I'm with SAM2 - the people who are first in line at a traffic light and take forever to pull out when it turns green, and people who cruise in the left lane, are real problems.

My guess is that they are the same people who don't work, but simply must grocery shop on the weekends. What gives? Why in the name of......would you grocery shop on Saturday late morning if you could go any day of the week? Are you that lonely and have that much free time that you actually enjoy the crowds in the bread aisle???

SAM2 wrote:OK, I think I understand now why some people choose to squat in the left lane blocking traffic -- they consider it their responsibility and right to police the speed limit for others, and will refuse to get out of the left lane no matter how much traffic they are blocking. Thanks for the education; I had not realized people think like this.

Here's my plan: Next time I manage to get around one of these people refusing to leave the left lane, I will maneuver back into the left lane just in front of them. And then I will put on my flashers, and slow down (gradually and safely, of course) until they are forced to move over into the right lane where I think they belong. I consider myself completely justified in doing this, because I am promoting public safety for everyone.

Ha ha love it.

Wow. Just wow. Good luck to you!

Anonymous wrote:You'll KNOW when I'm throwing a tantrum, trust me.

Great! I hope you meet your soul-mate out there on the roads one of these days. The conflagration should be EPIC!!!

Anonymous wrote:
I think it is a passive aggressive southern thing. Truly rude and inconsiderate. It is the same people who won't leave their parking space by the mere fact that you are sitting there patiently waiting for it. It is also evident in the store lines. You can tell who is from where by how long they take to get their sh*t together and oh ...so ...slowly ....leave ...the register....

It is also true of green lights. The lights around here are so quick. But there they are, at the front of the line picking their nose. (In the left lane picking their nose!) They deliberately hold everyone else up because their own time is worth nothing. What seems like five minutes later, they decide to go and the green light lets one or two cars through. They wonder why this area is so congested? Really, Einstein?

It's actually really funny to watch. They should be embarrassed for acting so incompetent, but it doesn't occur to them how silly they look. Honestly, it is as if they are just too stupid. Refusing to move? You're kidding, right!?!? Funny!

And they say this area doesn't have good entertainment.

I think most of this is just projection. Impatient folks watch the light like hawks, and meanwhile, there's some elderly driver--or someone who's distracted by their kid in the back seat for 2-3 seconds, and....HONK!!! You have to justify your own juvenile behavior somehow, so...of course that driver is just doing it out of spite! How dare they! What did you ever do to them? The nerve!

Same with the "driving in the left lane" thing. The "keep right" rule is great in uncongested areas. But unfortunately, there aren't a lot of situations where it's relevant. Usually the assholes you see whipping around someone driving in the left lane end up finding themselves stuck one car ahead. But wait! This assholes not going as fast as you want either!! So you whip around that car. And lo and behold, *that* driver's not going as fast as you want either!!! What the Hell is wrong with all these selfish drivers clogging up *your* lane??? Don't they know it's illegal!!!

The total lack of self-awareness would be funny if it weren't so tragic.

You'll KNOW when I'm throwing a tantrum, trust me.

Yup. Aggressor = refuse to let others pass in left lane.

Anonymous wrote:Wow, the bad drivers who claim to know the law, impede traffic flow with their passive aggressiveness taken out behind the wheel (by holding up the left lane), and are grammatically challenged enough to swear in all directions; all the while claiming it is those who merely want to pass in the left lane properly?

This behavior would not be tolerated in other parts of the country. It is posted. If you actually got out more you would know that. Without Google (egads!)

We all want to play policemen, but thankfully only some of us have guns.

Go ahead and throw a tantrum about it. I just think it's hilarious that anger-management cases demand everyone get out of their way, while making vague threats about gunplay. As though they're the only ones with a capacity for violence. My guess is that--in the high-profile "road rage" incidents you hear about--it's usually the aggressor who ends up getting capped. Generally because the aggressor in this case can't conceive they're not the baddest dog in town; and because the object of their aggression feels like they need to defend themselves. You see this all the time.

I think it is a passive aggressive southern thing. Truly rude and inconsiderate. It is the same people who won't leave their parking space by the mere fact that you are sitting there patiently waiting for it. It is also evident in the store lines. You can tell who is from where by how long they take to get their sh*t together and oh ...so ...slowly ....leave ...the register....

It is also true of green lights. The lights around here are so quick. But there they are, at the front of the line picking their nose. (In the left lane picking their nose!) They deliberately hold everyone else up because their own time is worth nothing. What seems like five minutes later, they decide to go and the green light lets one or two cars through. They wonder why this area is so congested? Really, Einstein?

