HOV Lanes ARE NOT a Speedway
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Topic: HOV Lanes ARE NOT a Speedway
Posted By: ScarletLSG
Subject: HOV Lanes ARE NOT a Speedway
Date Posted: 03 Jan 2005 at 10:28am
Okay,
We ALL speed. We have ALL at one time or another driven faster than the posted limits. Until recently, I thought nothing of going 80 mph ... especially in an uncongested HOV lane. BUT, I got my hand smacked by the highway patrol with a reckless speeding ticket. Since that happened, I've considerably lowered my speeds. I TRY to stay with traffic but will NOT go above 70 mph. Here's the deal though. It is MORE DANGEROUS for me to maintain that speed ... IN THE RIGHT LANE ... than to go 80 mph. Because the on ramps to the HOV are located with entrances to both the left and right lanes, the 80+ mph drivers can't just stay safely in the left lane. When they are approaching one of these ramps they refuse to slow enough for the oncoming vehicles to safely enter and then move to the right lane. Instead the 80+-ers move to the right lane and either cut off the right lane drivers or ride their rear bumpers. Everyday I'm confronted by a dozen or more "close calls" with reckless drivers.
PLEASE SLOW DOWN. There is NO REASON to drive 80+ mph and it IS DANGEROUS when everyone else is trying to maintain safer speeds.
Thank you
ScarletLSG
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Replies:
Posted By: Subaru
Date Posted: 03 Jan 2005 at 11:21am
If people actually stayed in the right lane, then you wouldnt have to worry. But theres always the ass that has to sit in the left lane and ride right next to the car doing the same speed in the right lane. Also the speed limit is 65mph. I dont see any hazard in going 10mph above the speed limit. The only people that care are the troopers. I wish it was like Germany. :(
-Rob
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Posted By: qorc
Date Posted: 03 Jan 2005 at 11:35am
you are in complete denial and are the kind of person that causes accidents. you can BELIEVE that speeding doesn't matter, but let's not play with opinions - let's get some facts:
There is a vast amount of evidence demonstrating the strong link between vehicle speed and road accidents.
• The accident risk rises the faster a driver travels: at 25% above the average speed, a driver is about 6 times as likely to have an accident than a driver travelling at the average speed. SIX TIMES
"Road-based studies looked at how speeds on a given road affect accidents occurring there. Several hundred thousand observations of vehicle speed on almost 300 roads of different types were related statistically to the numbers of accidents on those roads. These showed clearly that the faster the average speed of traffic on a given type of road, the more accidents there are
INJURY ACCIDENTS rise rapidly as average speed increases, if all else remains constant. "
Get real. It's not your right do do 80-90 mph on the road. you're a hazard to yourself, other drivers, and slugs.
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Posted By: qorc
Date Posted: 03 Jan 2005 at 11:41am
from another study:
"Cars involved in casualty crashes were generally travelling faster than cars that were not involved in a crash: 68 per cent of casualty crash involved cars were spedding compared to 42 per cent of those not involved in a crash. THE DIFFERENCE WAS EVEN GREATER AT HIGHER SPEEDS: 14 per cent of casualty crash involved cars were travelling faster than 80 km/h in a 60 km/h speed zone compared to less than 1 per cent of those not involved in a crash.
Above 60 km/h there is an exponential increase in risk of involvement in a casualty crash with increasing travelling speed such that the risk approximately doubles with each 5 km/h increase in travelling speed.
By working back from the risk estimates we have concluded that nearly half (46 per cent) of these free travelling speed casualty crashes probably would have been avoided, or reduced to non-casualty crashes, if none of the case vehicles had been travelling above the speed limit. A more conservative estimate, based on calculation of stopping distances and impact speeds, indicates that 29 per cent of crashes would have been avoided altogether, with a reduction of 22 per cent in the impact energy of the remaining cases.
Again using the conservative method, we estimate that an urban area speed limit of 50 km/h on all roads, with the present level of compliance, would be likely to result in a reduction of at least 33 per cent in the number of free travelling speed casualty crashes.
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Posted By: ScarletLSG
Date Posted: 03 Jan 2005 at 1:58pm
Qorc,
At first I thought your reply was to ME. But continued reading and realized you were replying to Subaru. Subaru claims that there are people that sit in the left lane and I'M SURE SOME DO. But for someone like me that enters on a left lane entrance, it may take a few car lengths distance to move into the right lane. The 80+-ers CANNOT slow down enough to wait for that, thus they swerve around you making it THAT MUCH HARDER to get over. When you finally DO get over, you have to deal with the right side entrances and the 80+ drivers coming in there. The person driving 70-ish doesn't have a CHANCE to just tool along in the right lane without being endangered by the people having to drive excessive speeds.
This morning I was cruising along ... minding my own business (and that of the driver's around me, of course) ... had the cruise control set at 70 when a driver going OVER 80 entered the HOV on the right, came right up to my rear bumper ... HONKED and then swerved around me. Now, I WAS already going 5 over the 65 ... why would he honk at me? It is really out of control. I wish the cops would pull over BOTH the violators AND the speeders.
ScarletLSG
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Posted By: Subaru
Date Posted: 03 Jan 2005 at 2:15pm
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Well either way Im going to continue to travel between 70 - 80mph. Sorry if you dont like it.
