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(Saw this on the most recent season of Top Gear... and it was hysterically funny to see)
Somehow all the tax exemptions, loop holes, and benefits seem to only be designed for the 1%.
On foot, saw a Hummer H1 (really) crowd into a crosswalk when the crosswalk had green. Does any other vehicle announce as loudly that the driver is a dbag with size issues? Deserves a few hits with a baseball bat.
Lots of phone yappers tonight, and really bad light sequencing for both drivers and pedestrians alike.
And on the way in, a woman in an S60 shot past me on a 40mph road. I paced her - she was going ~65-70 from what I could tell, dropped it to maybe 55 when the limit changed to 35. She later made an abrupt unsignalled turn into an office complex parking lot - maybe spooked that I was pacing her.
Out today, sunny hot day here, not as bad as I would imagined. Main issues were lack of signals on so many cars, and SLOW turners. Is it necessary to go around a wide open corner at 4mph?
The chill did keep traffic light; took the van out for a spin and "blew it out" on a back road just a mile from the city limits. Didn't see a single car coming or going on an 8 mile round trip along the lake shore. If someone is inconsiderate in the boonies, does it count? You could have some fun around here but every cop in the county would know learn name and plate in about two hours of zooming around since everyone would be talking about you.
Craziest thing about our early hot spell is that Wednesday morning was frosty and cold here.
Then I was on the road. Got behind an Oregon plated high particulate early 00s diesel Ford truck, dorky idiotic religious sticker on the canopy, weaving all over in its own lane when not making unsignalled lane changes, finally got around it when the road widened. Not a minute later, an Oregon plated Tundra turns left from a side street right in front of me as I am going ~35 - I went around him and he had to stare at me like I had just spit on the pope. Then was sitting at a light where a 1 lane road gains a lane at the intersection. One of our likely new residents in a gold Odyssey tries to crowd in to get into that lane maybe 8 car lengths before it begins, by driving on the shoulder. Missed me by a couple inches - had he hit me, I probably would have dragged him out and slammed the door on his head. I noticed when he turned, he was going well under the limit and straddling both lanes :confuse: Topped it off by getting stuck behind a similar Sienna going well under the limit with a line behind it, "driver" preoccupied with the passengers. First world country, you say? Racing to the bottom...
Changing lanes without signaling and causing another vehicle to alter its speed to avoid hitting you is doubly serious.
Changing lanes from two lanes over without signaling and causing another vehicle to slow down rapidly to avoid hitting you is triply serious.]
Yesterday, I had a car change lanes from two lanes over without signaling, forcing me to hit the brakes hard to avoid hitting them (as they were pretty much going sideways across the road) and I was going at about the SL of 40, and then they turn into a parking lot entrance on the right which has a big ramp that somewhat forces them to enter extra slow (causing me to brake even longer and harder).
It's one thing to cut across lanes to make a late right turn onto a roadway, quite another to do so just so you can get into a parking lot in my opinion (which forces you to slow way down much slower than a 90 degree right turn would).
I would give them a quadruple fine for this.
He wasn't the only dumb Audi. Had a close call in a green signal crosswalk with a new Q5 driven by a teenager who was probably another devilspawn son of a bought their way in type from a place where Audi is huge. I guess if you can buy your way out of accountability, no reason to pay attention. The Audi brand was topped off by another guy in an older A4 Avant I saw who blatantly ran a light while holding a phone.
Also saw a middle aged woman driving a gigantic Dodge diesel truck, phone in her hand, couldn't keep it in one lane, and made an insanely bad wide turn with no signal. Should be a four figure ticket at the very least.
Had no close calls while on the road, anyway. But did get stuck in a backup because those who couldn't engineer their way out of a wet paper bag had a turn lane light only let 4-5 cars through. There was a couple block long backup when it changed again. Good enough for government work.
If there is an exit close ahead I can understand this, but why get in a conflict by trying to merge right into the spaces people in the on-ramp are obviously going to need by merging left? There is no reason for a car to be moving right unless they are holding up faster traffic behind them, or there is an upcoming exit to the right, and most importantly, that exit should be within a 1/4 mile.
