The middle lane

[Rich]

Rage on 

http://t.co/EiiEuj4sgx

Story about a woman that sticks to the middle lanes on the highway. @harrismonkey on Twitter and his followers ripped her story apart.

[Cookie Monster]

I'm confused what I'm supposed to rage about. I didn't read the entire article because it's an irritating, poorly-written puff piece, but what's wrong with the middle lane? At least here, the right lane has slower traffic (usually slower than the speed limit), worse pavement (due to truckers breaking up the asphalt), more debris, people entering and exiting the highway, etc. Obviously being a left lane camper is wrong, but as long as you're staying out of the left lane I don't see the problem in staying in the center lane while doing the speed limit. Anyone wanting to go faster can pass you in the left lane.

[Rich]

My usual problem is that I'm getting freight trained by faster cars in the left most lane and the middle lane car is camping there not passing the car to their right with no one in front of them. Fucking get to the right if you're going the same damn speed.

Example on a U.S. highway

[Speed_Racer]

I'd rather people "hog" the middle lane than have people play policeman by blocking the left lane.

[GoCougs]

Seems like she has a valid if unarguable point to me - if doing the speed limit in the middle lane why should she dive in and out of the slow lane choked up with truck and exiting/merging traffic to enable someone else to do significantly above the speed limit in the middle lane? Not only is it inconvenient and sacrificial, it's much riskier.

[AutobahnSHO]

Seems like she has a valid if unarguable point to me - if doing the speed limit in the middle lane why should she dive in and out of the slow lane choked up with truck and exiting/merging traffic to enable someone else to do significantly above the speed limit in the middle lane? Not only is it inconvenient and sacrificial, it's much riskier.

Only for 'Murricans who don't know how to drive. which is like 95%....

Please go spend a month driving in Germany then tell me she's ok.

[MrH]

If you're able to be passed on the right, you're in the wrong lane. Plain and simple.

[Cookie Monster]

Only for 'Murricans who don't know how to drive. which is like 95%....

Please go spend a month driving in Germany then tell me she's ok.

I don't see how driving in Germany is different. I haven't done it before so I'll take your word for it, but at least in California, trucks with more than 2 axles are limited to 55 mph, even on 65 mph highways. It'd be unreasonable to make someone who wants to drive 65 mph constantly dart in and out of the right lane just so people can go even faster in the middle lane.

Considering the speed limit is 65 mph, complaining that someone is doing the speed limit while staying out of the left lane is stupid. You can still easily pass on the left lane (oh noes left lane traffic is too fast for me! ).

[AutobahnSHO]

I don't see how driving in Germany is different. I haven't done it before so I'll take your word for it, but at least in California, trucks with more than 2 axles are limited to 55 mph, even on 65 mph highways. It'd be unreasonable to make someone who wants to drive 65 mph constantly dart in and out of the right lane just so people can go even faster in the middle lane.

Considering the speed limit is 65 mph, complaining that someone is doing the speed limit while staying out of the left lane is stupid. You can still easily pass on the left lane (oh noes left lane traffic is too fast for me! ).

In Germany trucks are limited to 100km/hr.   (62mph)

EVERYONE drives right and passes left.
Everyone looks in the mirrors before changing lanes.

So it's totally common that cars doing 100mph+ are going past trucks and little econoboxes pulling camp trailers. And somehow most survive.

[GoCougs]

I don't see how driving in Germany is different. I haven't done it before so I'll take your word for it, but at least in California, trucks with more than 2 axles are limited to 55 mph, even on 65 mph highways. It'd be unreasonable to make someone who wants to drive 65 mph constantly dart in and out of the right lane just so people can go even faster in the middle lane.

Considering the speed limit is 65 mph, complaining that someone is doing the speed limit while staying out of the left lane is stupid. You can still easily pass on the left lane (oh noes left lane traffic is too fast for me! ).

Germany is an invalid comparison, particularly regarding road design and dearth of entitled "Americans" (lol at sharing the freeways with ricers, brodozers and sport bikes regularly doing 100+ mph).

I'm all about prudent driving but bullying someone doing the speed limit out of the middle lane and into a crowded slow lane is an unwinnable argument. I get as impatient as anyone but there's gotta be a limit to it.

[AutobahnSHO]

If the middle laners driving the speed limit moved right then those merging could start doing it properly ( getting up to speed) and traffic would flew even smoother, because the right lane wouldn't be mostly empty.

It's not about impatience but driving correctly.

[AutobahnSHO]

Btw keeping right except to pass is also the law.



But since it is one of the few which makes sense, it is one of the mostly ignored and least enforced...

[12,000 RPM]

If you're able to be passed on the right, you're in the wrong lane. Plain and simple.

People who pass on the right are pretty much psychopaths (i.e. me)

I still absolutely adore the lane discipline in places like Germany and Italy, but ultimately I am good with slow folks camping in the middle lane.

Real problem is speed limits are too low. Everyone does at least 5-10 over everywhere.

[Soup DeVille]

Lane discipline only works when the majority of drivers follow it.

In other words, not here.

[AutobahnSHO]

Lane discipline only works when the majority of drivers follow it.

In other words, not here.

I pass more people on the right than I can count on my trips.








.....on two lane freeways.

My biggest peeve is the people who move right for me to go by then go immediately back to the left lane.

[Rupert]

People who pass on the right are pretty much psychopaths (i.e. me)

I still absolutely adore the lane discipline in places like Germany and Italy, but ultimately I am good with slow folks camping in the middle lane.

