The sign reads, "STAY RIGHT PASS LEFT". As one who has driven extensively on the PA Turnpike, I-70, I-68, I-270, I-81, and I-78, it never fails that I come across a multitude of drivers from such lands as Ohio, Indiana, Illinios, Michigan, Minnesota, and Wisconsin, who don't understand this simple concept. And I'm not talking about those who fear going above 70 mph while looking to get over to the right while still passing. I mean those who sit in the left lane with a wide open 2-lane highway while going under the speed limit. Last week I came upon a row of 5 cars traveling west on I-70 in Maryland, all from the Midwest, sitting comfortably in the fast lane. It almost goes without saying that the right lane was empty. Far be it from me to flash my lights at them to move over, so I passed them on the right... without flicking the bird like I wanted to. Having seen this case so often, they wouldn't have understood what the salute was all about anyway. What the hell is it with these people? Aren't they taught this concept in Drivers Education? The State of Pennsylvania actually passed a law to allow police to crack down on this, but I don't think I'll ever see it enforced. Too bad, they'd make more of a mint on these idiots than they do on speeders.
thats funny, i just travelled the PA pike yesterday.. who held me up in the fast lane the most often? PA DRIVERS! in fact, there was this one driver, not a car in either lane (save he and myself) for two miles, and here he was, putting along in the left lane at no more than 70mph. being that i am a polite and responsible driver, i slow down from my 85-90mph clip, and rather than passing him on the right, i get close behind him with my left turn signal on. so what does this jackass do? continues to putt along, then, after about 2 or 3 minutes, he FINALLY gets over to the right, flicks me off, and gets behind me and flashes his brights at me. and youre telling me that people in ohio dont know how to drive? please... i feel much safer driving in columbus than i do in philly. at least the drivers in columbus can travel at a fast pace, take a turn in the freeway and NOT drift over into your lane, which is something that happens a dozen times, without fail, in philadelphia. also, you described the great lake states. the midwest = oklahoma, kansas, missouri, nebraska, ect ect...
Life's not always as it should be, sometimes you have to improvise. Pass on any goddamn side you want. Welcome to the real world.
its more fun to win the war of difficulty, though. and in a city, yeah, its time to weave every which way, use the exit/entrance lanes or even the shoulders to pass, but on the x-country stretches, get youre slow ass over, beyotch.
I love San Francisco and the ability to walk everywhere or take a pretty reliable public transportation system.
This happens so much in California on I-5, that when I want to overtake a slower driver, I do so more often on the right. Life's short, get out of my way!
For those of you who are forced to pass through NJ please do so between the hours of 12:00 am and 5:00 am, Monday through Thursday only. That way you will cause the least amount of inconvenience to those of us who have to live here and you will avoid being killed and eaten. Thank you.
I commute between Ann Arbor and Detroit, and the problem is indeed endemic here. I have no idea whether we export it or not. However, I chased 2 separate women around PA and my memory of that place is that it has the highest per capita rate of blue haired right lane sitters in the country. To continue the rant: Of those who cork up the fast lane the worst are the ones who get pissy when you pass them on the right and speed up to cut you off. If they knew better then why do they need a law to make them quit it?
After having lived in Europe for three years (from '84-'87, in West Germany) and having driven in Europe many times since, I can say that it's not just the Midwest. American drivers pretty much suck. KEEP RIGHT EXCEPT TO PASS, IDIOTS!!! And when I'm behind you in the left lane and I flash my lights at you, it means "please move over," not "slam on your brakes and give me the finger."
ooooh no kidding. european drivers are, for the most part, about a million times better at driving. the just generally seem to be paying much much more attention to whats actually going on around them.
I can't speak for any road south of I-80, but on most highways around Chicago (that aren't jammed) the slow speed is about 65 anyway, especially on IL 53.
Sorry Mike, but I'm with Chicago on this one. Light flashers in general tend not to discriminate between people who are in the left lane camping out and those who are using it appropriately: temporarily, to pass. Since I'm one of the latter (is there a smiley with a halo and a self-satisfied smirk around here somewhere?), the flashy lights thingy is not going to make me do anything I wasn't already set to do and moreover risks slowing me down, since I have to at least choke down the indignation-induced bile it generates. Thanks for introducing me to the novel concept that there might actually be a polite intent behind it. Never occurred to me.
Yeah, that's true around Detroit as well. It doesn't change the fact that those doing 65 (or 85, for that matter) don't belong in the left hand lane unless they're passing some-durn-body.
I don't flash my lights at people who are obviously using the passing lane to pass. I only flash my lights when there is room to move to the right, and the person in the left lane just sits there. Also, FWIW worth, when I do it it is with a polite intent. And when someone does the same thing to me, I move over.
Yep. That's my point. If you're driving on the Autobahn/autostrada/autoroute/motorway, whatever, in Europe and are in the left lane (right in the UK) you had better be passing. And when you are done passing, you better move the hell over.
Mike, I know you're not a douchebag, but a lot of light flashers are perceived that way. I think you may be on to something with the idea that drivers suck all over America. I've lived a bunch of places with a reputation among the locals as being full of bad drivers.
The problem is that in the USA about all you need to do to get a license is be about 16 years old (15 in some states, I think) and a face that can be photographed. I was amazed at the requirments I heard Germans had to go through when I was first stationed there with the USAF. You have to be at least 18 years old. You have to go through a minimum of 160 hours of driver's education, in real cars, on real streets (including the Autobahn) with a certified instructor. And you have one chance to pass the driving. If you fail it, you have to repeat the driver's education over from scratch. Oh, and you have to learn and take the test in a car with a manual transmission. I actually learned about flashing my lights when I drove on the Autobahn over there. They also put on their left turn signal so people know they want to pass. Finally, this morning I was heading into work, taking I-270 North off the Beltway, and I was in the left lane, which is HOV 2 during evening rush but can be used by anyone at other times. There was an SUV in front of me (think it was a Ford Expedition) who was going about 70 or so, but he was passing the cars to his right. I did not flash my lights at him, and as soon as there was a break in traffic he moved over. I downshifted, passed him doing about 85, and waved thank you to him for moving over. His license plates were from Wisconsin. If he had had DC, MD of VA tags, I would've expected him to remain in the left lane for the rest of the day.
i see this quite a bit in spain. its fun to try in the states to see who actually moves over for ya and who thinks your just tailgaiting them and youve forgotten to turn off your turn signal...
My issue with "Light Flashers" is that they usually do their thing either when I'm already speeding or there's no place to go. When I'm in the left lane doing 85, and passing everyone on the right and some jackass comes up and rides my tail and flashes his lights it makes me want to actually slow down. But my favorite is the people who think they are the only ones in traffic who are in a hurry. Four-lane highway, traffic across all four lanes, the leftmost is moving the quickest (sometimes a rarity), I'm right behind someone else and some douchebag tailgates and flashes his lights? Where the ******** do you want me to go **************?! Nib-High Football Rules!
That's not what I'm talking about. I only flash people in the passing lane when they are not passing. Then if they don't move within a reasonable amount of time I pass 'em on the right, switch back to the left lane and cut 'em off so they crash into the center median.