my pet peeve--left lane bandits!

i remember when the left lane was reserved for passing and nearly no one passed on the right. i think this ended with the 55mph speed limit (?carter). the result is increasing chaos on the interstates. in europe people still honor the left lane as a passing lane.any ideas how can we get back to having a passing lane again?

Most Americans don't know what the left lane is for. If they are not passing, they should get ticketed for obstruction the Interstate Highways. Here in S. Florida, the problem is compounded by many old and senile drivers, who oftentimes are heavily medicated and drive like a drunk. This 90 year-old driver killed a young child in a parking lot yesterday. <a href="http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/2002/06/05/news/local/3401348.htm" target="_blank">http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/2002/06/05/news/local/3401348.htm</A>

I do believe the 55 mph limit has something to do with it. In the old days, with the speed limit up to 75 and essentially no speed limit in some highways, coupled to the fact that a lot of cars just could not handle 75 mph, the passing lane was essentially that, a passing lane. Today, with most cars and senile fools doing 55 with ease, they feel they should not get passed since they are at the limit, they stay on the left. I've quit griping about it. I used to fume and tailgate the left lane hog. All that did was further recede my receding hairline. I now just overtake on the right, ala Gumball 3000. No hand or finger signs, just overtake the b#####ds. The true SOBS are those that sit on the left lane at 55 when the right lane is occupied, speed up 10-20 miles when the right is clear, then slow back down. I call these the "Keepers of the Limit". Not much I can do in my minivan. In the Porsche, I come up behind them, give them a minute or two when the right lane is clear to see if they will move over, then signal to move right and move right. If they speed up, I pretend to go neck and neck to egg them on, then down shift 2-3 gears and blast past them and into the left lane. Stupid and reckless, I know, but boy, is it ever gratifying!!!! Revenge for the minivan!!I love my Porsche!!!!!

Let me start this by saying I tend to drive faster in my truck than in my P-Car. Would you consider me to be a left lane bandit if I cruise along, passing other cars, at 75 mph in the left lane (SL is 55). Its amazing how many people get pissed at me for this. They all want to go 80+. I hate to move over because now I am in 65=7- mph traffic. Can't win. What suprises me most is that these people come up and tailgate me at 75 mph when I'm driving a Police Pkg Excursion with a Light Bar on the roof. I think it goes back to the earlier comment that this started with 55, its a speed differential problem. The range is too big to be safe 50-80 mph on 2 or 3 lanes.

[quote]Originally posted by Ed Newman: <strong>Let me start this by saying I tend to drive faster in my truck than in my P-Car. Would you consider me to be a left lane bandit if I cruise along, passing other cars, at 75 mph in the left lane (SL is 55). Its amazing how many people get pissed at me for this. They all want to go 80+. </strong><hr></blockquote> Heh-heh-heh, that makes you a bandit in my book. Not an SOB, just a bandit . I do 80-90 on the open highway (that's kph, officer). I can understand if the space on the right is only a few car lengths, or if there is a slow car or truck up ahead on the right lane. But, if I came up to you at 90 and you are doing 75, clear lane on the right for several car lenghts (ie, I can overtake you without you having to brake before you can move back over to the left), and you refuse to move, you ARE a bandit .

Hi Guys "Bandit" seems like the wrong word to me... "Roadblock" "Moving Chicane" "Left Lane Lamebrain" or the previous mentioned "B*****ds" seem more appropriate. Maybe that's a seperate thread... M in C

Regardless of what speed I'm doing in the left lane if someone flies up behind me, I move over let him/her by and then go on my merry way. It's not an inconvenience to move over for a few seconds. To me, it's a courtesy and one I wish most drivers would do when I come flying up behind them.

imo the problem is that driver's ed does not teach new drivers about the passing lane and has not done so for many years. furthermore it is not against the law to pass on the right like it is in europe. we pay a high price for this in public safety. <img src="graemlins/c.gif" border="0" alt="[ouch]" /> i wish i knew a way for auto enthusiasts groups (maybe even aaa)to approach our legislators on both the national an state levels. remember it has taken national legislation to lower the maximum blood alcohol levels to a more reasonable figure. <img src="confused.gif" border="0">

