Dear fellow highway-traveller:

When there are two lanes going in one direction, the idea is that people should mostly travel in the right-hand lane, leaving the left-hand lane open for this strange process called "passing".  In some lands, they even have highway signs stating as much--"Use left lane for passing".  I'm sure you're a fine, civic-minded person; it shows when you carefully drive the speed limit in the left-hand lane, right next to the other civic-minded person who is carefully driving the speed limit in the right-hand lane.

I seem to recall reading about this in "Rules of the Road", many many years ago.

When a police car comes careening down the highway with its lights and sirens going, and you are in a klatch of cars in the left lane just itching to pass the Large Semi in the right-hand lane, I can give you a word of advice:  those lights and sirens?  They're not for show.  And if you have room to dart behind the semi (which I know you really want to pass), and the police car (lights and sirens going) has to slam on its brakes...well, the concept is "move out of the police car's path".  Do not make the policeman driving the police car angry enough to do a "Get out of the damned way, you potato-headed idiot!" maneuver behind you.

Furthermore, if you're at the head of that line of cars sloooowly trying to pass the semi-truck, maybe it would behoove you to...um...speed up enough to get ahead of the truck and...um...get out of the police car's way?

I've heard it's the law, y'know.

When you're traveling on a highway with just one lane going in each direction, 15 miles below the speed limit, and 10 cars line up behind you...maybe you could pull over to the side to let the 10 cars pass you?

I've heard that's the law, too.

Stunt-driving to move from the lane next to the median to the exit you just suddenly decided was The exit, cutting off the people in the lanes next to you?  Just.  Don't.  Do.  It.

These rants and raves are prompted by a drive down to OmegaGranny's house and back.  All by myself!  No husband!  No dotter!  Sheer, unadulterated "me time".  Ahhhh!  OmegaGranny was left holding two tickets to a benefit function, due to her neighbors having the crud, so she called me yesterday morning to ask if I would like to go.  What fun!  Good food, silly radio theater comedy, good companionship, and a night in bed without having a child try to climb in.

Technorati: Highway driving