Edmunds Members - Cars and Conversations (Archived)

explorerx4

I think a lot of people just don't want to use the car bluetooth, not that they can't.

roadburner

explorerx4 said:

I think a lot of people just don't want to use the car bluetooth, not that they can't.

That would still fall under the "dimwitted" characterization.

explorerx4

I never use my phone when driving and have never connected it to any vehicle I've owned.
Calls can wait.

driver100

andres3 said:

snakeweasel said:

andres3 said:

snakeweasel said:

andres3 said:

Getting passed on the right is in poor driving form regardless of the reason.

I can think of multiple reasons where it wouldn't be.

I can guess one of your so-called reasons is an upcoming exit on the left, which if were talking Interstates/Freeways (I suppose I should have specified; my apologies on that), is inapplicable in the State of CA for all intents and purposes. They exist, they are just very rare in California.

YMMV in other States.

It is rare just about everywhere, what is more common is when two interstates either merging together or diverging may necessitate a period of time in the left lane. Also IIRC California does not have a keep right except to pass law. I do believe that California has adopted that part of the uniform vehicle code that allows usage of left lanes as long as the vehicle is proceeding at or above the normal rate of speed for that road at that time.

CA is a "Slower Traffic Keep Right State." The crux of the arguments with people that are not complete imbeciles seems to come down to the definition of "prevailing normal speed of traffic." I look at it as an average. If 100 cars are going exactly 50 MPH, then 1 faster car would mean all 100 cars are slightly below the average or normal speed of traffic and therefore slower. Of course, a scenario where everyone is going the exact same speed is absurd to begin with.

If the speed limit is 60, and a guy in the left lane is going 70, and the guy behind him wants to go 75, and the guy coming up the rear wants to get by going 80, who should get out of the left lane? Who should get a ticket?

bwia

The $3.5 trillion reconciliation bill is extending the EV Tax credit to $7,500 plus an additional $4,000 for EVs manufactured with union labor. Both GM and Tesla, whose tax credits have expired will qualify for the new credit, even though the original credit limit applied to the first 200,000 unit sales.
EV sedans can’t cost more than $55,000. The cap on vans and trucks is $64,000 and $74,000, respectively.

In China, EV sales have accounted for roughly 10% of new car sales while in the US it is only 3%. Why can't automakers build desirable EVs that Americans want to buy?

oldfarmer50

bwia said:

I celebrated my 50th wedding anniversary on Saturday 9/11. I was only 22 when I took that fateful plunge into the unknown. We were as poor as church mice. Except for two witnesses, we had no wedding guests, no happy hour and no honeymoon suite.

Looking back, that had to be the wisest decision I/we ever made and I have no regrets. Today, I cannot imagine the quality of my life without my wife being an integral part of it. She takes care of me and I do the same for her.

Congratulations. You have me beat by 5 years but by the time I’m your age I hope to hit that milestone too.

Ditto on cheap weddings. Mine cost $20. My niece’s cost $20,000. Inflation I guess.

sda

In Knoxville they also had a ‘malfunction junction’. Wrecks were daily and numerous. After many years they redesigned it but it is not much of an improvement.

jmonroe1

dad23 said:

Congrats @bwia, that's a great accomplishment!

Ehh, he’s just a newly wed but it is a stepping stone to a greater accomplishment.

jmonroe

jmonroe1

roadburner said:

explorerx4 said:

I think a lot of people just don't want to use the car bluetooth, not that they can't.

That would still fall under the "dimwitted" characterization.

I couldn’t agree more. Why do I have to share the earth with these dopes?

jmonroe

roadburner

Back in the late ‘80s and early ’90s I remember having to carry a pager- and once it went off you had to hunt down a phone. Today I’m able to make and receive phone calls and texts without having to take my eyes off the road or my hands off the wheel- and in my current job that capability is priceless.

fintail

One of those brands is/was a lot more about being subtle than the other. Nowadays, as the brands copy each other, one has become more flamboyant and the other (for some models anyway) has gotten soft and mature, things have maybe changed a little. And yeah, the big truck group can be the worst.

