A Different Type of Road Rage

[RC10resto]

I always hear about the flow of traffic argument and find it amusing that people actually think it's a legit reason. Apply that logic to any other type of law-breaking activity and ask yourself how much sense it makes.

well the fwy speed limit is 65 here in Los Angeles - on sat & sun morning I will cruze (staying in my lane) at 80 and waive at the CHP as he passes me. I think they prefer that to the person driving 58 holding everybody up. It is against the law to impead traffic which can be viewed as an unsafe speed.

P.S. I am talking about a 4 lane fwy

[Halgar]

I think there is something to be said for all this legislated "safety" garbage that today's cars are being equipped with. Don't get me wrong, I believe that a safe vehicle is a good thing, the problem is that cars are beginning to think for themselves, requiring less input from their drivers, which means today's drivers don't know how to drive on their own, they NEED all the extra garbage on the car.

Cars can literally park themselves. They have dynamic cruise control to slow you down if you come up on a slow-poke. Some have proximity braking and lane "awareness" - presumably so you can go on texting your besty while you cruise down the road.

[civilguy]

All I have to add is that I am glad NONE of the commenters on this thread drive in my state.

[Charlie don't surf]

I obviously don't live and drive in a large city like many of you, so our views on traffic are totally different.

I guess if one is driving like a country bumpkin by not understanding how things work on roads with more than one lane, one has to educate oneself on proper driving etiquette and rules. Your anti-"flow of traffic" argument comparison to all other law-breaking activity is a poor analogy. A better one is, "When in Rome, do as they do". Go with the flow. If your flow is slow, then use the appropriate lane and don't mess everyone else up and become an accident RISK. How is that concept so difficult to grasp?

By acting like a lump of crap, constipating the proverbial colon (another more valid ANALogy, heh), you may think you're being a safe driver, but you're actually an accident waiting to happen. Yeah, you might drive away from it totally unaware that you caused it, but you were probably the cause.

I'm pretty sure LTO_DAVE stated he was driving in the correct lanes, on non divided highways

[Incredible_Serious]

I'm pretty sure LTO_DAVE stated he was driving in the correct lanes, on non divided highways

Rule number 43: Never let the facts get in the way of a good rant.

[askbob]

Alright time for me to pile on my pet peeves:

Priuses: Get the F out of the left lane. If you want to save the planet and smile with smug satisfaction about your slow ass hybrid POS stay the hell out of my way.

Anyone in the left lane that does not move to the right: You are a dumbass. I will make an aggressive move (but safely) to pass you on the right but then cut back in front of you and continue on my way. You are the a-hole, not me, because your ineptitude and lack of awareness of your surroundings caused the situation. It you are driving a Prius I usually make it a point to cut back in front of you very close to your right front fender.


I lived in Chicago for 8 years, I drive high hp, rear wheel drive performance cars, and I run a valentine one radar detector at all times. BUT I always make it a point to speed safely, but many do-gooders I have noticed too think it is their duty to slow me down or try to block me. I think the kind of car you drive puts some people on the defensive (or I guess in the case of blocking me, aggressive) right away.

Adam, please tell me you are not the guy I've seen multiple times on the Dan Ryan in a black AMG Benz crossing back and forth between 5 lanes of traffic only to get off at the next exit ramp 2 miles down the road...

[LTO_Dave]

I obviously don't live and drive in a large city like many of you, so our views on traffic are totally different.

I guess if one is driving like a country bumpkin by not understanding how things work on roads with more than one lane, one has to educate oneself on proper driving etiquette and rules. Your anti-"flow of traffic" argument comparison to all other law-breaking activity is a poor analogy. A better one is, "When in Rome, do as they do". Go with the flow. If your flow is slow, then use the appropriate lane and don't mess everyone else up and become an accident RISK. How is that concept so difficult to grasp?

By acting like a lump of crap, constipating the proverbial colon (another more valid ANALogy, heh), you may think you're being a safe driver, but you're actually an accident waiting to happen. Yeah, you might drive away from it totally unaware that you caused it, but you were probably the cause.