I usually move right to exit as soon as I am physically past the preceding exit (watching out for mergers, of course), as you never know when you might get stuck.
my daughter was reading an article off the Net before, that the state is spending something like 6 mill starting 7/28 for IIRC a month to carpet bomb the state in speeding tickets on all the major highways. New unmarked cars, OT, etc. One part I remember was that they were expected to write a ticket every 10-12 minutes, and that 5 over was plenty.
Sadly, no mention about using all this extra manpower to go after LLCs, distracted drivers, or anyone that is actually dangerous on the road.
2019 Acura TLX A-spec 4 cyl. (mine), and 2013 Acura RDX AWD (wife's)
The courts and the system would come crashing down. They'd have to schedule court dates years in advance.
People could then file motions that they were denied a right to a speedy trial (never waive time unless you have good reason to). This would further clog the courts with motion hearings, and with the corrupt courts sure to wrongfully deny these motions, the appeals courts would then be clogged by appealers that were wronged by the lower court improperly judging the motion to dismiss due to lack of a speedy trial.
At this point in time the State would try to sneak in new legislation that says "never mind the Constitution or Due Process or the Bill of Rights, bypassing motions and appeals by setting up some sort of Kangaroo court that would be done by an "administrative hearing" by a partial person on the payroll of that very institution trying to extort money out of citizen's hands.
If you want an example see AB 666 or SB 1313 or 1303?? in CA trying to bypass these (I'm sure the politicians think) outdated foundations of our Country in the name of safety I'm sure. :sick: :mad:
Less than 1% of red light accidents are caused by right turns on red, which is where the majority of the money being made lies.
Do they drive following the law from A to Z 100% of the time? I think we all know the answer to that is no. They benefit from the good fol' boys club of law enforcement, and "professional" courtesies when they are pulled over.
Even fire fighters and probation officers benefit from professional courtesy, just not as to a high degree as police officers.
The LLC may or might be able to provoke rage in another driver, but remember it is the other driver who makes the decision to react in a rage.
Thus it is NOT the LLC having the rage, but the idiot who thinks he's been impeded , going through life expecting everyone to get out of his way. You can energize rage within yourself over any trivial incident, but you are to be responsible for your reaction response. LLC are to be tolerated & honored for not driving like you.
Around here, hang out around a law enforcement office with nearby restaurants, and eventually you'll see some fun stuff.
Enraged drivers are not the only dangers on the road. The un-enraged driver may be put in a more dangerous situation solely because of the LLC forcing them to pass on the right, which is inherently more dangerous.
So it doesn't require rage, or idiocy for an LLC to create a dangerous situation. Traffic congestion in and of itself raises the risk level, and that congestion is caused by the LLC.
Frankly, the act of LLCing is in and of itself proof of horrible driving, inattention, negligence, or outright ignorance and incompetence. If it is on purpose then it is a form of aggressive driving in and of itself.
Most states have signs on their Interstates and other multi-lane highways that say "SLOWER TRAFFIC KEEP RIGHT" or "KEEP RIGHT EXCEPT TO PASS"
They are black letters printed on a rectangular white sign, which means it is the law, just as much as "SPEED LIMIT 65" or whatever.
Therefore, the LLC is violating the law. And whether it's by inciting rage in other drivers, or by forcing them to pass on the right, which is inherently more dangerous, this violation of the law makes the highway less safe.
Period. Simple math.
Move over.
My wife was pulled over on I-77 in West Virginia a couple years ago. She was doing 75 in a 60, but that's not why she was pulled. Cop warned her about hanging out in the left lane.
>You can't just speed because you want to do it.
>It's the LAW.
>Period. Simple math.
>Slow down.
2015 Cruze 2LT, 2014 Malibu 2LT, 2008 Cobalt 2LT
>You can't just speed because you want to do it.
>It's the LAW.
>Period. Simple math.
>Slow down.
And who put you in charge of enforcing an arbitrary and artificially low speed limit? Isn't that why we have police patrolling the highways?
Not only are you not the lane monitor, you're not the speed police, either.
Of course the LLCs will argue that if you would just drive the speed limit, it wouldn't matter what lane they were in.
Unfortunately, arguing the law will only take us in circles.
OTOH, common courtesy dictates that we drive on the right and pass on the left. Or that we don't hold up traffic.