I don't have a problem with passing on the right, no skin off my back, but it along with LLCing are no-gos in more developed driving environments where maybe a different driving mindset is taught from the beginning.

imidazol97 said:

driver100 said:

In heavy traffic you can use all lanes, just keep up and stay with the flow.
Do I need to mention left lane exits and cut offs.

I never have understood, driving in this area of the midwest, why on a 3-lane interstate, e.g., the left lane should be kept open with perhaps only 3 or 4 cars in a mile who are traveling at 10 and more over the limit, while the other 2 lanes should have 40-50 cars and trucks in that same 1 mile chunk of road during that same snapshot.

All lanes of the road should be in use to reduce the crowding effect on the right two lanes in my example.

It goes back to ego and attitude, at least in some cases. Let me do some stereotyping.

Through the years, I noticed that back in the turn of the century era (late 199x and early 200x) those who drove a certain German car stereotyped as sporty then felt anyone going slower was inferior and should get our of their left lane so the sport-imaged vehicle could zoom on. Today that vehicle's replacement is the Dodge Charger along with large pickup trucks of various brands. But the drivers of the Chargers today are somewhat more courteous than some of the zoom-zoom German sport vehicle were then. The drivers of the German sport image vehicle of today seem to be a whole different breed of drivers. They are much more like the German brand which has a luxury and premium image.

The German luxury/premium brand drivers have usually tended to consider themselves as people going somewhere. If a car was in their 3rd lane out of 3 and going 8 over the speed limit and if there were room in the 2nd lane to zip around them on the right, the driver times his approach and zoom-zooms around on the right. They didn't tailgate to bully the driver out of the 3rd lane nor did they cut into the 3rd lane close in front of the offending cruiser. They are on down the road at their higher speed actually going somewhere in a hurry being as unintrusive as possible.

cdnpinhead

It's a mystery to me why a "sport" setting on a car that's only driven on mostly urban, always flat and straight roads would make a difference.

Guess it's sour grapes.

snakeweasel

andres3 said:

snakeweasel said:

driver100 said:

In heavy traffic you can use all lanes, just keep up and stay with the flow.
Do I need to mention left lane exits and cut offs.

Not to mention that "keep right except to pass" only applies to high speed limited access highways.

Now you've gone overboard and you are in need of a life preserver. That's not the case in most States. The rule always applies with very limited exceptions, even in "Slower Traffic Keep Right" States.

Limited exceptions include:

1. Left turn imminently ahead.
2. Left exit imminently ahead.
3. Right lane blocked or obstructed.
4. Right shoulder occupied by emergency vehicles.
5. Actively and currently passing someone to the right with a reasonable and prudent speed delta.

Exceptions DO NOT include these commonly cited reasons by LLC's:

1. Heavy traffic.
2. Everyone else in front of me and behind me was doing it too.
3. Pavement smoother on the left, rougher on the right.
4. I was going the speed limit (a few dumb States allow this excuse which is subjective at best because I have yet to meet an LLC that has had their speedometer calibrated even once; let alone recently).
5. The guy behind me is an idiot or maniac.

You do realize that "keep right except to pass" and "slower traffic keep right" are two different things.

Now the states that have enacted "keep right except to pass" have enacted them for high speed limited access highways. On regular roads and streets it's "slower traffic keep right" which implies that faster traffic can remain in the left.

Now according to the California vehicle code as long as I am going at least the normal speed of traffic I can be in the left lane. I didn't see anything that prohibits being in the left lane if you are going fast enough. Interesting enough I looked into the Illinois vehicle code and it has no such language, the only mention of keeping to the right is for limited access highways. All else it just basically states to stay on the right half of the road.

snakeweasel

explorerx4 said:

I never use my phone when driving and have never connected it to any vehicle I've owned.
Calls can wait.

I agree, if the phone rings I'll check who it's from at the earliest safe opportunity then decide when I'll return the call. There is a reason God created voicemail.

jmonroe1

snakeweasel said:

explorerx4 said:

I never use my phone when driving and have never connected it to any vehicle I've owned.
Calls can wait.

