Camping out in the passing lane!!

[beast1989]

if i'm going along the interstate when traffic comes to a stop, and i look up in my rear view and see nobody anywhere behind me, i will put on my hazards.

does anyone else do that?

arguments for/against?

I have NEVER heard of that before but I can see how it is beneficial. I cant tell you how many times i have nearly been rear ended in a traffic jam by a car that sped up to the jam bc they couldnt tell the line was at a hault. I myself have done it as well and have had to swerve a bit onto the shoulder just to insure not to cause an accident.

I definitely wouldnt advise putting that in the rule book though bc sadly many Amuricans are airheads and wouldnt turn them back off. Imagine how many flashing lights would be on in a traffic jam bc the nuts were implementing this tactic incorrectly lol.

 

[onearmedman]

Anyone heard of the "Smith System" defensive driver training? Here's the 5 keys in a nutshell...
The Smith System stresses eye discipline and the idea of space cushion

aim high in steering

get the big picture

keep your eyes moving or scanning

leave yourself an out

make sure others see you.

 

[RidgeHunter]

if i'm going along the interstate when traffic comes to a stop, and i look up in my rear view and see nobody anywhere behind me, i will put on my hazards.

does anyone else do that?

arguments for/against?

I do this. Arguments for?

All 3 lanes of 169 southbound at a dead stop, evening rush hour. Me in the middle lane. Small white car in left lane right next to me. Flatbed lumber delivery driver with his head up his ass going full speed behind the stationary small white car in the left lane.

When the truck reaches a certain point I start to run the numbers in my head and realize he can't stop, even if he sees the stopped traffic. He did indeed see the stopped traffic and hit the brakes, but nowhere near in time to keep from putting the trunk of the white car into the backseat of said car, the front of the white car into the back of the vehicle in front of it, and so on and so forth several cars on down the line.

I figure hazards certainly help in a small percentage of circumstances. Brake lights can be hard to notice to an idiot, especially on a sunny day.

I also leave myself an "out" as best as possible, and watch my rear view mirror for approaching traffic until I have enough cars behind me to eat the impact. Remember the old trucker that ran full bore into stopped traffic on the Will Rogers Turnpike and killed all those people? Yeah, RidgeHunter is watching his mirror. If I see something big and fast coming, I'm moving. If I have to make contact with a few cars to do it, that's what I'm doing. If we're at a dead stop on a 75MPH turnpike and we haven't moved for a bit, and there is not many of us, RidgeHunter is driving well off the road into the grass until traffic starts moving again. Seriously.

 

[Werewolf]

Anyone heard of the "Smith System" defensive driver training? Here's the 5 keys in a nutshell...
The Smith System stresses eye discipline and the idea of space cushion

aim high in steering

get the big picture

keep your eyes moving or scanning

leave yourself an out

make sure others see you.

When I took drivers ed 44 years ago at the age of 15 that's exactly what Mr. Kratzer (still remember that guy) taught us. It has stood me in good stead for all these many years. I've never had an accident with another moving vehicle in all that time whether riding my motorcycle or driving in a car.

 

[J.P.]

You guys have fast lanes in your part of Oklahoma?

Here in Tulsa we do.
However when I drive in areas that do not....Hwy 9 between Seminole and Norman for example....if someone wants around me I do the courteous thing and veer toward the shoulder enough for them to pass.
But I'm just a swell guy like that...

 

[jbarnett]

I'm sure you are right.... sir. I did notice that when you quoted me, you changed it by adding "Not safe" after the bad apples. Do you reckon that helps make your point? Would you like to start a "Bad apple Trucker" thread to cite the long list of wrongs inflicted upon you by evil truckers?

I would rather start one with bad apple LEO's.

 

[Shootin 4 Fun]

There are far more bad apples then good ones. Far more.

I would imagine that CDL holders have far fewer accidents per mile/hour driven that non-CDL holders.

 

[soonersfan]

Yeah, RidgeHunter is watching his mirror. RidgeHunter is driving well off the road into the grass until traffic starts moving again. Seriously.

I hope you continue referring to yourself in the third person. I think it adds a new element of humor to your posts.

 

[Larry Morgan]

if i'm going along the interstate when traffic comes to a stop, and i look up in my rear view and see nobody anywhere behind me, i will put on my hazards.

does anyone else do that?

arguments for/against?

When we were in Mexico, there were military checkpoints out on the highway (no joke) with INTENSE speedbumps so you had to slow down. Every cab driver I saw would put their flashers on as soon as they started slowing down. Seems like a pretty good idea. I definitely don't see how it could hurt.

 

[HMFIC]

I see this play out a couple times a week, on I-35 South bound there's a really short merge lane between 12th and 4th and it is all sorts of scary. I can't tell you how many times I've seen people try to "creep" out into traffic on that ramp. There is about 100 feet of space there, when you move into your opening you have to get up to interstate speed as fast as possible or YOU WILL BE CUTTING SOMEONE OFF and impeding the right lane. I don't even use the ramp anymore because I almost got sideswiped by a semi when a guy in front of me jumped on the gas making it look like he knew what he was doing - he had plenty of room to get on out in front of a big red rig so I was accelerating a little slower because I was headed for the gap behind the big rig. Then the guy in front of me hits his breaks, I guess he thought he didn't have the space which was as stupid as can be because he was already committed at that point, he was already 40% into the interstate. The truck missed me by what seemed like inches and I'm not exaggerating when I say there is NO chance there was a full foot in between the big rig and the guy in front of me, that guy must have wet himself because I thought I was going to get creamed and I had a few more feet of clearance than he did. Then the dill-hole in front of me shoots the bird at the passing truck - there were cars in the center lane so the rig had no place to go! I was furious, I wanted to go explain to the dill-hole up front how his ignorance could have killed all of us and that he need bury that finger in the place he keeps his head. But that's how some folks are, can't drive a lick and then get upset when everyone else can't manage to stay out of their way.

We have a similar situation here in Tulsa with the on (and off) ramps along the BA Expressway from Yale to about Peoria. In some of those cases, your merging area is not only very short, but also completely blocked in with no shoulder such as the onramp at Harvard Eastbound. It's very dangerous and close calls are the norm.

if i'm going along the interstate when traffic comes to a stop, and i look up in my rear view and see nobody anywhere behind me, i will put on my hazards.

does anyone else do that?

arguments for/against?

I'm FOR that. I actually had never considered my hazards, but I ALWAYS give brake pulses to try and warn the traffic behind me as I'm coming to a stop and while stopped. The last thing I want is someone plowing into the back of me at highway speed.