Driving and using the passing lane

[Scutter01]

As a flasher, I understand when there are situations which require a much slower driver to occupy the left lane for overtaking another vehicle. I will not flash in this situation and I typically give the overtaking car a good 5-8 car lengths distance to make the pass. When you overtake the slower vehicle, you will typically move right. Then I will overtake you.

Tailgating, as an overtaking car, is just as dangerous as the person who sits in the left lane bottlenecking traffic.

I don't flash the second I get up behind someone: "HEY, GET OUT OF MY WAY! I'M IMPORTANT!". It's more like after it's clear that they're simply driving side-by-side with the car next to them and there's no reason to block the lane: "Excuse me, I think you haven't noticed that there are people behind you trying to pass."

 

[Tripp11]

I don't see light-flashing ignored often in Indiana, but EVERY TIME I drive the mountain pass between Gatlinburg and Cherokee, I get behind some numbskull who doesn't know how to drive mountain roads and insists on riding his brake all the way down. On a mountain road, a speed limit is a suggestion, not a requirement. There's no possible way to not exceed it and still have brakes at the bottom. No amount of light-flashing or honking will get them to use one of the MANY MANY pull-offs (that are there for that express purpose) to allow the hundred or so cars bunched up behind them to pass.

Unfortunately, I drive from Indy to South Carolina frequently. My ignorant drivers are typically encountered on I-40 between Knoxville and South Carolina when going thru the mountains. Must be the mountains!

 

[Tripp11]

Cool, that means you aint one of the many that have pissed me off.

I don't tailgate. I don't honk my horn. I don't use hand gestures.

Carrying a firearm on your person requires an individual to be calm, cool, and collected. It's amazing how much differently I drive now that I carry.

I still will flash drivers when they sit in the outside lane, but I'm not an aggressive driver.

 

[churchmouse]

I am the guy that gets flashed. I do not speed but when you have to pass a slower vehicle you need the left lane and of course there is always some d bag doing 90 that does not think I am passing the semi fast enough. Riding my bumper is not going to make me speed up, there is a speed limit and you can get as pissed as you want.

I run the interstates everywhere. I run 10/15 over or with the flow of traffic. I have the occasional douche bag run up on me like he is at Daytona in the draft while I am passing a truck with a string of traffic in front of me so they have no where to go for probably 5 miles. They get half out in the emergency lane and flash hi-beams and ride the bumper. If they see the line and realize they are stuck, some will fall into lock-step until things clear up. Some will not. If they maintain the less than 3 foot gap trying to intimidate me to pull over and let them pass 1 vehicle, me, it is at that time I slow to match speed with the big rig in the right lane, give him a thumbs up and run there for the next 10 or so miles unless some other innocent travelers get jammed up behind him. I just can't help myself.

 

[sepe]

I seem to think that there is a law that if the right lane is open you must move over within 1 mile. I will try to find the I.C.

I would LOVE to see every inconsiderate trucker get ticketed for this (not saying all are bad drivers or inconsiderate). In the last year, if I kept track, there has to be at least 50 times that a semi was riding in the left lane while the right lane was clear and a line of traffic was trying to merge coming off an off-ramp before the lane ends. There is close to 1.5 miles they could get back over into the left if they needed to make a left at the closest intersection. It isn't so bad if it is only 1 vehicle trying to merge because you could slow down more than the posted limit coming off the off ramp.

I don't flash my lights, honk, or give the finger when someone annoys me in traffic...I normally just start chucking my beer bottles out the window at them.

 

[printcraft]

It pains me to no end to wholeheartedly agree with ANYONE with Uranus in their tag line. Butt anyway.

It's one of the most underrated of the planets...
It's really a nice place, a little gassy but they don't call them gas giants for nothing.

 

[Scutter01]

It's one of the most underrated of the planets...
It's really a nice place, a little gassy but they don't call them gas giants for nothing.

Personally, I think it stinks.

 

[LionWeight]

LOL...go visit Iowa. You will see farmers pulling equipment in the left lane.


My favorite are the "farmer Brown corners"........where a farmer will come to a COMPLETE stop, or nearly so, on a major roadway...before turning off of it. that was another problem I observed a lot growing up in Iowa.

He's probably trying to get his tractor into a gear for the field.

 

[hoosierdoc]

I followed 2 simis leaving Dayton Oh to Indi In. for 20 miles AT 55 MPH. Then I got an opportunity to jump around on the shoulder.
I pulled in just in front of him. After about 2 minutes. I stepped on the brake peddle just enough to light up.
He jammed on his brakes. I shook the hell out of him. He actually pulled off the road.
When the Simi in the right lane passed me. Left lane driver was flirting with the right lane blonde.

And you don't have any rep yet?! Awful Waffle would be upset

 

[hoosierdoc]

I normally just start chucking my beer bottles out the window at them.