What lane hogs? last year I took a driving class (ticket <img src="graemlins/nono.gif" border="0" alt="[nono]" /> ), and we had one of these "Keepers of the Limit." This chick said--with a straight face--that she will not move over, and will even speed up to keep people from passing on the right. She said it was her "Right," and that she would decide how fast was too fast. Look, American drivers are some of the biggest ******* drivers in the world. Hey, if somebody comes up behind me I just pull over. I really do not understand what the big deal is about defending a particular patch of pavement. If I come up behind someone they get 2 -3 light flashes, then I go around on the right. No muss, no fuss. Ok, if they are particularily egregious, they may get a finger. Chris

Exactly cmoss, this is why it's always useful to drive a vehicle that can out accelerate 99% of the traffic it'll ever encounter. It's always amusing to see people like that woman uselessly flashing their headlights at you because they couldn't manage to stay in front of you. By the way, why was she in traffic school? K

Speeding--of course! And so--of course--was I. Chris

The most curtious and knowledgeble drivers are in the Autobahn. They leave the left lane free when not overtaking and left lane drivers do not block right lane drivers when they encounter slower cars. They have less accidents than most european highways. Whats that officer? you want to know why?... because they have no speed limits! and are educated to do so! They are used to sport cars and bikes overtaking at 175mph. I loose it when I get blocked off in the left lane and makes me aggresive, makes me tailgate them very very close and overtake in the right lane if they don�t move back to the right lane when I�m in my Porsche. When I�m in my bike I simply overtake using the rest of the available left lane or in between lanes (0-60mph in 2.8 secs, 87mph in 1st gear! i.e <img src="graemlins/wave.gif" border="0" alt="[byebye]" /> SOB) Carlos from Spain 996 C4 GSX-R1000

I thought passing on the right WAS illegal in the states?? S. FLorida is bad. Big engines and comfy interiors give people a sense that the car/suv can handle high speed even though THEY cannot! Becoming a bigger and bigger issue. Was a couple write-ups about it in autoweek, and also on a major newsshow. And part of it was about parents wanting their kids to learn how to drive in REAL traffic rather than LEGAL traffic as there seems to be much less and less of. I think it is blatant disregard for the law, people in general, and just plain sloppiness. And the ones who do try to show a little decency usually get Sh*t on. No win situation?? Gotta be a solution. When I was in Germany we moved over at 140MPH(yes, MPH, VOLVO to the floor, car shaking like a scared kitten) for a ragtop BMW w/ four suits in it probably at about 165MPH. THere are plenty of speed limits on the back roads. THe driver of the car told me it is VERy difficult to get a driver license in Germany, and expensive, and if you fail the test, you have to wait 2 years to retake it. My Grandma almost hit a guy in a store parking lot because her eyesite is getting so bad. Secretary of State wants to take here license, and she won't give it to them. Her freedom to drive is more important than the innocent shopper who she almost crippled in her mind

carlos -- watch out in florida --this isn't europe-we have poor drivers here who get their licence with only 6 hours of education! <img src="graemlins/c.gif" border="0" alt="[ouch]" /> todd--passing on the right is LEGAL in all states of the u.s. that i know of except connecticut and i don't think it is enforced well there! to me this is a terrible situation that contributes unecessary deaths and injuries on our highways in addition to chaos and stress on the highways. i wish that one of our auto enthusiast magazines would take up this issue leading to the introduction of laws in state legislatures. <img src="graemlins/a_smil17.gif" border="0" alt="[blabla]" /> any other ideas anyone? <img src="confused.gif" border="0">