I agree, if the phone rings I'll check who it's from at the earliest safe opportunity then decide when I'll return the call. There is a reason God created voicemail.

I guess that was on the 8th day.

jmonroe

boomchek

I'll connect my bluetooth on longer drives. Otherwise it's a 10-15 minute commute to work, or max 20-45 minute drive if we are visiting friends or family so I don't bother connecting and then usually I'm with my wife so she can answer my calls or texts and reply lol.

benjaminh

Here's a picture of a new NKG Iridium spark plug compared to one with 148,000 miles on it from a Prius. I'm now guessing that the spark plugs in corvette's Prius probably were first changed at 100k, and so maybe the set he got out had 137k. 237k, even for Iridium spark plugs, seems perhaps unlikely?

https://priuschat.com/threads/sparkplugs-after-148-000-miles.122498/

driver100

Maybe keep right except to pass can mean Keep to the Right of the Median
That would be my story if I went to court.

driver100

cdnpinhead said:

It's a mystery to me why a "sport" setting on a car that's only driven on mostly urban, always flat and straight roads would make a difference.

Guess it's sour grapes.

I live in a urban area but sometimes I have to enter a busy highway....SPORT MODE let's me do it easier and safer.

roadburner

@boomchek said:
I'll connect my bluetooth on longer drives. Otherwise it's a 10-15 minute commute to work, or max 20-45 minute drive if we are visiting friends or family so I don't bother connecting and then usually I'm with my wife so she can answer my calls or texts and reply lol.

My phone pairs automatically within a few seconds of starting the car. One day I was driving to a special prosecutor gig and I was on a tight schedule. My phone started receiving a steady barrage of texts. Instead of having to pull over and read them I used the Siri Eyes Free feature to read them to me. It’s a matter of convenience.

snakeweasel

driver100 said:

Maybe keep right except to pass can mean Keep to the Right of the Median
That would be my story if I went to court.

Good luck with that story. Here in IL the law reads that a car cannot be in the left lane of a controlled access road unless it is passing.

One day I'll tell you how my friends court explanation got a traffic sign changed.

snakeweasel

driver100 said:

cdnpinhead said:

It's a mystery to me why a "sport" setting on a car that's only driven on mostly urban, always flat and straight roads would make a difference.

Guess it's sour grapes.

I live in a urban area but sometimes I have to enter a busy highway....SPORT MODE let's me do it easier and safer.

I really never tried this on the BMW but on the Honda if I am in the normal drive mode but go WOT from a stop it behaves the same as if it is in sport mode. If I am already moving all bets are off as in normal drive mode it's in the highest gear it can be for that speed.

jmonroe1

roadburner said:

@boomchek said:

I'll connect my bluetooth on longer drives. Otherwise it's a 10-15 minute commute to work, or max 20-45 minute drive if we are visiting friends or family so I don't bother connecting and then usually I'm with my wife so she can answer my calls or texts and reply lol.

My phone pairs automatically within a few seconds of starting the car. One day I was driving to a special prosecutor gig and I was on a tight schedule. My phone started receiving a steady barrage of texts. Instead of having to pull over and read them I used the Siri Eyes Free feature to read them to me. It’s a matter of convenience.

Both my ‘15 Genny and Mrs. j’s ‘18 Subie Legacy pair automatically upon start-up also and so has every car I’ve owned that’s had Bluetooth. Makes me wonder what kinda wannabe @boomchek is driving then again maybe it’s a Canadian thing.

jmonroe

ab348

Traffic laws are slow to change in response to different circumstances. Where I live we did not have divided multilane highways when I was growing up. Main roads here were all two-lanes, widened from the time when they were first built but still generally requiring you to find an opening in oncoming traffic to pass. However, on uphill stretches they did begin to construct double lanes in a single direction to enable passing of slower vehicles.