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Posted By: ronin718
Date Posted: 03 Jan 2005 at 2:54pm
Scarlet... You're not going to win the speed argument. This topic came up back around the time you got your ticket, and despite the legal, insurance, and accident issues, there were many like Subaru who felt it was their God-given right to exceed the speed limit at 80-90 mph. With them, it's always going to be the fault of the law-abiding drivers for any hazardous driving characteristics that must be engaged to facilitate their commute, not to mention any accidents that might occur.
It's not limited to the HOV lanes, either. Last Friday, my wife and I were returning from the Belvoir Commissary, driving on the Inner Loop. We were doing 60-65 mph in the right lane and getting our doors blown off by 90% of the traffic, including a flatbed tow truck with a car on top and another being towed. It seems the majority of today's drivers don't care about driving sanely or legally, they just want to get where their going in the shortest time possible.
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Posted By: muschi
Date Posted: 03 Jan 2005 at 3:25pm
basic math, people!
70 miles @ 70 mph = 1 hr
70 miles @ 80 mph = 52.5 minutes [dohhhh!! thx slugde. im dyslexic, thats my excuse!! lol]
the only way you will make up a significant amount of time is if you are driving a VERY long distance, like HOURS. [so watch out when i drive 'home' to jersey! lol] [:D]
leave home a FEW minutes earlier!
why get all worked up and endanger you and others on the road. is your 8 friggin minutes worth bothering and endangering everyone around you? slow down, relax, enjoy the road. listen to howard stern [BABA BABA BOOEY! BABA BABA BOOEY! BABA BABA BOOEY! [:p]]
and you have to love those people who are sooo stupid they believe that passing you ONE car length is magically going to transport them thru space and time and get them where they need to go a CENTURY earlier! well if speed kills then natrual selection shall surely eliminate the problem. [xx(]
oh and i recently witnessed [legally speaking] an accident in the HOV lane in Arl b/c some jack*** in a minivan passed TWO[!] DOT 'arrow trucks' and slammed into the 3rd b/c they wouldnt merge over when they were supposed to. i told the cops 'the driver drove like an ass and paid the price and was to blame. no sympathy for u types out there. i'll clap when u crash b/c u hav no regard for anyone else. too bad i cant upload the jpeg i took. [xx(][B)]
god, people are so dumb it amazes me (and yet they are so sure and think so highly of themsleves). [:o)]
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Posted By: ScarletLSG
Date Posted: 03 Jan 2005 at 3:30pm
Ronin,
You are probably right. It's a lost cause with some folks. I was JUST AS GUILTY a few months ago. But having a reckless speeding ticket was my wake-up call. Muschi hit the nail on the head with stating that the faster speed DOESN'T get you there THAT MUCH SOONER. My husband doesn't drive AT ALL. We live on Quantico and he works TWO MILES from home. So on the weekends if we are cruising up 95 or around the beltway and traffic is moving at 60-70 mph ... he gets a little impatient. I just tell him to be HAPPY that it is going THAT fast. It could be going 6-7 mph.
Thanks for the reality check.
ScarletLSG
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Posted By: sluDgE
Date Posted: 03 Jan 2005 at 3:39pm
muschi,
Please recheck your math. [B)]
Agree that 70 miles @ 70 mph = 1 hour
-- but 70 miles @ 80 mph does not = 1 hour + 8 mins. Going that distance at that speed would take less than 1 hour.
I think the answer should be 0.875 hours and that equals about 52.5 mins.
Agree with your point that one really doesn't save much time by driving 80 mph over 65 or 70 mph.
Have a great New Year -- and Keep on Sluggin'! [:)]
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Posted By: MDC
Date Posted: 03 Jan 2005 at 4:05pm
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I don't know where you guys are driving, but even this morning I didn't get much above 65mph due to the traffic. I try go the same speed the traffic around me is doing, as long as they are under 80.
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Posted By: scottt
Date Posted: 04 Jan 2005 at 12:16pm
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Oh god, not the "speed kills" thread again. We beat this one to death last time......
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Posted By: adjguy
Date Posted: 04 Jan 2005 at 12:29pm
Im going to continue to drive the speed limit wherever I am because that is what the law says to do. If you tailgate me, I will be more aware of my surroundings and make double sure Im obeying every traffic law. If you honk your horn and flash obsenities, expect a friendly smile and a wave.
Before you hit someone because you are tailgating, or cutting people off, make sure your insurance cover's aggressive driving.
SLOW DOWN
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Posted By: muschi
Date Posted: 04 Jan 2005 at 1:25pm
i have a tried and true solution for tailgaters:
1. drive like u r on something/drunk [they back off REAAALL quick ]
2. go even slower
2.1 oh and leave your blinker on like your grandma in sarasota does when she goes to the clubhouse with her girlfriends, i.e. like as if u r making a right while u r in the right hand lane [and yeah the wipers sound like a great idea, thanks!][:D]
2.2 put yer hazards on [:D]
a little controversial:
3. jettison things
and always , always SMILE!
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Posted By: fed up
Date Posted: 04 Jan 2005 at 2:19pm
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What a "clean way" of getting rid of aggressive drivers!!![:D]
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Posted By: ScarletLSG
Date Posted: 04 Jan 2005 at 3:11pm
RoadRunner,
WHAT A FUNNY idea.
ScarletLSG
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Posted By: goober
Date Posted: 04 Jan 2005 at 3:38pm
However, you need to size up the other driver before trying something like that or anything that might antagonize -- road rage is real!
