Flashing Headlights to Pass: Were We Transported to Fury Road?!
- Thread starter DJ Lushious
- Start date
OP
OP
I just don't understand how this narrative came from my OP and how it's countlessly being bashed over my head. My OP wasn't for an explanation, it was about road habits that are annoying.
I find it annoying when I am moving faster than the flow of traffic and someone moving even faster behind me flashes their high beams.
I heard that if you go 88mph, you can actually time travel!
No one cares because you're going 5mph faster than the flow of traffic... which also happens to be the speed limit.
Speed up the pass the slower moving traffic or stay in the slow lane where you belong.
"The speed limit on the expressway I take to/from work is 70Mph... Which, I might add, I adhere to strictly"
If you strictly adhere to the speed limit then you are generally not moving faster than the flow of traffic. You being routinely flashed at to move over is further evidence of that,
Here's my take.
You're on the far left lane? That's for faster traffic, doesn't matter if they're driving 70mph or 100mph, it's for faster traffic and you should keep the lane clear or move if you see someone faster. Let them drive dangerously, stay off their tracks.
Also, 70mph is not dangerously fast; You clearly haven't met Canadian drivers who go drive 120km/h on 100km/h zone by default lol.
In short, I honestly find flashing lights more "polite" than honking on your ass.
To the OP:
You only stay in the fast lane when you're passing somebody. Driving parallel to a truck is an amateur mistake.
Also 70 mph is not that fast. In Europe the speed limit is 80 mph (130 kmh) and they have MUCH smaller cars than us.
You only stay in the fast lane when you're passing somebody. Driving parallel to a truck is an amateur mistake.
Also 70 mph is not that fast. In Europe the speed limit is 80 mph (130 kmh) and they have MUCH smaller cars than us.
Move on, there will always be bad/asshole drivers. What you're doing here is correct. Pass a car and and move over, ignore someone that is trying to pass twice is fast.
Based on what OP said though they weren't cruising, they were passing. I suppose if OP thought they were passing 10 cars in a row before moving over then OP would be in the wrong.
No not immediately.
People have 4 ways to indicate they want to pass.
Flash at a distance - most polite
Ride your bumper - average politeness
Flashing bumper riding - impatient but only want your attention.
Honking horn - They don't give a fuck that it confuses anyone who hears it. They want you out of the way.
When we can't talk these are our options.
I like how "average politeness" is the equivalent of holding a gun to their head. I'll take the honk, thanks.
I'd understand your argument if you were in the 2nd or 3rd lane and some jackass is riding your ass shining their brights at you because they want YOU to move out of their way.
That doesn't apply at all when you're driving in the left/fast lane. It IS on you to get your ass out of the way if you're just cruising at the speed limit.
That doesn't apply at all when you're driving in the left/fast lane. It IS on you to get your ass out of the way if you're just cruising at the speed limit.
you were moving faster than the flow of traffic in the right lane only, which was already under the speed limit. the flow to the left seemed to want to be above the 70mph you were using to pass the slow folks in the right lane, so yeah you probably should've gone beyond 70mph as to not ruin the flow of the left lane behind you
It's illegal here too but useless drivers still do it.
"Moving faster than the flow of traffic" isn't enough. Hit the damn gas pedal in the left lane. I don't give a shit if anyone has their cruise on. Hit the damn gas pedal. If someone is coming up behind you at a faster speed, you either speed up or move over. Period. You could be doing 100 and it doesn't matter. Move over. This is not open to discussion. As a driver, have some basic human decency and don't deliberately interrupt the lives of everyone else in the left lane. You're a danger to yourself and everyone else if you just sit there being tailgated.
That's quite the exaggeration!
You're intimidating the person you're tailgating with personal and financial harm if they don't get out of the way. Where's the exaggeration?
How do you move over if you are actively passing someone? Driving in the left lane doesn't mean you are entitled to drive as fast as you want without ever needing to accommodate varying speeds. It is the passing lane, and OP was passing someone. It would seem not driving like an asshole and waiting for a car to complete their pass is more decent and safer than driver like an impatient maniac.
Awful, OP! You should shift over and let people with shit to do get it done!
I hope you also don't hate "people who drive ALL THE WAY until the lane merges"
because that's how it's supposed to work! USE THE ROAD. ALL OF THE ROAD GIVEN
I hope you also don't hate "people who drive ALL THE WAY until the lane merges"
because that's how it's supposed to work! USE THE ROAD. ALL OF THE ROAD GIVEN
The only equivalent to holding a gun to someone's head is holding a gun to someone's head. Also, no tailgating person is actually intending harm. They just want the person to do the right thing and move. You're equating moving up close to a person in front of you in a line to get them to move along to holding a gun to someone's head. That's the exact same "intimidating personal harm," implying you'd nudge the person up physically if they don't move. So, yeah, that's a hell of an exaggeration.
Counterpoint-- There'd not even be any risk of "harm" if the OP just moved the hell over. I'm not saying tailgating is inherently okay or safe by any means, so why not improve everyone's safety and just move over?
It's not your job to police speed limits or regulate other drivers' behavior. Just do the safer thing and move the hell over.
The OP says he was passing someone. There was pretty much zero ambiguity to that point.
c'mon man. I agree it's dangerous but driving too close to someone on the highway is not the same as pointing a loaded gun, one is a breach of road etiquette, the other is an overt mortal threat.