The signs on such stretches read "Slower Traffic Keep Right". Of course some chose to interpret that for their own purposes. Apparently thinking they were not the slowest vehicle on the road, some would pass slow trucks or whatnot in the right lane in a very leisurely manner and then not move back to the right once it was complete. Bedlam sometimes ensued. So the signs and the legislation was changed to "Keep Right Except to Pass". That worked until recent times, when the growth of traffic volumes, roads being built with 3 or 4 lanes in the same direction, and improved vehicle capabilities meant that it made no sense and in fact was dangerous to require all traffic to keep right except when passing. Amendments were later passed here to cover off such situations and allow traffic to flow more logically.

jmonroe1

snakeweasel said:

driver100 said:

Maybe keep right except to pass can mean Keep to the Right of the Median
That would be my story if I went to court.

Good luck with that story. Here in IL the law reads that a car cannot be in the left lane of a controlled access road unless it is passing.

One day I'll tell you how my friends court explanation got a traffic sign changed.

Is this gonna be a @Sandman6472 length post? He zoomed past me on that awhile back in case anyone hasn’t noticed. :@

jmonroe

ronsteve

ab348 said:

The signs on such stretches read "Slower Traffic Keep Right". Of course some chose to interpret that for their own purposes. Apparently thinking they were not the slowest vehicle on the road, some would pass slow trucks or whatnot in the right lane in a very leisurely manner and then not move back to the right once it was complete. Bedlam sometimes ensued. So the signs and the legislation was changed to "Keep Right Except to Pass". That worked until recent times, when the growth of traffic volumes, roads being built with 3 or 4 lanes in the same direction, and improved vehicle capabilities meant that it made no sense and in fact was dangerous to require all traffic to keep right except when passing. Amendments were later passed here to cover off such situations and allow traffic to flow more logically.

When you get to 3+ lanes is where it gets a bit less straightforward. I grew up in NW Indiana, and I-94 was three lanes in each direction, with heavy truck traffic and exits every mile or two heading west toward Chicago, but more like 5-6 miles between exits to our east. Dad told me "the right lane is for getting on and off, the center lane is for driving, and the left lane is for passing." I have mostly lived by those words, but as more rural interstates go to three lanes in each direction, there are definitely stretches where the right lane is a more appropriate default lane. Problem is, there are enough drivers who still use the center lane default, and enough terrible lane discipline that it becomes a free-for-all. I'll usually try to settle into the right lane, but I quickly tire of passing on the right or changing 2 lanes to pass on the left, and end up cruising in the center lane even with 5-10 miles between exits.

Bottom line, the left lane of an interstate is still for passing. Unless, of course, you're setting up a left-exit within 1 or 2 miles, merging from a left-entrance, in a posted carpool lane, or it's specifically posted for trucks to use the left lane (often seen on degraded pavement or shifted lanes in a construction zone).

roadburner

@snakeweasel said:
I really never tried this on the BMW but on the Honda if I am in the normal drive mode but go WOT from a stop it behaves the same as if it is in sport mode. If I am already moving all bets are off as in normal drive mode it's in the highest gear it can be for that speed.

As far as the powertrain goes, all Sport mode does in the vast majority of cars is modify the throttle pedal mapping and-sometimes-the shift points, all of which are usually overridden by the WOT map.

snakeweasel

ronsteve said:

ab348 said:

The signs on such stretches read "Slower Traffic Keep Right". Of course some chose to interpret that for their own purposes. Apparently thinking they were not the slowest vehicle on the road, some would pass slow trucks or whatnot in the right lane in a very leisurely manner and then not move back to the right once it was complete. Bedlam sometimes ensued. So the signs and the legislation was changed to "Keep Right Except to Pass". That worked until recent times, when the growth of traffic volumes, roads being built with 3 or 4 lanes in the same direction, and improved vehicle capabilities meant that it made no sense and in fact was dangerous to require all traffic to keep right except when passing. Amendments were later passed here to cover off such situations and allow traffic to flow more logically.

