Get the F*** Out of the Left Lane

[Dion]

Originally Posted by urban1

They should just have mandatory re-testing for drivers who got their drivers license in a town of less than 1,000.

How about re testing everyone on a regular basis?

From what I saw on the Deerfoot today, some needed a refresher course in a big way.

[Uncarved]

4x4 i bet you are one of those guys during construction area's where you know at least a km ahead the lane will end, but instead of getting in with traffic you will race ahead in the ending lane and force somone to let you in. Those are the people that pi** me off, causing longer waiting times and stopping the flow of traffic so your a** can be home 2 min earlier.

[Engine09]

You mean no passing on the right.

Whoops, absoluely meant to say no passing on the right. Thanks for catching that.

I had a pretty quick bike, 1100ccs, and I still got passed by an old lady. Of course not every ###### can get a liscense over there, I felt quite confident in the abilities of everyone I shared the road with. It was great.

[DementedReality]

slightly on topic. ..

whats more frustrating ...

1) drivers who drive tenativly and hold up traffic and basically drive like they have no clue, but you look at them and they look scared out of their mind (or just oblivious)

OR

those drivers who are driving tenativly, but when you look at them they look like someone who should be driving with some confidence and not like they just got their license.

[ken0042]

The thing is- no matter if you are speeding, doing the limit, or under- is the fact that people will seem to want to "pace" each other. And quite often that involves at least one car being in the others' blind spot; or at least a place with less visibility. I see this on Deerfoot; as well as urban roads.

If people would quit doing that, we'd all be happier.

[rockstar]

Originally Posted by REDVAN

@ 4X4:

Listen, there are lots of people on this board who will not agree with us. They think that driving at whatever speed you feel like is immoral. How dare you drive one kmph over!!!! They are the ones who think it's funny to block traffic because they don't feel safe going faster.

I restrained myself in the other thread and in this one I won't. If you want to drive at or below the speed limit do not screw up anyone else's driving because you want to do that. Mind your own God damn business and stay OUT of the lane you KNOW you don't want to be in. It makes everyone happier if you don't want to be rushed. If you go in the left lane I (and others like me) will tailgate you because you deserve it, then don't come to calgarypuck and say that we are wrong for doing so. You were just as wrong for instigating the problem in the first place.

Just leave me alone and I won't bother you- just follow the old saying: lead follow or get out of the way. MOST of you should get out of the way. Others can follow. And very few (notibly 4X4 and REDVAN) can lead. END OF DISCUSSION PLEASE AND THANKS.

LEARN TO DRIVE OR GET OFF THE ROAD

I'm sensing some sexual frustration or some other deep-seeded personal problem. There is no way you should be so worked up about something like this.

Relax, man, enjoy life. I'd hate to see how pissed off you get at other trivial things.

[PYroMaNiaC]

Originally Posted by urban1

They should just have mandatory re-testing for drivers who got their drivers license in a town of less than 1,000.

Oh, I don't know...the four-way stop in my little podunk town slows to a crawl on weekends when every big city attitude shows up and doesn't have a clue how to navigate it.

(It should be noted that I didn't get my license here - I just live here.)

[SeeGeeWhy]

Originally Posted by Vulcan

I honestly think that half the people in Calgary don't know that the right lane is the slow lane and than there are the jerks who drive slow in the left lane just to purposely slow down traffic and piss others off. That probably causes more accidents than speeding. Anyways one of the reasons I'm glad to be out of Calgary.

Dude, the right hand lane is not a slow lane. That rule doesn't apply in urban settings.

It might be somewhat common convention, but it is not law.

[tanguay'sstillgood]

Originally Posted by urban1

They should just have mandatory re-testing for drivers who got their drivers license in a town of less than 1,000.

Nobody seems to be biting on this rural vs. urban argument you're wanting to start. All I'm gonna say about it is that it's incredible how you know where all the people plugging up traffic in downtown were raised.
And, to answer what will probably be your next question, I am not from a town of less than 1,000.

[4X4]

Sorry for the hit & run... Just got back to see that this thread has taken off in my absence.

Y'know, if you want to argue that I shouldn't be speeding, I suppose I'll agree. But my major beef is with people that drive in the left lane and keep pace with teh center lane. And yes, I'm specifically talking about deerfoot. Yawn, my ass. Leave earlier? Up yours. How about this: Deerfoot is considered part of the Alberta 2 highway. In other words, the rules of the highway are in effect. I believe photon's post 'illustrated' my point nicely.

[urban1]

i dont care to start an arguement.

BUT i spend more time drivin in and around downtown than i do on the deerfoot. so more of my rants would be about people who are clueless about driving in slowmoving traffic thru downtown.

and yeah i stereotyped but peoples appearance and the vehicle they drive can be pretty good indicators of where theyre from.

[urban1]

one other comment on the deerfoot.

I did the calculation before... take the deerfoot from either its northend or south end to downtown and calculate your travel time if you go 90km/h, 110 km/h or 140km/h.
You dont save a lot of time. The distance isnt large enough to make a significant difference. If youre driving to the coast, you can save an hour or two by speeding an extra 10km/h. But speeding 20 or 30km/h over the limit on the deerfoot might save 5 or 10 minutes depending on where you got on and are getting off. Is that worth all your aggrivation and a speeding ticket?

[tanguay'sstillgood]

Originally Posted by urban1

i dont care to start an arguement.

