🚀 go-pugleaf

Clark Simmons wrote:
> 
> Olin Murrell wrote:
> >
> > Clark Simmons wrote:
> > [background snipped]
> >
> > >   There had to be more to it than that.  The portion of I 35 through
> > > Selma is hardly 5 or 6 miles long in itself.  This seems to have been a
> > > blantant attempt to impede traffic.
> > >
> >
> > That's exactly what it was. A blatant attempt to "impede traffic." And,
> > it's against the law in Texas. And, it can easily occur when someone's
> > driving in the left lane, at about the same speed as traffic in the right
> > lane, and traffic begins to back up behind them. As for that stretch of
> > I-35 being "hardly 5 or 6 miles long," I don't believe I indicated that
> > the traffic jam was constrained to JUST Selma. It wasn't.
> >
> > > > Ah, Clark, have you noticed what's being talked about is the OBSTRUCTION
> > > > of traffic. If you're driving down a stretch of freeway, with very little
> > > > traffic, then most folks will pass you on the right with no more than a
> > > > ponderous glance. It's when somebody is driving along at the same speed
> > > > as the car next to them that obstruction of traffic can occur. And, I'm
> > > > sorry if your sources have misled you to believe that is not a ticketable
> > > > offense, at ANY speed, above or below the posted limit, because it most
> > > > assuredly is one in Texas.
> > >
> > >   No, what we're actually discussing is whether or not it's required for
> > > a driver driving at the posted limit to move to a right lane to allow a
> > > driver to pass in the left lane when he's exceeding the posted limit.
> > > Delibertly obstructing traffic is a ticketable offense.  Driving the
> > > posted limit in the left lane is not obstructing traffic.  I'm not
> > > advocating obstruction of traffic.
> > >
> >
> > When this never-ending thread began (what seems like centuries ago),
> > that's EXACTLY what it was about, and the left lane campers made, and are
> > still making exactly the same arguments you are making. Deliberate or
> > not, a person driving in the left lane at about the same speed as traffic
> > in the next lane can very easily become guilty of what you have now
> > admitted is a ticketable offense. That's been the point all along. Not
> > that you have to drive faster, or that you have to pull over in an unsafe
> > manner. Just that if traffic is beginning to back up behind you, it might
> > be wise to look for a hole and get out of the way, because at THAT point,
> > you ARE in violation of those little black and white signs that say
> > "Slower Traffic, Keep Right." It has no correlation to the posted speed
> > limit, and can occur at ANY speed, above, at or below the posted speed
> > limit.
> 
> It's true that the rule has no corelation to the posted limit.  It's
> determined by the normal flow of traffic.  The two guys you use as an
> example were in the wrong, because they were traveling below the normal
> flow of traffic. Your example is a poor argument.
> 

Psst, Clark. The incident I described occured WHEN the speed limit was 
55mph. They WERE driving at the posted speed limit. You have very 
concisely stated my entire argument, and the entire argument of the State 
of Texas, and virtually every other poster who simply wants slower 
drivers to move out of the way.....i.e., "they were traveling below the 
normal flow of traffic."

I hate to be the one to inform you of this, but a cop really doesn't much 
care whether a traffic law violation is "deliberate," or not when he 
writes the ticket. You've even gone so far as to post a quote from the 
Texas Drivers' Handbook, "SLOWER TRAFFIC KEEP RIGHT
The discription paragraph reads. "If you are driving slower than the
normal stream of traffic keep in the right lane"."

The "normal stream of traffic" bears even less correlation to the posted 
speed limit than do the signs that read "Slower Traffic Keep Right." If 
traffic begins to back up behind you, Clark, you are in violation of a 
law that even you have admitted is a ticketable offense, and a dangerous 
practice. One really simple question. Why would "impeding the flow of 
traffic" be dangerous at the speed limit, and not above? The answer is 
just as simple. They are the SAME violation, and one is just as wrong and 
dangerous as the other.

-- 
Olin Murrell
Austin, TX
olin@bga.com
http://www.realtime.com/~olin