ocelotmom Posted May 30, 2011 Share Posted May 30, 2011 (Maybe it's always the same guy? :confused:). Probably. He's exactly who I pictured! :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laura Corin Posted May 30, 2011 Share Posted May 30, 2011 LOL, thanks for sharing! :) So, in practical experience, have you ever been passed on the "wrong" side in the UK? I've never been passed on the wrong side in the UK. It used to scare me to death when people did that when we lived in California. Laura Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sputterduck Posted May 30, 2011 Share Posted May 30, 2011 Both. Depending on where I'm going and why and how slow he is and whether he moves soon or doesn't seem to be wanting to move at all. I learned to drive in California. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sputterduck Posted May 30, 2011 Share Posted May 30, 2011 I've never been passed on the wrong side in the UK. It used to scare me to death when people did that when we lived in California. Laura Awwww. On behalf of Californians, I'm sorry we scared you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Year Round Mom Posted May 30, 2011 Author Share Posted May 30, 2011 I've never been passed on the wrong side in the UK. It used to scare me to death when people did that when we lived in California. Laura Me, too. I-15. I do not have a good relationship with this particular interstate. http://welltrainedmind.com/forums/showthread.php?t=261185&highlight=mystery :tongue_smilie: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
m0mmaBuck Posted May 30, 2011 Share Posted May 30, 2011 I'll give him a chance to move over into the right hand lane but if he doesn't, I'll pass him on the right. I was taught that the left-most lane is the passing lane so unless you are actually passing someone you shouldn't be driving in it. I grew up in WI but have lived in MN, TX, CO, NC, SC, AR, CA, and WA. One of the most frustrating things that I see drivers here do is the "Seattle slide" where they "merge" onto the freeway a good 15-20 mph slower than the traffic is moving and insist on sliding through all of the lanes of traffic to get into the far-left lane... and continue to drive more slowly than the rest of the traffic. If I only had a vaporizer gun mounted on my Altima! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FlyingMOm Posted May 30, 2011 Share Posted May 30, 2011 Another upstate New Yorker here. I might wait a few seconds for the driver to move to the right lane but if he doesn't move, I'll pass him in the right lane. I've got places to go & people to see. :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sputterduck Posted May 30, 2011 Share Posted May 30, 2011 Me, too. I-15. I do not have a good relationship with this particular interstate. http://welltrainedmind.com/forums/showthread.php?t=261185&highlight=mystery :tongue_smilie: That's creepy. I'm driving in it today going to my grandma's house. Now I have to be on the lookout for Field Road and out of place trucks. lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mazakaal Posted May 30, 2011 Share Posted May 30, 2011 It used to scare me to death when people did that when we lived in California. I feel the same way when I go back to South Florida and drive on I-95. And I lived there for 10 years before coming here. But now that highway completely freaks me out. When we visited several years ago, we were staying south of Ft. Lauderdale and frequently driving up to the northern parts of Broward County. We passed a wreck almost every time we drove. After so many years of the safe drivers in the UK, I was blown away. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Year Round Mom Posted May 30, 2011 Author Share Posted May 30, 2011 That's creepy. I'm driving in it today going to my grandma's house. Now I have to be on the lookout for Field Road and out of place trucks. lol It's oh-so-ordinary in the daylight. It's the nighttime stops at barren exits that are creeeeepy!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mommy22alyns Posted May 30, 2011 Share Posted May 30, 2011 In TN (Nashville area, at least) it seemed to be more a fast lane: the faster you go, the more right you have to be there.. This is my Nashville area driving experience. I was still fairly young when we were living in MI, but I took plenty of summer trips up there and did some driving practice too - there, the left lane was regarded as more of a passing lane - at least that's what I was taught. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
melmichigan Posted May 30, 2011 Share Posted May 30, 2011 I thought this was interesting, sorry if it's been posted. I didn't realize there were laws about this in some states. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Year Round Mom Posted May 30, 2011 Author Share Posted May 30, 2011 I thought this was interesting, sorry if it's been posted. I didn't realize there were laws about this in some states. I wonder if we could make this into a bumper sticker. Just so we on the road can be clear on our rights and proper procedures. Just kidding. :tongue_smilie: Thanks for posting this! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