Real problem is speed limits are too low. Everyone does at least 5-10 over everywhere.

I agree that limits are too low, but not that everyone already speeds. That might be true in NC, it's sort of true in AZ and CA, but not in the NW states. You can drive ten over there and only get passed by a couple of people all day. In ID where the rural freeway limit is 80, just doing 80 puts you in probably the 80th %ile for of speed. Applies to rural freeways at least-- urban areas all have their own character.

[AutobahnSHO]

urban areas all have their own character.

invariably as you get to the edges of a city (seems to not matter whether it's ne, DC, se, Midwest, UT, WA state) traffic speeds up as people are trying to get somewhere fast, then it slows some as it congests, then speeds up on the other side, then resumes back to 'normal' as you get out and away from that city..

[Pancor]

It's such a rediculous problem here, I even once wrote to the local news station asking them to do a little story on it.   They had zero interest....          You'll even see people enter a completely empty 3 lane (in each direction) highway, and immediately move to the centre lane.   Fucking pathetic!

[Raza]

People who pass on the right are pretty much psychopaths (i.e. me)

I still absolutely adore the lane discipline in places like Germany and Italy, but ultimately I am good with slow folks camping in the middle lane.

Real problem is speed limits are too low. Everyone does at least 5-10 over everywhere.

I've noticed over the past few years, even in the Philadelphia area, that more and more people move over from the left when I roll up behind them. It takes a couple extra seconds for them to feel they can safely make the move, but even when I make the decision to dive right and make an imprudent pass, the car in front of me yields the left lane.

And when someone comes up behind me, I yield the lane as well. Doesn't happen too often, but it happens.

[TBR]

My default is always the middle lane. I have always felt like the right lane is for merging and the left lane is for passing. Middle for cruising. But then I pretty much am always speeding towards the upper end of the flow of traffic anyway.

[NomisR]

I think my issue with this in, in CA, you have freeways that are 5-6-7 lanes wide per direction, so if you don't want to be in the way of trucks, stay away from the right 2 lanes, so you don't run into trucks and entry traffic.  But you still have 3-5 other lanes you can drive in... yet I see people moving ALL THE WAY over to the left even though nothing is blocking their way in the lane they were currently on.  Typically.. when I drive, I try to stay as far right as possible unless someone going slower gets in my way.. not that difficult especially on an empty freeway.

[dazzleman]

I'd rather people "hog" the middle lane than have people play policeman by blocking the left lane.

On a true expressway, which has infrequent interchanges, the right lane is fine to drive in.  But around here, practically speaking, it's very difficult with the frequent interchanges and heavy volume of merging traffic.

I'm usually in the top 10% of drivers in terms of speed, so I spend most of my time in the left lane, but when I'm not passing, I move to the center lane, or right lane if the road is only 2 lanes in each direction.

[MX793]

On a true expressway, which has infrequent interchanges, the right lane is fine to drive in.  But around here, practically speaking, it's very difficult with the frequent interchanges and heavy volume of merging traffic.

I'm usually in the top 10% of drivers in terms of speed, so I spend most of my time in the left lane, but when I'm not passing, I move to the center lane, or right lane if the road is only 2 lanes in each direction.

Same here.  I'm only in the left-most lane when overtaking, making room for traffic entering the highway, or if there's a disabled vehicle, tow truck, or emergency vehicle stopped on the right shoulder on a 2 lane.

[AutobahnSHO]

So I've taken a few trips the last few weeks.
Columbia, SC to Charleston NC (quick airport burn & return). Portions of I-77 are 4lanes.

NO LIE there we were a little late for dropoff, so I was doing several mph above my usual "10over" habit. I was passing lots (hundreds?) of cars in the far-right lane. It was totally empty for 10+ miles, despite the lack of on/off-ramps.

--------- ------------------

It is SOOOOO frustrating to anyone who has been to Germany and experienced better lane discipline, to drive here...!

[BimmerM3]

If you're able to be passed on the right, you're in the wrong lane. Plain and simple.

This is all that needs to be said.

If you're in the middle lane and constantly passing people on the right, cool. You're doing your job. But when you get a stretch of clear road on the right, move over. This is true regardless of the lane you're driving in.

[Cookie Monster]

This is all that needs to be said.

If you're in the middle lane and constantly passing people on the right, cool. You're doing your job. But when you get a stretch of clear road on the right, move over. This is true regardless of the lane you're driving in.

The right lane sucks though. The pavement is rougher due to being used by giant trucks all the time and people are always merging and exiting there.

I like to roll along in the middle lane, usually. On the bike I'm usually going (too) fast so I stick in the left lane, but I mainly do that because it cuts down the amount of lanes that a car can cut me off in by half. I figure I'm pretty safe if I'm in the left part of the left lane on my bike, as far away from cars as possible.

[Eye of the Tiger]

I was perfectly happy a moment ago. Now I read this thread. Fuck people. Keep right, pass left. It is so goddamn simple. If there is faster traffic behind you, move right. Otherwise, fuck off and die.

[Eye of the Tiger]

Oh yeah. So I always move right for faster traffic. But seriously, what I'd with people tailgating me in the right lane? I give it until the next exit at most before I start coasting. Pulse-and-glide I'd an effective hypermiling technique, too.
In the bible thumper belt, I was thinking a bumper sticker might help:

[AutobahnSHO]

I was perfectly happy a moment ago. Now I read this thread. Fuck people. Keep right, pass left. It is so goddamn simple. If there is faster traffic behind you, move right. Otherwise, fuck off and die.