Wednesday, August 6, 2003

Without trying to intensify the acrimony that apparently pervades the issue of "Left Lane Laggards," I must respond to the adolescent diatribe that I read in last Wednesday's edition of The Citizen. While I don't wish to personally impugn its author, Mr. John May, I would hope that he and those like him might reconsider their "unique" driving ideology.

His paragraph was entitled, "I don't care how many line up behind me; I'm in front; I WIN." This is precisely the kind of self-absorbed, moronic driving mantra that only serves to generate road rage and clog our highways. Our mutual goal in driving should be to arrive at our destination safely and without endangering ourselves, our passengers or our neighbors with whom we share the road. Our daily journeys should include courtesy, predictability and defensive driving, not the childish "I win, you lose" train of thought so espoused by Mr. May. It's not a game of win/lose: we all win if we can arrive safely and without impediment.

As a point of interest, I see these same "laggards" at the airport: they'll take up both sides of a moving sidewalk or escalator which thus prevents people from running past them to catch a flight. All the while you can hear the recorded voice saying, "Please stand to the right so that others may pass you on the left."

The rules of the road follow this same basic tenet of courtesy: you should allow others to pass by moving/staying to the right. It's not an affront to your character or ego; it really just comes down to common courtesy and decency. You'll probably be rewarded with a friendly smile and wave for yielding to someone who desires to pass.

In contrast, you may get a nasty glare or, worse, a profane gesticulation for forcing that person to wedge around you into clear traffic. Moreover, you should not take offense to someone who signals that they would like to pass (in the "passing" lane no less) by flashing their headlights. This is an internationally recognized signal and is the only means of communicating this intention/request to you. Just move over and allow them to pass on your left. It's always safer to pass on the left but I find myself passing more on the right because of the preponderance of "passing-lane cruisers."

Nighttime consideration: it's very distracting to be in the "driving" (right) lane with someone pacing me, slightly behind, in the passing lane. Did it ever occur to those of you that do this that your headlights beam directly into my side-mirror and then glare right into my face? If you were passing me, this nuisance would be short-lived but, because you're pacing me, your headlights shine relentlessly into my eyes. Since you're not passing me, you should be behind me where your headlight beams will only be reflected in my center, rearview mirror which I can dim.

At any rate, there is good reason that this basic, fundamental law of driving right/passing left exists and, yes, it should be enforced. For your reference, here is the law, verbatim, as published in Chapter 4 of the Georgia State Driver's Manual:

"When there are two or more lanes for traffic moving in the same direction, slower vehicles should use the right hand lane except when passing or making a left turn. In any case, you must not drive slower than the minimum speed limit or so slow as to interfere with the normal flow of traffic."

There it is: You should not be driving in the passing lane unless you are in the process of passing or preparing to turn left. If you are continually passing a line of slower traffic to the right, no problem, but you should move right when you're done.

Notice also that the verbiage states "slower" and not "slow." Thus, if you are moving "slower" than the traffic around you, even if you're at the speed limit, you are legally bound to be in the right lane.

Now, if you feel justified in cruising in the passing lane at 55 mph on Ga. Highway 74, pacing the car to your right and with a train of cars a mile long in your wake, then I would say that: 1) You are breaking the law. 2) You are solely responsible for generating traffic congestion. 3) You are completely oblivious to the needs of those around you. 4) You lack the intellectual capacity to care about anyone but yourself or, much worse, 5) you do this intentionally to generate some strange pleasure of having control over other people which feeds your incredibly pathetic ego. This is understandably a major source of road rage.

If someone wants to drive safely and slightly above the speed limit and pass, they should be allowed to do so. Yes, they risk a speeding ticket but, so long as they do it safely, that's their business. It's not the "Laggard's" place to keep them at 55 mph. Just remember: there may be someone in your selfish wake who is trying to get a child to the hospital, or who is trying to get to the scene of an accident that involved a loved one, or who has some other type of family emergency that you are keeping them from. As in the game of Parcheesi, you have created a blockade and no one can pass. Why not do the neighborly thing by moving to the right so that your fellow motorist may pass? What kind of a person can possibly feel good about preventing someone from passing?

For those that choose to make their own rules (e.g., Mr. May), you should be cited because you are violating the law, not to mention that you are an impediment to those of us who would like to get home from work to see our families. Also for Mr. May: regarding your childish tactic of not permitting anyone to pass and get in front of you (quotes: "I'd rather see him run up a tree" and "there is no way on the planet I'm going to give him the room"), allow me once again to quote the law (verbatim from Chapter 4):

"Remember, that it is unlawful to increase your speed until you have been completely passed by the overtaking vehicle."

I personally cannot believe that anyone would prefer to run someone into a tree rather than allow them to pass. How can anyone say such a thing?

R. P. Trapaga

Peachtree City, Ga.