QueenCat Posted May 30, 2011 Share Posted May 30, 2011 Hmm, good distinction...in NY, the left lane is more a passing lane: empty unless someone is passing. In TN (Nashville area, at least) it seemed to be more a fast lane: the faster you go, the more right you have to be there...Does anyone agree/disagree with this distinction? Or care to elaborate on your state's use of the left-most lane? Just got back from Nashville 10 minutes ago... Legally, it is the passing lane. In practice, it is the fast lane. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mama2Many4 Posted May 30, 2011 Share Posted May 30, 2011 I don't wait long before passing on the right. I'm in Rhode Island. Learned to drive here too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mama2Many4 Posted May 30, 2011 Share Posted May 30, 2011 Just want to say that they ONE time I had to drive through New York, I had white knuckles the ENTIRE time! You guys drive CRAZY! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gingersmom Posted May 30, 2011 Share Posted May 30, 2011 If someone comes speeding up behind me flashing their lights, I refuse to change lanes. :iagree: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pretty in Pink Posted May 30, 2011 Share Posted May 30, 2011 I would wait for him to get over so that I could pass him in the left (passing) lane. If he didn't get over after a minute then I would pass him on the right, but passing on the right is not my first choice. I learned to drive in Georgia. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nukeswife Posted May 30, 2011 Share Posted May 30, 2011 I would give them time to move over and then pass on the right if they decided to just ride the lane. Here in SE VA the far left lanes on the interstate are generally HOV lanes. I learned to drive in WI (near Milwaukee) but have lived in WA, FL, VA and RI as well. VA drivers always seem to be in a hurry which can be scary. I have to say RI has the worst drivers we've ever encountered. We lived on Aquidneck Island (near Newport) and it was the worst. They will make a left turn right in front of oncoming traffic to get into a parking lot and then flip you off if you almost hit them. If they want to come out of said parking lot and turn left, they will pull out and block whole lanes of traffic until the lane they want to go into is open. I truly can't wait until DH retires from the Navy so we can go back to the midwest where everyone isn't in such a hurry. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mama2Many4 Posted May 30, 2011 Share Posted May 30, 2011 I would give them time to move over and then pass on the right if they decided to just ride the lane. Here in SE VA the far left lanes on the interstate are generally HOV lanes. I learned to drive in WI (near Milwaukee) but have lived in WA, FL, VA and RI as well. VA drivers always seem to be in a hurry which can be scary. I have to say RI has the worst drivers we've ever encountered. We lived on Aquidneck Island (near Newport) and it was the worst. They will make a left turn right in front of oncoming traffic to get into a parking lot and then flip you off if you almost hit them. If they want to come out of said parking lot and turn left, they will pull out and block whole lanes of traffic until the lane they want to go into is open. I truly can't wait until DH retires from the Navy so we can go back to the midwest where everyone isn't in such a hurry. :toetap05: Hey! It's all true though! That's how I was taught to drive. Also, the yellow light just means speed up and try to make the red. :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Night Elf Posted May 30, 2011 Share Posted May 30, 2011 I live in Georgia. I've encountered numerous drivers who decide they are going fast enough in the left lane and will not move over to the right lane even when someone comes up behind them. I do give them a minute to make the decision but if they don't move, I just go around and then cut back in front of him. :tongue_smilie: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KrissiK Posted May 30, 2011 Share Posted May 30, 2011 I live in California and if you are in the left lane and people come up behind you, you really need to move right. