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Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!harpo!seismo!hao!hplabs!sdcrdcf!jlilien
From: jlilien@sdcrdcf.UUCP (Joel Lilienkamp)
Newsgroups: net.flame
Subject: Driving fast vs. Left Lane Bandits
Message-ID: <808@sdcrdcf.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 1-Feb-84 14:05:46 EST
Article-I.D.: sdcrdcf.808
Posted: Wed Feb  1 14:05:46 1984
Date-Received: Wed, 8-Feb-84 03:41:53 EST
References: <279@hou2h.UUCP>
Reply-To: jlilien@sdcrdcf.UUCP (Joel Lilienkamp)
Organization: System Development Corporation, Santa Monica
Lines: 37


The hostilities between those who wish to drive fast and those who are
left lane bandits is getting hotter than ever.  A few comments:

To those who wish to drive fast:  While I can relate to your desires to
drive this way, you have several important responsibilities.  First and
foremost, you must not endanger the lives of other motorists on the
road.  This includes the left lane bandits.  If he (or she) is truly a
left lane bandit, then there is clear left lane in front of that car,
and the cars in the right lane are moving faster.  It is much safer to
merge right, pass, and then claim the left lane for yourself when you
pass the slow car on the right.  If there are cars in the right lane
moving slower than that car, it has a legitimate right to be there.
Tailgaiting gains you little and risks a lot.  So just slow down; you'll
get your chance to pass.

To those who are left lane bandits:  I really don't understand you.
Why do you want to drive in a passing lane when you are not passing?
The law in most states is clear: "Keep Right EXCEPT to Pass."  It
couldn't be more clear.  You don't have a "right" to drive anywhere
you want to.  You have a right to drive in the right lane and pass in
the left lane.  It doesn't say keep right except to pass or if you
are going at least the speed limit.  On multilane (more than two each
way) freeways, the issue is a little more muddy, but a good general
rule is that if cars are passing you on the right, you are too far
left.  As a driver, you have a serious responsibility to make the
roads as safe as possible for all other drivers.  You do not have a
responsibility to enforce the speed limit; this job is for the police.
Your slowing down when he flashes his lights just makes him mad, and
forces him to move into the right lane, endangering other innocent
drivers who are expecting the fast traffic to be in the left lane.
It seems much safer for everyone for the slow car to move to the
right and let the speeder go by.  Then, your interaction with him
is a few seconds instead of a few minutes.

It just seems to me that if everyone were a little more cooperative,
the roads would be a safer and more enjoyable place to be.