interstate etiquette: a brief primer - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

cscmc1 · #1 09-21-2011, 10:44 AM

Perfect!

retmil46 · #2 09-21-2011, 04:47 PM

Making the move from San Antonio back to NC last week, it's quite obvious that 95% of the drivers on the interstate these days don't understand even that simple concept - I even ran into a couple vehicles near Hickory NC on I-40, that were deliberately running beside each other at 10 mph below the speed limit for close to 5 miles, just trying to piss off all the "furiners".

Then you've got the group at the opposite extreme, who feel that the left hand lane is specifically reserved for them to run at autobahn-like speeds, and "how dare you try to pass a semi at only 75 mph and hold me up from flying along at 90 mph". At least 5 times when I was passing a semi with at least a 5 to 10 mph speed difference - ie, going past it at a fairly good clip - here comes Speed Racer flying along at 90 mph, comes screaming up just 3 feet from my rear bumper when I'm halfway past the truck, and starts flipping their high beams on and off, wanting me to floor it and GTF out of their way so they wouldn't have to waste 20 seconds of their life waiting for me to pass the semi.

MTUpower · #3 09-21-2011, 05:11 PM

Making it worse now is that the left lane in many places is the "hybrid" or car pool lane during certain times. Hybrid owners feel it the slow lane much of the time. I'd care to venture that the slower traffic keep right rule being ignored is causing a significant amount of deaths and vehicle damage which surpasses the amount of energy saved by all they hybrids combined.

compress ignite · #4 09-21-2011, 05:26 PM

We don't have the funds to "UpKeep" the interstate system as we should.
(Like everything else since 2000,the Highway Funds have been Vacuumed
out of the Kitty and used for Spurious Purposes.)

For as Much Good as it'll do Ya:
It's Illegal in Georgia to Block Traffic by tying Up the Left Lane,
[And God Bless you if you can get any of the Authorities to enforce that Law.]

(AND YES,The Very Day I'm Appointed Governor, 1/3 of the residents in Georgia
will lose their driving permits.) [Wishful, Dreaming]

HuskyMan · #5 09-21-2011, 05:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by retmil46

Making the move from San Antonio back to NC last week, it's quite obvious that 95% of the drivers on the interstate these days don't understand even that simple concept - I even ran into a couple vehicles near Hickory NC on I-40, that were deliberately running beside each other at 10 mph below the speed limit for close to 5 miles, just trying to piss off all the "furiners".

Then you've got the group at the opposite extreme, who feel that the left hand lane is specifically reserved for them to run at autobahn-like speeds, and "how dare you try to pass a semi at only 75 mph and hold me up from flying along at 90 mph". At least 5 times when I was passing a semi with at least a 5 to 10 mph speed difference - ie, going past it at a fairly good clip - here comes Speed Racer flying along at 90 mph, comes screaming up just 3 feet from my rear bumper when I'm halfway past the truck, and starts flipping their high beams on and off, wanting me to floor it and GTF out of their way so they wouldn't have to waste 20 seconds of their life waiting for me to pass the semi.

how about when the semi suddenly decides to make an emergency lane change into the left lane? Rocket boy suddenly becomes Pancake boy.

SwampYankee · #6 09-21-2011, 06:03 PM

My father always waxes poetically about driving through parts of the midwest. People drive sanely, generally stay out of the left lane unless passing, routinely use turn signals and allow cars to pass and merge. When approaching construction zones, "Lane Closed Ahead" signals folks to move to the open lane miles ahead of the closure only slowing to the construction zone speed and then they're through, resuming highway speeds.

Here in the Northeast, it's a race to see which @$$hole can be the last one to merge in before taking out the cones or sign, forcing everyone behind said @$$hole to slam on their brakes bringing traffic to a halt, which in turn encourages more @$$holes to pass the stopped traffic to merge at the last possible moment before taking out the cones or sign and the process repeats causing a big ol' cluster flock and wasting everyones time while they sit in a traffic jam. And turn signals are a sign of weakness that merely signal to those next to you to speed up to prevent you from daring to enter their "territory."

75Sv1 · #7 09-21-2011, 06:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SwampYankee

My father always waxes poetically about driving through parts of the midwest. People drive sanely, generally stay out of the left lane unless passing, routinely use turn signals and allow cars to pass and merge. When approaching construction zones, "Lane Closed Ahead" signals folks to move to the open lane miles ahead of the closure only slowing to the construction zone speed and then they're through, resuming highway speeds.

Here in the Northeast, it's a race to see which @$$hole can be the last one to merge in before taking out the cones or sign, forcing everyone behind said @$$hole to slam on their brakes bringing traffic to a halt, which in turn encourages more @$$holes to pass the stopped traffic to merge at the last possible moment before taking out the cones or sign and the process repeats causing a big ol' cluster flock and wasting everyones time while they sit in a traffic jam. And turn signals are a sign of weakness that merely signal to those next to you to speed up to prevent you from daring to enter their "territory."

Not these parts.
Tom

SwampYankee · #8 09-21-2011, 06:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 75Sv1

Not these parts.
Tom

buffa98 · #9 09-21-2011, 09:51 PM

Pa started to put up sign that said use both lanes to merge point. What would happen is what swamp is decsribing. Then the trucks would get side by side. After a few $225 tickets (doubled because of the work zone) were issued word traveled fast. And seeing the state and counties were looking for revenue there was always an abundance of enforcement officials

sitting around waiting.