Goober
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Posted By: WBSlug7
Date Posted: 05 Jan 2005 at 8:20am
You guys crack me up, and the boards seem to be a bit stale lately. Again it's another speed thread, and I think what it really comes down to is not so much the speeding than it is the aggressive driving. Because if we all drove the same speed, say 80 mph, but gave enough space between cars and didn't weave all over the place no one would complaint. I'm sure some people are complaining that driving 65 mph is too fast for them too cuz they get sideswiped. It's also the need to be moving constantly, people hate feeling slow and blocked, and that's what happens in traffic. I drive faster than my spouse but with caution, but he's more aggressive at a slower pace, tailgating most cars at 70 mph. So who's worse? It's the new year, even old thread topics need a rest. [:o)]
Forget Horner Rd, use Potomac Mills!
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Posted By: fed up
Date Posted: 05 Jan 2005 at 10:59am
By way of agreement with the HOV lanes becoming a speedway, this morning I was driving at approximately 65 mph in the mixing bowl area where the posted speed limit is only 50 mph due to the construction. I was in the right lane (where I am suppose to be). I noticed ahead of me a car traveling much slower than at my speed. I checked my rear view and side mirrors to ensure that I had plenty of space to change lanes to pass the slower car. Once I was in the left lane and in the process of passing the slower car, up on my bumper comes a gray Toyota Matrix (license plate HT WNGS). Before I had a chance to finish passing the slower car I am being flashed headlights. At the soonest and safest opportunity, I signaled that I wanted to change lanes. As I glanced in my mirrors, I noticed HT WNGS was beginning to move to the right lane to pass me, but quickly straighted out once they realized I was returning to the "slow lane."
In this area, going 70+ mph is considered reckless driving since the posted speed limit is 50. I was still going 15 mph over the posted limit as it was. There was absolutely no need for this person to do what they did. It was not like I had changed lanes quickly and cut this individual off. There was more than the recommended car lengths between my vehicle and HT WNGS and it was obvious why I changed lanes. Drivers like this particular individual invite road rage and I think we all need to chill just a bit.
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Posted By: scottt
Date Posted: 06 Jan 2005 at 9:06am
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fed_up, if he was "up on my bumper" like you said, then you did not have "plenty of space" to change lanes and pass the slower car. When looking to change lanes to pass you have to notice not only the amount of space, but how fast the cars behind you are traveling. If he was on you that fast, then he was of course going faster than your (already speeding) 65, but you still cut in front of him.
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Posted By: fed up
Date Posted: 06 Jan 2005 at 2:52pm
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I guess I didn't do a good job in descibing the incident I commented on. I shouldn't have used "up on my bumper." As mentioned, I signaled and changed to the left lane to pass (checking my mirrors). The gray car was at least seven to ten car lengths back. I felt that this was more than enough space for me to change lanes and effecively pass the car that was slowing my progress. The driver had more than enough opportunity to reduce the speed. But instead, the driver just kept the pedal to the metal. The driver could see why I had changed lanes and once I passed the car, I merged back into the slower lane. The driver was just too impatient to wait the extra 30 seconds for me to pass.
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Posted By: scottt
Date Posted: 07 Jan 2005 at 8:48am
Fed_up, I'll quote you again. "The driver had more than enough opportunity to reduce the speed". Again, I have to fault you. If he had to adjust his speed because of something you did, then (IMHO) you are in the wrong. If he sped up, then I fault him. But if he maintained his speed throughout your maneuver, and you didn't complete your pass before he was upon you, you misjudged the distance. I turned 16 in Florida, and I'm not sure if it is still this way or not, but if you were on the driving test, and another driver had to use their brakes because of something you did, you failed INSTANTLY. Happened to a few in my driver's ed class.
You didn't commit a capital offense, you shouldn't be dragged out and shot, but you did goof. Happens to all of us. :-)
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Posted By: jc9
Date Posted: 07 Jan 2005 at 10:43am
I admit I am a fast driver. And when I am on the road, I try to get to my destination as quickly as possible - with 2 excpetions...I never go over 80mph and I never exceed the speed limit by more than 20mph b/c both will qualify for reckless driving (in VA).
I agree that there ARE dangerous drivers on HOV, fast AND slow. But, as addressed above, people are going to go faster than "normal" on HOV b/c the speed limit itself is faster than normal (65mph most places). Some places, like south of Virginia, have 65mph as their NORMAL speed limit...why is 55mph the magic "dangerous" speed for Virginia? I guess more cars/more people could be a bit of a defense, but my opinion is they want to make it easier to collect money by ticketing speeders.
I personally hate slow drivers more than speeders, and think they are also dangerous; although I do agree that EXCESSIVE speeders are a problem - not to mention the fact that they're usually the ones that swerve and honk and use obscene gestures...not that it makes it ok for me, but I do ONLY speed [:D] I don't punish people for not going as fast as I want, I just silently fume within myself.
Finally, I know the mathematic calculation will indicate only an 8 minute savings by going a little faster, but in reality, it can make a bigger difference than that. I find that by going slower, you miss opportunites to get around cars that are NOT going the speed you desire - and therefore takes you LONGER to get to your destination. So factor in that you may only be going 60mph and not only lose the 8 minutes you might have gained, but also the minutes calculated by whatever speed the driver blocking you is going. (that explanation seemed way more clear in my head, looking back I may not have described it very well, hope I don't get slammedfor it! [:I])
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Posted By: MDC
Date Posted: 07 Jan 2005 at 11:02am
fed up,
Have you noticed that the speed limit in that area when going Southbound is not reduced to 50? It's only on the morning trip that there's a sign.
