Righteous Truckers...

I don't like anyone passing me in the breakdown lane, even if their exit is ahead. It's not designed for travel and people aren't expecting a vehicle to come whizzing thru. The most self righteous of these drivers go passing stopped traffic because they think they're better than everone else on the road and shouldn't have to be in the traffic. I do my best to lane hog for the benefit of these people, when I can.

If you're pulling alongside a truck, honking, and giving the finger for a good minute, sounds like you'd give the truckers a contest for the most Righteous. Even if one driver does something unsafe, it doesn't give another driver permission to respond in kind, just makes the roads even less safe.

 

Did something happen recently to trigger this thought, and if so
whereabouts? I've occasionally been getting on 128 around these
parts, where the entrance ramps aren't particularly long, and had
the occasional truck come barreling up behind me and act annoyed.
When he had *plenty* of room to take the middle lane and go around.
If he wants to go that fast and is approaching an area where other
vehicles are entering and merging, why the F should he expect to
remain in the right lane and be completely unimpeded? The only
restriction on trucks in this case is the far left lane; the center
one is fair game for everybody. What if another *truck* was entering
instead of a car, that would be going/accelerating significantly
more slowly than I am? Would the offending trucker in question
piss and whine about that, or is this misplaced aggression only
directed at vehicles with fewer than 8 wheels?
.
For the most part, truckers are supposed to be trained professional
drivers with a company's image to maintain behind them, and ordinarily
I would tend to trust them more than your average yuppie joe in his
overpowered sedan or SUV. But I've seen some serious attitude
problems among the trucks -- many of them follow way too close,
trying to "push" traffic to go faster just because they think they
want to, and if the state cops were paying attention and gave a
shit, these guys' CDLs would be history within milliseconds for
that kind of behavior. They've got NO right to endanger other
people to such an extent. Nobody does, but with a truck it's worse.
.
_H*

 

Seeing someone go wizzing by in the breakdown land makes my hair stand on end. Seeing a whole caravan of impatient butt heads makes me livid.

I know - two wrongs don't make a right, but chalk me up as guilty for one of those who have helped the truckers choke off the lane.

 

It doesn't bother me so much when there is traffic and someone's exit is just ahead and they use the breakdown lane to move towards their exit that much more quickly so they don't have to sit in traffic (although I know it's not legal to do so). I know I've done it myself, but usually for no more than ~50 feet or so.

But it does bother me quite a bit when there's an onramp merging with regular traffic and cars in the right lane are at a stanstill, and a person wants to get ahead of all the people sitting still in traffic so they use the breakdown lane to get as far ahead as they can in traffic. Especially when I'm also merging onto the freeway and one of the guys behind me doesn't want to merge when the lane ends, so they go around me and continue in the breakdown lane until I see another car up ahead move to the right to block the fellow's passage. It just irks me when I see them doing that. They're shaving, what, like 2 seconds off their commute by doing that??

 

I have witnessed many truckers and other drivers impede traffic in the breakdown lane, even going as far as forcing that car into the grass. I have also witnessed many cars driving in the breakdown lane just to get ahead of slow/stopped traffic.

So, how do you know the person passing you on the right is doing so to get to the next exit or just trying to get a couple cars ahead?

IMHO, it's unsafe, regardless of your reasoning.

 

Going into the break down lane......is wrong
Truckers taking the law into their own hands.........is wrong
Trying to give those truckers a bad day for doing it......is wrong
Pushing someone into the grass.........is wrong

Everyone knows this. But kids will be kids.

Now.......just when will they grow up?

Please just dont argue about this. Follow the dang law.
These things are done this way for pretty good reasons.

 

Alright, in that one example you give where the car is drivng slowly to get to their exit which is only 50 yards away, it might be acceptable. But when was the last time you witnessed that?
Most of the time, the car passing you in the breakdown lane is going faster than you (they are passing you... i know OBVIOUSLY) and then proceeds to ride their brakes in the exit lane. When you are stopped in traffic, you're usually not expecting to be passed in the breakdown lane, which makes it unsafe to begin with.

And it's not a good law is no one ever enforces it. Right?

 

I think that I have enough to keep tabs on while driving just with regular traffic, people using the breakdown lane and motorcycles going between lanes are asking for trouble.

Truckers and bus drivers tend to ignore most rules because they are so large as to not have serious consequences to their behavior. They can always spin a tale to make it seem like it is the "other guy's" fault too. I have made many complaints to the local transit authority for the buses that simply pull back into traffic despite the lanes being occupied or going through stops even with pedestrians crossing.

I agree with three60guy, everyone should grow up and follow the rules of the road instead of making up their own!

 

Not enforced? Cost me some years back.

 

Squid, You sound like my 90 year old mother!!

 

"Please just dont argue about this. Follow the dang law.
These things are done this way for pretty good reasons."

What exactly in the law (in your state)? Never drive in the breakdown lane?
Just curious. I'm not saying I disagree completely with your statement, I'm just curious about which "dang law" you are referring.

 

Wow. Grow up, seriously. You were trying to get ahead in the breakdown line (which, mind you, is for broken down vehicles). Don't get angry when someone blocks you.

Or, perhaps, helpfully attempts to make your vehicle meet the qualifications for that lane.</tongue in cheek>

That said, the truck shouldn't force people off the road; if the truckdriver wanted to be vigilante so much, he/she could just straddle the line blocking the lane.


So, yeah, you're both wrong.

 

There are some areas around here where breakdown-lane travel is
*permitted* between certain hours. A cheap-nice person way to gain an
extra lane for peak times, or something. That makes it even more
terrifying, because now the entrance/exit ramps are shortened even
more. The yupsters are routinely *flying* along the BDLs, with
very little regard for entering/exiting traffic, unless it gets in
their self-important way somehow, upon which they get all pissed
off. The BDL also usually has more crap laying in it, increasing
risk of tire damage, although I suppose after a few weeks of "legit"
use a lot of that is knocked further aside into the grass.
.
I'll agree that a little use of the breakdown lane to facilitate
exiting, within reason, is okay -- but the speed differential
between stalled traffic and someone doing that should be no greater
than like 15 mph. Partially because you never know who's going to
jump into it ahead of you. Partially because it gives more reaction
time to avoid road hazards that invariably lurk there.
.
_H*

 

I used to think truckers were the kindest, safest drivers on the road. Thirty years ago, maybe, but not now. Way back when I rode a motorcycle, truckers would flash their signals when it was safe for me to pass. Now, I don't trust them to stop at red lights. Or anybody else, either. <_<

 

Maybe more folks should get their EMT training. If you had to respond to a few accidents cause by childish behavior on the road perhaps your approach would change.