Aggressive driving epiphany

xobxdoc

Active Member
I have been teaching the boy for the last few months how to drive. Today I felt it was time for him to take a lap around the beltway. Half way through the trip it dawned on me how much less stress there was actually doing the speed limit. We made the trip in the outer lanes. So to all you aggressive driving whiners, there is merit to your complaints. You still need to stay the hell out of the left lane though.
 

PeoplesElbow

Well-Known Member
I have been teaching the boy for the last few months how to drive. Today I felt it was time for him to take a lap around the beltway. Half way through the trip it dawned on me how much less stress there was actually doing the speed limit. We made the trip in the outer lanes. So to all you aggressive driving whiners, there is merit to your complaints. You still need to stay the hell out of the left lane though.

I think I understand why people cruise in the left lane, because there are so many left turns on what should be a highway with exit ramps only on the right side people often have to get over. Now people here follow very closely and I have actually found it difficult to find a spot big enough to safely maneuver into when trying to get over to the left to make a left hand turn. Today someone actually sped up to block me when I tried to get over, joke was on them though they ended up having to jam on the brakes because they forgot to watch the car in front of them because they were so concerned with me taking their spot.
 

somdwatch

Well-Known Member
If they could fine left lane bandits the practice of staying there would stop. It's just a "courtesy", no money to make of it, so no enforcement of it! Maryland could have a surplus if they made it law!
 
H

Hodr

Guest
I'm half-way convinced that roads in Maryland are designed to be inefficient. I understand a lot of it is historical (the original roadways being possibly hundreds of years old). But no over/under passes, sharp angled incredibly short off ramps, and stop lights on the highways? In most of the country you can roughly estimate travel time by the number of miles (30 miles = 30 minutes or less). Down here, the distance bears little to no relation to the travel time.
 

Toxick

Splat
I'm half-way convinced that roads in Maryland are designed to be inefficient.




Only halfway convinced? I'm fully convinced, and I have been for a very long time.

There is absolutely no doubt in my mind that there are MANY places in and around Maryland where there is no explanation for horrendous design, other than the designers were deliberately making things difficult for no other reason than to be difficult.





Lusby town center, for instance, is an abortion.
 

BernieP

Resident PIA
If they could fine left lane bandits the practice of staying there would stop. It's just a "courtesy", no money to make of it, so no enforcement of it! Maryland could have a surplus if they made it law!

but some nearby states do have a law on the books and enforce it - (New Jersey)
 

BernieP

Resident PIA
Only halfway convinced? I'm fully convinced, and I have been for a very long time.

There is absolutely no doubt in my mind that there are MANY places in and around Maryland where there is no explanation for horrendous design, other than the designers were deliberately making things difficult for no other reason than to be difficult.


Lusby town center, for instance, is an abortion.

Since Lusby isn't actually a town, where is the "town center"?
Well you have to remember you have had a couple of governors who did not want "sprawl" so they would not upgrade or build new roads.
Was watching a show that discussed highway design. At one time the cloverleaf interchange was considered state of the art. Now it's considered a traffic bottleneck and the new design is the "fly over".
So if you have a lot of older design, the entire "refurbishing" of schools and roads brings to mind the saying, "no matter how much lipstick you put on a pig, it's still a pig".
 

Larry Gude

Strung Out
There is absolutely no doubt in my mind that there are MANY places in and around Maryland where there is no explanation for horrendous design, other than the designers were deliberately making things difficult for no other reason than to be difficult.

Lusby town center, for instance, is an abortion.

Not to place doubt in your mind but there is personal property rights to consider and just how long that takes and how inefficient it is vs. totalitarianism in terms of laying out roads in the available land. The ICC has taken some 30-40 years and virtually all of that was because of private property concerns. When I was a kid I remember when the beltway didn't go around all the way; property rights. As is, the swerve it does through Montgomery county was because of property rights.
 