When you get to 3+ lanes is where it gets a bit less straightforward. I grew up in NW Indiana, and I-94 was three lanes in each direction, with heavy truck traffic and exits every mile or two heading west toward Chicago, but more like 5-6 miles between exits to our east. Dad told me "the right lane is for getting on and off, the center lane is for driving, and the left lane is for passing." I have mostly lived by those words, but as more rural interstates go to three lanes in each direction, there are definitely stretches where the right lane is a more appropriate default lane. Problem is, there are enough drivers who still use the center lane default, and enough terrible lane discipline that it becomes a free-for-all. I'll usually try to settle into the right lane, but I quickly tire of passing on the right or changing 2 lanes to pass on the left, and end up cruising in the center lane even with 5-10 miles between exits.

Bottom line, the left lane of an interstate is still for passing. Unless, of course, you're setting up a left-exit within 1 or 2 miles, merging from a left-entrance, in a posted carpool lane, or it's specifically posted for trucks to use the left lane (often seen on degraded pavement or shifted lanes in a construction zone).

That would be the Borman expressway, it's 4 lanes now with brief stretches' with a fifth (usually an entrance lane that is extended to the next exit). Hit it at the wrong time and the right two lanes are semi truck central.

jmonroe1

bwia said:

I celebrated my 50th wedding anniversary on Saturday 9/11. I was only 22 when I took that fateful plunge into the unknown. We were as poor as church mice. Except for two witnesses, we had no wedding guests, no happy hour and no honeymoon suite.

Looking back, that had to be the wisest decision I/we ever made and I have no regrets. Today, I cannot imagine the quality of my life without my wife being an integral part of it. She takes care of me and I do the same for her.

I just noticed this.

Why didn’t you let Mrs. @bwia celebrate your 50th anniversary with you? If I did something like that I’d still be running laps around the dining room table.

jmonroe

bwia

jmonroe1 said:

bwia said:

I celebrated my 50th wedding anniversary on Saturday 9/11. I was only 22 when I took that fateful plunge into the unknown. We were as poor as church mice. Except for two witnesses, we had no wedding guests, no happy hour and no honeymoon suite.

Looking back, that had to be the wisest decision I/we ever made and I have no regrets. Today, I cannot imagine the quality of my life without my wife being an integral part of it. She takes care of me and I do the same for her.

I just noticed this.

Why didn’t you let Mrs. @bwia celebrate your 50th anniversary with you? If I did something like that I’d still be running laps around the dining room table.

jmonroe

Of course she did. It is a golden wedding anniversary after all. Why did you ask?

abacomike

@bwia said:
Of course she did. It is a golden wedding anniversary after all. Why did you ask?

He’s just getting crotchety in his old age! 😜🤪🤓

bwia

Although double-vaxed, with the Moderna vaccine, in preparation for a medical procedure I had to take yet again a Covid-19 test today. Although uncomfortable, It was rather painless though.

stickguy

My anniversary is today also. I even remembered this year! Got flowers at lunch. The finger lakes wine trip last weekend was our annual anniversary get away.

A few years less though.

abacomike

@stickguy said:
My anniversary is today also. I even remembered this year! Got flowers at lunch. The finger lakes wine trip last weekend was our annual anniversary get away.

A few years less though.

Congrats to you and your spouse. I think I would prefer celebrating a wedding anniversary over a birthday. Enjoy your special day, stick! 🤓

[Deleted User]

stickguy said:

My anniversary is today also. I even remembered this year! Got flowers at lunch. The finger lakes wine trip last weekend was our annual anniversary get away.

A few years less though.

Congrats to you both as well! Ours is Monday, guess I need to see about making some reservations...

abacomike

@dad23 said:
Congrats to you both as well! Ours is Monday, guess I need to see about making some reservations...

Wishing you and your spouse a Happy Anniversary! 🤓

jmonroe1

bwia said:

jmonroe1 said:

bwia said:

I celebrated my 50th wedding anniversary on Saturday 9/11. I was only 22 when I took that fateful plunge into the unknown. We were as poor as church mice. Except for two witnesses, we had no wedding guests, no happy hour and no honeymoon suite.

Looking back, that had to be the wisest decision I/we ever made and I have no regrets. Today, I cannot imagine the quality of my life without my wife being an integral part of it. She takes care of me and I do the same for her.

