Stay out of the fast lane

[Deuce]

Re: Stay out of the fast lane

Yes... Germany. Cool. I get it. It makes sense. When the speed limit is "Unlimited". However... in Alberta... it's not.

PS. Driving on the Autobahn is definitely on my "bucket" list of things to do before I die. BTW... where do you rent an Audi RS6 Avant in Germany anyways?

[Satnam]

Re: Stay out of the fast lane

I do highway almost every day and I see a lot of people pull out in to the left lane on purpose if they see someone coming up fast. Example, if right lane is doing 100-110 and they see someone come up doing 120-130 they'll pull out and block the flow. I guess they feel they are self policing.

Personally I've seen people on the highway that I think are going a little fast for the volume but I can't understand why you wouldn't just want to let them by instead of blocking them and having them 2 feet off your bumper to try to prove some point? I'm happy to let them by, they can ride someone elses bumper or keep the cops up ahead busy if they want.

I'm lovin' this thread. I use the so-called "passing" or "fast" lane for 2 reasons:

1. To "pass" people or go "fast". (NOTE: My definition of "fast" is anywhere up to about 25% over the speed limit.)
2. If I'm already IN the "pass" or "fast" lane going 25% over the speed limit and you (whoever you are) ride my ass because... well... 140kph isn't good enough for you on the Deerfoot... well then let me tell you sir... I will "c*ck block" the "fast/pass" lane all day long. In fact, I usually enjoy watching my rear view mirror and smiling as you (whoever you are) build yourself into a steaming rage and I can see your red face in your vehicle (which is a car length and a half behind me still at 140kph). Then, as soon as steam starts pouring out of your ears and you go to do the "double-douche" pass (ie. right lane pass on a 3 lane highway with me and another car in the pass and middle lanes respectively) I immediately step on it and pull into the middle lane.

Oh yeah, and as you pass me on the right as I'm now in front of the other car and give me the middle finger salute... I will gladly salute you back... most commonly by either the passive "smile and wave" or my favourite "the blowing of kisses".

See ya in the fast lane boyz!

so Deuce what kind douche would you be reffered to as?

[p951]

Re: Stay out of the fast lane

Yes... Germany. Cool. I get it. It makes sense. When the speed limit is "Unlimited". However... in Alberta... it's not.

PS. Driving on the Autobahn is definitely on my "bucket" list of things to do before I die. BTW... where do you rent an Audi RS6 Avant in Germany anyways?

So does that mean that in Alberta you can be a douche and block traffic just because you feel that you should be able to? How do you know they aren't heading somewhere to respond to an loved one in trouble? Or maybe they need to get somewhere quickly for a multitude of other reasons? Who are you to judge that they should be "following" your rules? Just get out of the way and let them by! Think what you want about them after, but just get out of the way!

That's one thing I really hate about the simple thinkers. . . They feel that they know all the facts without having a clue and that it's their moral right to make sure that everyone follows their rules and thinks like they do when in reality they haven't a clue. You see it all around in the stupid laws and bylaws that are enacted by people that didn't think through all of the aspects and consequences. Case in point being the current cat bylaw in Calgary. Sure it reduced the cat population roaming the streets, and no doubt that there are fewer cats being euthanized because there are fewer strays out there, but look what it did to the rabbit and !#@$^% magpie/crow (nuisance bird) population in the city (it exploded). Unintended consequences. Ok, that's my small rant for the day.

GET OUT OF THE LEFT LANE!

BTW, there are a number of car rental agencies that will rent high end sports cars in Europe, (AutoEurope is one), just be prepared to pay over $1k/day.

[P Arkus]

Re: Stay out of the fast lane

I think I can see what Deuce is getting at and I completely agree with him. When doing 140 and someone behind you is doing 165, you stay in the left lane and pass the string of vehicles UNTIL there is a big enough gap in the center or right lane to move over safely. When the traffic on the center or right lane is doing 100km/h and pretty crowded, there is no chance in hell i'm going to move over at 140 to slam on my brakes, let the guy behind me pass, then get back into the left lane and speed up again.