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DarlaS Posted May 30, 2011 Share Posted May 30, 2011 :toetap05: Hey! It's all true though! That's how I was taught to drive. Also, the yellow light just means speed up and try to make the red. :lol: Pretty sure it means that everywhere. :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Margo out of lurking Posted May 30, 2011 Share Posted May 30, 2011 Really? Virginia has the craziest drivers of any place I've lived. Red lights? Totally a suggestion. I'm sure there's worse, because I haven't lived everywhere. But Virginia was a truly scary place to be a pedestrian. LOL. I should have clarified. I'm in southern VA, along I-81. Northern VA is practically a foreign country. :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lionfamily1999 Posted May 30, 2011 Share Posted May 30, 2011 I pass him on the right, but should not have to (he SHOULD be in the right lane). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lionfamily1999 Posted May 30, 2011 Share Posted May 30, 2011 Really? Virginia has the craziest drivers of any place I've lived. Red lights? Totally a suggestion. I'm sure there's worse, because I haven't lived everywhere. But Virginia was a truly scary place to be a pedestrian. Try Maryland where the shoulder is used to pass people that are turning ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChristusG Posted May 30, 2011 Share Posted May 30, 2011 I pull up behind them and give them a few seconds to get over. If they do not, I go around them and pass them in the right lane. I've always been a FL driver. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DarlaS Posted May 30, 2011 Share Posted May 30, 2011 Try Maryland where the shoulder is used to pass people that are turning ;) People do that here too even on the rural two lane highways where the shoulder is dirt--but not lately. It's been raining so much, a bus recently went off the road into a swamp (No one was hurt.) since the shoulders are so soft. I don't even think the bus was passing anyone. It just went a little too far right. We're having a very swampy spring. :tongue_smilie: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lionfamily1999 Posted May 30, 2011 Share Posted May 30, 2011 People do that here too even on the rural two lane highways where the shoulder is dirt--but not lately. It's been raining so much, a bus recently went off the road into a swamp (No one was hurt.) since the shoulders are so soft. I don't even think the bus was passing anyone. It just went a little too far right. We're having a very swampy spring. :tongue_smilie: When I first started commuting in Maryland this scared the augh out of me. The only places I've seen it done around here are in town (25 mph) where the lanes are very wide. They do that everywhere over there. It's terrifying (especially if you're using your blinker to turn RIGHT not to pass the person turning left :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
angela in ohio Posted May 30, 2011 Share Posted May 30, 2011 I learned to drive in Ohio from parents who spent their lives driving in Michigan, and now I drive in Michigan. He/she shouldn't even be in the left lane. The left lane is for passing. I've noticed a trend lately (last year or so) for people to just drive in the left lane with no care for others around them. Ugh! I wait a bit to see if they are smart enough to get over. If I have to, I pass on the left, but I was taught that it is incorrect (illegal even?) so I try not to do it unless they really, really won't move over. There's no passing on the shoulder on the county roads here, because the shoulder is a drainage ditch. :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Puma Mom Posted May 31, 2011 Share Posted May 31, 2011 Other. I'd wait a while for them to move to the right, but if they didn't I would pass them on the right. Ideally they should move over, but only in Canada have I seen drivers consistently stay to the right except when they were passing someone. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dinsfamily Posted May 31, 2011 Share Posted May 31, 2011 I didn't read any responses yet but... I'd flash my lights once to signal him to get over. After a few seconds, I'd pass on the right. Sunday drivers in the left lane is one of my pet peeves. I learned to drive in Oregon but certainly refined my skill living in Boston and San Francisco. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peela Posted May 31, 2011 Share Posted May 31, 2011 Here it is left, not right. Technically, they are meant to move over, and most people do. But if after say, 5 seconds :) they don't, I pass them anyhow I can, safely. I am a bit of a speed freak and have learned that not everyone else is- and you just never know what sort of day or life that person in that car is having- so I give them grace and pass them before I get irritated with them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ereks mom Posted May 31, 2011 Share Posted May 31, 2011 I learned (also in NY) that the left lane is the passing lane, not the fast lane. People are not supposed to drive in it forever. Slow-poke is supposed to move to the right to allow other cars to pass, so I give him a minute and if he doesn't (grrrr), I will pass on the right. Hey, life is short. ;) :iagree: And I learned to drive in GA. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heather in Neverland Posted May 31, 2011 Share Posted May 31, 2011 I would be absolutely shocked that the other lane is empty. There is no such thing as an empty lane here... ever. :tongue_smilie: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3peasinapod Posted May 31, 2011 Share Posted May 31, 2011 I would pass him on the right, but truly, he should get over to the right. Honestly, this is one of my biggest pet peeves. :glare: I can see if he can't get over to the right, but this irks me to no end when someone doesn't get over. I sometimes will drive in the left hand lane so I don't have to keep weaving, but if someone is coming up behind me quickly, I get over if I can. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