I think another part of the problem is the fact that in some states large trucks have to go slower than the rest of the traffic. I read somewhere once that Semi-trucks were originally designed to get the best fuel economy at a cruising speed of 75MPH, now in many states they're stuck at a 55MPH limit, this makes "speeding" drivers doing 70 stay in the left lane as they pass truck after truck. I remember a few years back when I street drove my racecar out to the track, I knew that given the police in the area I had to watch my speed but on one such occasion I had to go around a semi which I did at 75MPH only to get stuck behind some traffic going 65, then a guy in a BMW comes up behind me obviously wanting to pass but I can't get over and I can't go faster because of the cars in front, so I waited behind these other cars for what seemed like forever and frustration set in as soon as they finally moved over I just nailed it. To this day I still laugh about it, with 3.73 gears in high gear on a 4spd I smoked my rear tires enroute to 140+ MPH. <img src="graemlins/xyxwave.gif" border="0" alt="[bigbye]" /> Needless to say I got big girns from the BMW owner when he eventually caught up to me several miles down the road. What's really screwed up is I believe my state (Ohio) allows a certain MPH above the speed limit for passing, if these 65MPH jerks passing semis would just speed up to 75 and pass then get back in the right lane the highways would be much safer.

Ignacio - I�ll bear that in mind as I�m going over there this summer for vacation but I still remember my three speeding tickets in my last year of college over there un the U.S. Of course the fact that I�ve been driving cars and bikes since I was 12 and 11 years old respectively and the fact that I never had an accident on the streets in my life didn�t matter to the guy with the handheld laser I think its a matter of being curtious and drive as you would like the other drivers to drive. Of course there is always SOB�s who don�t care about the other drivers... Carlos from Spain 996 C4 Suzuki GSX-R1000 Yamaha YFM660R Raptor

Here in the Midwest, the problem is worse than I have seen elsewhere in the country. The states of Ohio and Kentucky have no state inspection, so often you get some real POS in the left lane....like missing mirrors, bald tires, etc. These people look at you like you are crazy because you want to pass. The real problem is with law enforcement of this issue. Sitting in the left lane at ANY speed when there is room to move over, should be considered a violation of the law. People just don't understand this. Sure we may mention this in our training, but it is not followed as a rule. I have been around a lot of Switzerland, Italy France and Southern Germany, and I can tell you first hand, that as a rule, the skill set a European driver has far surpasses the skill set most US drivers have. The Swiss are pretty good drivers as are the Germans. I generally avoid passing on the right, as it is a quick way to cause accidents. It is not the speed that scares me, it is the next driver who I worry about. Those who change lanes, play games, etc. Basically, all I want to do is get home without sitting in traffic every day. Here in Cincinnati, I-75 and I-71 carry a lot of traffic, but we also have these lane blockers, rubber neckers, etc. I have come to the conclusion that you can't win with these people. They are the rule, and not the exception (please remember this). Our law enforcement needs to start cracking people for these types of violations. Personally, I don't have a problem if someone wants to drive 100+ MPH. As long as their equipment is up to par and they have the skill and are responsible (most who drive these speeds are not) it is not a problem. It is the other 90% that needs to learn the skills that the 10% have to make our highways a safer place. On another note....too often here I see Police Officers clocking and pulling people over in the high speed break down lane. This is an accident waiting to happen, and you all know that if anybody had an emergency and had to use this lane for it's real purpose and hit a police car, there would be hell to pay. I was pulled over in NH one time (out of inspection) and stopped in the left hand break down lane....the guy driving the safety wagon (as we used to call them) stopped traffic and made me pull over on the right hand side of the highway. I was 16 and was scared, but my actions were stupid. In New Hampshire they would never pull people over on the high speed side of the highway. I will not stop there ever again, even if directed to do so. My life is worth too much to chance it by stopping in the high speed break down lane for a traffic violation. My point is this.....if law enforcement sees it as appropriate or normal to stop people in what IS the high speed or passing side of the highway, why would they ever police "keep right except to pass"?

john i agree with most of your comments but imo the first step would be to make it illegal to pass on the right. i don't think most u.s. drivers have ever heard of a passing lane! chaos reigns!! <img src="graemlins/soapbox.gif" border="0" alt="[soapbox]" />

Sorry if I an being a left lane hog. I do move over for almost everyone. Except those that do not belong going faster. i.e. 1982 Hyundai. I agree that drivers ed (not PCA DE) does not etach you much. It does not teach you how to drive, or how to be safe, we did learn how to go through a drive thru McDonalds though.