CrashTest

Well-Known Member
My definition of an aggressive driver is someone who acts like they own the road and can do as they please. That could either be the super fast guy who wants to run over folks, or it could be the super slow guy who thinks he's allowed to get in everyone's way.
 

glhs837

Power with Control
Taught mine that following the limit on a roadway like the beltway is not always the best choice. Flow of traffic is safer. Just spent three days in VA, man reasonable speed limits rock
 

Larry Gude

Strung Out
My definition of an aggressive driver is someone who acts like they own the road and can do as they please. That could either be the super fast guy who wants to run over folks, or it could be the super slow guy who thinks he's allowed to get in everyone's way.

That's right. Disparity of speed is the issue more so than actual speed. Go with the flow applies here.
 

spr1975wshs

Mostly settled in...
Ad Free Experience
Patron
Illinois passed a similar "left lane is for passing, right lanes are for traveling" law several years ago.
Been that way in my home state of Taxachusetts for as long as I can remember.
 

bilbur

New Member
My definition of an aggressive driver is someone who acts like they own the road and can do as they please. That could either be the super fast guy who wants to run over folks, or it could be the super slow guy who thinks he's allowed to get in everyone's way.

AAH yes, but the problem is that to the super slow guy you are the super fast guy and to the super fast guy you are the super slow guy so who determines what is acceptable in each range :lmao:. Personally, I drive 5 to 9 over and stay in the right lane whenever possible. I also don't tailgate because no matter how mad someone makes me it is not worth damaging my vehicle. I do admit that I do get angry at people who create rolling roadblocks or are in the left lane going slower than the right lane with no intention of turning anytime soon. I also get mad at the ones who will tailgate me when I am in the right lane. I also get angry at the ones that use turn lanes as their own personal travel lanes then expect someone to let them in that has been following the law and waiting in traffic. I also get angry at the ones who don't use their turn signals and force their way over. I also get angry at the ones who will not let someone in even thou they were using their turn signal which to me is someone politely asking if they can be let over. I guess there is a lot on the road that makes me angry and there is nothing I can do about any of it so I just try and let it go. If I stew over it for any amount of time I feel that the jerks have won at that point so, unless it is a particularly dangerous maneuver that could have caused an accident, I just take a breath and go on with my day.
 

DEEKAYPEE8569

Well-Known Member
That's right. Disparity of speed is the issue more so than actual speed. Go with the flow applies here.

Around here though, if traffic is moving above the speed limit and you are too, but you're last in line, you may just be the one getting a ticket.
"Well, everybody else was going 65; I was just keeping up with traffic." Reply: "Yeah, well, the speed limit is 55; and.....I caught you. Not a whole lot you can say after that, unfortunately.
 

PsyOps

Pixelated
Around here though, if traffic is moving above the speed limit and you are too, but you're last in line, you may just be the one getting a ticket.
"Well, everybody else was going 65; I was just keeping up with traffic." Reply: "Yeah, well, the speed limit is 55; and.....I caught you. Not a whole lot you can say after that, unfortunately.

You left out "but Larry told me..." :lol:

The thing I can't figure out is why folks can't just let other folks drive the way they feel is safe for them. I like to keep myself around 5-6 over; I might go a little more over when passing, but quickly get back in the right lane and resume my speed. When I get close to home I get in the left lane because my left turn is coming up. It's an every day thing folks doing 80 hug my bumper flipping and flailing because I am in their way. I am NOT speeding up for them. I will not accommodate their impatience and sense of privilege by taking the risk of getting a ticket. If folks can't realize I belong there just as much as they do at the speed I have decided is best for me, then perhaps they have some life-issues to resolve.
 

glhs837

Power with Control
And if criminals would just stop breaking the law, the police could just stick to eating donuts........ How about if I told you that speed limits are usually set too low, as judged by the fact that most people exceed them, yet speed alone causes less than 3% of accidents. If safety is the point, speed isn't the problem, it's failure to yield and distraction.
 
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