i know what you mean...
i feel your frustration...
some people should not be driving...idiots!!!

 

I always pass on the right.

Pennsylvanian drivers tend to be very old people, or very stupid people. Or both.

grrrrrrr

 

Pennsylvanian drivers tend to be very old people, or very stupid people. Or both.

Tell me about it... I have family up there. Driving on PA roads is often an exercise in patience and tolerance for stupidity

 

B- Pac,

I feel for you man, i hate some of these bozos in traffic, but an argument could be made by other people that you driving 100 mph puts them in a bad way.

This is not a flame, just be careful out there.

 

A common problem world wide

If only Dinan would come out with a couple of high powered rockets that shot out from retractable fog lights... BOOM! :thumbsup:

 

Hey, we get a lot of those in Brunei. More so in Malaysia. I really hate it when Malaysian tourists drive over to Brunei and hog the right (passing) lane. I remember on one occassion my dad flashed this Volvo 960 to move over as he was hogging the right lane and there were absolutely no cars on the left. Didn't respond. We were coming to an on-ramp, and one car was coming onto the highway, so we quickly took the left lane (slow lane) and shot by the Volvo Michael Schumacher style, almost cutting the driver off :thumbsup: I glanced at the rear view mirror and the Volvo STILL hadn't shifted off the right lane!!!!!

 

It's a real problem here in Vancouver and most of our highways are two lane wide so not much room to pass on the right unfortunately! Elect me transport Minister and I'll make sure EVERYBODY goes back to driving school and learns the proper driving techniques of everyday driving...and I'll raise the speed limit!

It's a totally different story in Europe...

 

Hey B-Pac...relax....don't let them get under your skin.
I fully agree with you however. In the UK we get exactly the same. Sometimes I flash my lights at these guys, some times they move over...sometimes they speed up...but those who slam their brakes on are dangerous...grrrrrrr

 

My great drive home from work today was completely ruined by some idiot in the hi-speed lane.

Wow you have a high speed lane and a low speed lane now in the US :confused2 Now I know I can't wait to get backhiha hiha
Here in Europe we just don't have idiots
Ken

 

..except in Belgium - complete idiots driving in Belgium

 

Ashok
Well you might be right....was trying to keep politically correct since I live here too:hihi: :hihi:
Ken

 

Since we're talking international experiences here, I was in the Airport in Afghanistan (late 70's so it was peaceful). I had forgotten my reading material for the flight back. I jumped into a cab and told the driver I'd give him a 100% tip if he got me back to where we were living as fast as possible.

If he got stuck behind someone he just pulled into the lane of oncoming traffic and made them swerve off the road. I swore I would never ask a driver to drive too fast again.

Back to the post, maybe its human nature, but people hate to be passed for any reason. Obviously we all drive performance cars so there's a competitive spirit in all of us. Being passed just seems like losing.

 

Vreracing
You are a braver man than me gunga den never never tell someone in a third world to take you somewhere fast and then offer them a tip to do so.

I do business in many sh88 hole countries that I won't name south and west of Europe.

The 'looser' in our gourp always gets to ride 'business class' up front with the cabbie to experience danger up close and personal, that's why I said we had no idiots in Europe. The first time.
Ken

 

..except in Belgium ouich

 

I've gotten used to passing on the right on Texas interstates. We've got laws and signs that say slower traffic keep right and even left lane for passing only, but the police are more interested in giving out speeding tickets (and this month, seatbelt tickets) than enforcing laws that would provide smoother, safer traffic flow.

As it is, I find the right lane moves better than the left most of the time. You have to deal with people entering and exiting the highway occasionally, but at least they're watching where they're going, unlike the idiots steering their land yachts in the left lane with one knee while talking on the phone, eating, and reading with their hands.

Tennessee is a joy to drive in... great road conditions and people that know about lane discipline.

 

Greer:
point taken! yes, 100 mph is "illegal", and therefore the slower drivers aren't doing anything wrong by driving at the speed limit. BUT, that is if you believe in speed limits to begin with, which i don't. it is merely the government (and ralph nader)trying to think for the masses, and decide what is safe. i dont need the government's help. traveling at 100 mph on a relatively empty highway in the left lane, in a car made for hi-speed is very safe. i never drive more than 10 mph in my neighborhood, which is full of kids, even though the speed limit is 15 mph.

pmiranda: i'm bummed to have read your reply! i move to austin end of june, and have been looking forward to what i thought would be wide open Texas highways! i'll be living right off 360/westlake drive, and figured it would be good for some high-speed runs. you'll have to educate me. i plan on posting an M5 get-together after i move........ maybe a hill-country drive as you guys have done in the past.

 

The Roadfly M3 guys do hill country drives a few times a month! I might try to organize another M5 drive, but I'm mostly content doing Tejas Chapter CCA drives and (tagging along with my wife on) the epic Z3 spring drives.

Once you get out in the country, you will find people that know lane discipline. Driving out to Texas World Speedway in College Station, people will even drive on the shoulder to help you pass! Sadly, in the cities people seem pretty self-abosrbed and you've got to really jink and jive to make good time during the day. That and watch out for the cops with Ka, Laser, and that freakin' helicopter!

At night and between cities, the highways are pretty wide open, but you have to be willing to pass on the right. I'll often be in the right lane crusing and pass many people that are snoozing on the left before I ever need to go left to make a pass.