On the subject of passing. My rule is that if you're in the left lane and cars are passing you on the right, you're in the wrong lane. No matter what speed you're going.
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Posted By: vabigblue
Date Posted: 07 Jan 2005 at 11:15am
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As indicated by all these posts, everyone drives differently. It appears that some are aggressive drivers while others are defensive drivers. Me, I'm strictly defensive and will give way until the coast is clear all around before making a move to the left lane or to pass a slower vehicle. I think if everyone kept safety in mind, it would prevent a lot of incidents from happening. 65-70 is the max I'll drive on the HOV or for that matter in the metro area or on the eastern seaboard above the Springfield, Va. area. There are too many vehicles out and with that brings close proximity which increases the possibility of an accident. Remember, safety is paramount.
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Posted By: USA
Date Posted: 07 Jan 2005 at 12:09pm
Way I see it is simple:
If the right lane is going 60 mph, and the left lane is going 75 mph, and you want to do 68 mph, you either slow down and drive in the right lane or speed up and drive in the left lane. It is not the prerogative of a single driver to dictate to everyone else what speed they should drive. Before anyone says "But the sign says 65," I will note that under Virginia law that is irrelevant. The law in Virginia is that if you are in the left lane, and someone comes up going faster than you, you must give way (once it is safe to do so) on a visible or audible signal (i.e., a few blinks of the left blinker, a flash of the headlights, or blowing the horn at the ignoramus who ignores the first two), even if the other driver is speeding.
But even setting aside the law, it's just courtesy--slower drivers move out of the way of faster drivers. The point that scottt makes about how you are in the wrong if you cause another driver to hit the brakes is a great point. That's how it works on the autobahn--if you want to pass, but cannot do so without causing someone who is coming up to pass you to slow down, then you must wait to begin your pass until the faster driver is past you. On the autobahn, with much higher speeds than we have here, this is a matter of safety so that people aren't slamming on the brakes at high speed. Here, it is a manner of courtesy and intelligence, but sadly these things are lacking in many drivers in the DC area.
BTW, speaking of giving a visible signal, whatever happened to a blink of the lights to indicate to someone to move out of the way? This used to be universally understood as a standard gesture. Now in Virginia people seem to think the proper method is to pull up and tailgate, and then whip around on the right before the slower person even has a chance to move over.
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Posted By: Stuck2
Date Posted: 07 Jan 2005 at 12:27pm
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Question to all the left lane speed demons. If the exit is off the left lane and I turn on my turn signal to move over from the right hand lane where I was traveling @ 65-70, will you climb down my tailpipe or cut me off so I miss my exit?
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Posted By: fed up
Date Posted: 07 Jan 2005 at 4:03pm
MDC -- No, I had not noticed that the 50 mph speed limit is only for the northbound drivers. We are always crawling through that area in the evenings because of the opening at Edsal Road that I am only able to travel about 40 mph anyway. I wonder if the 50 mph speed limit there is because the entrance ramp in that vicinity has such a short (if at all) merge point. hmmm[?]
And Scottt, IMHO, we'll have to agree to disagree on whether I cut the person off. You weren't there, and sometimes in attempting to describe a situation, the description doesn't always come across.
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Posted By: dkerley
Date Posted: 07 Jan 2005 at 4:07pm
Speaking of Florida, southern states apparently don't have a problem with high speeds - once you get out of Virginia its 70 mph. Its 70 mph in West Virginia too and that is through the mountains.
I am a speeder - I'll admit it. Sorry.
Yea, this is a dead horse, why are we discussing this again?
[:o)]
quote:
Originally posted by scottt
[br]Fed_up, I'll quote you again. "The driver had more than enough opportunity to reduce the speed". Again, I have to fault you. If he had to adjust his speed because of something you did, then (IMHO) you are in the wrong. If he sped up, then I fault him. But if he maintained his speed throughout your maneuver, and you didn't complete your pass before he was upon you, you misjudged the distance. I turned 16 in Florida, and I'm not sure if it is still this way or not, but if you were on the driving test, and another driver had to use their brakes because of something you did, you failed INSTANTLY. Happened to a few in my driver's ed class.
You didn't commit a capital offense, you shouldn't be dragged out and shot, but you did goof. Happens to all of us. :-)
Dina
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Posted By: USA
Date Posted: 07 Jan 2005 at 4:21pm
quote:
Originally posted by Stuck2
[br]Question to all the left lane speed demons. If the exit is off the left lane and I turn on my turn signal to move over from the right hand lane where I was traveling @ 65-70, will you climb down my tailpipe or cut me off so I miss my exit?
Do you speed up to the speed of traffic, or do you try to keep going at your speed in the right lane? I see this every night approaching Seminary Road--someone gets over from the right lane and SLOWS DOWN prior to reaching the exit. That drives me crazy--it's what the deceleration area prior to the ramp is for! I try not to cut people off at any time, but if someone is showing no signs of being willing to accelerate to get into the left lane, I also don't go out of my way to help them into the lane. If someone puts on their indicator well in advance, though, I usually assume that they want to exit and I'm more likely to let that person in (if someone won't indicate, I make it a rule not to do that person any favours!)
EDIT: I should have added, I NEVER tailgate. Stupid thing to do all the way around.