It's actually really funny to watch. They should be embarrassed for acting so incompetent, but it doesn't occur to them how silly they look. Honestly, it is as if they are just too stupid. Refusing to move? You're kidding, right!?!? Funny!

And they say this area doesn't have good entertainment.

Wow, the bad drivers who claim to know the law, impede traffic flow with their passive aggressiveness taken out behind the wheel (by holding up the left lane), and are grammatically challenged enough to swear in all directions; all the while claiming it is those who merely want to pass in the left lane properly?

This behavior would not be tolerated in other parts of the country. It is posted. If you actually got out more you would know that. Without Google (egads!)

We all want to play policemen, but thankfully only some of us have guns.

Anonymous wrote:
If posted speed limit is 55 and I am driving, normally, 60 MPH, just because you want to drive at 15 miles above posted speed limit is your tough luck because I don't have to move over unless you are driving an emergency vehicle, e.g., police with siren or ambulance.

Absolutely. This is the usual scenario: traffic is somewhat congested, but not gridlocked. Folks in the right hand lane are driving over the speed-limit, but not quite fast enough. Or you have the temerity to leave more than a car's length of space between you and the car in front of you. So of course, that's going to drive Mr Anger Management Case bat-shit insane. After all, the left lane is for folks who want to drive unimpeded to their destination, not those who want to be stuck in traffic.

Hilarious.

Anonymous wrote:Wait until the "refuse to let pass left laners" get rear ended by the wrong person. Don't say I didn't tell you so.

Again, this is a perfect example of the *massive* ego-centrism and complete lack of perspective these "get outta my way types" are crippled by. It never once crosses their mind that one of these days they're going to be honking, tailgating, and generally acting like an out-of-control douchebag...and *they* are the ones who are going to run into the wrong person. How do you think all these road-rage incidents happen? You've got one entitled ass-munch driving twenty-five mph over the speed limit, one entitled fuck-whistle planted in the left-hand lane driving ten mph over the speed limit, both of them think they're completely in the right, and both of them can't conceive of anyone on the road more of a bad-ass than they.

And eventually they bump into each other, and the first takes the second out of the gene pool, and the second takes the first out of society (usually with a long jail term). Meanwhile, the vast majority of us who *don't* have the coping mechanisms of a spoiled two-and-a-half year old get the benefits.

Thanks guys!

Now go along and prove your manhood to someone who minorly inconveniences you on the roadways! Did I mention what a bad-ass you are!

Heh.

Anonymous wrote:

Um, No. Do NOT compare residential speed limits with that of the freeway.

The speed limit on the freeway is not a suggestion. It is the minimum speed but not for the left/speed lane. I think it's understood that cops/troopers allow drivers to go 10 miles above the posted limit. At the same time, if you are going 10 miles over the speed limit in the left lane and you still have people on your bumper, please change lanes to the right.

Wow! Sorry, but this is awesome. How do all these fucking morons manage to get drivers licenses in this country? It really is startling.

Just for anyone else who might be reading this, and unclear on the law: the posted speed limit you see on interstates is the *maximum* speed limit. Not the minimum. You can Google it. Really.

Dc area drivers are terrible...the left lane thing is very annoyng. So are people who do not know what YIELD means. It does not mean that you come onto the road and just get in the lane regardless of people in that lane. Or people who random top on a busy street on the side and put their flashers on in a NO PARKING AT ANY TIME zone. I could go on and on...

SAM2 wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Responding to SAM2: I just called the VA State Police and Fairfax County police. This is what both told me: If it is non rush hour and and you can drive the speed limit the you should drive in the right lane and leave left for passing.

I think they know the current law better than you.

I certainly hope they know the law better than I do. I'm impressed that you actually picked up the phone to call -- that's good initiative.

It seems like your first paragraph is consistent with what I posted above, and with what the Virginia statutes say, so I'm glad we at least can agree people need to yield to left-lane passing in normal traffic conditions. I hope that will encourage some left-lane squatters reading this thread to keep to the right, and allow faster traffic to move on the leftDid the police really tell you that if it's rush hour, you can sit in the left lane for as long as you want, even if you're blocking cars that are signaling for you to move right? That's what your second paragraph suggests. .

This is what I was told:

" However, if it rush hour or heavy traffic, for whatever reason, driving in the left lane is permissible, if you are driving at posted speed limit. It appears that I left out bolded part but common sense should tell you this.

If posted speed limit is 55 and I am driving, normally, 60 MPH, just because you want to drive at 15 miles above posted speed limit is your tough luck because I don't have to move over unless you are driving an emergency vehicle, e.g., police with siren or ambulance.