able-bodied person parking in a handicapped spot. Yet, the chutzpah of Mr. Hughes to use the press in order to portray himself as a victim while vilifying the OPP officer who issued the ticket ("I'm sure had he already achieved his quota and brownie points on the promotional ladder he would have let me go with a warning") is galling beyond words. Be a man, Mr. Hughes. Stop crying. Pay the fine. And to quote WWF superstar Chris Jericho, "Will you please do everyone a favour and shut the hell up." Oh, and drive a little faster next time, too, would you? David Menzies, National Post | ||
| BretM (Bretm)
Intermediate Member Username: Bretm Post Number: 2321 Registered: 2-2001 |
This is some interesting stuff to here about as other than the NYC area and a little Boston I'm not really familiar with say California. Bill I think you really hit it though. It goes back to society, people being anti-social and pricks for that matter, not caring about other people. The "I'm going fast enough" mentality. I for one am glad to move over, then someone else will get the ticket. | ||
| Mark C. Gordon (Markg)
Junior Member Username: Markg Post Number: 163 Registered: 2-2001 |
I spent 13 years in Law Enforcement in N California (Bay area); God help anyone caught driving too slow by the CHP!! Traffic flowing smoothly is happy traffic, and happy traffic is safe traffic...if flow is 65mph and someone is in fast lane doing 60, they are a hazzard and are cited as such. The posted speed limit is also the minimum speed limit if road conditions permit... Here in Colorado on the other hand, we have a Max and Min speed limit on our highway, so someone can go well below the flow of traffic and still be legal. This promotes unsafe lane changes and tail-gaiting when someone is going 55 mpg in a 70 mph zoned area where the flow and conditions are indicate 70 mph is a reasonable speed. I don't know if the CSP forces slower traffic to the right or not, but in Calif. the CHP sure as heck did!! | ||
| Andrew (Mrrou)
Junior Member Username: Mrrou Post Number: 114 Registered: 3-2002 |
Nika I wonder what the man was feeling for him to drive that slow? There must of been a reason. . . | ||
| Nika (Racernika)
Member Username: Racernika Post Number: 415 Registered: 12-2001 |
There was an old man driving on a two lane highway here that actually got a ticket from the Ontario Provincial Police for driving too slow (20km under)- causing a traffic jam behind him. Do you know he tried to get the cop fired! I'll have to get the details from the journalist friend that wrote about it - it makes you ill! | ||
| Bill Sawyer (Wsawyer)
Junior Member Username: Wsawyer Post Number: 82 Registered: 2-2002 |
Americans have taken our quest for individualism too far. The 'me' attitude pervades society and gums up a lot of good systems that require us to subjugate self for the good of all. Here in Michigan you find the fast lane populated by slow-moving drivers out to prove their 'right' to be there. The automobile is the great social equalizer, and for some reason people who haven't made it in life feel that they can get back at those who have and prove their equality by exercising their right to drive slowly in the fast lane. Efficiency be damned, I want you to notice me! I lived in North Carolina twenty years ago and, back then at least, lane courtesy still existed. Hopefully it still does. Of course, Southerners were still a very courteous lot back then. Hopefully the influx of Northerners hasn't changed that. | ||
| BretM (Bretm)
Intermediate Member Username: Bretm Post Number: 2303 Registered: 2-2001 |
There is an article in one of the recent R&Ts about this. Apparently it is illegal to not adhere to the right if five or more cars are lined up behind you, but only on a two lane road. So almost all highways are exempt from this law. Stupid IMO, 3, 4, or 5 lanes should all be the law to stay to the right. | ||
| F-J'87EuroTR (Ferrarijoe)
Junior Member Username: Ferrarijoe Post Number: 109 Registered: 5-2001 |
I hear you brother! I drove in Europe for over 10 years and I can honestly say that I really learned how to drive there more than here. Up here in WA. State, people seem to just get on the highway and go right over to the middle lane and "park it there until the cows come home". This causes the normal speed drivers to take up the left lane, which chaps my arse! I have shamefully grown accustom to using the far right lane to navigate around the left side of traffic. It should be the other way around! I too look forward to the day when slow cars stay to the right as posted and according to law so us fast-movers can get down the road. Joe  | ||
| wm hart (Whart)
Junior Member Username: Whart Post Number: 204 Registered: 12-2001 |
Just got back from a ten day trip in Europe, and even without being behind the wheel of a supercar, it was such a pleasure to look down the highways and see the left lane clear; no flashing necessary, just well-trained drivers, with a built-in neurosis for sitting in the left lane. The roads i was on were no better than those here in the U.S., but travelling with others who respected the notion of a passing lane made all the difference; far less lane dodging, frustrating bog downs, and competitive idiocy. Wish we could do something, as spirited drivers, to encourage training/education/enforcement to encourage this behavior here. |