babysparkler Posted May 31, 2011 Share Posted May 31, 2011 Please reply with your first instinct! Say you're driving in the left-most lane (the fast lane!) on a highway and you come up behind someone who is driving slower than you. The next lane to the right is totally empty. What do you do? What do you expect the slower driver to do? Oh, and if you want, feel free to post where you learned how to drive like that! I learned in upstate NY. I'm interested in seeing how the answers vary state-to-state or um, country-to-country! Slower than you but under/at/over the speed limit? I get frustrated with drivers in the left lane who are driving under the speed limit. Since I drive the speed limit, I many times frustrate others when I am in the left lane because it seems like there is an unspoken rule that the left lane is exempt from speed limits, and I disagree with this. I should not have to move over so that others who think they are above the law can drive dangerously. (Though I typically do anyway so that I can keep my family safe from those reckless drivers.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Violet Crown Posted May 31, 2011 Share Posted May 31, 2011 (edited) Other. This happens a lot on the two-lane highways across West Texas. Often the right lane is so rutted from semi traffic that no sane person would be driving their car on the right and risking taking out a tire in the middle of nowhere. Also, the speed limit is so high that many vehicles, especially going uphill as you near El Paso, just can't drive that fast. If you're patient, they will either move over or speed up, as they can. The problem with gunning your engine and zooming past on the right: sometimes they've just forgotten that they're in the left lane, and aren't looking at their rearview mirror; if you suddenly appear, they may abruptly pull over to the right to let you pass, just as you're starting to pass them on the right. I've seen this happen, too. (Not to me; I remember when it was a slowwwww 55 mph arcoss West Texas, and as long as I'm doing better than that, I'm happy to wait.) On the highways in our city, you wait a moment, move to the right, pause to make sure they're not just about to change lanes, then pass. No problem. The people who pull up on your tail, lights flashing, are, one figures, out-of-towners. There's a lot of tailgating in Austin, but it's not necessarily because anyone wants you to move over; Austinites just tend to drive close. So we can read the tiny print on all each other's lefty bumper stickers. ETA: I learned to drive in Austin, where people tend to be pretty laid back and forgiving. (We like to compare ourselves favorably to the Houstonians....) I lived for two years in upstate New York, when dh got his first job, and my nerves still haven't quite recovered. Oh, and a few years in the San Francisco Bay Area for grad school; but I think it was stop-and-go traffic the entire time I was on the highways there, so I have no idea what you did there in the hypothetical circumstance in which you were going near the speed limit. ETA again: Now I'm wondering if the Austin driving attitude has anything to do with the Austin tolerance for unpunctuality, thinking of A Certain Thread That Should Not Be Resurrected. I must check to see if Ester Maria has posted on this thread. Edited May 31, 2011 by Sharon in Austin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dobela Posted May 31, 2011 Share Posted May 31, 2011 For me it depends on the car ahead of me and how fast I am trying to get somewhere. I began driving in Little Rock and Memphis if that helps. I will first give the person the opportunity to move over. If they don't in a reasonable amount of time (and that varies according to my mood) then I will pass on the right. I have been known to flash my lights and get closer than comfortable first at times though if I really want them to move instead. (shh, don't tell my kids that I don't always drive safely) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LarlaB Posted May 31, 2011 Share Posted May 31, 2011 I'd wait for him to move over the right....and if he doesn't do that in a timely fashion, then I will pass on the right (and glare). :D I have lived in Pennsylvania, Texas, Virginia, Kentucky & in 2 weeks Colorado. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ocelotmom Posted May 31, 2011 Share Posted May 31, 2011 LOL. I should have clarified. I'm in southern VA, along I-81. Northern VA is practically a foreign country. :D Indeed, we were near DC :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Year Round Mom Posted May 31, 2011 Author Share Posted May 31, 2011 Slower than you but under/at/over the speed limit? I get frustrated with drivers in the left lane who are driving under the speed limit. Since I drive the speed limit, I many times frustrate others when I am in the left lane because it seems like there is an unspoken rule that the left lane is exempt from speed limits, and I disagree with this. I should not have to move over so that others who think they are above the law can drive dangerously. (Though I typically do anyway so that I can keep my family safe from those reckless drivers.) That's a whole 'nuther thread: driving under/at/over the speed limit! :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lisamarie Posted May 31, 2011 Share Posted May 31, 2011 I learned (also in NY) that the left lane is the passing lane, not the fast lane. People are not supposed to drive in it forever. Slow-poke is supposed to move to the right to allow other cars to pass, so I give him a minute and if he doesn't (grrrr), I will pass on the right. Hey, life is short. ;) :iagree: I learned to drive in MI. I drive on his tail and if he doesn't get over, I pass on the right and grumble and call him a road hog and give him an evil look as I pass him.:tongue_smilie: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mom31257 Posted May 31, 2011 Share Posted May 31, 2011 Well, I mainly use the left-most lane to pass someone who's going slower than me in the middle or other lanes to the right. I always thought that was what it was for. If this happened, I would wait a short time to see if they got over, but if not, I would then pass on the right. I'm not going to tailgate them, flash lights, or anything like that. To me it's just not worth getting bent out of shape over. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SonshineLearner Posted May 31, 2011 Share Posted May 31, 2011 Well, some I ride with, drive so close I feel as though our car will flip over theirs... waiting for the other car to move... :( Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kchara Posted May 31, 2011 Share Posted May 31, 2011 I would wait for him to get over, and if he didn't seem inclined to :glare:, I would pass on the right. I learned to drive in Indiana, but we've lived a lot of places, so that affects how I drive. ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
actuary Posted May 31, 2011 Share Posted May 31, 2011 I voted that I would pass on the right but: it depends on how slow the driver is going. If he/she is really not going that slow, I might just re-evaluate and stick to the left lane. Sometimes it's just not worth the effort to try to pass someone, especially in crazy Northern Virginia traffic. I wouldn't tailgate though or flash my lights or anything. A lot of NoVa drivers tailgate and I think it is dangerous since it doesn't allow you much stopping room. In general I'm just a very non-aggressive driver. Which makes me not fit in very well with my fellow NoVa drivers. :lol: Oh and I learned to drive here too. I didn't really learn anything about a passing lane either. It always seems more like a free for all instead. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LizzyBee Posted May 31, 2011 Share Posted May 31, 2011 (edited) Try Maryland where the shoulder is used to pass people that are turning ;) Dh and I were shocked to find out that it's not legal to pass someone waiting to turn in NC! You are supposed to sit and wait no matter how long it takes, unless there's actually a second lane that you can move into. We're from MD. :lol: Edited May 31, 2011 by LizzyBee Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
actuary Posted May 31, 2011 Share Posted May 31, 2011 Oh and I never learned in driver's ed about it being a law that you can't stay in the left most lane continually. Around here, most of our left most lanes are HOV lanes so during HOV hours they are used by people who meet the qualifications (and they are definitely not passing lanes) and during non-HOV hours people seem to just use them as fast lanes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
actuary Posted May 31, 2011 Share Posted May 31, 2011 Dh and I were shocked to find out that it's not legal to pass someone waiting to turn in NC! You are supposed to sit and wait no matter how long it takes. We're from MD. :lol: Around here we pass people waiting to turn all the time...not sure if it's legal though - I'm assuming it is?:) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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