Left lane campers

I read this article this morning and it really made me wish that Ohio was one of the states moving to do something about the people who camp out in the left lane and block the faster people behind them - which, incidentally is one of my biggest pet peeves

http://articles.moneycentral.msn.com...you-crazy.aspx

Ever try to pass someone and they speed up so you are caught in the passing lane and can't get behind them because of someone behind you?

you know, I have had that happen. It is the people who are oblivious of their surrounding that are the targets of my pet peeve though.

I was JUST talking to my friend about this last night. She recently moved to the DC area and was surprised at the amount of slowpokes in the left lane (she had previously lived in New York and Mass, and had never experienced this before).

This is CA. If there is no traffic, you don't dare to go into the fast lane and not drive over the speed limit.

That being said, there is so much rush hour traffic that nobody is going fast in the fast lane.

Just to play the devil's advocate:

I really think the tickets would be better targeted at the people driving ridiculously fast and tailgating people in the left lane. If the people are driving the speed limit, then I don't think they deserve a ticket...and I don't like it anymore than the next person.

I'm tend to drive over the speed limit (110-120km/hr when the limit is 100, depending on how traffic is moving), and I tend to stay in the left lane for a couple reasons. 1) If I'm driving in the middle lane, I am inevitably passing every time I reach a car, because I lot of people "camp out" in the middle lane as well and 2) I have a 2 door car and a big blindspot on my passenger side - so I'd prefer people changing lanes from only one direction. That said, I always move over as soon as I can when someone comes up faster behind me. However, once in a while, someone comes in behind me from nowhere (either driving extremely fast, or made a beeline for the left lane after merging on) and they get stuck behind me until I can move over safely. Sometimes they are impatient and unsafely weave in order to pass me.

If I'm driving in the left lane and those slow pokes are in front of me, I can tell well before I get right behind them. So, I let off a bit. I don't get right on their bumper and slam on my brakes and continue to tailgate them. I also take into consideration that sometimes, someone is in front of them holding things up. I get tailgated all the time because I'm stuck behind a slowpoke. In any case, yes...it can be very frustrating, but I am the one CHOOSING to drive above the speed limit and I live with it until the person figures it out or I can safely move into the middle lane to pass them.

I'm in Ontario and maybe it's a bit different elsewhere. I'm all for educating people about the lanes (ie. putting signs up), but, I really think there are people who deserve tickets more than those driving the speed limit in the left lane.

I HATE when people take up residence in the left lane

Well, I'm going to say that while left-lane campers are annoying, in most states they aren't illegal.

And I have to speak up and point out that most people have missed the concept of the speed limit. It's a LIMIT folks, not the suggested speed, minimum speed, recommended speed, or whatever.

If more people were courteous drivers, we wouldn't have left-lane campers...or antsy tailgaters.

And I KNOW sometimes people get annoyed when I'm in the left lane longer than they think I should be. The only car I have ever knowingly run off the road was one that pulled around me on the right when I was already changing lanes.

Sometimes people are in the left lane for reasons you can't discern. In most states, now, it's illegal to stay in the right lane when passing a policeman on the shoulder. I can see them a lot farther away than a car can, and sometimes people will jump over in the right lane. I've seen the officers chase them down, too.

And the oddest one was when I heard on the CB that there was a "road alligator" in the right lane about a half mile ahead of me. I got in the left lane. The car behind me got all flustered and jumped in the right lane just in time to hit the 'gator, and the last I saw was the car pulling to the shoulder with smoke billowing out from under the hood.

(For the uninitiated, a "road alligator" is the thrown tire tread. It lies in the road, waiting to take a bite of your vehicle.)

Originally Posted by mrblanche

Well, I'm going to say that while left-lane campers are annoying, in most states they aren't illegal.

And I have to speak up and point out that most people have missed the concept of the speed limit. It's a LIMIT folks, not the suggested speed, minimum speed, recommended speed, or whatever.

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You mean it isn't a lower limit?

Originally Posted by zoeysmom

...I really think the tickets would be better targeted at the people driving ridiculously fast and tailgating people in the left lane. If the people are driving the speed limit, then I don't think they deserve a ticket...

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The people driving the speed limit are not the ones creating a hazard -- it's those who zigzag through traffic at 80 mph and expect the rest of the world to get out their way! (And why are they always the ones who don't bother with turn signals? )

If there are only two lanes to choose from, the right lane is a very dangerous place because of cars coming in from the entrance ramps. In that situation, it makes more sense (to me) for the bulk of the traffic to stay in the left lane at the speed limit, so as to minimize interaction with incoming cars trying to get up to speed. It is not my responsibility to make life convenient for drivers who risk all our lives by speeding.

But if there are three lanes, I stay in the middle one. The crazies can zoom past me on the left if they want, and incoming cars can slip into the right lane with no interference from me. I really like three-lane highways!

(Having said that... I admit that I do tend to hover 3 or 4 mph above highway speed limits much of the time. That's usually safe, and it seems to keep people happy.)

I found a solution. I live in Ontario and my drive home is on a 3-lane highway. The fastest lane is by far the right hand lane so that's where I go. The slow folks want the fast lane I let them have it.

I honestly think that all drivers should be tested on the super highways before being allowed to get a license. Our instructors give us the rule books and all the information but when we go to get our actual license we do not get taken out onto the highways. I had a man argue with me one day how unsafe it was for me to accelerate on the on-ramp to merge with traffic and how it was a typical woman driver's error! He said he never went more than 40 mph on the ramp (we were using mph at that time). I asked him how easily he merged with traffic at the top of the ramp that was going 70 mph and he was only doing 40. He felt they should just slow down and let him in.

I think it's great that people who hog the passing lane and hold up traffic are going to be ticketed. I sure wish they'd do that here in Canada.

Don't even get me started on people that have never seen or driven in snow that take to our roads in the wintertime.

Originally Posted by mrblanche

And I have to speak up and point out that most people have missed the concept of the speed limit. It's a LIMIT folks, not the suggested speed, minimum speed, recommended speed, or whatever.

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Thank you! I'm so tired of people thinking that the speed LIMIT is just the starting point.

I don't drive on the highways because I have an old car and I can't do the speeds most people do. I always feel like I'm taking my life in my hands getting out on one of those roads. I do occasionally drive in the left lane on the city streets for the reason that I'm going to make a left turn up ahead, and I often have trouble with people being too nasty to let me get over into the left lane as I get closer to the turn. I'm not an aggressive driver (I prefer to play it safe and avoid accidents), so it's just easier and less stressful to get into the left lane early enough that it doesn't become an issue.

I do have to admit I can get a bit annoyed if I'm in a hurry and I get behind someone doing 35 or less in a 45 zone on the two lane roads

I hate left lane campers. If I am driving a faster car, then someone should move their F150. At least that is what I was tauhgt when I learned to drive in Germany...