Crowded HOV Lanes

It seems ridiculous to have to ask this, but why, why, WHY can't left lane hogs just get the &%$# over if they are going below the prevailing speed? Why is that so hard? It really isn't a question of whether people should be speeding or not. That is for the police to decide. It really is a question of common courtesy.

Even if I'm going 80 in the left lane on HOV or any other road, I get over if someone comes up behind me. It is not for me to say whether they should be going that fast or not. For all I know, their kid was just in an accident and is clinging to life in some hospital. Probably not, but what if? Just because you feel you have the law on your side, you feel you can just hold everyone up? Well, in Virginia, the speeders have the law on their side, too! That's right - the law is: keep right except to pass. As Dave Barry would say, you could look it up.

Just a little common courtesy would go a long way toward helping us all get where we're going safely. Poking along in the left lane causes a lot of lane shifting behind you, increasing the chance of accidents. If you just got over to the right hand lane and let people go by, you would be safer and so would they (and happier, too).

Please?

Hybrids that go 65 and below, and equally slow moving other vehicles should always stay in the right lane. It's common courtesy. Either that or stop stalling traffic and hurry up.

ScarletLSG, since you say you "can easily accelerate to 80, if I choose," pray tell why don't you? Other than gas consumption, is there another viable reason why Hybrids don't like to speed up? I have been asking myself that question since I saw my first Hybrid stalling traffic on the HOVs.

I agree with FromWoodbridge, all traffic on the left lane should go at least 75. And if a slow poke from the right lane moves to the left lane - speed up and don't hold up traffic.

I also agree with SlugginFool, there ARE "too many Hybrids out there." They are not welcome on the HOV lanes and should not be allowed use them - unless they fulfill the 3 persons per vehicle rule AND don't impede the flow of traffic. Otherwise they can go to the regular lanes that move just as slow.

There are some hybrids that do go fast, but a majority do seem to poke along. And it's not only the hybrids.

The reason people like other drivers to drive faster is because no one wants to sightsee along 95, and the left-hand lane should be the passing lane. I think the same goes for the regular lanes, but in the HOV lanes, it's especially annoying. This morning I was in the left lane and a huge SUV was going very slow, and once I got past him, I saw 2 hybrids just taking their time getting to work. I'm not advocating flying down 95/395, but when traffic warrants it, I am in favor of going 75 at least when possible.

I must add that I hardly see a Hybrid going faster than 60. However, there are a lot of non-hybrid cars going slow in the left lane on HOV especially in the leg of Edsall Rd. and Springfield because the exit is located in the left side of the highway in the afternoon.
As soon as they enter the HOV at Edsall Rd. entrance they move over to the left lane causing congestion along this area because they move very slow. Others, like HOV violators, who gain access to the HOV lanes due to the open to all traffic at Edsall Rd., move also very slow because they are trying get to Springfield after 6pm.
We are hopeless unless they denied access to these people once the Mixing Bowl is finished.