Seems like 30% of the left-lane roadblockers want to enforce their own brand of justice and impede "speeders". The other 70% are just clueless and blissfully unaware. I always get a kick out of the crazy, last minute head-checks these drivers do when changing lanes. Don't they keep track of the traffic around them at all times? Guess not! I find that flashing high-beam's antogonizes the first group and is usually ineffective with the second. A left turn signal has better results, perhaps because they really don't now what it means, but most of the time it seems you have to just wait, or (tsk! tsk!) pass on the right.

a fast closing speed with headlight on during the day helps sometimes but most u.s. drivers are clueless morons <img src="graemlins/cussing.gif" border="0" alt="[grrrrrrr]" />

[quote]Originally posted by ignacio: a fast closing speed with headlight on during the day helps sometimes but <strong>most u.s. drivers are clueless morons <img src="graemlins/cussing.gif" border="0" alt="[grrrrrrr]" /> </strong><hr></blockquote>To introduce the "Left Lane = Passing Lane" concept into the USA, the lead would have to come from DOT and started with the interstate highway system. (a similar effort re "U.S. Metrification" was lead by the U.S. Dept. of Commerce and is still incomplete after some 30 years!!) In order to institute this "Left Lane = Passing Lane" concept, it would have to need the grass roots support and support of the elected reps, -- which would be difficult to get from S. Florida. However, abolition of lane markings, - speed limits, - all traffic lights would gain widespread support. FYI: The annual passenger vehicle emmission inspections were just abolished in all of Florida last year -- with the support of Jeb Bush.

i find uk drivers on motorways some of the worst in the world for sitting in the fast lane. its some sort of macho thing abt moving over. sometime u can see the fast line chokka with cars with only one of two cars in the slow lane - i find french/italian drivers better when on autoroute they move over when anything faster arrives behined and if u really are motoring u just stick on yr indicator permenantly when u are in the fast lane to indicate u are travelling at speed and 99 pct will pull over for u. the italians off the autostrada are another matter...

Ignacio I have just come across a video posted in the Lounge Area and wondered whether you had seen it. Click on <a href="http://civis.wigner.bme.hu/020530fahrschule/" target="_blank">http://civis.wigner.bme.hu/020530fahrschule/</a>

[quote]Originally posted by pfb: [QB]Seems like 30% of the left-lane roadblockers want to enforce their own brand of justice and impede "speeders". The other 70% are just clueless and blissfully unaware. I always get a kick out of the crazy, last minute head-checks these drivers do when changing lanes. Don't they keep track of the traffic around them at all times? Guess not! QB]<hr></blockquote> Guess I'll be staying away from you on the road... If you feel that there is no need to turn your head to check blind spots...then its just an accident waiting to happen when someone comes flying up the left lane...you don't see them and you change lanes into them. What, you mean to tell me that you check your mirrors every 5 seconds? Hope there's no deer sitting on the side of the road waiting to leap accross... You can be aware of the typical joe blow drivers around you...but that guy in a vette flying up the left lane..hah...turn the head if ya ask me.

paul the video is hilarious! lol! <img src="graemlins/roflmao.gif" border="0" alt="[hiha]" /> it came as no surprise to me that it was done in italy

&lt;&lt;Seems like 30% of the left-lane roadblockers want to enforce their own brand of justice and impede "speeders".&gt;&gt; I have my own pet peeve. I'm sitting at a light, and the very second the light changes some a-hole is blasting away on the horn. My technique, which woks very well on a single lane road, is to pull away and drive at the slowest possible speed..we are talking 10-15 mph. I've been known to do that for a 1/2 mile, and it's funny because they never blow th horn again..they either think that the Porsche driver is a nut, or they just get the message. Perry

Been watching this thread for a couple of days.....I guess you can call me a left lane bandit The roads here in Houston are so congested, that if people used the left lane for passing only, you couldn't get back into the right lane since it would be bumper to bumper. US roads just aren't designed with that in mind.