360/Westlake is the jumping-off point for some great drives. Sadly there are several lights on 360 now that make for slow commuting, but nights and weekends it's fine. Just watch out for deer!

 

..except in Belgium - complete idiots driving in Belgium

hiha hiha hiha hiha hiha

I used to drive to Brussels from Paris for work, and I completely agree...Belgians are the worst (next to Corsican's, of course)

I had heard that Belgians didn't require a driver's lisence for many years, and several years ago, the just GAVE people a DL NO written test, NO driving test, NOTHING. Pay your "X" BEF, here's your license, thank you very much

 

Yes, Belgians are the worst in my view. But "slower traffic keep right" is not widely known in USA

Germans are OK, if you don't flash them. Then they are really slow to move. My experience in Austria was that there they really get pissed if you flash them, then they just panicbrake Well, happened once and it was a close call.

 

I've stopped flashing the highbeems since that isn't working any more. Now I leave them on until the car in front moves out of the left lane. A bit assholish but it works most of the time.

Regards/Robert

 

Just to add to this, and I don't know if its the ame where you guys are, but where I live during rush hour, the right lane seems to move faster than the left, which has always bothered me. seeing that all the on-ramps to the freeway are on the right, the left lane should be for peoplewith longer commutes but lo and behold that darn right lane moves faster than the left....

 

I've nothing to say about left lane huggers. Just one word of advise for them, bi-xenon on "high beam" mode can burn your retinas. Enjoy.

Don't flash, keep the high beams on.

 

This is an interesting topic. It seems that most everywhere in the world enthusiast drivers are plagued by unskilled, discourteous and dangerous drivers. I'd be untruthful if I didn't say that these nuisance drivers didn't get under my skin once in a while. I've learned, for my own sanity, to take a different tack.

When reading this it might help the rest of you to know that I'm no angel. In fact, not only have I been known to get in fist fights on the side of the road - over some pretty minor incidents - I have also been involved in some pretty ugly and even more dangerous situations. Situations that I wouldn't want anyone else to have to live through.

Have you ever heard the phrase, "The art of Zen Driving"? These days I try to drive with a quiet Zen approach. Don't get me wrong, I drive fast - probably faster than most of you would deem prudent - but I try to do so without bothering other drivers on the road and not letting them bother me.

Most drivers are oblivious to their surroundings. Half the time they don't even know you're back there. Either way, they don't like to be passed. It's human nature. Also, here in the States, they don't like to have high beams flashed in their mirrors. While truckers use this technique to let other drivers know it's safe to pull back in front of them after a pass, most people just see it as a sign of aggression. Instead of a courtesy, they see the act of flashing highbeams as a shove in the back. Like saying, "Get the hell out of the way!" while we're thinking, "Excuse me, could I please get by?" Also, they think it's there God given right to drive in the fast lane, after all, they're doing 3MPH over the limit, forgoodnesssake. (You aslo get the speed limit do-gooders who think it's their job to maintain and enforce the speed limit by causing rolling roadblocks.)

As far as passing on the right goes, I do it all the time. I could hardly get down the highway without this maneuver. I try to do
it smoothly and quietly with as little fuss as possible but sometimes it requires a good boot to the throttle if the other driver is being purposefully rude. One things for sure though, I don't tailgate and I don't flash my high beams. I wait for the best opportunity and then get past them with as little difficulty as possible.

I drive under the assumption that everyone's out (subconciously) to get me. How else can you explain the strange behavior we witness? I drive with this assumption constantly in hand. I expect the worst and drive accordingly. I also decide to not let anyone get to me. I'm in command of my car and I am a master of the road. They, on the other hand, are unskilled amateurs wheeling their steel beast with indiscriminate and reckless negligence.

Why let them bother you.
Driver beware.
Nil desperatum.

Derek

 

Yes, keep your high beams on and tell every cop to look at you! Flashing is even worst for picking up cops. Sometimes when I'm listening to CHP dispatch, someone phones in a speeder.

Unfortuantely I've learned to take the slow lane to get arrround them, but be careful passing at high speed. Here in California most people care little about others, and sit in the fast lane because they think it's safer. Especcially guilty are MB owners and the ML320.

 

I've gotten used to passing on the right on Texas interstates. We've got laws and signs that say slower traffic keep right and even left lane for passing only, but the police are more interested in giving out speeding tickets (and this month, seatbelt tickets) than enforcing laws that would provide smoother, safer traffic flow.

As it is, I find the right lane moves better than the left most of the time. You have to deal with people entering and exiting the highway occasionally, but at least they're watching where they're going, unlike the idiots steering their land yachts in the left lane with one knee while talking on the phone, eating, and reading with their hands.

Tennessee is a joy to drive in... great road conditions and people that know about lane discipline.

Amen pmiranda!

I'm in San Antonio so I feel your pain. Dead on accurate imo. Except I dont have to sit an hour+ trying to get from oen side of downtown austin to the other on I-35. That is so horrid when I need to travel through there and I hit the traffic around rush hour(s). Traveling through west Texas is the best for all out runs imo. Just have to watch out for Junction.

As for whoever b-pac referred to that said people find the flashing annoying. Well, thats why we have flashers. They are an indicator. Someone is obviously a little too sensitive\self-absorbed to be driving. I see it more as common sense thing. You dont need to have 4 years as college to learn how drive properly. Sadly, there are some that I have seen where it may be beneficial.