What do other drivers do as they pass?

[Weather Spotter]

Originally Posted by groar

Sadly everyday I can see young males doing silly things while passing me, nearly at every commute.

If they are not going too fast then they keep my speed and drive while they are taking pictures ( how can they concentrate on taking pictures if they are driving at the same time ).

If they are going too fast then once they pass me they try to slow down as much as possible to force me to pass them. Sadly for them, they don't know by how much I accept to slow down... In France on car roads (freeways & highways) slowest speed limit is 50km/h (31mph). On my daily commute I have 90km/h (56mph) 2-3 lanes freeways. I usually drive at a constant 75-80km/h (47-50mph) or I P&G at 70-85km/h (44-53mph). Until now none have slowed down under 60km/h (37mph).

Several times I saw people stopping in the urgency stop lane and restarting when I passed them. In this case I slow down as much as possible so they think they have no other choice than to pass me, which is always above 60km/h (37mph).

I have other stories in round about... but these ones make me too

Often when someone is driving while they are taking pictures, I take my cell phone and pretend to take them in picture. They are usually embarrassed and put down their cell phone/camera and disappear.

What I do prefer is the looks these young male can launch to me, noticeably when they have over tuned cars (usually an old BMW...). What make me laugh is when then have rear windows shadows with childish cartoon characters (Nemo, Dora...) and/or when they are re-accelerating crunching down their p*n*s substitute.

Lately I put a piece of paper on the rear left window with my last tank result. Since then I have lots of thumbs up from other people (old men, young women, motorcycles...) and lots of smiles from women

Yesterday I got 2 young males laughing at me, when suddenly the passenger read my paper and got , so I got but the driver quickly accelerated.

Anyway, I know that I do my best with what I have and I have a lot of fun at the same time Smiles from children (and their mothers now ) are invaluable

Denis.

Try some magnetic number like I have, 3" letters so easy to read at a distance. I get lots more thumbs up with them on. before I got ???? looks.

[Olympiadis]

only 40% relevance:

Fines for minor traffic offenses to rise - Chicago Breaking News
"raising fine rates on several traffic offenses"

hope & change (*tm)

[Varn]

I had a traffic officer in my office. He said that the last 6 people he stopped were women all doing over 100mph. All on their cell phones.

[wagonman76]

A LOT of people who pass me refuse to get all the way into the left lane, keeping about a foot of the vehicle over the line. Or if they do get over, then they come back over the line while they're beside me, then back to the left as they get forward of me, before they get back into the right lane. Like they want to scare me off the road. Most of the time it is on the freeway where there is all the room in the world to pass so there's really no reason for it. Once I thought it was because my taillights were closer than normal but it still happens in broad daylight. Besides some cars do have closer together taillights anyway. Also usually about every time or two I go downstate I have to quick jerk off the road because somebody comes up behind me at least 90 mph with no plans of even going around me, and even when I hit the shoulder they don't attempt to move over.

On a 2 lane road, every day I see people get run off the road by people passing into oncoming traffic, whether it's passing me or going the other way. And they're usually not even very quick to move back over, they just don't seem to care that they've run others off the road. A couple weeks ago it was actually my friend who just about killed me on his way home from work as he passed 4-5 cars in a row.

The very first time downstate with the tail (last summer) probably about every other car had someone who turned around and looked like "what the **** was that? Every time since then almost nobody has looked, makes me think it's the same tourists running back and forth every weekend.

Oh and about moving over when slowing down to turn, I ALWAYS do whenever I can. I actually feel bad when I can't because the shoulder is gone (and a lot of times get the horn blown at me). A couple winters ago I got rearended while slowing to turn and I couldn't move over first. I think most expect you to move over. Like on the freeway you're supposed to stay at a steady speed in the same lane when others are entering, but they expect you to move over and if you don't they often won't adjust their speed to merge and you risk getting sideswiped.

Just the other day like I always move over as I turn into work and a cop behind me didn't seem to care. I'm making it safer by lessening the obstruction to traffic WHILE slower traffic (me) is staying to the right and my turn is near anyway. Now passing on the right, they're more than happy to nail you for that.

[Thymeclock]

Originally Posted by wagonman76

A LOT of people who pass me refuse to get all the way into the left lane, keeping about a foot of the vehicle over the line. Or if they do get over, then they come back over the line while they're beside me, then back to the left as they get forward of me, before they get back into the right lane. Like they want to scare me off the road. Most of the time it is on the freeway where there is all the room in the world to pass so there's really no reason for it.

Use your horn as a warning. Driving in that manner is dangerous. It's usually an indication of DWI-DUI. If they continue to do it and if you have a cell phone handy, call the cops and report it as erratic and dangerous driving. Things like that are usually taken seriously by law enforcement.

[groar]

Today an old retired blonde woman was texting and changing lane while she was passing me. Certainly she didn't noticed she was passing me and/or she was changing lane as she became very very upset when I distracted her from texting by hooorniiing @ heeer.

Denis.

[PaleMelanesian]

I'm late to the discussion, but driving on the shoulder is legal in Texas.

Texas Transportation Code - Section 545.058. Driving On Improved Shoulder - Texas Attorney Resources - Texas Laws

545.058. DRIVING ON IMPROVED SHOULDER. (a) An operator
may drive on an improved shoulder to the right of the main traveled
portion of a roadway if that operation is necessary and may be done
safely, but only:
(1) to stop, stand, or park;
(2) to accelerate before entering the main traveled
lane of traffic;
(3) to decelerate before making a right turn;
(4) to pass another vehicle that is slowing or stopped
on the main traveled portion of the highway, disabled, or preparing
to make a left turn;
(5) to allow another vehicle traveling faster to pass;
(6) as permitted or required by an official
traffic-control device; or
(7) to avoid a collision.

I use this regularly, as do other motorists. A number of times I've pulled over to allow highway patrol to pass. They not only don't ticket me, they give the customary double-taillight-blink thank you signal.

[roosterk0031]

I knew it's acceptable and expected in Texas, but my 50 yo SIL got her only ticket ever for #4 in Iowa, going around car making a left turn. Kind of fun to bring it up once and a while just to get her going.

[Thymeclock]

Originally Posted by PaleMelanesian

I'm late to the discussion, but driving on the shoulder is legal in Texas.

Texas Transportation Code - Section 545.058. Driving On Improved Shoulder - Texas Attorney Resources - Texas Laws


I use this regularly, as do other motorists. A number of times I've pulled over to allow highway patrol to pass. They not only don't ticket me, they give the customary double-taillight-blink thank you signal.

It's similar in most other states. Sure it's legal, but only under the very limited conditions that the law states.

Try traveling for miles on the shoulder and see if your friendly cop approves of it ...

[gone-ot]

...in Arizona it's illegal to drive/pass on the right shoulder--unless specifically marked--because (usually) the rightside of most roadways are marked & reserved for bicycles!