I just noticed this.

Why didn’t you let Mrs. @bwia celebrate your 50th anniversary with you? If I did something like that I’d still be running laps around the dining room table.

jmonroe

Of course she did. It is a golden wedding anniversary after all. Why did you ask?

Here’s why:

The first sentence of your post said, “ I celebrated my 50th wedding anniversary on Saturday 9/11.”

As long as you had a nice day, that’s all that counts.

FWIW, your anniversary is also Son #2’s birthday. He’s almost 50 but not quite (just 49).

jmonroe

jmonroe1

stickguy said:

My anniversary is today also. I even remembered this year! Got flowers at lunch. The finger lakes wine trip last weekend was our annual anniversary get away.

A few years less though.

Happy anniversary. I take it you got my gift. If not, blame it on Edmunds delivery service it used to be pretty good.

jmonroe

andres3

driver100 said:

andres3 said:

snakeweasel said:

andres3 said:

snakeweasel said:

andres3 said:

Getting passed on the right is in poor driving form regardless of the reason.

I can think of multiple reasons where it wouldn't be.

I can guess one of your so-called reasons is an upcoming exit on the left, which if were talking Interstates/Freeways (I suppose I should have specified; my apologies on that), is inapplicable in the State of CA for all intents and purposes. They exist, they are just very rare in California.

YMMV in other States.

It is rare just about everywhere, what is more common is when two interstates either merging together or diverging may necessitate a period of time in the left lane. Also IIRC California does not have a keep right except to pass law. I do believe that California has adopted that part of the uniform vehicle code that allows usage of left lanes as long as the vehicle is proceeding at or above the normal rate of speed for that road at that time.

CA is a "Slower Traffic Keep Right State." The crux of the arguments with people that are not complete imbeciles seems to come down to the definition of "prevailing normal speed of traffic." I look at it as an average. If 100 cars are going exactly 50 MPH, then 1 faster car would mean all 100 cars are slightly below the average or normal speed of traffic and therefore slower. Of course, a scenario where everyone is going the exact same speed is absurd to begin with.

If the speed limit is 60, and a guy in the left lane is going 70, and the guy behind him wants to go 75, and the guy coming up the rear wants to get by going 80, who should get out of the left lane? Who should get a ticket?

Easy!

First, people don't "suddenly" want to drive a certain speed; they are already driving it if left unimpeded. So in your scenario, the guy going 70 shouldn't be in the left lane in the first place (you didn't specify that anyone was in the right lane going the speed limit, hahahah). Assuming you forgot to mention that part, then the guy going 70 should only begin their pass if they can pass in a manner that doesn't cut off and impede traffic. I define "cut off" as forcing others behind them to hit the brakes.

The guy going 75 should complete their pass(es) and move right. The guy going 80 should complete passing all of them, and then move right. It really is very simple.

In case you didn't mean there was someone going 60 in the right lane, then the guy going 70 should be ticketed for 2 offenses. One for speeding, and one for left lane camping/impeding traffic/illegal use of the passing lane.

mjfloyd1

Seems kinda weird to get a speeding ticket and an impeding traffic ticket at the same time.

andres3

snakeweasel said:

andres3 said:

snakeweasel said:

driver100 said:

In heavy traffic you can use all lanes, just keep up and stay with the flow.
Do I need to mention left lane exits and cut offs.

Not to mention that "keep right except to pass" only applies to high speed limited access highways.

Now you've gone overboard and you are in need of a life preserver. That's not the case in most States. The rule always applies with very limited exceptions, even in "Slower Traffic Keep Right" States.

Limited exceptions include:

1. Left turn imminently ahead.
2. Left exit imminently ahead.
3. Right lane blocked or obstructed.
4. Right shoulder occupied by emergency vehicles.
5. Actively and currently passing someone to the right with a reasonable and prudent speed delta.

