Passing on the highway (US)

[BobbiSueEllen]

A few years ago I was behind a car that was camped out in the left lane. I switched into the center lane and may have switched back over a little too close in front of him lol. Anyway, he switched to the center lane and flashed a badge and told me to pull over. I did and he walked to my window and started yelling at me. He was in plain clothes, in his personal car, out of his jurisdiction, and off duty. He threatened to call a state trooper so I politely took his picture, agreed that it may be a good suggestion to call the troopers. That way I could report being illegally pulled over, harassed by an off duty and out of jurisdiction police officer. Then I reminded him that as a police officer, he should be upholding the traffic codes of the area he is traveling in…..and basically, get out of the left lane.

He shot me an angry look and walked back to his car. I got out, followed him and took a picture of his car, and his badge. I sent the pictures and a detailed description of what happened to his department and about a month later received a letter of apology from him and his supervisor.

GOOD!!! What a total dumbf**k! THAT right there is extra-jurisdictional entrapment right there and cops have lost their badges for that morality-spiel. They apologized to you because because they know you could've taken it one step further up...and their a**es would be hanging in the wind, bare and beat-red.

They got off lucky; you should've turned them in to the Attorney General. Just my .00000032 Bitcoin.

 

[LittleAndAlone]

People are too egocentric and competitive in the US for traffic to ever work properly. Cars and car culture is just a manifestation of toxic male machisimo and asserting dominance on others.

 

[BobbiSueEllen]

People are too egocentric and competitive in the US for traffic to ever work properly. Cars and car culture is just a manifestation of toxic male machisimo and asserting dominance on others.

That or people whose cars are basically Barcaloungers with wheels.

 

[Cottontail]

If you want to see some utterly awful passing, drive through any major city in California during commute hours and watch motorcyclists cut between slow and stopped cars. It’s called lane splitting, and it’s illegal in every other state, for good and probably obvious reasons. But I guess there’s a point at which traffic becomes so bad, you’re willing to risk lives to shorten commutes.

 

[BobbiSueEllen]

...watch motorcyclists cut between slow and stopped cars. It’s called lane splitting, and it’s illegal in every other state, for good and probably obvious reasons.

The Californians brought it to Boise. I've already door-checked two of them. We don't tolerate that here.

 

[Edgewater]

People are too egocentric and competitive in the US for traffic to ever work properly. Cars and car culture is just a manifestation of toxic male machisimo and asserting dominance on others.

Seen this description used here several times now! There are percentages involved and the use of a blanketing class points more at a personal belief than real World as the blanketing term would have to fit all drivers in this World and it doesn't. Even when one attempts to limit this to only the US, the same realty doesn't fit across the wide spectrum of the US.

 

[Edgewater]

If you want to see some utterly awful passing, drive through any major city in California during commute hours and watch motorcyclists cut between slow and stopped cars. It’s called lane splitting, and it’s illegal in every other state, for good and probably obvious reasons. But I guess there’s a point at which traffic becomes so bad, you’re willing to risk lives to shorten commutes.

High-Powered Motorcycles using the roadway as a race track and the cars and trucks as obstacles started first in Western Europe and Japan and spread to North America. California may have been a starting point in North America, but the activity has spread large city to large city. It has become a common Action Segment in ever more movies now-a-days.

 

[BobbiSueEllen]

High-Powered Motorcycles using the roadway as a race track and the cars and trucks as obstacles started first in Western Europe and Japan and spread to North America. California may have been a starting point in North America, but the activity has spread large city to large city. It has become a common Action Segment in ever more movies now-a-days.

I have to agree. It is exhibition/reckless vehicle operation and it needs to be fined very heavily...without leeway. If people screw around on open roads and get caught, they should be heavily punished. The laws and public sentiment are far too lenient...and have grown that way steadily over time. "Camel's Nose in the Tent".

In a semi-related way: I admire parts of Canada for one certain law: if any driver uses a disabled parking spot without proper permit--or uses another's permit without authorization--the fine is around CDN$5,000...non-negotiable. That abuse of privilege is increasing more and more in the US. There once was a news show which featured a police task force working a NASCAR venue, checking out vehicles with disabled plates & placards; they found most vehicles using placards/plates and disabled parking there had no disabled passengers inside; the placards/plated vehicles were borrowed. All were cited & fined. As they should've been.

Our society is an increasingly self-permitting, indifferent, over-lenient one in many aspects. That's gotta stop, cold.

 

[Khaymen]

When I learned to drive I was always taught to pass on the left and was always under the impression that passing on the right was illegal (not sure if it is or not). With that it's always urked me when I see people passing others using the right lane instead of the left lane on 3 and 4 lane highways. Today I was cruising in the middle lane going 5 over the speed limit which is pretty much standard practice on this section of highway. The left lane was completely clear and a truck behind me decided to pass using the right lane. I'm sure my mindset is a bit dramatic but whenever I see it happen it makes me sour. After all these years driving I've never seen an accident related to someone passing on the right so I understand how I might be blowing it out of proportion but it's never been something I've been able to let go. It's probably not illegal to pass on the right. It's just an incredibly frustrating driving practice I see from others quite often.

I'm taking a safe driving course to get a ticket dropped now, here is what they say

Pass on the left. Pass other vehicles on the left and only when there is time and space to safely conduct the maneuver. On multi-lane or one-way streets, passing or overtaking on the right is permitted. This can be dangerous because it is more difficult for the driver being passed to see you.

 

[BobbiSueEllen]

This can be dangerous because it is more difficult for the driver being passed to see you.

