Interstates and Cruise Control

[chubbyfatazn]

What the fuck is with people and not understanding "left lane for passing only?" I had to take an emergency trip home and had to drive seven hours, and I could have easily made the trip in five and a half hours if people would obey the damn signs.

And fuck people who see you coming up on their tail, and when you try to pass them they speed up and try to block your way. Fuck people who can't keep a constant speed, it's a fucking highway in the middle of nowhere, use your damn cruise control.

Also, I give a lot of respect to truckers who have to work long hours just driving a thing that takes considerable skill to maneuver. Still, use the damn service road if you're hauling a freaking mobile home that's wider than one lane. Maybe he had a permit to drive on the highway, but if you deem it not safe enough to stay in the right lane overhanging the shoulder and have to drive in the middle of the road, get the fuck off. I wasted a good 30 minutes just staying behind one of those.

And fuck unreasonable people who can't understand illnesses and make an already difficult situation even more worrisome. Goddammit.

/pussy rant over

 

[zerocool84]

People driving the speed limit and sitting in the passing/fast lane make my everyday drive to work longer. They think they need to regulate everyone else on the road.

 

[lxskllr]

I hate driving anymore. The only time I'm happy with it is on small country roads. Everything else is just miserable due to the clueless masses.

 

[MotF Bane]

Slow traffic stay right!

Also, this thread will have at least 200 replies.

 

[Matthiasa]

Insert snobbish response about how you shouldn't be going above the posted limit.

 

[MotF Bane]

Insert snobbish response about how you shouldn't be going above the posted limit.

Counter with statement against your self-righteous idea of policing the roadways yourself.

 

[QueBert]

What confuses me here is the law on speeding's concrete, you cannot legally speed period. But they have the left lane for passing rule too. So which is it?

 

[Ichinisan]

I don't have cruise control in my fairly-new car. I have to pace myself based on other traffic. I move over to the right when someone is close to me and I'm going faster than I feel comfortable.

Of course, other idiots don't understand traffic flow and try to pass on the right without slowing or signaling. Fuck those assholes.

 

[MotF Bane]

I'm not fond of using cruise control. I'm just not comfortable with it.

 

[chubbyfatazn]

What confuses me here is the law on speeding's concrete, you cannot legally speed period. But they have the left lane for passing rule too. So which is it?

My understanding was that the speed limit was just that, a limit that's optimal for road conditions on a clear day, along with other obstacles (hills) or obstructions or location. You can go under it to a certain extent, hence the passing lane. Or even over it if everyone else is.

Of course, other idiots don't understand traffic flow and try to pass on the right without slowing or signaling. Fuck those assholes.

Nobody understands proper signaling anymore. Some still do, but they either do it as they're switching lanes or after they've started switching lanes. If a signal is supposed to be a warning, what good is it? And you kind of have to pass on the right to get in front of the idiot in the passing lane.

 

[lxskllr]

I'm not fond of using cruise control. I'm just not comfortable with it.

CC just doesn't work anymore except on mostly empty roads. People don't know how to drive anymore, and maintain a constant speed. When I use CC, I'm constantly dicking with the buttons due to others complete ineptitude. I wouldn't pay $5 to have it in a car. It just isn't valuable anymore.

 

[notposting]

I agree. I roll in the fast lane, usually 10 over. If traffic comes up behind me I will move over, within reason. That means if I'm in a line of traffic, and we're all moving along nicely, and the middle lanes are bogged down, and I'm going to get stuck over there if I move over so you can gain one more car length, go fuck yourself (not directed at the OP, just in general).

Thread should be fun to read in a day or two, agreed.

 

[QueBert]

My understanding was that the speed limit was just that, a limit that's optimal for road conditions on a clear day, along with other obstacles (hills) or obstructions or location. You can go under it to a certain extent, hence the passing lane. Or even over it if everyone else is.

I can only speak for California, but the posted speed limit here isn't a recommendation. If you're goin 66 you can get a ticket if a cop so feels inclined to pull you over.

Driving faster than the posted speed limit or driving faster than safe for current conditions on any road is dangerous and illegal.

that's directly from Cali's DMV site, notice the word illegal, I'm not arguing weather it's a stupid law or not. There's no gray area about speeding, but if i'm going the maximum legal limit I could still technically get a ticket if I was doing it in the left lane and impeding the cars behind me from being able to break the law by speeding. Which makes absolutely zero sense to me.

note to all you speeders, I DON'T do 65 in the fast lane, I stay in the middle doing my shitty 65, I'm just making an observation

 

[zerocool84]

I don't have cruise control in my fairly-new car. I have to pace myself based on other traffic. I move over to the right when someone is close to me and I'm going faster than I feel comfortable.

Of course, other idiots don't understand traffic flow and try to pass on the right without slowing or signaling. Fuck those assholes.

Umm when you see someone coming up behind you, you should automatically be merging to the lane on your right. They shouldn't need to slow down for you.

 

[busydude]

Drive in a third world for an hour.. it changes your perspective.

 

[chubbyfatazn]

CC just doesn't work anymore except on mostly empty roads. People don't know how to drive anymore, and maintain a constant speed. When I use CC, I'm constantly dicking with the buttons due to others complete ineptitude. I wouldn't pay $5 to have it in a car. It just isn't valuable anymore.

Yeah I had to twiddle with the buttons a crap ton too, but on the long open stretches it was nice to finally get to stretch my legs or sit more comfortably. Even on shorter stretches it gave me the opportunity to safely shift to a new position without losing a large amount of speed.

Drive in a third world for an hour.. it changes your perspective.

I've visited China/Toronto (Markham) enough to know that Asians are shitty drivers I know people there don't generally give a rat's ass about... well, anything. Good thing I wasn't the driver.

and I'm going to get stuck over there if I move over so you can gain one more car length, go fuck yourself (not directed at the OP, just in general).