Exceptions DO NOT include these commonly cited reasons by LLC's:

1. Heavy traffic.
2. Everyone else in front of me and behind me was doing it too.
3. Pavement smoother on the left, rougher on the right.
4. I was going the speed limit (a few dumb States allow this excuse which is subjective at best because I have yet to meet an LLC that has had their speedometer calibrated even once; let alone recently).
5. The guy behind me is an idiot or maniac.

You do realize that "keep right except to pass" and "slower traffic keep right" are two different things.

Now the states that have enacted "keep right except to pass" have enacted them for high speed limited access highways. On regular roads and streets it's "slower traffic keep right" which implies that faster traffic can remain in the left.

Now according to the California vehicle code as long as I am going at least the normal speed of traffic I can be in the left lane. I didn't see anything that prohibits being in the left lane if you are going fast enough. Interesting enough I looked into the Illinois vehicle code and it has no such language, the only mention of keeping to the right is for limited access highways. All else it just basically states to stay on the right half of the road.

In practice, "Keep Right Except to Pass" and "Slower Traffic Keep Right" almost end up being the exact same thing. Most everyone that's driving in the left lane without passing without exception fails to yield to the right in time so as to avoid impeding traffic and breaking the law. There's a direct connection between the driving practice and driving ineptitude.

You are correct about Illinois:
https://www.mit.edu/~jfc/right.html
Says limited to limited access highways since 2004.

oldfarmer50

Since no one asked I’ll tell you about something interesting.

Last night we could hear someone racing their car somewhere down the street. This morning as I’m driving down the street I came across two long patches of rubber, each at least 200 feet long. Posi rear end and everything. Quite impressive.

Then I noticed at the beginning of the second patch, right in the middle of where the rear wheels would have been a splatter of fluid. The streak of fluid continued down the road in tandem with the rubber until both faded around the corner.

I’m guessing some sort of failure in the rear end but I wonder how the car kept going with the amount of fluid I saw spewing out.

andres3

Today there was a Prius going 10 over in the hammer lane (lane 1) of I15 during my early morning commute. Now for CA, this is very slow; this might be comparable to the speed limit driver in many States.

A Nissan Versa quickly passed them on the right, and was followed by me in the Audi S4. Now my European sports/luxury sedan fits the mold, the Prius blocking traffic fits the mold, but what about the Nissan Versa passing at the same speed I did on the right?

What demographic are they?

Deep in my rear view mirror a Honda Accord also passed the Prius, still camping in the left lane, because, well, that's what left lane impeders do.

andres3

mjfloyd1 said:

Seems kinda weird to get a speeding ticket and an impeding traffic ticket at the same time.

Maybe weird, but I find them to be the worst drivers out there. One more simultaneous or concurrent violation (like a lane change without signaling) and Officer CHP @andres3 would have them booked for reckless driving charges. The CHP defines reckless driving as 3 simultaneous or consecutive traffic violations typically.

I find the "I'm going 5, 10, or 15 over and that's fast enough LLC crowd" to be some of the worst drivers and worst LLC's around. With that, they'll often make other traffic/driving errors in no time at all. Speed limit drivers are less bothersome because they get smoked and left in the dust.

Still, it isn't weird if you understand the lane and passing lane laws correctly. The passing lane laws typically have nothing to do with speed itself, but the relative speed as defined by faster/slower. Faster being the opposite of slower, and vice versa. Slower Traffic Keep Right means exactly what it says on the black and white signage.

So the 155 MPH Audi driver impeding the 165 MPH Porsche driver should be booked for 100+ and impeding traffic in the passing lane since they are violating two laws (at least). The Porsche driver at 165 is only violating one.

mjfloyd1

Maybe we can throw in a tailgating for the Porsche driver to even things up

snakeweasel

andres3 said:

snakeweasel said:

andres3 said:

snakeweasel said:

driver100 said:

In heavy traffic you can use all lanes, just keep up and stay with the flow.
Do I need to mention left lane exits and cut offs.

Not to mention that "keep right except to pass" only applies to high speed limited access highways.

Now you've gone overboard and you are in need of a life preserver. That's not the case in most States. The rule always applies with very limited exceptions, even in "Slower Traffic Keep Right" States.

