From: Donald P. Horst <73252.62@compuserve.com> Mon, 20 Nov 1995 15:10:02 -0400 Even if not "obligated" [to pull over] why not do it as a matter of courtesy? It costs you virtually nothing [it is actually very nice to get the other driver off your back], and makes someone else happy. :-) It is a strange phenomenon. Most people get mad if they are stuck behind a slower driver, but very few will pull over when they are the slower driver. I almost always do when I am on rural roads with relatively light traffic, partly because I do not like anyone on my rear bumper, but partly just to be nice. <VBG> The funny thing is that this is so rare that many drivers do not know what I am doing when I try to let them pass. For some reason, our society does not teach people to be courteous on the road. We rage at the driver who is discourteous to us, then turn around and do the same thing to the next driver. I had such an experience with my sister [a pretty nice person <G>] recently. I was following her on a winding road, and we were both driving moderately in an attempt to reduce the level of car sickness in our respective cars full of family members. A faster car [a BMW as I recall] overtook us, and I pulled over to let it by. He sat on my sisters bumper for several miles, obviously very irritated. When I mentioned it later [as only a brother would <G>], my sister had no idea why I seemed critical, and was quite irritated with me. It had never occurred to her to pull over, even though the BMW was clearly trying to pass. In fact, she said that she wondered what in the world I was doing when I pulled over. The point is, our society does not teach you that you are a jerk if you do not pull over [and you can probably think of a dozen other things that people do to you that make you mad]. Instead, we learn that we have just as much right to the road as the next guy, and a *real driver* defends his/her turf, so the hell with the other guy. The bottom line is that we have a lot of angry drivers for no good reason. This kind of problem could be addressed to some degree by appropriate laws [adequately enforced], driver training and media campaigns, but there does not seem to be any interest among drivers. :-( [Note: This wasn't in direct responce to this point but it was so good I had to include it.] From: Dennis Hutchins <hutchins@westerville.ate.slb.com> Date: Thu, 24 Aug 1995 15:20:46 -0400 When I was in Germany that's the way it was. They even had areas just for people to pull over (mainly in the mountain roads). I'm not sure if it was the law or common courtacy. But thats the problem isn't it... common courtacy. Hell there is alot of people who won't slow down and move out of the way of an ambulance, so what would get them to obey a different law about moving there slow asses out of the way? It would be nice but I just don't see it happening. From: Mark <violam@pr.erau.edu> Date: Sun, 19 Nov 1995 00:31:54 GMT Slow poke should be required to pullover, and in many states it is a law. The problem is the law isn't enforced! From: Walker Armstrong <walker@montana.com> Date: Sun, 1 Oct 1995 13:59:40 -0700 I would go one step further than requiring slow drivers to pull over: I would have posted "minimum" speeds as well as posted "maximum" speeds. I would then require drivers that, due to unusual circumstances (ie, carrying fragile cargo), drive below the posted minimum speed limit to get a permit for their journey. They would be further required to have a pace vehicle 1/10 mile behind them with flashing lights and warning banner, (Just like wide loads are today). From: Felix Bartl <lucky@enterprise.ca> Date: Sat, 18 Nov 1995 23:39:49 GMT I understand your frustration, but I think we should go easy on this one. Otherwise, we may have people harassing grandmas on our highways. There should be a clear definition of a "slowpoke" speed, and maybe a time frame (say, 5 minutes) in which a slowpoke should pull over if there is more than a certain number of cars held up behind him/her. Even better, this should be left up to drivers' curteousy. After all, if they're that slow, you should be able to overtake them. From: Richard Rogers <RR2895@student.law.duke.edu> Date: Sat, 21 Oct 1995 14:16:04 -0400 I think the back roads should be built like the Trans-Canada Highway, with a nice wide paved shoulder so that people can do this. You ever drive there? Notice