I think there are many reasons why they get into the left lane and drive slowly. One of the top ones has to be spit, meanness, control or whatever you want to call it. Another has to be stupidity. Old age another. I'm sure, some, after spending a life time on a John Deere, actually think they are going fast. And, then we have the cell phone users who have no idea what lane or speed they are. Need I go on. Bottom line, they are all bad drivers and have no business being there and that inconsiderate of others.

 

Rob, my guess: 50% are daydreaming (often female species) & 50% are ppl wanting to enforce the legal speed limit

I just admit that I did the "left lane" slow down on the PA turnpike for about 20 miles a few weeks ago... just to hold back a pushy b*tch in a Lexus who was trying to weave in-and-out.... and get ahead of everyone else Yeah, I know I should not have done it... but she got my point...

 

This point may have been made earlier, but my driving in Europe has shown me that people over there LEARN HOW TO DRIVE OR THEY DO NOT GET A LICENSE .
At least in Germany, people must study and practice a long time to gain a driver's license
In the US of A, the driver test is a big joke

 

[QUOTE]Originally posted by paS2K
[B]


I just admit that I did the "left lane" slow down on the PA turnpike for about 20 miles a few weeks ago... just to hold back a pushy b*tch in a Lexus who was trying to weave in-and-out.... and get ahead of everyone else

 

I don't think it was really "peaceful" to try and hold back another car whose driver you find b*tchy or what not. For all you know, she may have really needed to get somewhere in a hurry. A few years back I had to drive an elderly friend of mine to the hospital because he suddenly began feeling very sick and had blurred vision. Since we were already on the freeway, I sped to the hospital with him in the passenger seat, just looking out the window and watching stuff pass by like we were out for a Sunday drive. Thankfully, all the other cars let me pass by as I flashed my lights and beeped my horn a few times. If someone had thought I was being "b*tchy" and not let me pass, that would have been bad news for my friend because it turned out he was having a second heart attack.

Also, the female species does not often daydream, they're just not as pumped up, trying to overtake everything on the road, unlike their testosterone-filled counterparts.

Trying to hold back traffic could very well get you in a load of trouble. I would never dare try to hold someone back if I'm driving on the roads of California. There are too many egos on the road and sometimes you'll have guns pulled on you if you're driving in the wrong area. I'd rather just let the people who are in a hurry go... Why waste the energy to try and control someone who wouldn't really occupy more than a couple seconds of your life?

 

I used to find myself irritated by tailgators, until my wife pointed out that I do it, too. I still find myself starting to get annoyed, thinking "why do they have to drive so fast" as I always do between 3-5 over the limit on any given road (while I'm driving my truck). Then one day I realized that in my car, I feel the need to drive faster than everyone, and that I'm that person trying to get ahead of everyone else. It's a vicious cycle.

 

word of advice.... they get there you get there. better yet, they get there dead you get there alive. how's that sound. speeding and trying to get to your destination faster isn't necessary better. say leaving work for home takes about 10 min under normal driving. however, rushing home takes about 6-7 min. hmmm.... what can someone do with 3 or 4 minutes? u better be safe than sorry. same goes for long distance driving. plan ahead and put some extra time in for driving so you don't have to rush rush rush.

so what does this have to do with solving tailgaters???? well for one thing, if we all stop tailgating then there's no need for this thread... lol.

 

[QUOTE]Originally posted by ralper
[B]

I'm not so sure why people get into the left lane and drive slowly.

 

minako, I empathise with your story, but realistically for every 1 person trying to save someone having a heart attack there are probably 10s of thousands of people that are just a-holes.

If someone wants to get by me, I let them. When they are taking openings, not trying to FORCE their way in, I'm cool with that. If I cannot move over or ahead and someone is tailgating, I slow down. I will match speed with the person next to me for a while, then slow down a little more. This encourages the tailgater to move over and tailgate the person next to me. I then will speed up a little and the tailgater comes back behind me. I keep doing this until they get the point (I have been able to get people to change lanes 5-6 times.) The key is to do it slowly and cautiously and make it look like you are just oblivious to what is going on. They usually get the point, and even if they don't by then I am either ready to turn, or I have found an opening and I can let them pass.

 

Unfortunately, I suppose you are right.