Psycho car driver
#101
06-03-2010, 06:58 AM
I'll bet that in your Texas driver's manual it says to use the left lanes for passing and slower traffic should keep to the right. I've seen it in every state manual I've read...well, several.
#102
06-03-2010, 07:32 AM
Outstanding HDF Member
http://www.dot.state.tx.us/safety/ti...ay_driving.htm
Bet we would find the same for AZ, FL and the rest of the states. On empty stretches of 2 lane I do travel in left lane with her in the right. As soon as I see any vehicle coming up on us, regardless of which lane they are in, I get in staggered formation in the right lane.
Matters not if I am 5, 10 or more over the posted mph. If someone is coming up speeding more then I am that is their choice but I sure as Hell am giving them the "passing lane" to do it.
#103
06-03-2010, 08:50 AM
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I have another situation for any left lane advocates here than happened to me last year. On a 4 lane divided highway coming north east out of Corpus Christi, TX the right lane was so bad it was virtually unrideable on a bike. The tire ruts were so deep your tires fell into them and you went were they did and any variance was extremely difficult. I was riding staggered with my wife following me at first and then we tried riding single file in the center but you kept falling back off into the tire ruts whenever the asphalt had broken down.
The left lane was smooth so we moved over and drove in the left lane for this stretch of road which was 30 miles or so. We were not poking along, traveling 73 (by my GPS) on a 65 mph. I bet we were not doing 50 in the right lane. In Texas there is a 9 mph cushion the DPS will normally give you and this was a heavily patrolled area.
Now since Texas has no lane restrictions or designations, do you feel I had no right to be in the left lane if a car came up behind me?
The left lane was smooth so we moved over and drove in the left lane for this stretch of road which was 30 miles or so. We were not poking along, traveling 73 (by my GPS) on a 65 mph. I bet we were not doing 50 in the right lane. In Texas there is a 9 mph cushion the DPS will normally give you and this was a heavily patrolled area.
Now since Texas has no lane restrictions or designations, do you feel I had no right to be in the left lane if a car came up behind me?
Texas is a big state and I've seen plenty of these signs, just not in my area.
Sec. 544.011. LANE USE SIGNS. If, on a highway having more than one lane with vehicles traveling in the same direction, the Texas Department of Transportation or a local authority places a sign that directs slower traffic to travel in a lane other than the farthest left lane, the sign must read "left lane for passing only."
Added by Acts 1997, 75th Leg., ch. 628, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1997. Amended by Acts 1999, 76th Leg., ch. 62, Sec. 17.08, eff. Sept. 1, 1999.
Sec. 544.011. LANE USE SIGNS. If, on a highway having more than one lane with vehicles traveling in the same direction, the Texas Department of Transportation or a local authority places a sign that directs slower traffic to travel in a lane other than the farthest left lane, the sign must read "left lane for passing only."
Added by Acts 1997, 75th Leg., ch. 628, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1997. Amended by Acts 1999, 76th Leg., ch. 62, Sec. 17.08, eff. Sept. 1, 1999.
Ride in the right hand lane unless you are passing. Forcing people to go passing on the right instead of on the left is dangerous. Oh yea, I forgot, this horse is dead.
#104
06-03-2010, 09:09 AM
Outstanding HDF Member
yep.....TDOT calls it a passing lane, matters not that they spend $$ on signs or not. They probably assume drivers passed tests or were at one time instructed.
http://www.dot.state.tx.us/safety/ti...ay_driving.htm
Bet we would find the same for AZ, FL and the rest of the states. On empty stretches of 2 lane I do travel in left lane with her in the right. As soon as I see any vehicle coming up on us, regardless of which lane they are in, I get in staggered formation in the right lane.
Matters not if I am 5, 10 or more over the posted mph. If someone is coming up speeding more then I am that is their choice but I sure as Hell am giving them the "passing lane" to do it.
http://www.dot.state.tx.us/safety/ti...ay_driving.htm
Bet we would find the same for AZ, FL and the rest of the states. On empty stretches of 2 lane I do travel in left lane with her in the right. As soon as I see any vehicle coming up on us, regardless of which lane they are in, I get in staggered formation in the right lane.
Matters not if I am 5, 10 or more over the posted mph. If someone is coming up speeding more then I am that is their choice but I sure as Hell am giving them the "passing lane" to do it.
It has always been common courtesy here to move right and let anyone by who is traveling faster. Before all the yankees moved down here we automatically pulled onto the shoulder to let somebody by on a 2 lane road. Can't do that I guess anymore, I have been passed twice by cars this year on the right shoulder (2 lane road) even though they had plenty of opportunities do pass me legally on the left.
My point is there are reasons a car, or bike, could be running in the left lane and should not be forced to move over. Some of these could be right lane condition, right lane flooding (common along the coast), upcoming left exit, etc. In my opinion, anybody who runs up behind somebody and starts flashing lights, blowing horn or tailgating is the a$$hat.
#105
06-03-2010, 09:15 AM
Outstanding HDF Member
Texas is a big state and I've seen plenty of these signs, just not in my area.
Sec. 544.011. LANE USE SIGNS. If, on a highway having more than one lane with vehicles traveling in the same direction, the Texas Department of Transportation or a local authority places a sign that directs slower traffic to travel in a lane other than the farthest left lane, the sign must read "left lane for passing only."
Added by Acts 1997, 75th Leg., ch. 628, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1997. Amended by Acts 1999, 76th Leg., ch. 62, Sec. 17.08, eff. Sept. 1, 1999.
Sec. 544.011. LANE USE SIGNS. If, on a highway having more than one lane with vehicles traveling in the same direction, the Texas Department of Transportation or a local authority places a sign that directs slower traffic to travel in a lane other than the farthest left lane, the sign must read "left lane for passing only."
Added by Acts 1997, 75th Leg., ch. 628, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1997. Amended by Acts 1999, 76th Leg., ch. 62, Sec. 17.08, eff. Sept. 1, 1999.
#106
06-03-2010, 11:16 AM
Road Warrior
Common highway signage in California keeps it really simple: 'Slower Traffic Keep Right'. I've never seen a sign saying that it's okay to impede traffic in the left lane so you can talk to the person in the right lane.
Need to talk or communicate? Move over to the right lane... want to slam on your brakes instead? Some day you'll end up as road-kill; when your survivors try to sue, likely there will be witnesses stating what the dead-guy-on-the-motorcycle did that caused the accident and his own death.
Need to talk or communicate? Move over to the right lane... want to slam on your brakes instead? Some day you'll end up as road-kill; when your survivors try to sue, likely there will be witnesses stating what the dead-guy-on-the-motorcycle did that caused the accident and his own death.
#107
06-03-2010, 11:43 AM
Here's some food for thought, just saying... http://www.mit.edu/~jfc/right.html
Last edited by drbillk; 06-03-2010 at 11:49 AM.
#108
06-03-2010, 12:00 PM
At times when I have been tempted to do something stupid to nut case cager, I remind myself that I could win the battle but still lose the war.
In other words ... drop some marbles, kick a door, knock the guy silly, etc on Tuesday ... then hope to God he doesn't catch up to you on the same stretch of road on Thursday and run your axe over.
I can't tell you how hard it is for me to back down at times, but it is the right thing to do on all counts.
In other words ... drop some marbles, kick a door, knock the guy silly, etc on Tuesday ... then hope to God he doesn't catch up to you on the same stretch of road on Thursday and run your axe over.
I can't tell you how hard it is for me to back down at times, but it is the right thing to do on all counts.
#109
06-03-2010, 12:12 PM
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It would be nice if a LEO would post what the official postion is in his area. I know there are some here, come on and chime in!
