The Left Lane/Right Lane Thunderdome Thread

[CorsiHockeyLeague]

Originally Posted by Locke

Long distance driving is a marathon, not a sprint. Doing 130+ on the highway is going to get you there only marginally faster if that depending on traffic.

The math doesn't add up. It's just over 600 km from Calgary to Kelowna; about 1200 km round trip. The difference between an average speed of 100kph as compared to an average speed of 90kph over that distance is 80 minutes. I wouldn't call that nothing.

[Enoch Root]

yeah, the 'driving at a faster average speed won't change your trip time' myth is a good one

[jayswin]

Originally Posted by opendoor

I think you're greatly underestimating how long a pass should take. The pass as described (3 vehicles going 110 km/h being passed by a car going 120 km/h) would take more than 30 seconds. With a 10 km/h speed differential, 30 seconds will gain you about 80 meters on the cars in the right lane. Even if you only allow a second between each of the 3 vehicles (and add the same behind the last vehicle and in front of the first one to allow for safe lane changes) that's about 200 meters you need to gain on them to pass. Even if you're going 140 km/h the pass would still take 25 seconds to make.

I would argue if you're only going to go 10km/hr faster than the people you're passing than you weren't really a candidate to pass.

This is something that gets overlooked in these debates, imo. At what speed above the middle lane cars is it appropriate to take up the left lane to pass? If you're deciding that you need to pass guys because of a 10km/hr difference I'd say that's a selfish pass that will almost assuredly cause left lane issues in decent to heavy traffic.

10km/hr more than traffic = a ****ty pass. I wouldn't be surprised if this is a common, overlooked issue with a lot of the posters always talking about "maniacs" and "dooshbags" coming up behind them. I'm with the guy who said that if you're passing properly and considerately (aka looking to see if someone is already in the process of passing and not just pulling out regardless of what's going on in the left land behind you) than "maniacs" coming up behind you really shouldn't be a common occurrence.

[Locke]

Originally Posted by CorsiHockeyLeague

The math doesn't add up. It's just over 600 km from Calgary to Kelowna; about 1200 km round trip. The difference between an average speed of 100kph as compared to an average speed of 90kph over that distance is 80 minutes. I wouldn't call that nothing.

Hahaha! Good luck! If that road was 100% empty you couldnt maintain that speed in certain stretches.

You're talking about 40 minutes, maybe, if the stars align perfectly.

[jayswin]

Originally Posted by CorsiHockeyLeague

The math doesn't add up. It's just over 600 km from Calgary to Kelowna; about 1200 km round trip. The difference between an average speed of 100kph as compared to an average speed of 90kph over that distance is 80 minutes. I wouldn't call that nothing.

Originally Posted by Enoch Root

yeah, the 'driving at a faster average speed won't change your trip time' myth is a good one

Yeah, that argument holds more water in short distance, inner city trips, and I'd still argue that it's not completely true unless it's heavy traffic and/or the faster guy has horrible luck with lights.

On BC trips you can save serious time with a slightly faster average speed. The exceptions of course being long weekend type levels of traffic or construction/accidents that tend to put everyone "back at the starting line" so to speak.

We started out years ago from Calgary, two groups of people, going to the interior. The guy driving the other car was a typical laid back, cautious, no need to speed guy, and we beat their car to the destination by a good hour and a half.

Not a perfectly scientific comparison obviously (how longs were gas/food stops etc), but you can make some serious time on BC trips at a still safe, but faster speed if you're slightly motivated.

[CorsiHockeyLeague]

Originally Posted by Locke

Hahaha! Good luck! If that road was 100% empty you couldnt maintain that speed in certain stretches.

You're talking about 40 minutes, maybe, if the stars align perfectly.

I'm talking about average speed and an average speed difference of 10 km / h, which seems like a reasonable stand in for the difference in speed between someone who's driving casually vs. "trying to get there as fast as possible guy". It's not relevant if it's 100 vs 90 or 90 vs 80 - and actually, if you assume the average speed for that distance is lower, then the 10 km / h difference actually saves you more time, not less, because it represents a larger proportion of your total speed.

Let's say you're right, and the best you can reasonably do between Calgary and Kelowna is 80 kph if you're doing everything possible to get there quickly. That's 15 hours. If you're doing the more casual 10 km / h slower, so your average speed is 70 km / h, that's a difference of 130 minutes.

[taco.vidal]

Originally Posted by jayswin

Yeah, that argument holds more water in short distance, inner city trips, and I'd still argue that it's not completely true unless it's heavy traffic and/or the faster guy has horrible luck with lights.

On BC trips you can save serious time with a slightly faster average speed. The exceptions of course being long weekend type levels of traffic or construction/accidents that tend to put everyone "back at the starting line" so to speak.

We started out years ago from Calgary, two groups of people, going to the interior. The guy driving the other car was a typical laid back, cautious, no need to speed guy, and we beat their car to the destination by a good hour and a half.

Not a perfectly scientific comparison obviously (how longs were gas/food stops etc), but you can make some serious time on BC trips at a still safe, but faster speed if you're slightly motivated.

The laid back guy was probably relaxed, stopped for gas and Tim's, enjoyed the day with his family.