Wow. Let's use your thinking in a hypothetical situation: Traffic is driving 85 MPH in a 55 MPH zone passing cars that are doing the posted limit. One person loses control and takes out a car abiding by the law and someone gets hurt or killed. So it would be justifiable for that person who was speeding to tell the cops and the family of the people involved that they were simply following the speed of the other traffic? Awesome.

Like I've already said, I try to stay off the highways as much as possible...this thread proves exactly why. I know how to drive and the limits of what I'm driving. But many people don't. If somehow the act of me following the speed limit causes someone else to crash, then that person wasn't in full control and probably deserved it.

[flipwils11]

Adam, please tell me you are not the guy I've seen multiple times on the Dan Ryan in a black AMG Benz crossing back and forth between 5 lanes of traffic only to get off at the next exit ramp 2 miles down the road...

laugh! No, I'm not rich enough to afford an AMG Benz. And I only change lanes one at a time and am a big fan of turn signals.

This thread has been highly entertaining I must say. I do find it hilarious that someone would own a Mitsubishi Evo that they don't want to drive for fear of other people's driving behaviors. I agree too about saving aggressive driving for the race track, but moving with the flow of traffic (even above the speed limit) does not automatically qualify as racetrack only behavior.

Everyone does realize speed limits are many times not set according to prudent logic and analysis, right?

[Coelacanth]

I'm pretty sure LTO_DAVE stated he was driving in the correct lanes, on non divided highways

Rule number 43: Never let the facts get in the way of a good rant.

*kiss*

I love you too.

[Halgar]

Let's take this off the interstate highway and onto surface streets. If the posted speed is 35 mph, how fast should traffic be flowing?

The correct answer is 25 because there's always at least one idiot who is incapable of the posted speed, regardless of what that is or where it is (interstate, inter-city, residential, urban, suburban, rural . . . ). And I think the point of most of the previous ranting about "left lane" issues is the same exact thing, REGARDLESS of the posted speed, if you are for any reason incapable of reaching it, then you need to pull your ass over to the side of the road and let those who can, go by.

[flipwils11]

Let's take this off the interstate highway and onto surface streets. If the posted speed is 35 mph, how fast should traffic be flowing?

The correct answer is 25 because there's always at least one idiot who is incapable of the posted speed, regardless of what that is or where it is (interstate, inter-city, residential, urban, suburban, rural . . . ). And I think the point of most of the previous ranting about "left lane" issues is the same exact thing, REGARDLESS of the posted speed, if you are for any reason incapable of reaching it, then you need to pull your ass over to the side of the road and let those who can, go by.

I like the 2nd point of your post better, that people incapable of handling the traffic flow should pull over. The first part about driving 25 in a 35 sounds like restricting ourselves to the lowest common denominator. If that's the case we all should just take the bus!

[Halgar]

I like the 2nd point of your post better, that people incapable of handling the traffic flow should pull over. The first part about driving 25 in a 35 sounds like restricting ourselves to the lowest common denominator. If that's the case we all should just take the bus!

This happens to me every time I leave the house. The main roadway through the neighborhood is posted 35mph, however 90% of the time you can only do 25, maybe 30 because the lead driver is incapable of either reading or following the posted limit. Get to the surface streets within the neighborhood and they go even slower than the generally accepted 25 limit for residential areas.

Again, don't get me wrong, I am all for cautious and courteous driving, as well as matching your speed to the situation and conditions. The thing is, MOST drivers have their heads so far ensconced up their nether region that they have no clue where they are, what they are doing, or how they are affecting everyone else around them.

If you REALLY want to take this rant off the highway, when was the last time you tried to push your cart through the grocery store? The SLOWEST person is always the one taking up the most space in the aisle, and they won't give way to anyone.

[slotcarrod]

OHHH no you didn't!!! Don't get me started on shopping cart rage Halgar!

[flipwils11]

Lol, the grocery cart analogy is fantastic! I can't counter that, point taken!

[Charlie don't surf]

I'm going to make my millions with a shopping cart traffic system infrastructure. Including licensing, enforcement, parking lanes, collision insurance............