ROTD thread

[chazmo]

Chazmo,

The page you linked for the first link, did not mention what you intended. Wrong link, perhaps?

The second link does show a sign would be in place, but it doesn't mean more than if you are a really slow car, stay to the right. As I mentioned with trucks or vehicles with trailers pulling up a hill. It does not mean " Only use the right lane to pass " like was mentioned in the thread. Trust me, I've been driving in this state since 1980. No one is told to stay to the right unless you are passing. All available lanes are filled equally on every freeway.

Hi John, no, it's the right link, and I quoted the relevant passage in it right under the link. That passage is about 3/4 down on the page.

You seem to be defensive of California, John. That's OK, but I'm merely stating my personal observations and indicating that "stay right except to pass" is the rule of thumb that basically is supposed to apply everywhere. California drivers have been doing exactly the opposite for a very long time.

Best wishes.

 

[Rocky]

Well, 'stay right unless you're passing' can be relative.

On the Merritt Parkway, for example, you should get over to the right to let people pass, but if you park yourself in the right lane, you actually impair people from getting on the highway, since the on-ramps are so short and so frequent.

 

[chazmo]

Well, 'stay right unless you're passing' can be relative.

On the Merritt Parkway, for example, you should get over to the right to let people pass, but if you park yourself in the right lane, you actually impair people from getting on the highway, since the on-ramps are so short and so frequent.

Apparently I've touched a nerve. Well, ROTDs can do that.

 

[Rocky]

Apparently I've touched a nerve. Well, ROTDs can do that.

Nah, I don't drive it that much. I think the real rule about driving that nobody seems to follow any more is 'be aware of your surroundings.'

Oh, and don't get in the left lane on the autobahn unless you're in a car you personally own, and feel confident of its capabilities.

 

[RBSinTo]

Hi John, no, it's the right link, and I quoted the relevant passage in it right under the link. That passage is about 3/4 down on the page.

You seem to be defensive of California, John. That's OK, but I'm merely stating my personal observations and indicating that "stay right except to pass" is the rule of thumb that basically is supposed to apply everywhere. California drivers have been doing exactly the opposite for a very long time.

Best wishes.

chazmo,
Passing on the right, passing on the left, changing lanes or turning without signaling, driving waaaay above, or waaaay below speed
limit, turning left with right signal on and vice versa, stopping in the middle of a lane to offload passengers, or just to use cellphone: just the usual stuff here in Markham. The Province of Ontario is responsible for issuing Driver's Licences, and it seems that they are now just putting them in boxes of Cracker Jacks as prizes.
RBSinTo

 

[chazmo]

I've been up in your neck of the woods, RBSinTo, but not enough to judge the driving habits up there. I love Toronno.... I just don't think I could handle the winters up there!

 

[RBSinTo]

I've been up in your neck of the woods, RBSinTo, but not enough to judge the driving habits up there. I love Toronno.... I just don't think I could handle the winters up there!

chazmo,
The winters are what they are. No big deal.
Hell, eliminate the ice and snow, and Toronto is just like Florida, but without the guns.
I'm thinking of painting nose art on my car reading "Memphis Belle" with the stacked blonde under it. Maybe then I'll have a better shot at surviving when I drive up here.
RBSinTo

 

[Rocky]

The winters are what they are. No big deal.

As long as you're out of the 'lake effect zone.' But that's a different thread.

 

[adorshki]

Chazmo,

The page you linked for the first link, did not mention what you intended. Wrong link, perhaps?

The second link does show a sign would be in place, but it doesn't mean more than if you are a really slow car, stay to the right. As I mentioned with trucks or vehicles with trailers pulling up a hill. It does not mean " Only use the right lane to pass " like was mentioned in the thread. Trust me, I've been driving in this state since 1980. No one is told to stay to the right unless you are passing. All available lanes are filled equally on every freeway.

There is a "slower traffic keep right" rule, but on a 3-lane or wider, the far right lane is now a permanent cesspool of drivers attempting to merge in an insufficient distance to achieve merging speed after coming to a complete stop a metering light which itself took away half of the merging ramp's accelerating length, all while attempting to keep track of gthe dive-bombers who veer across 3 lanes less than 1/4 from the exit they want, and cutting into lines of cars while doing it.

All these gyrations in the 2 right-hand lanes render 'em pothole filled tire hazards, and I refuse to us 'em when my gas taxes, the highest in the nation, aren't being used for their legislated purpose of highway maintenance.

And when some jerk tailgates me aggressively when there's plenty of room to pass on either side I just turn on my hazards and lift off the pedal.

The fact you want to waste your gas and brakes doesn't obligate me to waste mine.

 

[adorshki]

Hi John, no, it's the right link, and I quoted the relevant passage in it right under the link. That passage is about 3/4 down on the page.

You seem to be defensive of California, John. That's OK, but I'm merely stating my personal observations and indicating that "stay right except to pass" is the rule of thumb that basically is supposed to apply everywhere. California drivers have been doing exactly the opposite for a very long time.

Best wishes.

Actually, in CA it's legal to pass on the right, which is another source of driver error when they believe somebody's blocking 'em but the right lane's open.

And y'know what? I have no sympathy for the jerks who race past me at 75, right into the clot of cars only a 1/4 mile down the road, and then suddenly have to slam their brakes on. And I usually wind up passing 'em on the right without touching my brakes because they drove right into a rolling cul-de-sac and don't have the brains to just slow down and go around, but rather try to bully another driver out of the way with aggressive tailgating. And when they're that close, the tailgated party can't see if they're gonna cut somebody off if they do move over.

Flashing your headlights is also illegal in CA. This ain't the effing autobahn, and thank god for it.

 

[RBSinTo]

......Flashing your headlights is also illegal in CA. This ain't the effing autobahn, and thank god for it.

adorshki,
I don't know about California, or other states for that matter, but here in our neck of the woods drivers also flash their brights to warn oncoming traffic of police cars lying in wait for speeders. The police may not like it, but I always rationalize it as "good citizen's crime prevention".
RBSinTo

 

[FNG]

Probably left lane campers too....

 

[GardMan]

Re: merge lanes, etc...
When they re-vamped I-80 and I-15 thru Salt Lake for the 2002 Olympics, they installed electronic highway signs, to warn drivers of upcoming hazards, inform them of travel times, etc, give other relevant (or not) information about freeway conditions, and remind drivers about things like seat belt laws, smog days, etc. As it turns out, the operators of these signs have a somewhat strange sense of humor, and the signs often include bad puns, off sayings, etc...

One of the best messages I have ever seen on these signs, re: Utahn's dis-courteous (but common) tendency to block cars from merging onto the freeway read "Let 'em in! It's a lane, not a birthright!"

 

[JohnW63]

"You seem to be defensive of California, John."

Nope. I'd like to toss the whole legislature out today and start over. All I'm saying is that what seems a common " rule of thumb " in many places in the country is not ever mentioned here. Besides, there aren't enough lanes on any freeway anywhere in Southern California as it is, to have a rule of thumb indicate drivers should not drive in the far left lane unless passing. We'd all be saying " I'm passing everyone for the next 75 miles, officer. "

 

[adorshki]

adorshki,
I don't know about California, or other states for that matter, but here in our neck of the woods drivers also flash their brights to warn oncoming traffic of police cars lying in wait for speeders. The police may not like it, but I always rationalize it as "good citizen's crime prevention".
RBSinTo

"Flash to pass" is illegal, but "flash to alert" isn't, as far aI've ever seen, and I actually have a copy of the DMV handbook, albeit 35 years old.

The "LE presence warning" issue might be covered under another statute, but, "flash to alert" such as in the case of a driver with no lights on hasn't been cited to the best of my knowledge.

We recently implemented a daytime running light law for rain, for example, and a no-hands cell phone law since nobody seemed to recall there was already a distracted driving statute on the books.

Now we can cite 'em twice for the price of one stop.

 

[chazmo]

Crappy weather on the day before Thanksgiving:

Bleh.

That is all. Barely counts as a rant.

 

[walrus]

Crappy weather on the day before Thanksgiving:

Bleh.

That is all. Barely counts as a rant.

But Thanksgiving itself looks to be nice! (a positive rant!)

walrus

 

[adorshki]

But Thanksgiving itself looks to be nice! (a positive rant!)

walrus

Oh, one o' them contrarians, eh?

 

[davismanLV]

Crappy weather on the day before Thanksgiving:

Bleh.

That is all. Barely counts as a rant.

Such a nice day here. 60 degrees at 10:30 am going up to 64. Low tonight of 42. Partly cloudy and clam. Really nice!!

 

[GGJaguar]

Crappy weather on the day before Thanksgiving:

You can always pull a 12er out and give it a whirl.