Studies have shown that 85% of drivers will travel at a safe speed for that roadway, regardless of the speed limit. There has been progress since the mid 1990s when states were again allowed to set their own limits, but I'd wager that a lot of speed limits are lower than the 85th percentile speed. So where a SL is 65 mph, the maximum safe speed could be 70-75 mph. Until an LLC decides he/she wants to enforce the 65 mph limit, therefore making the highway less safe.
That would be the same people who gave you the right to enforce the arbitrary lane laws? That's why we have police patrolling the highways.
It would be better if the people wanting to speed and yet point fingers at others would just take care of their driving and not try to enforce the lane laws. Just slow down and obey the speed limits. :sick:
2015 Cruze 2LT, 2014 Malibu 2LT, 2008 Cobalt 2LT
You don't have a moral or legal high ground here. It's just convenient that the LLC can actually impose his or her will on the other drivers. Whereas the speeder would have to drive up on the shoulder and move the LLC back into the right lane in order to "enforce" the law.
But I guess that's what LLCing is really about... imposing your will.
Like I said in another post... it's pointless for LLCs and speeders to argue the law. Both are breaking it. But the "speeder" traveling at the 85th percentile speed is not making the highway inherently less safe, while the LLC is.
Not to mention the whole common courtesy thing. Give and take, you know?
Indeed. Odd that speeders who are often tailgaters and aggressive drivers project their own imposition of will into the idea that it's others trying to control them. Paranoia? :surprise:
>Not to mention the whole common courtesy thing. Give and take, you know?
Yup.
If I'm in the left lane, I'm not going below the given speed limit. If someone else needs to speed and go above the limit, I am happy to move to another lane when it's convenient to safely do so. If I'm already doing above the limit, a violation of law, I move over when it's safe and convenient to do so.
I just do my own driving and let them do their own.
2015 Cruze 2LT, 2014 Malibu 2LT, 2008 Cobalt 2LT
It's easy to identify the LLDs as they drive aggressively. They don't get out of the left lane as they overtake someone on the highway. They themselves won't use the open spaces, if any, in the lanes to the right to tuck in for a while; instead they just stay in the left lane. However, they do intend to "make" everyone else clear "their" lane.
On the other hand, watch the drivers who believe in keeping right for themselves. They tuck into a clear area to the right and then move out to the leftmost lane to pass. They're the ones for whom I'll plan ahead to be over in a lane to the right if there's a long enough space for me to drive without having to slow down below my superlegal or legal speed.
It's all in sharing the road rather than using a machine to vent one's aggressions. The automobile and the road are meant for traveling and not power games.
2015 Cruze 2LT, 2014 Malibu 2LT, 2008 Cobalt 2LT
And I'll say it again - just keep right. No matter your speed or your aged stubbornness, just keep right except to pass. It works in locations with superior human development indices to the US, it can work here, too. Even in middle America.
Also, "sharing the road" means both moving around the slowpokes without aggression, and for the slowpokes to know their place and move over. It needs to be a two way street.
I'll end it with saying speed limits need to be justified by the untouchable overpaid bodies who set and enforce them, with fear of losing their bloated undeserved pensions if they fail to do so. It's time for these pseudo-engineers and egoistic LEOs to put up or shut up.
What if you can't obey the 65 MPH speed limit because the LLC is going 62 or 63 MPH in the left lane? You are obeying the speed limit, yet you will rear-end them in the left lane going the speed limit if they don't move over to the right to avoid impeding you; which they are doing as I've stated they are a LLC.
that's a wildly fallacious argument as the LLC's will then say stuff like:
Anything within 5 MPH of the speed limit is good enough to them because
1. Humans can't control their speed as good as cruise control can.
2. Speedometers might not be accurate.
3. Conditions might make someone slow down (of course you can slow down for conditions in the right lane better than in the left lane).
Seriously. I wash my car probably three times per year, and all between about May 1 and Sept 15th, because the rest of the year is frozen, dark, and cleaning cars during that time is generally a difficult, pointless endeavor.
So, after a full seven months of crud accumulation on my new car, I cleaned it on Sunday until it gleamed with a radiance that previously only existed in faded memory. It was a wondrous beacon of automotive shine! Monday night, when I left work to drive home, wouldn't you know it....
