Attention Left Lane Campers!

[Champ]

Whenever I'm in the left lane and come upon a person who is overtaking another vehicle but at a speed slower than my own, I slow down and follow at a proper distance, let them complete their pass, and then speed back up to my original speed when they are out of my way.  I expect the same respect from other drivers.  You don't show me that courtesy, and I'll take up a little more of your time than I otherwise would have.

Devils Advocate: Why not show the person behind you respect and speed up to get out of the way, just like you would expect the same respect from someone in front of you passing too slowly.

[MX793]

Whenever I'm in the left lane and come upon a person who is overtaking another vehicle but at a speed slower than my own, I slow down and follow at a proper distance, let them complete their pass, and then speed back up to my original speed when they are out of my way.  I expect the same respect from other drivers.  You don't show me that courtesy, and I'll take up a little more of your time than I otherwise would have.

Devils Advocate: Why not show the person behind you respect and speed up to get out of the way, just like you would expect the same respect from someone in front of you passing too slowly.

In case you didn't note it, I do speed up when I move into the left lane as a courtesy to other drivers.  However, there is only so fast that I am willing to go.  The highways are heavily patrolled in my area.  75 and under is usually a safe speed, but anything above that makes you a target and I'd rather not get a ticket.  If I'm doing 80 and somebody is still riding a foot off my bumper trying to bully me into going faster, I push back by dropping my speed some.  If you think your time is worth risking my safety, then I'm going to eat up a few more of your precious seconds than I would have if you'd hung back, given me my space and let me complete my pass in peace.  It's one thing if I pull alongside another car and then pace it or if I stay in the left lane once I finish passing despite the right lane now being open for me to move out of the way of faster traffic.  That kind of behavior might warrant a little friendly encouragement like a flash of the high beams, a honk of the horn or maybe even a little tailgating.  But I expect the courtesy of a little breathing room until it becomes apparent that I am either pacing the car next to me or not moving back right when the opportunity presents itself, as that is the courtesy I extend to others.

Further, I don't expect other drivers to speed up.  I understand that, like myself, everybody has a cut-off point as to how fast they are willing to go on the highway and I don't try to bully people into exceeding that.

Similarly, lets say you are on a narrow pedestrian bridge that isn't wide enough to allow you to overtake someone.  You are running and a person up ahead is crossing at a slower pace.  Do you shove them across the bridge so you don't have to slow down?  Do you threaten them to make them speed up?  No, that would be rude and disrespectful (and possibly assault).  You slow down, wait for them to get off the bridge and out of your way, and then you overtake them and continue your run.  Would it be nice if they sped up to match your speed?  Yes, but perhaps they are already crossing at the maximum speed they are comfortable with (or are even capable of).  If such is the case, you just have to be patient  Why are the rules any different out on the highway?

[Rupert]

The highways are heavily patrolled in my area.  75 and under is usually a safe speed, but anything above that makes you a target and I'd rather not get a ticket.  If I'm doing 80 and somebody is still riding a foot off my bumper trying to bully me into going faster, I push back by dropping my speed some.  If you think your time is worth risking my safety, [...]

You mean, "if your time is worth me risking getting a ticket", right?

[thewizard16]

I'll use the German trick of hugging the left yellow line and running with the left blinker on.  It helps nudge them out of the way.  If they don't catch on after 10 seconds or so, I give up and wait it out.  So many clueless buttheads on the road.  Like today - rain and fog.  An amazing number of people driving with no lights on .  Pisses me off big time!  If I were a cop, I'd pull them over and charge them with driving to endanger or something! 

I hate that!  In many states (NJ, SC, et al) there are laws that state that when it rains, lights must be on, but I bet it's rarely enforced.

We have a "If your wipers are on, your lights must be one" law, but it's not enforced, and a lot of people don't follow it.