Quote:

Originally Posted by SwampYankee

My father always waxes poetically about driving through parts of the midwest. People drive sanely, generally stay out of the left lane unless passing, routinely use turn signals and allow cars to pass and merge. When approaching construction zones, "Lane Closed Ahead" signals folks to move to the open lane miles ahead of the closure only slowing to the construction zone speed and then they're through, resuming highway speeds.

Here in the Northeast, it's a race to see which @$$hole can be the last one to merge in before taking out the cones or sign, forcing everyone behind said @$$hole to slam on their brakes bringing traffic to a halt, which in turn encourages more @$$holes to pass the stopped traffic to merge at the last possible moment before taking out the cones or sign and the process repeats causing a big ol' cluster flock and wasting everyones time while they sit in a traffic jam. And turn signals are a sign of weakness that merely signal to those next to you to speed up to prevent you from daring to enter their "territory."

retmil46 · #10 09-21-2011, 09:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HuskyMan

how about when the semi suddenly decides to make an emergency lane change into the left lane? Rocket boy suddenly becomes Pancake boy.

That's one other thing I noticed - that most of the truck drivers now have a propensity for deciding to pull out and pass the semi ahead of them, by pure happenstance I'm sure, just as one or more of these Jeremy Clarkson wanna-be's comes screaming up and has about 50 feet or so to haul it down from warp speed before he kisses the back end of the trailer.

In most of these cases, said speed demons had just cut me off while I was trying to pass a slower vehicle, and it was quite entertaining and gratifying to see them experience the old saying "what goes around comes around" literally within seconds of doing it to someone else.

One more item of note - at least along I-40 from Little Rock to NC, these speedsters seemed to group together in packs, anywhere from 3 to upwards of 20 vehicles, running along nut to butt in the left lane well in excess of the other traffic on the road.

cscmc1 · #11 09-21-2011, 10:05 PM

I know of someone who was in a hurry and merged at the last moment at a construction zone. A state trooper saw him and pulled him over just past the end of the work zone, and had him wait until he said he could continue on. I think he delayed him for 30 minutes or so. Poetic justice.

Air&Road · #12 09-22-2011, 07:35 AM

Those signs summarize the German Autobahn rules quite nicely except for the lack of mentioning no speed limit. That's where I learned my freeway driving habits at the age of 20. In 1971 I came back to the US and have been a frustrated freeway driver ever since.

I did have a few breaks from that frustration when doing lots of business travel in Germany from 2000 to 2003. It was WONDERFUL! Driving on the German Autobahn in a decent car is almost the most fun I can have with my clothes on. The only other clothed activity that surpasses it, is flying my taildragger. There are no lanes in the sky to worry about.

MS Fowler · #13 09-22-2011, 07:42 AM

Can we add a few?
"Yield" in your lane means I have the Right of way-
Solid lines are not to be crossed.
Courtesy is contagious.

In the NE corridor, trying to maintain even 2 seconds of free space between the car ahead of you is an exercise in futility.

catmandoo62 · #14 09-22-2011, 08:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LarryBible

Those signs summarize the German Autobahn rules quite nicely except for the lack of mentioning no speed limit. That's where I learned my freeway driving habits at the age of 20. In 1971 I came back to the US and have been a frustrated freeway driver ever since.

I did have a few breaks from that frustration when doing lots of business travel in Germany from 2000 to 2003. It was WONDERFUL! Driving on the German Autobahn in a decent car is almost the most fun I can have with my clothes on. The only other clothed activity that surpasses it, is flying my taildragger. There are no lanes in the sky to worry about.

ah the taildragger,my dad had a 170b we used to hit flight breakfasts almost every sunday.that is one thing my dad wished he had never sold,i was about 15 at the time and would have loved to solo'd in it.but that was in the late 70's and times were tough so to speak and something had to go.i hear it is still within a 60 miles radius,would love to ride in her again someday.

Brian Carlton · #15 09-22-2011, 08:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SwampYankee

Here in the Northeast, it's a race to see which @$$hole can be the last one to merge in before taking out the cones or sign, forcing everyone behind said @$$hole to slam on their brakes bringing traffic to a halt, which in turn encourages more @$$holes to pass the stopped traffic to merge at the last possible moment before taking out the cones or sign and the process repeats causing a big ol' cluster flock and wasting everyones time while they sit in a traffic jam. And turn signals are a sign of weakness that merely signal to those next to you to speed up to prevent you from daring to enter their "territory."

This has become so prevalent in the NYC area that it's nearly impossible to get off at a crowded exit. Frequently, the exit ramp backs up onto the right lane of the main highway. The DB's in their shyteboxes will absolutely not wait for the queue and will run their shytebox right up to the point of no return and then shove that shytebox into the line.

If enough of them do it (and they do), the line may never move forward for all those that are several hundred feet back.

I never let the DB into the line............they can go pound sand.

I recently waited 20 minutes at the exit for the Brooklyn Bridge (off the FDR) due to such behavior. Finally gave up and went to the Brooklyn Battery Tunnel and paid the $5.00.

I'm really glad that I don't carry a gun.................