Most of the time when LA's highways are congested I'm able to breeze right on down the right lane because all the fools are stacked up in the left. These low speed limits aren't helping anyone. We need higher speed limits if any at all and let mother nature sort out the weak.

perry-with respect- i don't think your response is too smart one fine day some obnoxious yahoo in a pickup truck or suv will rear end your pretty porsche i suggest you take off quickly instead displaying that universal sign on contempt from the middle of your hand <img src="graemlins/cussing.gif" border="0" alt="[grrrrrrr]" />

sharky-i've lived in houston--home of the most obnoxious pickup truck drivers in america! <img src="graemlins/cussing.gif" border="0" alt="[grrrrrrr]" /> i don't think the problem is the roadway itself but the ignorant fools we license to drive motor vehicles believe me the roads in europe are equally congested but much more orderly their drivers have to pass rigorous tests of proficiency before being loosed on an unsuspecting public. in 3 years i don't believe that i ever saw one texan yield the left lane to faster traffic. that was 1972-76 before the current congestion. i have not missed driving in houston

guys and gals, Thanks for this post! I've been losing my hair here and wanted to post a post like this but I thoght I'd upset some of you guys (I should'vr know better!). Seems that you're as upset as I am. Just yesterday when I was driving from Miami Beach up to Pompano (Champion Porsche) I was yelling and screaming to other driver that they should go to Germany and see how it's done! <img src="graemlins/cussing.gif" border="0" alt="[grrrrrrr]" /> I'm from Finland and there also at highways people always drive in right line (only two lane highways...) and pass on left lane, it makes driving so much easier and safer. But I do believe S. Florida is the worst (w/out driving much anywhere else). Here people drive on left lane... turning signal blinking right... then the put emergency signals on... move suddenly right... (e-signals still on) speed up... turn signal left... then they move right... Then, turning signal stays on for about 20 miles while they're moving right, left, left, right... It's crazy here! <img src="graemlins/cussing.gif" border="0" alt="[grrrrrrr]" /> And honestly I think 90% of the drivers here (any age) drive worst than my grandmom in law who's 88. <img src="graemlins/c.gif" border="0" alt="[ouch]" />

finn- visit texas--they drive even worse!

Nothing beats Jersey!

oh lord...

