[mresseguie]

I'm looking at my subject line thinking it's not quite what I want, but WTH, it'll do.

Yesterday while driving north on I-5 in the Salem section of highway, I experienced something for the first time. This section of I-5 bisects Salem. There are 4 or 5 on/off ramps and traffic is heavier throughout the day, so the posted max speed limit is 60. There were three lanes of traffic with the middle lane moving at about 64; right lane a tad slower, and the left lane moving at 66. [This stretch is known to have a heavier State Patrol presence, so most folks don't push it beyond 65 or 66.]  Traffic was fairly heavy in all three lanes. I know that the left lane was moving at 66 because I was in it, and I was slowly passing the middle lane.

A little more context: The car behind me was holding steady at my same speed and remaining approximately 8 car lengths behind. We both figured we were passing cars just slowly enough that the highway patrol would ignore us. As I glanced in my rear view mirror, I noticed the car behind me had picked up a tail gaiter. Someone wasn't content to speed a little, but wanted to speed a lot more. Well, I could see this new driver was frustrated because the car would edge to the left shoulder to see why the car blocking it was driving so slow. It couldn't pass on the right two lanes because they were <mostly> filled with slower traffic. Finally, after about two minutes an opening appeared in the middle lane so the faster speeder zipped to the right and zoomed forward only to zip back into the left lane....behind me. The leisurely 8 car lengths suddenly became less than one car length.

Now I could see the driver was an under 30(?) woman who didn't look happy. She wanted to drive a lot FASTER. Of course, some jackass (me) was in her way. She was riding my ass at 66 miles per hour trying to intimidate me into driving faster. As I said, I was steadily cruising at 66 very slowly passing cars in the middle lane. There was no way I could safely switch lanes and I was unwilling to speed up for fear of getting a speeding ticket. She'd just have to wait until I passed a couple cars and could switch lanes.

A minute or so passes and I pass the two cars. I dislike cutting off the car I just passed, so I made sure there were a few car lengths of separation, before I hit the turn signal. Well, at the same moment I flicked on my signal, the woman behind me turned hers on and zipped into the middle cut (with little room ahead of the car she just passed. ZOOM she passed me and cut into my lane and sped off at 75 or 80(?).

Now, all the above doesn't stand out as anything special for most of you. There are plenty of drivers who MUST drive 15 to 30 miles per hour over the posted speed limit regardless of how much traffic there is. They own the road. However, what surprised me was this:

As she passed me on the right, I had anticipated getting the finger or a snarled threat through closed windows. This didn't happen. She had her cell phone's camera (video) facing me by the side of her head as she passed. She was video taping me as she passed presumably to post on social media or report to the State Patrol. I was so shocked that I forgot to look at her license plate number. In Oregon, it is illegal to drive on the left lane unless you are passing (I was passing.). Of course, it's poorly enforced, and heavy traffic makes this law ridiculous.

I had another hour of driving, so I reflected on this event. She's speeding well above the limit and much faster than all other drivers, yet she films me to show the world how this *&^%$#@ old guy was driving so *&^%$#@ slow in the left lane.

Okay. It's off my chest. Go ahead and support me, criticize me, or berate me. Some of you drive like me; some drive slower, and a few of you gotta drive FASTER!. Let me read your thoughts.

Edit: I used to drive more aggressively BTW. I learned to be an aggressive driver in Taiwan. Three fairly recent events have mellowed me out: I'm getting older and recognize that I don't have the same reaction time I used to have ten or twenty years ago; a friend told me why he felt uncomfortable with my aggressive driving, and my ride is just 2 months old and I don't want to damage it.

Have a great weekend.

[ctviggen]

That is strange that she filmed you.  Makes no sense.

Where I live (CT), there are wide ranges of speed. I can be driving over 65 (in a 65mph speed limit) and get passed as if I'm standing still.  We have very narrow side roads, and I've been doing 15 mph over the speed limit and still have had people go around me (on a double yellow, too). 

Some people just don't have any scruples.

[Samac]

Michael,

You may be looking at this the wrong way. Maybe she thought you were hot and wanted to capture your image.

Cheers,

Scott

[WGH]

This happens all the time in Tucson, as I am slowing down for a stop light cars are still passing me, trying to get to the red light before me I guess. I'm next to them at the next, and next, and next red lights too but they always get to the stop light before me. I have noticed that since the "no cell phone while driving" law was enacted the traffic does move more smoothly, last year drivers were still texting and not moving for 10 seconds after the light turned green, I always laid on the horn.

But what really makes your butt pucker is a car coming straight at you at 50 mph. Many Tucson streets are 3 lanes with the center a turn lane for traffic going both directions. During rush hour some dummies also use the turn lane as a passing lane. You can see where this is headed, while waiting for traffic to clear in order to make a left turn a car is suddenly headed straight at you.

[charmerci]

These are obviously impatient people. She was mad because you didn't make much efforts. As soon as you see a person riding your rear, turn on your signal and try to get into the middle lane. This is what she was mad about. People in the other lane would have seen this and would have made a space for you.... most likely .

[dB Cooper]

Couldn't say how many times I've had some asshat ride my bumper, go from side to side in the lane (to 'see around' me I guess), whip around me to pass etc etc, only to end up right in front of me at the next light. Idiots abound. Sometimes I pull up and sit right on their bumper at the light just for fun.

Videotaping another car while driving sounds quite safe; what could possibly go wrong?