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Posted By: ScarletLSG
Date Posted: 07 Jan 2005 at 4:31pm
YES MDC,
If in the left lane and cars are passing you on the right you should absolutely move into the right lane. The problem is that the excessive speeders want BOTH lanes. If someone going is going 75 in the left lane and an 80+ driver wants that space, sometimes the 75 driver can't get over due to the 65-70 drivers in the right lane. AND then there are the 80+ drivers that don't care what lane they drive in as long as they can drive THEIR speed limit. That is what irks me. I'm PERFECTLY happy tooling along at 72 or so in the right lane, until I've got people whizzing by my left side and riding my bumper until they TOO can whiz by my left side.
ScarletLSG
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Posted By: ScarletLSG
Date Posted: 07 Jan 2005 at 4:33pm
Excellent Question Stuck2!!!
>>If the exit is off the left lane and I turn on my turn signal to move over from the right hand lane where I was traveling @ 65-70, will you climb down my tailpipe or cut me off so I miss my exit?
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Posted By: Road Warrior
Date Posted: 10 Jan 2005 at 12:24pm
quote:
Originally posted by scottt
[br]Oh god, not the "speed kills" thread again. We beat this one to death last time......
I apologize in advance, but I have to say this:
Speed doesn't kill...stupidity kills.
If US drivers were subjected to the same driver education standards and licensing requirements (cost: ~$2,000 US), enforcement (speed cameras, citizen reporting, etc) and resultant penalties for traffic violations that driver's in Germany are, we would have less problems. Germans understand that having a driver’s license to operate a motor vehicle is a PRIVLEGE!!! As Americans, we tend to believe it is one of our RIGHTS.
I am not saying that German drivers are better than the average US driver, but common courtesy on the road and an adherence to the “Rules of the Road” are both taught and enforced throughout Germany. The rule of “Left Lane, Passing Only” is something that is strictly adhered to and if you fail to move right for a car traveling faster than you are, the driver can legally report you to the Polizei (Police) who will mail you a citation.
Most US drivers know that unless a law enforcement officer actually sees them driving aggressively (well beyond the capability of their vehicles or themselves) they will not be caught and cited for their stupidity unless if by some chance they get into an accident without killing themselves or someone else.
Another factor that adds substantially to the "speed kills" debate is the quality of our highway system. The German government spends an average of $900K per mile annually to maintain the Autobahn. The US spends <$250K per mile. While the Eisenhower Interstate System was modeled after the Autobahn, it is nowhere near the quality of the Autobahn.
Slow down and drive within both your capabilities and the capabilities of the vehicle you are driving. A Cadillac Escalade, Ford Excursion, Honda Civic Hybrid or any other vehicle should not be driven at 80 or 90 in rush hour traffic. Wait until you get out in the wide open expanse of Texas.
Leave 10 minutes early and if you leave late, call your boss and just say, “Left home a bit late, will be there as soon as traffic will allow me”. It is the message your boss would rather hear, than your loved one getting a call from the State Police saying you were killed in a single car accident directly caused by speeding and aggressive driving.
Now getting off my soapbox….
Thanks.
John
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Posted By: muschi
Date Posted: 18 Jan 2005 at 12:20pm
jc 9,
- yes more congested areas are the reason for slower speed limits. i thought this was a no-brainer, but apparently not. its harder to pass and pass safely when there are more cars around and especially if they are trying to QUALIFY hehe
- i dont know of too many drivers going that slow in the passing lane that it would **significantly** add to anyones commute. im always smiling smugly when i come up on some j/o out there when we arrive at just about the same time at a destination, or a traffic jam. yes dingbats, hurry up and rush to that traffic jam! hurry hurry hurry!! lol . and u lose so much time passing if u r going slower? are your driving skills are that poor?
in addition, a solution really is as it is in Jersey where its ILLEGAL to stay in the left hand lane. the law there is "stay right except to pass" but in this retarded semi-redneck state that would make too much sense. well apparently so they cant do basic math here either...cops will actually give u this ticket in addition to a speeding ticket. they have this in connecticut too.
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Posted By: JK 14 n G
Date Posted: 10 Feb 2005 at 2:48pm
I know it seems like we've beat this subject to death, but I had to add some information about an experience I had this morning. It's pretty funny that you are all talking about folks doing 80, and how that's too fast. Today, I had the "pleasure" of riding in a Mustang convertible (in the backseat, no less) going 95mph. If you recall, it was pretty windy this morning, and boy oh boy did that wind have a HUGE effect on my sense of safety in that vehicle. Before we even got on the HOV, we were beside a tow truck in the regular lanes, and a large sheet of metal from the vehcile in tow fell off and the driver had to swerve to miss it. At that speed, we were lucky the driver noticed the sheet metal, or else it could have been a tragedy.
NO ONE should be driving 95 mph ANYWHERE.
Let's fill up the Rt. 17 lot and ease up on Mine Rd.!!
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Posted By: Bob
Date Posted: 10 Feb 2005 at 3:40pm
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This is a case where the slugs need a detailed description of the car, and the date and time of the pickup. He should be on the do not ride list and should be told that he has been reported. Seriously.
