Driving on the highway and cruise control observations

[golddigger14s]

^^^^^ THIS ^^^^^
Our Subaru has this "feature" and I hate it.

My Subie has it and I LOVE it. I use it both on highway and city streets. It's a back saver for me and eliminates the need to reset my CC every few minutes.

 

[Rooster1971]

Someone mentioned turn signals. When I was staying up in Chicago area. If you ever drove the gauntlet, you might as well have ripped it off the column. You put on the signal and they close the gap. Learned to just take the lane. If we wreck, we wreck. Fortunately never happened.

 

[GeneW]

I’m convinced 95% of the cruise controls in the state don’t work.

HUH? Whut? Never heard of that. Izzat some new fancy invention?

 

[XYZ]

I’m convinced 95% of the cruise controls in the state don’t work.

Still convinced.

 

[John6185]

Adjust your wiper fluid nozzles to squirt over your car to where it will hit the car behind you and that will cause them to fall back. Of course, these days you may have to deal with a little road rage but if you're heavily armed, you'll get by.

 

[XYZ]

Adjust your wiper fluid nozzles to squirt over your car to where it will hit the car behind you and that will cause them to fall back.

When I was in high school we did that except we pointed them to the outside. One right and the other left. That way we could squirt the cars coming at us and our friends on the sidewalk.

Bunch of smartazzes.

 

[C_Hallbert]

I'm a simple guy in a vehicle that does not get great MPG, so I set the cruise at 70 and just hang in the right lane. (Even when the speed limit is higher)

Per the law, and per common driving etiquette, I couldn't be less of a bother and am not in anyone's way or causing any inconvenience. If you want to do +1 or +100 mph more than me, then be my guest; the left lane is always open.

I have lost count of how many people I'll see in my rear view coming up on my rear, in my lane, at 75 or 80, and then instead of passing me on the left, they ride my ass for a few seconds and then they fall back to 2-3 car following distance. Then, they just hang there....... often for miles at a time, as other cars who are doing the same speed as them originally are passing on the left.

Then, suddenly, it's like they woke up or regained consciousness and I'll see them pass and go flying off into the distance at 80. (these are not people who are needing to exit on an upcoming ramp)

I THINK these are people who do not use cruise control, and most likely don't look at their instrument cluster while driving either. They are completely oblivious of driving, rules of the road, time, speed, etc. They seem to be "driving by imitation" based on whoever is around them. This is the only explanation I can come up with for such behavior.

One other phenomenon I've noticed are "yo yo drivers" who basically do the same thing as above, but they will repeatedly fall back like 20 cars behind, then speed up to ride your ass for a few seconds, and then fall back again. They usually yo yo about 10 times before they figure out they can pass on the left and get to their destination faster. I think these people are usually texting or sleepy so their inclination is to hang behind something going a known speed until they can focus back on the important task at hand.

I would rate you as a good, conservative driver. Those who drive up fast and tailgate are usually idiots with chips on their shoulders. The automobile drivers who annoy me are those who stay in the fast lane along side another vehicle or just behind a Semi and Semi drivers that pull up in the fast lane beside another Semi and hold their position for miles.

 

[Snattlerake]

You’re definitely not wrong.
I drive with whatever the flow of traffic is, and I haven’t used cruise control in years. I tend to stay better engaged with what’s going on around me and also get better fuel economy by using my foot.

Back when I was in high school we had a 1968 Plymouth Fury 4 door. We were going home and mom was driving. I convinced her to try an experiment. I told her to cover the speedometer with a cloth and drive at a speed she felt "comfortable". After about 5 miles she told me she was very comfortable at the speed she was driving. I took the cloth away and she was driving at 80MPH. It almost scared her but she recovered and slowed down to the 65MPH speed zone.

That old Fury was a land yacht.