# Driving PSA



## SKIQUATTRO (Jan 23, 2012)

if you are in the Left lane and not passing anyone....MOVE TO THE RIGHT!!!

seems like most folks forgot driving 101....


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## SkiingInABlueDream (Jan 23, 2012)

I love etiquette threads!  Im pretty unforgiving of leftlane blockers myself, but with maybe 1 exception.  When there's evenly dense traffic moving along about the same speed across all lanes.  In this situation I never try to make the driver in front of me move right if I'm in the left lane, and I get really aggravated when a driver behind me tries to get me to move over.


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## gmcunni (Jan 23, 2012)




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## ctenidae (Jan 23, 2012)

skifastr said:


> I love etiquette threads!  Im pretty unforgiving of leftlane blockers myself, but with maybe 1 exception.  When there's evenly dense traffic moving along about the same speed across all lanes.  In this situation I never try to make the driver in front of me move right if I'm in the left lane, and I get really aggravated when a driver behind me tries to get me to move over.



Or when the driver in front tries to get the driver in front of them to move over by tailgating, but ends up hitting their brakes all teh time, causing me to have to slow down. But, then when they get frustrated and move over a lane, only to hit their brakes, I usually give a big thumbs up and a smile as I pass them.


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## SkiingInABlueDream (Jan 23, 2012)

gmcunni said:


>



why is that car on the exit ramp braking LOL


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## Cannonball (Jan 23, 2012)

I like the way AK handles it.  Not sure how many other states have this.....


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## Nick (Jan 23, 2012)

I feel a sense of deja vu in this thread


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## ctenidae (Jan 23, 2012)

Nick said:


> I feel a sense of deja vu in this thread



I don't. I do think we've done this conversation before, though.


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## 4aprice (Jan 23, 2012)

You guys obviously don't do too much driving in PA.  It must be something in the water but PA people love to hangout in the left lane.  Never seen anywhere else like it.

Alex

Lake Hopatcong, NJ


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## andrec10 (Jan 23, 2012)

gmcunni said:


>



Hey, thats from the top of I684!


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## Glenn (Jan 24, 2012)

SKIQUATTRO said:


> if you are in the Left lane and not passing anyone....MOVE TO THE RIGHT!!!
> 
> seems like most folks forgot driving 101....



Had that issue heading back from VT last night. I had to high beam close to a half dozen people. I don't care if it's raining....you don't do 55 in the left lane.


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## hammer (Jan 24, 2012)

Thought I heard from family members that in NJ you will get pulled over and ticketed for hanging in the left lane...can anyone confirm this?


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## bvibert (Jan 24, 2012)

hammer said:


> Thought I heard from family members that in NJ you will get pulled over and ticketed for hanging in the left lane...can anyone confirm this?



That's not a hefty enough penalty, but a step in the right direction.  I'm thinking something involving a taser would be more effective


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## SkiDork (Jan 24, 2012)

4aprice said:


> You guys obviously don't do too much driving in PA.  It must be something in the water but PA people love to hangout in the left lane.  Never seen anywhere else like it.
> 
> Alex
> 
> Lake Hopatcong, NJ



Mass


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## deadheadskier (Jan 24, 2012)

4aprice said:


> You guys obviously don't do too much driving in PA.  It must be something in the water but PA people love to hangout in the left lane.  Never seen anywhere else like it.
> 
> Alex
> 
> Lake Hopatcong, NJ



When I lived in the mid-Atlantic, I definitely noticed left lane campers in PA.  Only state I've seen it remotely as bad as PA is in Maine.  I swear they must teach people in drivers ed to cruise the left lanes up there.


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## 4aprice (Jan 24, 2012)

hammer said:


> Thought I heard from family members that in NJ you will get pulled over and ticketed for hanging in the left lane...can anyone confirm this?



Long time ago (late 70's/early 80's) I recieved a summons for being in the left lane of a 4 lane highway at 3 in the morning with no one else on the road.  

Alex

Lake Hopatcong, NJ


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## ctenidae (Jan 24, 2012)

Theoretically you can get a ticket in CT for hanging in the left lane, and for passing on the right. Not sure if you can get out of the passing on the right ticket with a hanging in the left defense.


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## bvibert (Jan 24, 2012)

ctenidae said:


> Theoretically you can get a ticket in CT for hanging in the left lane, and for passing on the right. Not sure if you can get out of the passing on the right ticket with a hanging in the left defense.



You're allowed to pass on the right as long as it's a 3 or more travel lane (slow vehicle lanes up hills don't count) limited access highway, there's also some subjective bit in there too about it needing to be reasonable or safe to do so.  I never knew there was anything in the books about hanging in the left lane.  They certainly don't enforce it if there is.  I've witnessed plenty of idiots hanging in the left lane with a cruiser behind them, instead of moving over to let the cop go by.


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## ctenidae (Jan 24, 2012)

bvibert said:


> You're allowed to pass on the right as long as it's a 3 or more travel lane (slow vehicle lanes up hills don't count) limited access highway, there's also some subjective bit in there too about it needing to be reasonable or safe to do so.  I never knew there was anything in the books about hanging in the left lane.  They certainly don't enforce it if there is.  I've witnessed plenty of idiots hanging in the left lane with a cruiser behind them, instead of moving over to let the cop go by.



I see it too all the time. Chances are, the traffic disruption from pulling them over far exceeds the disruption of their hanging in the left lane.


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## bvibert (Jan 24, 2012)

ctenidae said:


> I see it too all the time. Chances are, the traffic disruption from pulling them over far exceeds the disruption of their hanging in the left lane.