What did you do with your extra time after you arrived? Have relations with your wife?

[CorsiHockeyLeague]

Originally Posted by Jayswin

The guy driving the other car was a typical laid back, cautious, no need to speed guy, and we beat their car to the destination by a good hour and a half.

Originally Posted by taco.vidal

What did you do with your extra time after you arrived? Have relations with your wife?

Probably, but that still doesn't answer the question of what he did with the other hour and 27 minutes.

[jayswin]

Originally Posted by taco.vidal

The laid back guy was probably relaxed, stopped for gas and Tim's, enjoyed the day with his family.

What did you do with your extra time after you arrived? Have relations with your wife?

That time? We got drunk too fast and ended up passed out in a field and wasted the entire first night of the trip, while the slower group had fun.

[Enoch Root]

Originally Posted by taco.vidal

The laid back guy was probably relaxed, stopped for gas and Tim's, enjoyed the day with his family.

What did you do with your extra time after you arrived? Have relations with your wife?

So you're saying you like to go slower and take longer so that you don't have time to have relations with your partner?

[4X4]

Originally Posted by taco.vidal

The laid back guy was probably relaxed, stopped for gas and Tim's, enjoyed the day with his family.

What did you do with your extra time after you arrived? Have relations with your wife?

Yeah, what an insignificant amount of time that is. I'm sure an extra hour in the car was quality family time instead of being at the lake. Some of you guys make it sound like doing things efficiently is some kind of outrageous idea. Sure, I could change the oil in my truck in 10 minutes, but why? I might as well pull the plug, go have 6 beers, and then come and do the filter and fill it. Hey, I could also walk slower when mowing my lawn? Whats an extra few minutes?

Just because you don't care about anything else, doesn't mean I don't. And just because you're lazily meandering your way to your destination, doesn't mean I have to. I know where I'm going, and I like to get there in a reasonable amount of time.

[jayswin]

4X4 is the Billy Crystal of driving discussion.

[taco.vidal]

Road _ _ _ _.

Originally Posted by Enoch Root

So you're saying you like to go slower and take longer so that you don't have time to have relations with your partner?

[taco.vidal]

Originally Posted by 4X4

Yeah, what an insignificant amount of time that is. I'm sure an extra hour in the car was quality family time instead of being at the lake. Some of you guys make it sound like doing things efficiently is some kind of outrageous idea. Sure, I could change the oil in my truck in 10 minutes, but why? I might as well pull the plug, go have 6 beers, and then come and do the filter and fill it. Hey, I could also walk slower when mowing my lawn? Whats an extra few minutes?

Just because you don't care about anything else, doesn't mean I don't. And just because you're lazily meandering your way to your destination, doesn't mean I have to. I know where I'm going, and I like to get there in a reasonable amount of time.

I havent even said what side of the argument Im on but I can see you driving, beet red, steaming over every left lane slowpoke, swearing in front of your kids, tailgating, but then being happy and feeling it was all worth itbecause you saved 30 minutes including the extra 5 by making your wife hold her pee for the final two hours of your drive.

[CorsiHockeyLeague]

Taco, now that you've mastered the "post goes under quote" thing, next step is the multi-quote function.

... Also, everyone knows that the answer as to "what's so great about getting to the interior quicker" is always "in hot tub with cold beer in hand sooner". I believe that has been true in 100% of trips I've ever taken to the interior regardless of the time of year. You can't mess around with something like that, every minute counts.

[taco.vidal]

Thanks tips.

Originally Posted by CorsiHockeyLeague

Taco, now that you've mastered the "post goes under quote" thing, next step is the multi-quote function.

... Also, everyone knows that the answer as to "what's so great about getting to the interior quicker" is always "in hot tub with cold beer in hand sooner". I believe that has been true in 100% of trips I've ever taken to the interior regardless of the time of year. You can't mess around with something like that, every minute counts.

[jayswin]

haha

[4X4]

Originally Posted by taco.vidal

I havent even said what side of the argument Im on but I can see you driving, beet red, steaming over every left lane slowpoke, swearing in front of your kids, tailgating, but then being happy and feeling it was all worth itbecause you saved 30 minutes including the extra 5 by making your wife hold her pee for the final two hours of your drive.

That's funny. I see you as the guy cruising at 101 in the left lane and then speeding up and blocking someone trying to pass you in the right lane.

There's a huge difference between driving efficiently and driving like an a-hole.

[Cecil Terwilliger]

Originally Posted by jayswin

4X4 is the Billy Crystal of driving discussion.

Exactly how I pictured him.

[PepsiFree]

The solution is pretty simple: respect each other, be aware of the law, and remember that everyone is on their own set of standards.

If someone isn't being respectful, whether that's not moving over or tailgating, don't take that as your opportunity to make a point. Driving is possibly the most dangerous thing you'll do. The only thing to guide you once you have a licence is the law and a loose (incredibly subjective) set of guidelines.

If someone doesn't move for you?
Don't tailgate them.
If someone is tailgating you?
Move for them.
Remember the left lane goes faster.
Remember not to go faster than the speed of traffic in the right lane.
Remember that the far right lane usually has people entering/exiting or people hoping to do so, these are slower people.

Be grown ups.