True, but if the driver is being an a-hole, what else can one do except pass on the right with care? Driving like that is ticketable, there should be a cop to spank the other driver with a citation for disrupting traffic.

 

[Khaymen]

True, but if the driver is being an a-hole, what else can one do except pass on the right with care? Driving like that is ticketable, there should be a cop to spank the other driver with a citation for disrupting traffic.

Uhhh, ... I'm just posting what the driving course says. I'm taking it because I got ticketed. I'm probably the aggressive a-hole you want to see get another ticket for gunning my bike passed you in heavy traffic.

 

[BobbiSueEllen]

Oh, I hear ya. But I've seen cops & drivers-ed instructors basically dismiss the notion as an impractical theory because passing on the right isn't illegal...unless done in a worrisome manner. Just my .00000032 Bitcoin.

 

[Kirisin]

Respectfully, you're wrong. By your logic, a gas-engine semi could use the left lane. There's no federal law that prohibits lane use based on fuel type. For that matter, laws relevant to lane usage are written at the state or occasionally the local level, not the federal and thus your nationwide notion is false.



Where? I can tell you where that isn't the law, which is everywhere in the US I've ever driven. I'm not trying to burn you, but based on your diesel truck comment, I have my doubts when it comes to your accuracy, and I honestly find them funny.

Fuel type dosnt matter its the axels and weights are what they base it on and some block access if your pulling any trailer including rv trailers. BSE is right in most states Semi trucks are not allowed in the left lane or lanes depending on how many lanes there are. A couple mandate us to only the right 2 lanes. Some states do allow trucks to still use the left lanes however that is fading away as more and more states right new laws prohibiting us from using left lanes. The reason in 2 words "ELEPHANT RACES" (Two 65 mph semi trucks racing) one in the left lane one in the middle lane impeding traffic. that's why it's so frustrating when people use the center lane as a travel lane. There using my only legal passing lane. So either I take a chance on a big ticket and pass in the left lane at 73 mph or try to pass in the right lane with entering and Exiting cars making a 4 lane dash for the exit. So yes there are laws on the books that prevent the use of trucks over 26,000 pounds or more the 2 axles. 2 states have a minimum speed to use the left lane Oklahoma and Virgina 70 mph minimum. But they are all a state mandate not a federal mandate. Just like states control there speed limits some states trucks can drive 80 while others are 70 or 75 Washington state is 60 and California is 55. Anyway just wanted to set the record straight. Truck drivers haft to know what every states laws are on lanes and speed laws and every state is different.

 

[BobbiSueEllen]

..."ELEPHANT RACES" (Two 65 mph semi trucks racing)...

I've seen that all the time on 2-lane Interstates. I'm rather patient because I know it's not easy for a big-rig to build up a head of steam to pass, and the passing margin is usually 1 to 2 mph. It's very common on rural I-5, I-90, I-84, I-80, I-64, I-65, etc. I just roll with it. I remember driving loaded 26-foot Budgets & Penskes across the US...I never passed anyone, was never in that big of a hurry. Besides, that poor turbo-diesel, inline-6, 6.6L Cummins, even with all its glorious 1,000-ft. lbs. of torque (I LOVED it!!!), had its limits. It was a fun truck to drive but the big-rigs ruled the roads as far as I was concerned. I'm never one to stand in the way of progress on the blacktop.

And as far as driving those rigs went, St. Louis traffic at any time of day absolutely sucked. Just a random thought there.

 

[weemouse]

my parents are always annoyed why i don’t want to drive and i look at how bad most people already drive, and then me being autistic having low attention span and being nervous, no way! also as a pedestrian car drivers can be really rude especially when using a crosswalk even if the light is red and it is your turn to go, i remember as a kid biking to school a couple times and even with the traffic ladies there and the pedestrian sign being on there would be these big cars that would purposely stop at the last second when it was kids walking across the street as some sort of power play.

 

[dogboy]

Somehow, this SNL bit seems very topical to the subject. It always makes me laugh.

 

[Muhdeee]

So as you know I live in California. Luckily not LA, but near SF. People here have AWFUL driving etiquette and it's all because of inconsistencies in everything: the laws, the training drivers get, and differing attitudes in absence of a uniform policy

I learned to drive in LA and similarly went to school outside of SF - but we need to correct something!

I can say with an extreme degree of confidence, that LA drivers are *FAR* better than SF drivers. I spent 2 years driving sparingly in the Bay Area (typical college stuff, not commuting everyday) and was rear ended 2x in traffic, one time totally my car.

LA drivers are fast and aggressive but typically more capable. There's far fewer left lane or carpool lane camper!

 

[BobbiSueEllen]

I've driven LA...it's okay. And I have decades of experience in Seattle & Portland driving. The worst cities for traffic, IMHO, are:

5. Indianapolis
4. Cincinnati
3. Louisville
2. Salt Lake City
1. St. Louis

Your mileage may vary.

 

[mistykitty]

I rarely pass just because I'm usually pretty patient. People on the roads I have to drive they don't care what side they pass on they just do it. It drives me crazy because quite often these people are weavers which is worse than just a bad pass. I'm always worried they are going to cause an accident. It's part of the reason I hate driving in inclement whether people living around me don't care they drive like it's the Daytona 500 and there's clear skies.

 

[CptKirk]

I've driven LA...it's okay. And I have decades of experience in Seattle & Portland driving. The worst cities for traffic, IMHO, are:

5. Indianapolis
4. Cincinnati
3. Louisville
2. Salt Lake City
1. St. Louis

Your mileage may vary.

You haven't been to Nashville I see! Me thinks you'd be amending this list in about 12.2 milliseconds!