He's absolutely right, in Germany its a completely different story. I've driven the Autobahn, and there, 99% of the people follow the same rules and have the same respect. Here in Alberta, maybe 5% of people have courtesy and respect for fellow drivers, so when I'm behind someone doing even 120 passing a string of cars, and I wanna do 140, I wait patiently until he passes them and then moves over.

Completely different story if the middle or right lane is completely open, and the guy is in the left lane slowing me down....

[Jester B]

Re: Stay out of the fast lane

I'm confused. I thought that we had speed limits. I have a Class 5 license and have "rules", nay LAWS, to follow. Where do I get this special license that gives me the right to drive well over the speed limit and expect people to accommodate it? I'd read whatever sections on the "fast lane" or "passing lane" twice.

On the highway, it is a courtesy to stay right except to pass. I'm pretty sure that if you are doing 140 when you pass someone and you get clocked by a cop, saying "I was passing" isn't going to help you one lick. However, it is easier for everybody, ON THE HIGHWAY, if you drive right and pass left.

In the city, it's different. There are roads with entries and exits from both the right and left side. If i'm going to turn left, I will stay in the left lane no matter what you want or think I should do. If I'm on Deerfoot, Crowchild, Glenmore, etc. I will likely use the left lane to stay away from the mixing zones of merging traffic. I'm not policing the speeders behind me, I'm simply trying to make my drive as safe and efficient as possible. That said, if there is room in a middle or right lane to drive in and there isn't a bunch of dummies around trying to merge, then I'll stay farther to the right. Not because the left lane is for passing, but because I'll eventually be exiting right myself and fewer lane changes are generally safer.

Question. How many drivers do we have IN THE CITY who didn't grow up here? How many of them were trained in Germany (since when did they become the standard of driving excellence?)? How many of them learned somewhere in the world where, perhaps, lane markings didn't mean anything and the rule of the road was to just drive where you wanted other people be damned? How many people don't even have licenses?

You are all ranting about people getting out of your way and you are assuming that they use their mirrors, know what they are doing (let alone what you are trying to do), aren't texting, and have a basic comprehension of an implied social contract between drivers.

Besides.....the way I read the first post in this thread was that the Tial S4 is wicked fast...and still not broken in.

See ya in the left lane!!!

[luunta]

Re: Stay out of the fast lane

I'm confused. I thought that we had speed limits. I have a Class 5 license and have "rules", nay LAWS, to follow. Where do I get this special license that gives me the right to drive well over the speed limit and expect people to accommodate it? I'd read whatever sections on the "fast lane" or "passing lane" twice.

On the highway, it is a courtesy to stay right except to pass. I'm pretty sure that if you are doing 140 when you pass someone and you get clocked by a cop, saying "I was passing" isn't going to help you one lick. However, it is easier for everybody, ON THE HIGHWAY, if you drive right and pass left.

In the city, it's different. There are roads with entries and exits from both the right and left side. If i'm going to turn left, I will stay in the left lane no matter what you want or think I should do. If I'm on Deerfoot, Crowchild, Glenmore, etc. I will likely use the left lane to stay away from the mixing zones of merging traffic. I'm not policing the speeders behind me, I'm simply trying to make my drive as safe and efficient as possible. That said, if there is room in a middle or right lane to drive in and there isn't a bunch of dummies around trying to merge, then I'll stay farther to the right. Not because the left lane is for passing, but because I'll eventually be exiting right myself and fewer lane changes are generally safer.

Question. How many drivers do we have IN THE CITY who didn't grow up here? How many of them were trained in Germany (since when did they become the standard of driving excellence?)? How many of them learned somewhere in the world where, perhaps, lane markings didn't mean anything and the rule of the road was to just drive where you wanted other people be damned? How many people don't even have licenses?

You are all ranting about people getting out of your way and you are assuming that they use their mirrors, know what they are doing (let alone what you are trying to do), aren't texting, and have a basic comprehension of an implied social contract between drivers.

Besides.....the way I read the first post in this thread was that the Tial S4 is wicked fast...and still not broken in.

See ya in the left lane!!!

lol this post owned everyone.

[Mister T]

Re: Stay out of the fast lane

That's one thing I really hate about the simple thinkers. . . They feel that they know all the facts without having a clue and that it's their moral right to make sure that everyone follows their rules and thinks like they do when in reality they haven't a clue.

Thing is, that logic can be applied to most people following 1/2 a car length off your bumper at 110 km/hr. While I can see that someone intentionally blocking the left lane could pose a safety hazard, the guy tailgateing is posing far more of an accident risk.

How do I know this? Because at least 4/5 accidents I see are rear-enders. Now, while it's a possibility that someone may have cut in front of someone and slammed on the brakes, it's far far more likely that the offending individual was following to close and couldn't stop in time.

Like I said in another thread. If I can cruise in the middle lane of a three lane road, or if I'm on the highway I'll stay right. In any other situation, the safety of both my person and my vehicle comes before someone's 'right' to get somewhere another 30 seconds earlier. And if that safety involves staying out of the way of merging and exiting vehicles then the guy riding my car's arse is SOL.

[Deuce]

Re: Stay out of the fast lane

When the traffic on the center or right lane is doing 100km/h and pretty crowded, there is no chance in hell i'm going to move over at 140 to slam on my brakes, let the guy behind me pass, then get back into the left lane and speed up again.

Amen to that.

In any other situation, the safety of both my person and my vehicle comes before someone's 'right' to get somewhere another 30 seconds earlier. And if that safety involves staying out of the way of merging and exiting vehicles then the guy riding my car's arse is SOL.

Amen to that.

PS. Satnam... I ain't "self policing" but rather... exercising my right to safely complete my overtake in the passing lane whilst whoever is behind me will just have to wait... dear God... maybe 10 seconds at the most. Again... my issue here is against the people that believe that you are not allowed to use the passing or courtesy lane to pass safely before moving back over to the right or middle lane if you aren't going rocket ship speeds.

If I may use another example: 3 lane divided highway... middle and right lanes have 8 cars in each lane (16 total) going down the 110kph speed limit highway at 105kph. Let's say they are thoroughly all enjoying their Sunday drives in their Mazda Miata's. I check my rear view and then pull out into the left lane to pass the traffic in the middle/right lanes and accelerate up to 120kph in order to "minimize" my time out in the left lane. About 1/2 way through my "pass" (say 20 seconds later) some retard comes flying up on my ass at 155kph and then begins to rage because I'm essentially not "passing fast enough".

What I am trying to say is that I WILL NOT move out of the left lane and into the middle lane and step on my brakes as Patryk indicated just to let someone else continue on their rocket ride down the highway. I WILL move over when it is safe to do so however riding my ass at 120kph WILL NOT get me to move over. If you call that self-policing then fine... guilty... call me Mr. Policeman. However, I'd argue that I'm only exercising my right to drive SANE-ly whilst driving those who prefer to drive INSANELY... nuts.

PS. P951... as for the ..."How do you know they aren't heading somewhere to respond to an loved one in trouble? Or maybe they need to get somewhere quickly for a multitude of other reasons?"... are you frickin' kidding me? If that's the case... I've got a tip for you... it's called 9-1-1. On the other hand... if you're in a hurry because your Dairy Queen Blizzard is melting beside you... well... sorry bud... I guess you'll have to wait another 20 seconds while I pass. My bad.

PS. This thread is awesome!

[100%VAGitarian]

Re: Stay out of the fast lane

wow. making them wait until you feel you've made your pass safely? lol!! regardless of how you put it, you are still holding up someone who is now even more pissed off and thus more likely to pull a stupid move, putting even more peoples lives at stake. you already admitted to pissing them off and waiting until they pull into the other lane, and then you step on it to make them even more mad. that's ignorant. why don't you just accelerate a little bit more, make your lane change back over to the right, after you've passed, and let him speed on. plus pulling into the left lane without noticing that some guy doing 50kms/hr more than you, or the rest of traffic, is fail.

rear view mirror drivers suck.

[p951]

Re: Stay out of the fast lane

"The first rule of Italian driving. . . What's behind me is not important." - The Gumball Rally.



I love this thread!



Deuce - I guess you've never been in a hurry, waiting for someone to get out of your way? My point (which you missed) was that you don't know WHY someone is speeding, it could be just that they are jerks, or drunk, or in a legitimate hurry to get somewhere before someone dies (even if 911 is already there responding). Don't make assumptions and don't be a jerk and inflame the situation.