BUT i spend more time drivin in and around downtown than i do on the deerfoot. so more of my rants would be about people who are clueless about driving in slowmoving traffic thru downtown.

and yeah i stereotyped but peoples appearance and the vehicle they drive can be pretty good indicators of where theyre from.

OK, my bad. Just the vibe I got from your 2 posts felt like you were waiting for someone to start arguing.
Ya, sometimes you can get an idea where people live from the cars they drive, but it doesn't tell you where they grew up. Also, I'd bet there are a lot of born and raised Calgary folks driving big 4x4s downtown. Just my expectations.

[4X4]

Originally Posted by Dion

You're fogetting the fact that those who speed don't give a fiddlers about the rest of the drivers on the road. They think they own the left lane and feel they can drive at whatever speed they want. Probably the same ones that whine and snivel about the photo radar on Deerfoot.

In fact i'd love to see more photo radar. Maybe that will get the speeders to slow down. Frankly they're a danger to the rest of us when they weave in and out traffic because someone is doing the speed limit.

Ho-ley FACK.

"Those who speed don't give a blah blah"?

How about, "Those who think they're God's Soldiers don't know that they're mere mortals like the rest of us".

Don't give a fiddlerwhatever? Seriously, man. You are one of those people that arbitrarily get into the left lane because you've got 27 miles before your exit, right? Too effin lazy to watch your mirror and let the faster people through?


I liken it to this:

My awakening came when I went to Rome. Over there, people drive exactly the same way people walk in crowds. Faster people weave through, slower people take NO OFFENCE.
And why would they? What business it is of their's how fast others go? I mean, unless they're running through a walking crowd (see: excessive speeding), WTF is their problem?

As for your photo radar point.... Bring it on. I know how fast I go. It's not excessive. I'm not endangering anyone except for peter12's neck because he threatens to slam on the brakes when I'm behind him.

[Thunderball]

Originally Posted by MacDougalbry

I guess you'll be happy to hear that they're talking of dropping the Deerfoot limit to 80Kph.

I'd say you have to be joking, but in the past few years, due to unrivalled incompetence by the dynamic duo of Ralph Klein and Al Duerr, the road and transit systems have fallen so far behind, the average speed limit on deerfoot is about 30-50km/h.

Of course, the quicker vehicles are travelling on Deerfoot, the sooner they are off, no? Wouldn't lowering the speed limit significantly lower Deerfoot's capacity?

[ken0042]

Originally Posted by SeeGeeWhy

Dude, the right hand lane is not a slow lane. That rule doesn't apply in urban settings.

First off, why not? Especially since there are signs on the Deerfoot saying the opposite. (As Photon showed.)

Second, what exactly is urban about Deerfoot? Other that it happens to run through the city, it is highway speed limit, highway interchanges, it actually is a highway, and there are no traffic lights. What makes it urban in your mind?

[V]

I always get out of the way when I see someone coming up behind. But sometimes it's just not possible to get out of the lane as fast as someone might like. So I do what I can.

But when the guy flying behind me gets all pissy, and crazy?? I take just a little longer getting out of that lane then I would've otherwise. I don't know what it is. I get a kick out of people that take something so trivial so seriously. I think it's hilarious.

[4X4]

Originally Posted by fotze

I tend to agree a bit with 4x4 until I am going 115 in the left lane passing the 105 goers then the dink who is going 140 has to get right up my ass instantly because the 6 more seconds until I get enough space to get in front of the guy in the middle lane and get over for the 140 guy is too long. If 4x4 and redvan are not those types of guys then fine but sometimes guys in the left lane are passing as well, just not at 150 kph.

See, I can jive with this. I'm not asking anyone to let me blow by them @ 150 kph. Doesn't mean that I wont *secretly* go 150kph on a nice, empty road. But in normal traffic, the left lane is for people going FASTER than the middle lane.
If it's a snowy day, the middle lane is probably going 75. The left lane is probably going 85. NOT 75!
If it's a clear day, the middle lane should be doing ~100. The left lane is for passing unless it's trafficky. Man. I just don't know how I'm so isolated in this point of view. As if none of you people (save redvan and fotze) have ever been frustrated by soccer mom/idiot keeping friggin pace with normal person in middle lane.
You've never spied a nice opening up ahead and wanted to give that acura of yours a little juice and overtake so that you could be out in front and not have to look at some dirty tailgate?

Fu**ing high horses around here. Nobody speeds. Everyone does 100 all the time. RIIIIIIGHT.

[4X4]

Originally Posted by Uncarved

4x4 i bet you are one of those guys during construction area's where you know at least a km ahead the lane will end, but instead of getting in with traffic you will race ahead in the ending lane and force somone to let you in. Those are the people that pi** me off, causing longer waiting times and stopping the flow of traffic so your a** can be home 2 min earlier.

You're fuc**ing right I am.

[Clever_Iggy]

Originally Posted by 4X4

Sorry for the hit & run... Just got back to see that this thread has taken off in my absence.

Y'know, if you want to argue that I shouldn't be speeding, I suppose I'll agree. But my major beef is with people that drive in the left lane and keep pace with teh center lane. And yes, I'm specifically talking about deerfoot. Yawn, my ass. Leave earlier? Up yours. How about this: Deerfoot is considered part of the Alberta 2 highway. In other words, the rules of the highway are in effect. I believe photon's post 'illustrated' my point nicely.

I agree with the first part of your post. It isnt the law, but you should move over and not box everyone behind you...

But I disagree with the second part of the post... Deerfoot is within Calgary city limits and therefore is separate from the rules of the #2 highway... same as 16th and the #1.