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Here are certain Mr. Andretti's comments about this (It's long but it's good reading): Driving tips by Andretti His name is synonymous with speed, but legendary race car driver Mario Andretti has paid his dues over the years -- slogging through horrendous traffic in some of the world's major metropolitan areas. "Many people think I look at (commuting) differently, but when you get down to it, I'm exactly as frustrated as you are," Andretti said during an interview in his suite at the Fairmont Hotel in San Francisco. "I probably say the same things and use the same vocabulary as everyone else." With that in mind, The Chronicle solicited driving tips from Andretti, who was in town for the start of the California Mille, a road rally of vintage race cars through Northern California. Andretti, 62, has five grandchildren. He retired from race car driving in 1994. He lives in Nazareth, Pa., about 60 miles north of Philadelphia, and owns a late-model Corvette, a Lamborghini and a Mercedes. "I love cars," Andretti said. "I indulge myself from time to time." While Andretti doesn't have the daily grind of having to drive to work each and every day, he often commutes to business appointments and social engagements in Philadelphia and New York. When he's in the Bay Area, he checks in on two of his businesses -- the Andretti Winery in Napa and the Andretti Speedmart at Ninth and Howard streets in San Francisco. The retired champ admires smooth and skillful driving and abhors gridlock, absent-minded commuters and what he calls "road vigilantes" -- slower-paced who tie up the fast lane. "When other people ride with me, I find myself criticizing other drivers so much," he said, "to the point where, whoever's listening to me, finds it real annoying." TIP NO. 1: MOVE OVER His chief gripe is bad manners. "I think road manners in this country are so terrible," he said. "I look at a good driver on the road with as much pleasure as I look at a young child who has proper etiquette. The fact that it's so rare is unfortunate. We have all the laws about speeding, but I don't think there are enough rules about road etiquette." He is especially peeved by "people who park themselves in the fast lane at 65 mph, or whatever the speed limit is, and won't let anyone pass. These road vigilantes think they have the moral authority to stop anyone else from going faster," he said. "But they create a situation where cars have to weave in and out to get around them. They're the ones who create the accidents." Andretti cautions slower drivers to defer to faster drivers. "What you should do is let the person pass who wants to pass," he said. "If he gets caught down the road for speeding, that's his problem. But let him do it as safely as possible. "Reckless driving is dangerous. . . . I don't condone (speeding) because it's against the law," he said. "But I'll take the speeder over the reckless driver any day." TIP NO. 2: PAY ATTENTION Andretti cannot believe how many drivers do not focus on the road ahead -- letting themselves be swept away by daydreams, conversations and junk food. "There are so many people in a fog when they're driving," he said. "You can go to different states and take notice of their driving habits. Florida has the worst. They should all just move over." Andretti is especially bothered by people who eat when they drive. "Nothing is more gross," he said, "than seeing people eat when they're in the car. If they could only see themselves." From time to time, Andretti uses a cell phone while driving. "If you're going to do it, don't think you're in the office," he said. "Pay attention and maybe they won't pass laws against it." He said that his most costly mistakes in races occurred when he was in the lead and his mind started to doze or wander. "It's the same as going down the road and you hit the median strip," he said. "It jolts you awake." When commuting, Andretti listens to talk radio and music. "I've never had any accidents, except when I was 15. I had a fender-bender in a '57 Chevy." TIP NO. 3: BE SMOOTH Andretti won 111 races in a career that lasted five decades, including the Indianapolis 500, the Daytona 500, the Formula One World Championship and the Italian Grand Prix. "I was aggressive, but I think I was smooth," Andretti said. "I had a clean driving style, trying not to waste motion. I would show the younger drivers how to do the same thing without using so much energy -- spinning wheels and going sideways. It's hard on the car and hard on the muscles." Racing is in his blood. During the twilight of his career, Andretti and his son Michael -- who also races professionally -- shared the podium 15 times between 1983 and 1994. His grandson, Marco, 15, races go-carts. His early experience on oval tracks helped in his later races on bad roads and in rain. He also learned to dodge hazards. "Over-correcting can spit the car into the wall like a bullet," he said. When racing, Andretti had such a heightened sense of concentration that he could smell barbecued hamburgers and prawns as he passed by the mobile homes camped next to the track. "To do our job, you must get into a rhythm, expecting what's happening in front of you," he said. "There's so much satisfaction when you're in the zone, doing everything right. When everything is really working, the car is talking back to you." TIP NO. 4: COOL IT Andretti tries to vent some of his competitive spirit through riding motorcycles, slalom skiing and water sports. At stoplights, he avoids sizing up the driver in the next lane. "The first thing I think is, I don't want to create a starting situation," he said. "I have to be very careful about that. Some people would hold it against me if there was an accident. . . . The best medicine for me is to cool it. I don't think I'll ever be as patient as I should be, but I've come a long way." He was not always as calm. "I've driven in Tokyo, Buenos Aires, Paris and Rome -- everywhere," Andretti said. "I know about traffic. You want an adventure, drive in Buenos Aires." He described an incident in the late 1970s when he was driving from downtown Sao Paulo, Brazil, to the racetrack on a Friday morning through a ghastly traffic pileup. "I'm a bit claustrophobic," he said. "I started thinking, some day this world will come to total gridlock. We'll all be in a traffic jam, run out of fuel and starve to death. I had the worst thoughts." He doesn't recommend what he did next. "I started driving on sidewalks, up and down steps and through gas stations. I had to do the craziest things. When I got to the track, I was totally spent. " Being one of the fastest drivers in history has its perks. Some years ago, he was speeding down the freeway from his Tuscan-style winery in Napa to catch a red-eye flight at San Francisco International Airport. A California Highway Patrol car pulled him over, and a deputy in training took Andretti's driver's license back to the patrol car. The way he tells it, the rookie's flustered boss got out of the patrol car and approached the driver's window: "Oh my God, Mr. Andretti, I'm so sorry," the officer said. "Go as fast as you want."

finn great post on mario andretti <img src="graemlins/jumper.gif" border="0" alt="[jumper]" /> maybe you were right about fla!

I hope so (it's hard to think there are worse drivers than these here...).