:awe: Those people who weave in and around you just so they can be stuck in front of you instead of behind you. Thank God the interstate between me and my parents' home is getting full widening to three lanes.

 

[busydude]

I've visited China/Toronto (Markham) enough to know that Asians are shitty drivers I know people there don't generally give a rat's ass about... well, anything. Good thing I wasn't the driver.

I drove in India for 40 days starting Dec'11. I think that should keep me from ranting about bad drivers here in the US for at least 6 more months.

 

[Ichinisan]

Umm when you see someone coming up behind you, you should automatically be merging to the lane on your right. They shouldn't need to slow down for you.

Duh. I'm saying they speed up and immediately move to the right before I have a chance to move over. I see them speed up to pass on the right when they're way off behind me. Then I *can't* get over without getting hit by the asshole.

 

[ShawnD1]

People driving the speed limit and sitting in the passing/fast lane make my everyday drive to work longer. They think they need to regulate everyone else on the road.

They want to be a vigilante like Batman but they don't have brains or muscles or money or friends so they do lame stuff like enforce speed limits.

And fuck people who see you coming up on their tail, and when you try to pass them they speed up and try to block your way. Fuck people who can't keep a constant speed, it's a fucking highway in the middle of nowhere, use your damn cruise control.

I hate those people so much. I need to constantly turn off cruise control because some wise and beautiful woman in front of me slows from 100k down to 80k when going up a hill. People like that should be killed.

 

[Phoenix86]

CC just doesn't work anymore except on mostly empty roads. People don't know how to drive anymore, and maintain a constant speed. When I use CC, I'm constantly dicking with the buttons due to others complete ineptitude. I wouldn't pay $5 to have it in a car. It just isn't valuable anymore.

Cruise control needs to be smarter. 2 cars both using cruise control shouldn't have to adjust frequently but they do, CC should be able to detect that fact and make minor adjustments.

Cars are at least a decade behind in technology, imo. We should have fully integrated computer systems in there by now. HuD, GPS, traffic monitoring, laser detecting a variety of things like objects in the way when going in reverse (or camera for this), smarter CC. Hell even automated highways, the basic tech for this came out in the... mid-late 90s? Is there even a viable system in development yet?

At best we have a couple of these in any given car and they are stand-alone systems.

 

[chubbyfatazn]

Cruise control needs to be smarter. 2 cars both using cruise control shouldn't have to adjust frequently but they do, CC should be able to detect that fact and make minor adjustments.

Cars are at least a decade behind in technology, imo. We should have fully integrated computer systems in there by now. HuD, GPS, traffic monitoring, laser detecting a variety of things like objects in the way when going in reverse (or camera for this), smarter CC. Hell even automated highways, the basic tech for this came out in the... mid-late 90s? Is there even a viable system in development yet?

At best we have a couple of these in any given car and they are stand-alone systems.

Probably boils down to money. When I went car shopping a while back, I looked at the available options, and a navigation unit cost $2200 extra. No thanks, I've never needed to use any active navigation. I just memorize the route before I leave. $2200 isn't worth the extra to have the screen integrated with the head unit, I'd rather just buy a portable GPS that I can use anywhere. Honestly, if it means one less thing that could potentially fail and cost me money, I'll live without it.

I'm curious as to what you mean by automated highway. I've never heard of the term or concept before.

 

[GregGreen]

Cruise control needs to be smarter. 2 cars both using cruise control shouldn't have to adjust frequently but they do, CC should be able to detect that fact and make minor adjustments.

Some new cars do have this.

I also hate people that can't keep a steady speed. When you are out there on rural/semi-rural interstates, there is no reason not to use cruise control. I understand some cars don't have it, but the percentage has to be incredibly low. Passing is one of the most dangerous things that can occur on the road, so the jerk that can't keep a steady speed and alternates between 55 and 85 is just making the road more dangerous (not to mention that this type of driver usually seems to be distracted somehow).

 

[ShawnD1]

Probably boils down to money. When I went car shopping a while back, I looked at the available options, and a navigation unit cost $2200 extra.

They charge that much because some people are retarded.
Honda's nav system: $2200
GPS from Best Buy: $99
:hmm:

They could charge $99 for their own system, but why? If some dumb ass would pay $2200 then it would be silly to charge only $99.
Another Honda option I remember was the $70 cup holder ash tray. You can get them at Walmart for $5.

 

[chubbyfatazn]

They charge that much because some people are retarded.
Honda's nav system: $2200
GPS from Best Buy: $99
:hmm:

They could charge $99 for their own system, but why? If some dumb ass would pay $2200 then it would be silly to charge only $99.
Another Honda option I remember was the $70 cup holder ash tray. You can get them at Walmart for $5.

Yeah, I'm not arguing with that... I know that. That's the reason cars are "a decade behind in technology"... no one's gonna adopt if it's going to cost a lot of extra green. Same situation with alternative fuel.

I do love my seat heaters though :wub:

 

[lxskllr]

Some new cars do have this.

I also hate people that can't keep a steady speed. When you are out there on rural/semi-rural interstates, there is no reason not to use cruise control. I understand some cars don't have it, but the percentage has to be incredibly low. Passing is one of the most dangerous things that can occur on the road, so the jerk that can't keep a steady speed and alternates between 55 and 85 is just making the road more dangerous (not to mention that this type of driver usually seems to be distracted somehow).

You don't need CC for that, just competence. Believe it or not, there was a time when the majority of people could drive. You could get on a full highway(not packed), set the CC, and not have to touch it much, and that was when CC was a luxury item. It isn't hard to maintain speed, but you have to treat driving like a responsibility, and look out for other peoples' interests so we can all get around easier.