[Raza]

I'll use the German trick of hugging the left yellow line and running with the left blinker on.  It helps nudge them out of the way.  If they don't catch on after 10 seconds or so, I give up and wait it out.  So many clueless buttheads on the road.  Like today - rain and fog.  An amazing number of people driving with no lights on .  Pisses me off big time!  If I were a cop, I'd pull them over and charge them with driving to endanger or something! 

I hate that!  In many states (NJ, SC, et al) there are laws that state that when it rains, lights must be on, but I bet it's rarely enforced.

We have a "If your wipers are on, your lights must be one" law, but it's not enforced, and a lot of people don't follow it.

Fools, all of them.  I follow them home and bury them in their backyards.

[Rupert]

Yer such a nice guy...

[Tom]

Then there are people who turn their lights on always.

[Raza]

Then there are people who turn their lights on always.

I have DRLs that run at 80% brightness, I put the full on headlight mode on when I can no longer read the gauges easily.  

[Rupert]

I like DRLs.

[MX793]

DRLs are better than nothing in the rain or fog, but since your tail lights aren't on with the DRLs, it can make it difficult to see a car that you're coming up on from behind.

[Raza]

DRLs are better than nothing in the rain or fog, but since your tail lights aren't on with the DRLs, it can make it difficult to see a car that you're coming up on from behind.

Yes--in the rain or fog it's as important to be seen as it is to see, therefore I always turn my lights on even if it is still "bright".

[the nameless one]

DRLs are better than nothing in the rain or fog, but since your tail lights aren't on with the DRLs, it can make it difficult to see a car that you're coming up on from behind.

Yes--in the rain or fog it's as important to be seen as it is to see, therefore I always turn my lights on even if it is still "bright".

I always turn my lights on, regardless of time of day.

[Raza]

DRLs are better than nothing in the rain or fog, but since your tail lights aren't on with the DRLs, it can make it difficult to see a car that you're coming up on from behind.

Yes--in the rain or fog it's as important to be seen as it is to see, therefore I always turn my lights on even if it is still "bright".

I always turn my lights on, regardless of time of day.

I have DRLs (80% brightness), so I do as well.

[850CSi]

I wanna get my DRLs activated. Car comes stock with it off.

[Raza]

I wanna get my DRLs activated. Car comes stock with it off.

Is your switch a two position or a one position switch?  If it's two, your DRLs are the first position.  That's how my Mercedes was, I believe, but you do have to turn them off when you get of the car--maybe on yours it doesn't need to be.

[Run Away]

^that would be your parking lights, not DRLs.

[Raza]

^that would be your parking lights, not DRLs.

I know, but I believe in the Germans they're meant to perform the same function.  In the E class, the parking lights were clicks on the left.

[MX793]

I wanna get my DRLs activated. Car comes stock with it off.

Is your switch a two position or a one position switch?  If it's two, your DRLs are the first position.  That's how my Mercedes was, I believe, but you do have to turn them off when you get of the car--maybe on yours it doesn't need to be.

Every vehicle I've ever driven has a 2 position headlight switch.  Position 1 is the parking lights and position 2 activates the headlights.  True DRLs only activate either the front headlights or a pair of front markers.  If any of the rear lights come on, then they aren't DRLs.

[Raza]

I wanna get my DRLs activated. Car comes stock with it off.

Is your switch a two position or a one position switch?  If it's two, your DRLs are the first position.  That's how my Mercedes was, I believe, but you do have to turn them off when you get of the car--maybe on yours it doesn't need to be.

Every vehicle I've ever driven has a 2 position headlight switch.  Position 1 is the parking lights and position 2 activates the headlights.  True DRLs only activate either the front headlights or a pair of front markers.  If any of the rear lights come on, then they aren't DRLs.

My car is 1 position.

[Tom]

Mine has seperate buttons for head lights and parking lights.

[footoflead]

Mine has seperate buttons for head lights and parking lights.

The chevy is full auto, you can still turn on headlights or even turn off daytime lights if you want but i'm so use to it i keep forgetting when i drive the mustang :ph34r: