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Wednesday, September 22, 2010

Interstate Etiquette

Just a few of the finer points of polite driving while on the interstate.

1.  First of all, there is a misconception out there that a two-lane (or four-lane) interstate consists of a slow lane and a fast lane.  This is not correct, simply because 'slow' and 'fast' are based on opinion.  65 MPH might be fast for the guy that's blocking me from passing, but for me it seems just too slow.  The truth is that there is a driving lane, the right lane, and a passing lane, the left lane.  With this classification the use of each lane becomes that much more apparent.  If you are passing someone, use the left lane.  If you are not passing someone, you should not be in the left lane.  Simple as that.  An additional benefit is better gas mileage for anyone driving as being in the right lane forces you to 'draft' off the person/people in front of you.

   - A side note regarding the passing lane.  Passing should not me a loosely used term.  If the person you are passing is going 70 and you are going 71, sorry to say but you are not passing.  You are holding up the people behind you.  Sometimes, if you want to pass someone you might need to speed a bit to make it a quick and easy transition (the two traits of a good passing maneuver).  If speeding is too much of a risk for you, then you can just wait behind until there is nobody behind you that you will be holding up.

2.  Pay attention to your high beams.  I know that I am as guilty as anyone when it comes to forgetting to flip off the high beams when oncoming traffic is around.  It happens from time to time.  But everyone has seen the people who are at the BACK of a pack of vehicles, seemingly oblivious to the fact that their high beams are blinding in everyone else's mirrors.  Don't be one of these people.

3.  Drive civilized, please.  There is a line between driving spiritedly, or quickly, and just driving like an idiot.  Weaving in and out of traffic, cutting people off, tailgating people to get them to move out of the way, don't do these things.  Yeah, we all know that sometimes a person just is unaware that some people might be in more of a hurry than they are (up in the first point), but do you really want to ask for trouble like that?  You'll cause an accident that will most certainly involve others than yourself.  Besides that, I promise you that if you are patient for just a minute, you'll get a window to move on.

4.  The last point I'm going to make for today is definitely not the least important.  But be especially kind to truckers.  Yeah, I know that it sucks to drive 8 or 16 or 20 hours to wherever you are going.  But driving hours like that and .much worse is their job, and they don't only have to do it when they are going on vacation, they drive like that all the time.  Not to mention the stress that comes with knowing you are responsible for whatever thousands or millions of dollars of cargo you are hauling.  If a trucker needs to make a pass, slow down and let the trucker make his pass.  Don't be afraid to flash them in with your lights, anything to make it easier for em.  If you pay attention you see semi-drivers do this to each other all the time.  Altogether, just help out truck drivers when you can, the interstate is kinda their workplace anyway.

5 comments:

  1. some stupid cunt on the road today probably called my company. she was old and couldn't handle heavy traffic. traffic slowed down, and naturally i got close to her rear. She fucking freaked out!

    stupid cunt. i took a video of her retarded driving.

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  2. Made me... Very funny!

    Check out both my blogs - Both are worthy!

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  3. Now if only everyone followed these..

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  4. I would love it if everyone followed these rules.

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