As for Jester's rules comment, you're correct there are rules. But it is not your job to enforce them. It's the individual's choice (and all the consequences that come with it - yes even if they kill someone because of their choices) to do or not do whatever. But, it's usually a string of bad choices (speeding, someone blocking, getting mad, speeding even more (now mad and not paying as much attention), etc. that usually end up causing an accident or loss of life. It doesn't take much to defuse a situation versus inflaming it. The outcomes may be different.

Let's face it, nobody can force anybody else to do ANYTHING. The best we can do is be responsible for our own actions and choices.

As for driving in the city, I agree, typically there is no passing lane basically it's a free for all!

[jta430]

Re: Stay out of the fast lane

Yes... Germany. Cool. I get it. It makes sense. When the speed limit is "Unlimited". However... in Alberta... it's not.

PS. Driving on the Autobahn is definitely on my "bucket" list of things to do before I die. BTW... where do you rent an Audi RS6 Avant in Germany anyways?

i spent 2 years in germany with the british army. the RS6 was a local guy from the audi club,he took a few of us out in it to show us brits how to really drive,on the autobahn.

[Ur0Drivr]

Re: Stay out of the fast lane

As for Jester's rules comment, you're correct there are rules. But it is not your job to enforce them. It's the individual's choice (and all the consequences that come with it - yes even if they kill someone because of their choices) to do or not do whatever. But, it's usually a string of bad choices (speeding, someone blocking, getting mad, speeding even more (now mad and not paying as much attention), etc. that usually end up causing an accident or loss of life. It doesn't take much to defuse a situation versus inflaming it. The outcomes may be different.

Let's face it, nobody can force anybody else to do ANYTHING. The best we can do is be responsible for our own actions and choices.

As for driving in the city, I agree, typically there is no passing lane basically it's a free for all!

Exactly, and that goes both ways, you can't force someone to go faster by riding their bumper like an ass. Speed limits are there for a reason people, getting someplace 10-20 seconds later does not make a difference. As for the people going to an emergency, by going at +/- 155 kph, you might save a couple of minutes, but you also have a higher probability of becoming another emergency yourself. All in all, drive defensively, worry about what the people around you are doing and go at a speed that is safe for all involved. And above all else have some manners when you drive.

Oh, and BTW, you can make a citizens "arrest" for reckless driving, you phone police with the license plate & details of what that person did and that person will get a ticket in the mail and a summons to appear in court. Now in this case if you called in they will ask you to show up also for the court date to support your side of the story. A pain in the ass, but it can be done.

[Deuce]

Re: Stay out of the fast lane

...plus pulling into the left lane without noticing that some guy doing 50kms/hr more than you, or the rest of traffic, is fail...

Correction... driving 50kph faster than the normal flow of traffic is fail.
Pissing off half of the people in this thread however... is all Win.

Cheers...

[jta430]

Re: Stay out of the fast lane

Germany (since when did they become the standard of driving excellence?)jester B

well i lived there for 2 years they have the least deaths on their roads compared to other western countries.there driving test is one of the toughest in europe following only finland.
they must be doing something right.

[eldo]

Re: Stay out of the fast lane

... so many "variables" to the situations in this thread. entertaining.

i do find it interesting that there are typical gramps-responses from members on a european car enthusiast forum though? wtf do you own a 300+hp small sedan or 24v awd Golf for if you are not enjoying driving the car? status?.. how typically Calgarian of you.

why do you care if someone is going whatever speedy-speed they are? does it make your dink shrivel? do you fear the depletion of the ozone due to the excess fuel burning? are you afraid for the safety of everyone on the planet? i don't get it? i can't help you with some of the reasons,.. but if you're truly thinking from a safety-standpoint, wouldn't it just make sense to get out of the way of "crazy person"?

no one knows someone else's circumstances on the road.
on a recent Coquihalla trip, i had cruise set at an illegal speed. saw lights in my rear view, and pulled into the far right lane to give the person as much room as possible. i would estimate the M5 drivers speed at about 230+km/h. was that person "capable" of performing that task?... i dunno? did i want to stay door to door to find-out? no. pretty simple.

maybe i should have cut him off because he was breaking the law and made a citizen's arrest?