Show of Hands

Ah. Why is that?

Well, to be blunt, I'm a jerk on the road (when there is traffic). Also, it's a massive pet peeve of mine for drivers to not observe common decency and observe the 'keep right except to pass' mentality. Phoenix is full of this particular form of shitbird. We just had someone this morning on the I-10 doing 40 in the left lane and making all sorts of gestures as people swerving around on his right to pass.

I appreciate your honesty! Why are you a jerk on the road?

I just lack the patience for traffic. I'm great out on the open road, but in the city, when I have stuff to get done, I hate obstacles, especially ones created by ignorant, oblivious, and/or purposefully obstructing drivers. Not to mention, I firmly believe that if one cannot maintain freeway speeds, one should not be on the freeway...

That being said, I DO go out of the way and avoid rush hour. I intentionally work super early to prevent myself being on the freeways being pissed off, and vice-versa...

I hear that. I used to get up at 3am just to get on the road before anyone else woke up.

Agreed!

Let's say hypothetically someone in front of you is doing that. What do you do?

Try and make them move

I would wait about 30 sec for them to notice me behind them. Then if they don't move over I would tailgate them in hopes that they will speed up or slow down so that I can pass them.

But that's only if I can see in front of them.

Right. So you're saying your convenience is more important than the safety of the driver in front of you.

Well yes. My time is more valuable than their arrogance/obliviousness/selfishness. You're talking like my tailgating is actually risky. It probably increases the likelihood of a crash from 0 to one trillionth of a percent more than zero.

I said safety. The other driver's supposed arrogance or oblivion, if it exists, is irrelevant. Your own arrogance in believing your convenience is more important than his/her safety is the problem.

Actually if you want to argue safety, the person blocking the left lane is also putting everyone at greater risk, since they are driving right next to the car in the adjacent lane and causing other drivers to pass them on the right. And I said yes, I do increase the risk when I tailgate people. It's just that the increase is inconsequential.

Oh, I didn't realize the driver was riding alongside a car in the adjacent lane, but ok. The only way this increases any risk is that the drivers in your scenario have opted to pass illegally. The driver maintaining a safe speed in what is now the middle lane is not at fault here. But say you'd opt instead to tailgate. So what do you do when a deer runs in front of the car in front of you? Just, what, take your chances that there won't be a serious high-speed accident in order to save yourself 5 minutes?

It would be safe for them to drive properly. If they are blocking traffic by going too slow then getting their attention somehow is necessary

RPG speeds things up nicely

Celadonne- when you drive adjacent to another car it increases your risk. In case you had to suddenly swerve, there would be nowhere to safely go. Also it's more likely that you would be in a blind spot. Why wouldn't you leave that position and let the person behind you pass? Only thing I can think of is pride or obliviousness.

The argument is whether your OWN driving in reaction to that of the other driver is making an already nonideal situation worse.

Let's imagine the other driver encounters a deer, experiences a seizure, or has a blowout, DOES serve suddenly, as you've mentioned, and hits the vehicle in the adjacent lane, and your tailgating causes you to plow right into both of them. Would it not have been safer for you to have kept the recommended following distance of 10 car lengths, giving yourself more reaction time?

What if the reason for his or her slow speed is drowsiness drunkenness? A lost contact lens? Distraction caused by a phone call or fighting children? Each of these drivers would be super hazardous to you. Wouldn't you want to stay as far away as possible? Why tailgate and make an already bad situation potentially a lot worse, not just for them, but for you?

I was thinking specifically of tailgating, but you're right, passing on a double yellow, making a quick left in front of oncoming traffic, ignoring speed limits, not coming to a full stop, not checking the blind spot, cutting it close when passing in hopes of intimidating the other driver... SO many ways to be in a rush and unnecessarily put others in danger. I RARELY resort to name calling but these people are all idiots.

The quick left is ok as long as you don't make anyone slow down. Just like turning right into the traffic lanes I'd only acceptable If you don't make others slow down

So what do you do if there's a bike coming through on the shoulder, the view of which is obstructed by the cars you're cutting in front of in order to save yourself 10 whole seconds of time?

You should be able to see a bike, not sure how they are blocked. But I also believe it's the job of the biker to stay out of cars way.

Is that your opinion, or your recollection of the law?

I'm not discussing law at all here..I'm talking the Rules of the road.

what's the difference between the two

Law vs. The expectations people actually have of one another in situations