[LesterSleepsIn]

Michael,
I’m sure she was just filming you so that later - when she was telling the story to her girlfriends - she would have visual proof of her driving right next to George Clooney.

Cheers,
Lester

[soundbitten1]

I'd stay in the middle lane since it was only 2 mph slower than you were going (64 vs. 66) and try to leave the passing lane open for vehicles that want to go faster. If they get stopped for speeding that's the risk they take.

[Doublej]

Read rule three then you can decide if you acted properly.*

https://www.german-way.com/travel-and-tourism/driving-in-europe/driving/autobahn/driving-on-the-autobahn/

* Rules subject to adjustment based on the make and model of the two cars involved.

[mresseguie]

Read rule three then you can decide if you acted properly.*

https://www.german-way.com/travel-and-tourism/driving-in-europe/driving/autobahn/driving-on-the-autobahn/

* Rules subject to adjustment based on the make and model of the two cars involved.

"GW Autobahn Rule 7: Go with the flow!
German drivers can be aggressive on the autobahn. When they pass you and suddenly cut in front of you, with a much smaller comfort zone than is normal in North America, don’t take it personally. It is just the way they drive. You’d think that for all the money it can cost to get a German driver’s license (up to $3,000!), they would be better drivers. Well, for Germany, they are, and you can’t change that. Just learn to go with the flow and realize that you are not in North America."

This almost exactly describes Taiwan driving.  Every time we return to Taiwan, I hop in the driver's seat and drive like a maniac. Then, it takes me a couple (more?) weeks to readjust to slow and steady when we're back here.

[MttBsh]

I recently saw a sign that cracked me up because I think we can all relate to it:

Those who drive slower than us are idiots
Those who drive faster than us are maniacs

[GregC]

I recently saw a sign that cracked me up because I think we can all relate to it:

Those who drive slower than us are idiots
Those who drive faster than us are maniacs

The quote if from the late and great George Carlin RIP.

[MttBsh]

The quote if from the late and great George Carlin RIP.

I love George Carlin. He also said that, after much experimentation, he discovered that pushing the elevator button over and over again actually does make the elevator arrive sooner.

[JLM]

I used to drive on average of 500 miles a week in a variety of settings (rural, freeway, big city) but was told that while driving for the job (roughly 200 miles a week) I was getting paid to drive the speed limit (and no reimbursement for speeding tickets).  So I learned to drive the posted limit or with the flow of traffic where it gets heavier/faster.  The State Police I worked with said to do the same.  The rural county I live in now is full of maniac drivers, just doing crazy and unpredictable things. 

An uncle got pulled over for 'impeding the normal flow of traffic' (driving too slow on a 4 lane street) and a week later got a speeding ticket on the same street when trying to follow the flow.  What's a guy gonna do? 

[Letitroll98]

A couple of things Michael.  First, an endorsement for turning your signal on well in advance when you have somebody behind you trying to get by.  This lets them know you see them and will pull over as soon as it's clear, which alleviates much of their frustration by letting them know you're not an idiot hanging out in the left lane.  It also gives the person going slower in the right lane a heads up and they'll often slow down for you to get over.  Most people are not complete jerks, they're just frustrated with traffic and see you not as a person but as an obstacle slowing them down.  The signal reminds them you're a thinking, caring person and will usually respond positively.

Alternately and in conjunction with the above, I will speed up a bit to get past cars on the right or if on a two lane relieve their frustration.  Cops aren't everywhere all the time and the likelihood that you'll get caught is small, and the couple of times I got pulled over for this I explained the situation and got off with a warning.  Speeding because of traffic conditions is reasonable.

If that doesn't work and I'm still being tailgated, or I'm on a two lane and can't move over, I touch the brake pedal activating the brake lights without slowing down.  This tells them I'm unhappy with their following distance and half the other drivers or more will back off a bit.  Finally, if that doesn't work I go to the assumption you are a complete jerk who is assaulting me with your automobile and I give them a big slam on the brakes, hoping the whole time their full cup of coffee hit the dashboard.  I don't recommend this in any way, but at that point I'm really pissed and don't care much about social responsibilities.  As a few gentlemen have found out I'm not in the least bit afraid to pull over and "discuss" the situation.  I'm not always a perfect person.

[Rx8man]

How bout this garbage in your neighborhood: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D3C3NsDyQlU

[aldcoll]

Actually Michael you missed the fact she was documenting the fact she was a BAD Driver and she just might have aspired to drive just like you.

And don't forget she was in violation of the hands free cell phone law here is the state of Oregon.


I recently had the pleasure of following a couple of ladies that had multiple Handicap hangers from there mirror.  They we very intent to occupy the passing lane at 57 mph in a 60 two lane section just south of Salem to my exit 40+ miles south.
The funniest part of this was nobody wanted to use the right lane.  Here in Oregon most locals believe that lane is for trucks only

Alan
(Safe Travels)

[Bizarroterl]

I lived in Montana.  There the drivers drove like they didn't know where they were going and didn't care how long it took to get there. 

Moved to Tucson.  Told my fiancee that in AZ the right lane is the fast lane and the left lane is the slow lane.  A week later she tells me I'm right and she had never noticed until I mentioned it.

I now live in CA.  During rush hour everyone drives as fast as they can go and they know exactly where they're going.  Off rush many drivers drive like they don't know where they're going, but they want to get there fast.