Limited exceptions include:

1. Left turn imminently ahead.
2. Left exit imminently ahead.
3. Right lane blocked or obstructed.
4. Right shoulder occupied by emergency vehicles.
5. Actively and currently passing someone to the right with a reasonable and prudent speed delta.

Exceptions DO NOT include these commonly cited reasons by LLC's:

1. Heavy traffic.
2. Everyone else in front of me and behind me was doing it too.
3. Pavement smoother on the left, rougher on the right.
4. I was going the speed limit (a few dumb States allow this excuse which is subjective at best because I have yet to meet an LLC that has had their speedometer calibrated even once; let alone recently).
5. The guy behind me is an idiot or maniac.

You do realize that "keep right except to pass" and "slower traffic keep right" are two different things.

Now the states that have enacted "keep right except to pass" have enacted them for high speed limited access highways. On regular roads and streets it's "slower traffic keep right" which implies that faster traffic can remain in the left.

Now according to the California vehicle code as long as I am going at least the normal speed of traffic I can be in the left lane. I didn't see anything that prohibits being in the left lane if you are going fast enough. Interesting enough I looked into the Illinois vehicle code and it has no such language, the only mention of keeping to the right is for limited access highways. All else it just basically states to stay on the right half of the road.

In practice, "Keep Right Except to Pass" and "Slower Traffic Keep Right" almost end up being the exact same thing. Most everyone that's driving in the left lane without passing without exception fails to yield to the right in time so as to avoid impeding traffic and breaking the law. There's a direct connection between the driving practice and driving ineptitude.

You are correct about Illinois:
https://www.mit.edu/~jfc/right.html
Says limited to limited access highways since 2004.

Except that in keep right except to pass you cannot stay in the left lane if not passing. In slower traffic keep right you can stay in the left as long as you are going faster than the normal flow of traffic.

now with regards to a controlled access road, how long must a road go as controlled access to fall under that law.

snakeweasel

andres3 said:

Today there was a Prius going 10 over in the hammer lane (lane 1) of I15 during my early morning commute. Now for CA, this is very slow; this might be comparable to the speed limit driver in many States.

A Nissan Versa quickly passed them on the right, and was followed by me in the Audi S4. Now my European sports/luxury sedan fits the mold, the Prius blocking traffic fits the mold, but what about the Nissan Versa passing at the same speed I did on the right?

What demographic are they?

Deep in my rear view mirror a Honda Accord also passed the Prius, still camping in the left lane, because, well, that's what left lane impeders do.

The demographic is Champaign taste, beer budget.

fintail

Come to the PNW, you'll have no issues. I usually have my car in economy setting for highway drives, and never have a problem merging, as most here do it at about 40 mph, so if there's someone in front of you, have fun. The upshifts and throttle response in that mode make the car seem velvety smooth. I don't think I've ever used Sport+

driver100 said:

cdnpinhead said:

It's a mystery to me why a "sport" setting on a car that's only driven on mostly urban, always flat and straight roads would make a difference.

Guess it's sour grapes.

I live in a urban area but sometimes I have to enter a busy highway....SPORT MODE let's me do it easier and safer.

stickguy

well, technically the guy going 62 passing a car going 60 is the faster traffic, and is passing. Even if not as quickly as you would prefer.

learn to relax. You will get there eventually!

fintail

There's a joke out there along the line of "Nissans doing Nissan things". Unpredictable cars and drivers, I always keep an eye out when there's a Sentra or Altima zooming around.

andres3 said:

Today there was a Prius going 10 over in the hammer lane (lane 1) of I15 during my early morning commute. Now for CA, this is very slow; this might be comparable to the speed limit driver in many States.

A Nissan Versa quickly passed them on the right, and was followed by me in the Audi S4. Now my European sports/luxury sedan fits the mold, the Prius blocking traffic fits the mold, but what about the Nissan Versa passing at the same speed I did on the right?

What demographic are they?

Deep in my rear view mirror a Honda Accord also passed the Prius, still camping in the left lane, because, well, that's what left lane impeders do.