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Posted By: KatieM
Date Posted: 10 Feb 2005 at 7:16pm
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I've ridden with drivers who stay behind the bus going 45 because they're afraid to pull out and pass. If they finally do, they're the ones who drive 55 in the HOV. I've ridden with drivers zipping in and about cars in their way. I've ridden with drivers who let it all out in the stretch of empty roadway (rare anymore, but sometimes it happens). How Scarlett got a ticket for RECKLESS is an outrage! Where are the cops to catch the CHEATERS?! Every now and again, they crack down - perhaps once every quarter or towards the end of the month when "quota" needs to be met. Scarlett - take that ticket to court and plead down to a lesser speed, 15-19 miles over the limit is better than 20+. IF the cop doesn't show up for court, it's all mute anyway. No cop, no witness.
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Posted By: mfassler
Date Posted: 11 Feb 2005 at 9:48am
ScarlettLSG,
You have GOT to be kidding...I've gotten my share of speeding tickets, and that's part of the price to pay to travel 100 miles round trip each way and retain sanity. I drive from 610 all the way down 14th street every day since early 1998. If I have to drive less than 85mph on an INTERSTATE CARPOOL LANE, I'm honking my horn and flashing my lights. If people are going to drive slowly anyway (ie. anything less than 74 in a 65mph zone), they need to stay either on the regular lanes or at a MINIMUM, in the right lane out of the way of traffic who cares about their family and their time and wants to get home. The difference between driving 60 and driving 85mph for 100 miles R/T is 1.67 hours (100 mins) versus 1.17 hours (70 mins). If you want to waste 30 minutes every day, that's your problem. I don't. So please get the HECK outta our way! Also, get all of those DAMN hybrids off of the road, which clog up the CARPOOL lanes (note the word, CARPOOL, not fuel efficient lanes) and make it difficult for the REAL concerned commuters to get to/from work and not go crazy! And dammit--if they want to talk on their cellphone while driving, as long as they have a speakerphone or headset, let them talk--it's NO different than talking to a passenger, and it's better than waiting to make plans. Life goes fast--don't blink or you'll miss it. Make the best use of your time, or get off our damn highways!
--Mike Fassler (aka 610-SLUG)
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Posted By: mfassler
Date Posted: 11 Feb 2005 at 9:52am
I MUST agree with Road Warrior, Speed doesn't kill--stupidity kills. Germany has the autobahn, and as far as I'm concerned, the HIGH OCCUPANCY VEHICLE lanes (not you fake Hybrid theives who use and ABUSE OUR lanes) should follow the same rules. So if you don't know how to drive well, stay at home. If you can't get out of the way when someone tailgates, then you're not a very defensive driver are you?? Just move over and let people drive who REALLY know what they are doing....at 85+ miles per hour!!
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Posted By: carleric
Date Posted: 11 Feb 2005 at 12:21pm
If it's ok for one person to drive as you say, then it must be ok for everybody to do so. I think we can probably agree that there are certain people out there who should not be trusted to drive 85+, but your "the laws don't apply to me because of how far I have to drive" argument doesn't make any sense. I don't get it. You are allowed to break the law because you live in Stafford?
The fact of the matter is, I agree with part of what you said. It's not speed, in and of itself that kills, but it is a DISPARITY in speeds that kills. A disparity that speeders contribute to.
If you tailgate me at 75 miles an hour, you put my life at risk (and my slugs). You have no right to do that, especially while you're breaking the law (speeding).
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Posted By: ronin718
Date Posted: 11 Feb 2005 at 12:34pm
Mr. Fassler, it's drivers like you that make me wish I was an active civilian cop as opposed to a retired military one. Your "I'm better than all of you, get out of my way, laws don't apply to me" attitude makes you a far greater hazard than any of the hybrids or HOV violators on the roads. The HOV lanes weren't designed to be a no-holds barred, drive as fast as you want expressway. They're there to facilitate and encourage HOV traffic. Those Autobahns have 4-5 lanes each way, not two. This allows for the difference between speed demons like yourself and drivers happy to "putt along" at 65-75 MPH. If it's so necessary for you to drive 85+ MPH, why don't you move your happy butt over to Germany and the Autobahns you so openly love.
I'm sure most HOV drivers out there love their family time. But I'm also sure those families would rather allow the extra time to be sure their loved one gets home as opposed to wondering if today's the day their "Jeff Gordon" wraps his NASCAR-mobile around a tree missing a curve on a slick spot. As noted in Mr. Lang's post above, your 85+ IS reckless in the eyes of the State, and doing so during rush hour is IMHO STUPID. Give us all a break and slow down. Life is not that short, and the money you pay for tickets and insurance could probably be better used elsewhere in your life.
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Posted By: sluDgE
Date Posted: 11 Feb 2005 at 12:54pm
ronin,
Just keep checking the newspaper for Mr. Fassler's obituary and don't be surprised when we see the reason he (and possibly others) died was due to Mr.Fassler's excessive speed and wreckless driving.
Let's all say a prayed for Mr. Fassler.
Keep on sluggin' (safely)! [;)]
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Posted By: VA4ver
Date Posted: 11 Feb 2005 at 1:22pm
Posted By: ScarletLSG
Date Posted: 11 Feb 2005 at 1:30pm
Mfassler,
Give me a flippin' break!!!! You cannot SAFELY go 85+ in the HOV lanes from where you jump on to where you get off. There are MULTIPLE left lane on-ramps. People entering by way of those ramps HAVE NOT accelerated enough to accomodate YOUR need for speed. It is UNSAFE for you to swerve into a right lane where people are going the speed limit.
You are a self absorbed a** that will one day cause an accident. GO build your very own road somewhere and drive it as fast you want as long as you want. But DON'T pick up slugs and subject them to YOUR idiotic habits. I can tell you, that I have OFTEN seen your car. Then next time I see it and notice your reckless behavior, I'll have NO QUALMS about calling it in to the highway patrol.