Apparently, a very large gathering of very small birds decided to alight upon the overhead electric wires nearby and all take flight simultaneously in a southern direction.... You see where this is going, right? Yeah, about 30+ bird mini-bombs on my perfectly clean car... less than 24 hours after washing it for the first time since September 2012. I should note, here, that there was nary a dropping on it over that time.
Oh, the terrible irony. I wasn't sure whether to laugh or cry. My wife, on the other hand, had no such reservations; she immediately laughed. Later, she told me that it served me right (I guess she was still mad that I didn't wash her car on Sunday. Apparently, it was Mother's Day, and that would have been a thoughtful thing for me to do.).
I would say 33% of the time they get it right away when you get in front and start slowing down gradually, and move right.
I would say another 33% might get back in the left as soon as you speed off after they move right, you must repeat, half will make you do it a 3rd time.
Out of the remaining 1/3, half of them will get extremely pissed. I find this to be the most satisfying as LLC's don't like to be out LLC'd. You are just giving them a taste of their own medicine. I'm shocked, as I see no need for middle fingers, racing you up to 100 MPH to try and re-pass you on the right. The other half are just stubborn and I find myself going down to 43-45 MPH (very gradually; no braking) for about 20-30 seconds and they just continued to follow imitating my slow speed in the fast lane. After 20 seconds I dare not go any slower than about 45 MPH for long, so I sped back up and left them in the dust and exhaust of my vehicle.
Making them move right quickly is a great service that benefits all and is for the greater good (although you have to waste a few seconds of your own time).
If it takes 3 or more tries or slowing down ridiculously before they move over then you probably have both done more harm than good to the greater population of traffic behind you. AFterall, out LLCing a LLC requires the act of LLC, which does increase congestion and traffic.
I do find it extremely hilarious that someone would be willing to race up to 90+ MPH on a 65 zone because they are being impeded a bit in their left lane, when they weren't willing to even go a smidge above 60 -65 MPH with someone behind them clearly trying to get ahead, (and someone else going .01 MPH slower than them on the right).
I felt like slowing that guy going 40-45 behind me to 40, then 35, then 25, then 15 if I had to, but I'm afraid he'd of stayed behind me short of me stopping on the freeway. I felt that might be a tad dangerous even for me, although even more dangerous for him!
Good post. Exactly right. If the LLCer is wrongly using the left lane when they could move to the right into another lane and if the state laws there require same, then why try to pick a fight. Just move on along by passing on the right in one or more clear lanes.
Aggressive driving is the problem. Adding aggression even more doesn't fix anything. Consideration and sharing the road is the answer.
2015 Cruze 2LT, 2014 Malibu 2LT, 2008 Cobalt 2LT
This actually facilitates the flow of traffic as the congestion building up behind the LLC is then able to flow freely through once they move right. It is the good Samaritan move to do!
Picking a fight would be cutting off the LLC and slamming on the brakes in front of them.
That doesn't negate the "Keep Right Except to Pass" law.
You don't get to pick and choose.
That happens with lane discipline.
LLCers are the embodiment of those who would try and take care of other's driving.
Tailgaters cannot force one to speed. LLCers force others to slow down.
I mean, when someone tailgates you, there is no one in your car pushing your gas pedal down, making you accelerate.
Whereas, should someone ignore an LLCer, a collision quickly appears on the road.
If you are passing, you can use the left lane. If you are not, you cannot.
That is the law.
If the right lane is clear... why are *YOU* in the left?
I would say that in most situations, most slowpokes (ie: not keeping up with the flow of traffic) are simply oblivious to their surroundings. They are too busy talking on their cell phones/texting/eating dinner/reading a newspaper/etc.
The only way to get them to pay attention to the road is to create situations that actually require attention. For when they pay attention, their driving changes to meet the circumstances.
Case in point: There are far too many people in my neck of the woods that will camp in one's blind spot, oblivious to this fact. Yet, when I will turn on my blinker, looking as if I might move into their lane (this is a head game, I'm not actually changing lanes)... they'll suddenly move out of my blind spot and freeing up space to allow traffic to pass freely.
All from creating a situation that forces one to pay attention to the driving situation.
Of course, this goes out the window when you actually NEED to change lanes, because then a signal typically causes the BSC to speed up just enough to box you in.