Yeah, but it's the principle.  They should be pulled over and made an example of!!


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## from_the_NEK (Jan 24, 2012)

Watch without sound :lol:


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## 4aprice (Jan 24, 2012)

^I can't believe it.  I know exactly where that video was taken.  Never seen the cops do that but this is NJ and nothing here surprises me.

Alex

Lake Hopatcong, NJ


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## ctenidae (Jan 24, 2012)

That was beautiful.


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## bvibert (Jan 24, 2012)

from_the_NEK said:


> Watch without sound :lol:



Awesome!


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## Geoff (Jan 24, 2012)

Cop must-a needed to get to the donut shop


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## gmcunni (Jan 24, 2012)

and if the driver of that "slow" car got spooked and hit the brakes??????


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## ctenidae (Jan 24, 2012)

gmcunni said:


> and if the driver of that "slow" car got spooked and hit the brakes??????



As clueless as that driver appeared to be, would have taken a zombie horde, two well armed shrews, and 5 gallons of peanut oil to spook him. Might have been able to do it with canola oil, but it'd be tougher.


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## o3jeff (Jan 24, 2012)

bvibert said:


> You're allowed to pass on the right as long as it's a 3 or more travel lane (slow vehicle lanes up hills don't count) limited access highway, there's also some subjective bit in there too about it needing to be reasonable or safe to do so.  I never knew there was anything in the books about hanging in the left lane.  They certainly don't enforce it if there is.  I've witnessed plenty of idiots hanging in the left lane with a cruiser behind them, instead of moving over to let the cop go by.



If the idiot is hanging in the left I'm not going to hang around on his bumper hoping he'll move over I'll just use the right lane on a 2 lane or more highway.


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## bvibert (Jan 24, 2012)

o3jeff said:


> If the idiot is hanging in the left I'm not going to hang around on his bumper hoping he'll move over I'll just use the right lane on a 2 lane or more highway.



Me too, but it is illegal to do so in CT, if it's less than 3 travel lanes.  You can get ticketed for it.


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## ctenidae (Jan 24, 2012)

Lately I've been flicking high beams a couple of times as I'm coming up, and it seems to get a better response. Maybe people don't feel as pressured, or as angry, or whatever.


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## gmcunni (Jan 24, 2012)

love it when i pull up behind someone on the Merritt Parkway going slower than me in the left lane.  when i finally decide to pass them on the right i glance over to see them chatting on the phone.  makes me want to cut back in front of them and hit the brakes.


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## wa-loaf (Jan 24, 2012)

ctenidae said:


> Lately I've been flicking high beams a couple of times as I'm coming up, and it seems to get a better response. Maybe people don't feel as pressured, or as angry, or whatever.



I believe this is illegal, though I'd have to look it up.


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## ctenidae (Jan 24, 2012)

wa-loaf said:


> I believe this is illegal, though I'd have to look it up.



According to webtrafficschool.com (your online source for all driving tips), step 5 of safely passing is "Honk or flash your high beams to warn drivers ahead".

http://www.mit.edu/~jfc/right.html

According to the Uniform Traffic Code in theUS, it seems that it is illegal to drive slower than the speed of normal traffic (note, that'snot the posted speed limit) in the left lane.


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## wa-loaf (Jan 24, 2012)

ctenidae said:


> According to webtrafficschool.com (your online source for all driving tips), step 5 of safely passing is "Honk or flash your high beams to warn drivers ahead".
> 
> http://www.mit.edu/~jfc/right.html
> 
> According to the Uniform Traffic Code in theUS, it seems that it is illegal to drive slower than the speed of normal traffic (note, that'snot the posted speed limit) in the left lane.



Illegal in Washington State anyway:

http://www.thenewstribune.com/2011/12/26/1958986/flashing-high-beams-at-others.html


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## Glenn (Jan 24, 2012)

from_the_NEK said:


> Watch without sound :lol:



That's a friggin riot!


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## bigbog (Jan 24, 2012)

gmcunni said:


>



Approaching the Albany, Troy exit?   ...fwiw:lol:


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## billski (Jan 24, 2012)

Maine Turnpike used to have reminder signs in the median reminding the clueless from southern New England, a state that begins with "M". Rules are intended to help everyone get along.  Guess they went out of style along with manners.:uzi::angry::smash:

I also believe "Keep right except to pass" signs are illegal in Massachusetts.:dunce:


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## mlctvt (Jan 24, 2012)

Left lane slow pokes are definitely more common now than 20-30 years ago. I've noticed that it's now more common to just drive in the left lane. Rarely do people move over after passing any more, they just stay in the left lane,  like they're too lazy to turn on their turn signal and move over into the right lane. 

On 3 lane highways the right lane is rarely used since nobody wants to deal with the idiots entering the highway at 30-40mph, another major problem. Didn't anyone teach these people that they should be doing the speed of the traffic they're merging in with when entering? It's as if nobody learned how to drive correctly the last few years.  It seems every year it just gets worse.


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## SKIQUATTRO (Jan 25, 2012)

question....can a commercial vehicle (not tractor-trailer) say like a uhaul, cargo van, pick up with commerical plate be in the left lane of a 3 land highway?  i know tractor-trailers/busses cannot be in the far left, but what about other commercial vehicles?


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## Glenn (Jan 25, 2012)

SKIQUATTRO said:


> question....can a commercial vehicle (not tractor-trailer) say like a uhaul, cargo van, pick up with commerical plate be in the left lane of a 3 land highway?  i know tractor-trailers/busses cannot be in the far left, but what about other commercial vehicles?



In Mass they can be. When traffic is light, it's not a bit deal. It's another story when it's heavy.


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