ScarletLSG
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Posted By: wdossel
Date Posted: 11 Feb 2005 at 1:44pm
quote:
Originally posted by JK 14 n G
[br]
I know it seems like we've beat this subject to death, but I had to add some information about an experience I had this morning. It's pretty funny that you are all talking about folks doing 80, and how that's too fast. Today, I had the "pleasure" of riding in a Mustang convertible (in the backseat, no less) going 95mph.
Wouldn't happen to have been a '96 or '97 V-6 Dark Forest Green with a Dark Tan top would it? I ask because I was behind one leaving Pentagon yesterday and was thinking to myself how much I felt sorry for the bent/folded/mutilated slug in the back (and I can say that as a Mustang owner...) The way he took off onto the on-ramp also made me wonder...
- Will
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Posted By: pplmvrs
Date Posted: 11 Feb 2005 at 2:26pm
Mfassler,
What gives you the right to put me in danger or my slugs? Living in Stafford since 1988? gives you no right to drive like an idiot. I can't believe that you actually think you can justify driving that fast in the HOV. Maybe you should move to Germany so you can use the autobahn. I hope you never hurt anybody.
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Posted By: VA4ver
Date Posted: 11 Feb 2005 at 2:59pm
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I used to live in Germany and we used to have cars wrap themselves around the street signs behind our house every weekend. I once saw a motorcyclist launch himself into a building and a peditrian get hit and killed. Please don't feed me the nonsense that the idea that autobahn like speed is better. Ridiculous. What gives you a right to injure me or my children? Think long and hard before you step on the accelerator tonight.
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Posted By: mfassler
Date Posted: 12 Feb 2005 at 10:14am
Well, it looks like I generated some attention out there, didn't I? Look...I'm not looking to really "tailgate" anyone. I have no problems with someone who is happy to drive slowly...as long as THEY aren't blocking traffic that chooses to move at a faster pace. But frequently, there is a wide open lane during the restricted hours in the HOV, and when there is open space in front of me, why shouldn't I take advantage of it? I am not saying that people should EVER drive erratically; but I don't think speed constitutes "reckless" behavior, even if VA law says it does. Besides, going up to 84 mph in a 65 ISN'T even legally reckless. You have to go 20 over...and even that I think is silly...maybe going over 100 should be reckless, because that's about where one looses some control over their vehicle.
However, after Backlick Road (exit 167, I think), there ARE no entrances (left OR right side) to the HOV, so there should be NO breaking...unless something is blocking the roadway (ie. stalled, disabled vehicle, accident, etc...), and yet people feel the need to break all of the time. Rubbernecking is a MAJOR problem out there too. Unless you are actually going to stop and help the person(s) that are pulled over, the fact that someone has a problem with their vehicle should NOT interest anyone else...what is it about people that makes their "enquiring minds want to know?" NOT IT'S BUSINESS!! (as Gollum would say) So if people WOULD mind their own business and just worry about getting home, then there wouldn't be a problem.
So if there are wide-open roads, and NO entrances to the HOV to clog up traffic, and especially next year when those ILLEGAL "hybrid" vehicles (that still use "unclean" gasoline for fuel) get their selfish tires off of our (carpoolers) roads, then why is it a problem to use the space I have and get to/from work as quickly as possible?
Next year, they are talking about making I-95 HOV-4, instead of only 3, as well as restricting the lanes until 10am in the morning, and 8pm at night (which is being discussed by VDOT this year...going back to the times that it USED to be...can't imagine why they ever changed them), and those regulations, if enforced, will certainly make travel MUCH better. No one, in ANY vehicle, including law enforcement (unless they are ACTIVELY patrolling the highway at the time), should have ANY right to violate the carpool restrictions, no matter WHAT type of vehicle they are driving. VDOT built the roads to relieve congestion so that traffic could flow FASTER! Not to save the Earth with clean(er) air. While that's a noble endeavor, that's not it's purpose.
So, in conclusion...Hybrids go pick up sluggers or start a carpool...what makes you any more worthy than the rest of us? You want to save money on gas and save the world...GREAT! More power to you...but don't clog up OUR roads doing it, you selfish selfish people! And if you you want to drive slowly, fine...you have the 3 regular lanes of I-95 to do it in, or at a minimum, the right lane of I-95.
People FREQUENTLY pass up earlier rides home if they know I'm still on my way to pick up, beacuse they KNOW they'll get home faster, and they appreciate it significantly. I get complimented that I'm not a wimp and can actually drive and not "casually stroll" to/from work.
People--find the gas pedal...it's the one on the RIGHT!
--Mike
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Posted By: mfassler
Date Posted: 12 Feb 2005 at 10:33am
By the way--just want to make a quick shout-out to all those praying for me! :) It's always nice to know that I'm loved...especially with Valentine's Day coming up! :)
Love you all! :)
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Posted By: USA
Date Posted: 14 Feb 2005 at 10:33am
quote:
Originally posted by mfassler
[br]Well, it looks like I generated some attention out there, didn't I? Look...I'm not looking to really "tailgate" anyone. I have no problems with someone who is happy to drive slowly...as long as THEY aren't blocking traffic that chooses to move at a faster pace. But frequently, there is a wide open lane during the restricted hours in the HOV, and when there is open space in front of me, why shouldn't I take advantage of it? I am not saying that people should EVER drive erratically; but I don't think speed constitutes "reckless" behavior, even if VA law says it does. Besides, going up to 84 mph in a 65 ISN'T even legally reckless. You have to go 20 over...and even that I think is silly...maybe going over 100 should be reckless, because that's about where one looses some control over their vehicle.