If it's a semi you have to use water bottles filled with urine. I collect them and then try to get 'em to balance on their hoods

 

[gunowner930]

Not nearly as annoying as a California freeway. 5-6 lanes wide and everybody goes whatever speed they want in whichever lane they want, and then you those types driving any kind of vehicle imaginable from Miatas to F-150s to minivans doing 40-50 over the speed limit weaving in and out of traffic.

 

[starbreather]

My wife loves to camp in the left lane, absolutely drives me crazy.

 

[hornadylnl]

My wife drives me crazy on the interstate. If she's in the right lane and comes up on a slower car, she'll tap her brakes shutting off the cruise and get in the left lane 10-20 car lengths behind the other car.

I normally run 5-10 over on interstates. If I'm passing and a faster car approaches, I will speed up to get out of his way quicker.

This world is full of busybodies worrying about everybody else and both sides of the political spectrum is chock full of em. They have the attitude that if they can't do X, they make it their life's mission to see that others can't do X as well.

 

[schafe]

My wife drives me crazy on the interstate. If she's in the right lane and comes up on a slower car, she'll tap her brakes shutting off the cruise and get in the left lane 10-20 car lengths behind the other car.

I normally run 5-10 over on interstates. If I'm passing and a faster car approaches, I will speed up to get out of his way quicker.

This world is full of busybodies worrying about everybody else and both sides of the political spectrum is chock full of em. They have the attitude that if they can't do X, they make it their life's mission to see that others can't do X as well.

Heck, that X is overrated, anyway. Now Y on the other hand....Woohoo!!

 

[mainjet]

I run the left lane almost exclusively. However, I have paid the price, literally in tickets over the years. I have just over an hour commute each way and I drive rather quickly.

One day I saw a guys bumper sticker that I loved. It said - "CAUTION.. I drive like YOU DO".

 

[Kagnew]

I run the left lane almost exclusively. However, I have paid the price, literally in tickets over the years.

Does that tell you something?

 

[CtWest]

Does that tell you something?

Yes, it tells him he's using the correct lane to get around all the slow ass drivers...

 

[edporch]

If you want to drive 10 under or exactly the limit - great, but please use the middle or right lanes. Indiana is the only place I've ever been where people love to do the rolling roadblock by clogging all lanes, including the passing lane. Refuse to move out of the left lane, put-putting along.

And regardless of what the speed limit is, when these people INTENTIONALLY block off the road and force traffic to back up behind them, they are greatly increasing the chances of a major multi-vehicle wreck.
All it would take is for one car to have a flat tire for example.

Even POLICE will pull off the interstate when they see too much traffic backing up behind them, because they know the danger this causes.

 

[Indy_Guy_77]

Also,

https://www.indianagunowners.com/forums/break_room/40874-the_left_lane_is_for_passing_no.html
https://www.indianagunowners.com/forums/break_room/158184-highway_etiquette.html
https://www.indianagunowners.com/forums/break_room/87065-multi_lane_highway_discussion.html
https://www.indianagunowners.com/forums/break_room/86588-biggest_pet_peeve.html
https://www.indianagunowners.com/forums/break_room/63015-driving_pet_peeves.html
https://www.indianagunowners.com/forums/break_room/173322-are_you_that_guy.html

Well...crap. It would seem that my cap is wound too tightly. LOL

-J-

 

[goinggreyfast]

Obviously the OP has never driven in Michigan--particularly Detroit. HA! EVERYONE thinks they own that passing lane. Don't even get me started on the herd mentality of drivers up there. Brake tapping, spreading out across all 3 lanes when the light turns yellow, etc, etc.

Couple of observations/aggravations here:

One--after passing someone, I move to the right lane, it's what should be done. What REALLY gets me is when someone is passing me on the interstate and we are both coming up on someone in the right lane who is going slower than us. Invariably this Dweeb in the passing lane slows down and matches my speed causing me to hit my brakes thus turning off the cruise control. THEN, the 3 cars behind me jump into the passing lane and I have to wait not only for Mr/Mrs dweeb to pass, but the 3 cars behind Mr/Mrs Dweeb to go around me. If it's a semi we are passing, this can go on for 5+ miles while everyone is stacked up behind Mr/Mrs Dweeb--who is most likely jawing on the cell phone and totally clueless as to what is going on around them. PICK A SPEED MAN!!!

Two: I'm currently in the left lane in the process of passing/overtaking someone in the right hand lane. The person operating the car next to me--whom I will call Mr/Mrs Dweeb #2--sees the front end of my car in his/her peripheral view, looks down and realizes "Hey, I'm driving too slow" and speeds up to match my speed. Next thing you know, we are side by side down the interstate. ARGGGGGG!!!

And three (for now): Do I pass in the right lane from time to time? Yes! Lead, follow, or get the heck out of the way.

Thank you, thankyouverymuch!