OP if you aren't prepared to go 15+ over in the left lane, you need to get out of the left lane.
Yes, I realize that's reckless ticket territory.
No, I'm not exaggerating.
If you're ever in the left lane you need to be going over the speed limit, passing or not.
The left lane is for overtaking.
If you're in the middle lane, so be it, but if you're still getting flashed even in the middle (which is used to pass people on the right) then... move over to the right????
It is FAR less safe for you to stick religiously to the speed limit than to drive with the flow of traffic. If everyone else is speeding, speed with them or else YOU become the road hazard.
If you're the only one out there then drive like a grandma to your heart's content -- in the right lane.
Yes, I realize that's reckless ticket territory.
No, I'm not exaggerating.
If you're ever in the left lane you need to be going over the speed limit, passing or not.
The left lane is for overtaking.
If you're in the middle lane, so be it, but if you're still getting flashed even in the middle (which is used to pass people on the right) then... move over to the right????
It is FAR less safe for you to stick religiously to the speed limit than to drive with the flow of traffic. If everyone else is speeding, speed with them or else YOU become the road hazard.
If you're the only one out there then drive like a grandma to your heart's content -- in the right lane.
Wow, someone going 10 mph over the speed limit in the passing lane? That guy sure lives life a quarter mile at a time.
I'll gladly do this if some moron is sitting in the left-hand lane going the same speed as the car in the slow lane next to them. Some people have no lane discipline and are oblivious to those around them. Those are the people that get flashed at. It's not meant to be aggressive, it's just a reminder that the passing lane is for passing, not zoning out.
The left lane is not for cruising next to anyone. If you're traveling the same speed as those to the right of you, accelerate slightly to get in front of them and move over. The left lane is for passing, that rule doesn't stop at the speed limit.
It is generally expected that cars traveling at passing speed will be going 5-20 mph faster than the posted speed limit. You are creating traffic by forcing the cars behind you to slow down, especially if their intent is to change lanes or pass. Traffic runs more smoothly when there is speed differentials between lanes. If you're ever on an open highway and see no one within 5 car lengths ahead and a snake of cars behind you, congrats, you are successfully blocking traffic.
It is generally expected that cars traveling at passing speed will be going 5-20 mph faster than the posted speed limit. You are creating traffic by forcing the cars behind you to slow down, especially if their intent is to change lanes or pass. Traffic runs more smoothly when there is speed differentials between lanes. If you're ever on an open highway and see no one within 5 car lengths ahead and a snake of cars behind you, congrats, you are successfully blocking traffic.
I think the even safer option would be for speeders to not drive like entitled maniacs and to be understanding that some cars don't want to drive behind below speed limit semis. Again, it is the passing lane, not the entitled maniac speeder lane.
Flashing headlights to indicate you want to pass is normal.
You cruising in the left lane should not be normal -- get out of it.
You driving parallel to a truck in the right lane? That's the problem, you aren't going fast enough to warrant being in the passing lane. Accelerate, go into the right, let them pass and go back into the left lane only if you are passing and aren't going to hinder anyone else.
You cruising in the left lane should not be normal -- get out of it.
You driving parallel to a truck in the right lane? That's the problem, you aren't going fast enough to warrant being in the passing lane. Accelerate, go into the right, let them pass and go back into the left lane only if you are passing and aren't going to hinder anyone else.
Oh, sure, I'm sure there's quite the difference between a small bullet going 1000 mph through someone's head and a two-ton vehicle going at 80 mph, but the person bleeding out from either of those wouldn't care to discuss the finer details.
Intimidation does not require the intent of harm, just the threat of it. A bank robber who brought a toy gun couldn't say "oh I never planned to actually shoot anyone".
People aren't moving aside because they're polite. They're moving aside because they think you'll kill them.
You're missing about two thousand pounds and 75 mph of momentum from that analogy.
Is it now?
It's a poor counterpoint because you and I are not discussing if the OP should move over.
It should be obvious at this point that the OP is not going to admit that he's making the highway worse for everyone on it by obstructing the passing lane which causes the behavior he is witnessing.
This is bad advice depending on the state you are in. In CT it is legal to pass on the right as long as there are at least 3 lanes:
So in CT pass on the right at will as long as there are at least 3 lanes. This of course would be completely unnecessary without people like the OP making the highway terrible to drive on.
This is bad advice depending on the state you are in. In CT it is legal to pass on the right as long as there are at least 3 lanes:
So in CT pass on the right at will as long as there are at least 3 lanes. This of course would be completely unnecessary without people like the OP making the highway terrible to drive on.
The OP has already explained they were passing a truck that was going 5 mph slower than them at the time some asshole tailgating them flashed their lights at them.
Please stop telling the OP that they're an awful person for cruising in the passing lane, when they've explained they weren't.
Please stop telling the OP that they're an awful person for cruising in the passing lane, when they've explained they weren't.
People who camp out in the passing lane are jerks who exacerbate traffic issues on roads that are already congested. Not singling out the OP, I understand the circumstance, but the general practice if staying in the left lane causes a lot of problems.
Is it at least OK to point out that they were obstructing the passing lane which is illegal in many states?
To be fair the Op also says that this has fairly regularly which would imply that he does in fact have a habit of being in the left lane while going slower than the flow of traffic in that lane. I also don't see people calling him an awful person. I see people calling his driving techniques into question.