I think the speed limits are too low as well, and that people should always keep right except to pass, but you're wrong about the "20 over" thing. 84 mph is considered legally reckless--Virginia law is written such that anything over 80 mph is always considered legally reckless regardless of the speed limit. A lot of people seem to think that the rule in Virginia is "20 over," but it's not; RobertLangDirect's quotation of the statutes on the previous page of this thread is completely accurate.
With all of that said, certainly there are any number of places where 85 mph is completely safe, and other places where it is not. This whole discussion, especially the reaction of people who bleat that anyone exceeding 65 mph is automatically driving unsafely, reminds me of George Carlin, who said something like anyone driving slower than me is a damn slowpoke, anyone driving faster is a dangerous lunatic.
My two biggest gripes on the road right now are not hybrids, speeders, slowpokes, or any of this. It's the following:
(1) Assholes who think that the on-ramp merge lanes are passing lanes (i.e., traffic slows down, so these idiots get over ONTO THE ON-RAMP and then think they're entitled to cut back in later). Note that I am not talking about barrier-separated interchanges like most of the ones on the Beltway, or the Potomac Mills area; I mean places like the ramps around the Pentagon, especially in the non-HOV lanes in front of the shopping mall.
(2) People who don't turn on their headlights at night. On an average night I can be confident that between downtown and the Beltway I will see at least six vehicles being driven without headlights after dark. What gives?
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Posted By: defender
Date Posted: 14 Feb 2005 at 1:32pm
RobertLangDirect's quotation of the statutes on the previous page of this thread is completely accurate.
Should we expect anything less of RLD?
there are any number of places where 85 mph is completely safe
most are in Montana
My two biggest gripes:
Assholes
People who don't turn on their headlights at night.
Agree!
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Posted By: mfassler
Date Posted: 14 Feb 2005 at 1:38pm
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I DEFINATELY agree with the two issues that have now been brought up...I certainly do NOT cut around using the merge lanes (on-ramps), and one of the best inventions ever made was the automatic lights that most new cars have nowadays. They should be REQUIRED.
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Posted By: Slug15
Date Posted: 18 Feb 2005 at 3:02pm
I've been a slug and a driver for over 16 years (and I've had my license for over 20 -- trying not to date myself). Anyway, the bottom line to me is, if you see someone approaching you from behind (and that’s if you happen to ever look in your rear view or side view mirrors), get out of their way. If you notice that you are holding up traffic and you’re in the left lane (I was told in high school when I took driver’s ed that the left lane is called the “passing lane”) again, get into the slower lane (right-hand lane) this implies whether you are in the regular or HOV lanes. It’s really very simple, if you stop and think and are a considerate driver, unfortunately there just aren’t enough considerate drivers. Enough said, let's move on (pardon the pun).
P.S. MFassler (aka, 610Slug) I still love ya (and it's even past Valentine's Day)!
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Posted By: USA
Date Posted: 22 Feb 2005 at 9:28am
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I saw a lovely sign on the Pennsylvania Turnpike just west of Breezewood this past Saturday. It said "KEEP RIGHT--PASS LEFT--IT'S THE LAW." Too bad Virginia won't put up this sort of sign. It's more to the point than "SLOWER TRAFFIC KEEP RIGHT," given that some people feel that they are going "fast" if they are going over the speed limit.
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Posted By: muschi
Date Posted: 22 Feb 2005 at 10:57am
Posted By: GerardDW
Date Posted: 22 Feb 2005 at 12:14pm
I don't drive 80 mph too much, especially here where the roads aren't really that good. Still, I have noticed that there is a hobby around this area that seems to be all the rage. I call it "Pacing", and you play it by driving at the same speed as the car next to you. You get points in two ways: first by how many people you can get piled up behind you; and secondly by speeding up ever so slightly, as if you are going to pass, and then slowing down again, causing the impatient driver behind the other car to change lanes for no reason. It must be a fun game, because I cannot remember an afternoon commute where I did not see someone playing it!
In the end, it is a sign o' the times when drivers either have their heads in a particularly dark and humid place, either talking on their cell phone or passenger, or enjoying the discomfort of others. I don't want to go 80 mph, but I would like to drive home without feeling like I am at Daytona on a restart, 10 laps before the checkered flag!
Incidentally, I have driven in several third world countries, California, Florida, Georgia, across country more than 10 times and in 5 of the largest cities in the U.S., and I have never seen drivers as rude as they are here in the DC area. I have been cut off, forced to slam on my brakes or swerve out of the way so many times that I EXPECT drivers to do something stupid now. As a former law enforcement officer, this is not a view without at least some experience to validate it.
Doug
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Posted By: JK 14 n G
Date Posted: 23 Feb 2005 at 1:21pm
The driver is a white female, mid-late 20's, driving a newer white mustang with tan top, has dangling hawaiian leis from the rearview. She picks up from the Rt. 17 lot around 7:45 am- I'll add this info to the DO NOT RIDE list.
quote:
Originally posted by Bob
[br]This is a case where the slugs need a detailed description of the car, and the date and time of the pickup. He should be on the do not ride list and should be told that he has been reported. Seriously.
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