🚀 go-pugleaf

Brandon Sommerville wrote:

> DPH wrote:
>
> >Know what happens when I do it and there is other traffic?  Unless the guy is
> >really coming like a bat outa hell, what happens is he creeps up past me on the
> >right until his rear bumper is even with my front bumper, then backs off, and paces
> >my cruise control.  Happens a _lot_.  Then, of course, we come to another car in
> >the right lane and I have to slow down, coming off the cruise, waiting interminably
> >for him to get around the car that we just caught, and chances are he'll pace that
> >one too so I'm eventually caught behind the both of them, going 5 mph less than I
> >want to.
>
> At that point I'd accelerate and pass the car in front of me then pull
> back to the right.

Yes, that's often what I do, or attempt to do.  Look at that situation, tho - I have to
watch the car in front of me so as to avoid an accident that would occur if he braked or
slowed abruptly while I'm climbing up on his rear end attempting to repass the guy that
is pacing me on my left front quarter, as well as keeping an eye on the guy that I'm
attempting to get ahead of, who is eventually on my left rear quarter so I can move left
in front of him while missing him, all the time hoping he doesn't figure out what's
going on and maybe accelerate to block me which would cause an accident if I moved left
without watching him.  Too many things to go wrong when doing this.  Plus, it would be
easy for a cop to write a "drag racing" or "reckless driving" ticket here.  But we all
know they don't write "left lane blocker" tickets, so what's the safest thing to do all
the way around?  Stay in the left lane, that's what.


> >No, even in spite of the "keep right except to pass", I often just stay in the left
> >lane and adjust my speed momentarily to provide the guy creeping up on me the
> >opportunity to pass on the right.  If he wants to simply tailgate, then fine -
> >that's less hassle than the above scenario.  If he really wants to pass, he's going
> >to have to go right and get a wiggle on to get it done before catching the next car
> >in the right lane that would otherwise be a bloker to him.  But at least it doesn't
> >end up impeding my travel, either way.
> >
> >Of course, if someone is coming up behind at a +10 mph - +15 mph differential, I
> >just might get over, figuring he's serious and won't slow down and block me as the
> >guy that is +2 mph probably would.  Yeah, it ain't legal, etc. but it's a lot less
> >hassle and I do end up getting where I'm going significantly quicker after doing it
> >all day for 1000 miles or so.
>
> If someone's faster than me, barring rush hour, of course, I'll yield
> the lane regardless.  If he turns into someone who just wants to pace
> me, the loud pedal is there to handle any upcoming passes required.

That's basically the same scenario as above, which could result in a race with the guy,
or some ticket for doing what looks like a race.  It's "safer" to stay in the left lane
and make him pass me on the right - that way he has to hit the gas to do the "pass and
move left without hitting anything" and in this situation _I_ control the car in the
left lane that is getting passed on the right and so can thus be assured that it won't
speed up to block the person pasing on the right.

DPH


> --
> Brandon
>
> Caution: objects in the mirror may
> have flunked drivers education.