how RV drivers pull onto the shoulder to let people go by. Here, you CAN'T since there's no shoulder, and somehow I always get behind a poke and then run up on people coming the other way when I hit a passing zone (this happened many times yesterday on US-501 in southern Virginia). A shoulder lets people move over without slowing down, which is key if you have a bigger vehicle that accelerates poorly because these vehicles might have trouble getting BACK ONTO the road if they had to pull off and stop. From: Everette Lemons &lh;larry333@sd.cts.com> Date: Mon, 2 Oct 1995 00:17:17 -0400 You need to be more specific about what you call a 'slowpoke'. Does this mean 10, 20, 30 etc., mph under the speed limit? I agree with minimum speed limits, but having people pullover to the side of the road is ridiculous. First of all in a lot of places you can't, and it also can create further hazards having people pull off then on, off then on. I think everyone just needs to slow down and take it easy, relax. Wherever you are going will be there when you get there. It is not the end of the world, but it will be if you keep speeding. Editors Note: I just hope I don't get stuck behind you! From: Jim Herring <mustang@bga.com> Date: Mon, 25 Sep 1995 00:46:22 -0400 When i lived in California, the law on two lane highways was if there were five cars stacked up behind you, to pull over (when safe) and let them pass. i don't know if this is still the law. [It is] The CHP would also ticket you for driving too slow for traffic, regardless of the speed limit. if the flow of traffic was 70 and you were doing 60 in a 55 you got a ticket. CHP defensive driving taught that you traveled with flow of traffic. From: dmcd@con03778.con.mci.com Date: Mon, 25 Sep 1995 12:54:55 -0400 I believe Colorado has a law that makes it mandatory for any vehicle travelling slower than the posted speed limit on a two lave highway to pull over when there are 5 vehicles following. Violation is termed as obstructing traffic. I think this is as good as it's going to get, I can't envision giving tickets to someone doing the speed limit and not pulling over for someone exceeding it. Annoying as speed limits may be they are still a law, and we're not supposed to break it, so they guy doing 55 in the mountains can legally bug the heck out of those of us that want to go faster.... From: Dusty Moer <dcm0027@tam2000.tamu.edu> Date: Sat, 20 Jan 1996 02:42:59 GMT Driving on many 2 lane roads in Texas, I have found that most people actually are nice enough to pull over to the right an let you pass. However, there are some that will not do it to save their lives. Namely, Albertsons Grocery trucks. Most semis happily pull over so you can pass. These fellows working for Albertsons will not. As a matter of fact, they will not even move 1 mph over 55. (The speed limit signs on TX 6 have not been changed yet.) However when they do change to 70/65 and 60/55 for trucks, we are going to have a real problem on our hands. From: Kenneth Van Valen <74627.3252@compuserve.com> Date: Fri, 8 Dec 1995 08:40:00 GMT I think that all the "slow polks" should get tickets. I drive a Trans Am. A car made for speed. It really pisses me off when I have to come to what feels like a crawl on the highway when there is a "slow polk" driving at the posted 55MPH. I admire there attatude for obeying the speed limit but the limits are out of date just like the driver driving the speed limit! From: Kathy Jay >warhorse@ccnet.com< Date: Tue, 20 Feb 1996 06:56:27 GMT Hey, wait a minute. What IS a slow poke to you? I'm getting the feeling that a slow poke is any care ahead of you that's not driving the speed YOU wish to drive. Forget the posted speed limit? The speed limit is posted for many reasons, one of which is safety. Another could be the fact that you're driving through an area inhabited by people who are annoyed with speeding. For pitty sakes, people, slow down and stop being so aggressive. Bad drivers don't impress me one bit; they just follow me at the speed limit. If I pulled over very time I had five cars (California law) behind me while driving to work, I'd never get anywhere. And, there are cars behind me BECAUSE THEY ARE SPEEDING. Conversely, when towing the boat over a mountain, I always pull over if traffic begins to stack. I never pull over, however, for TransAms, especially automatics ;) Editors Note: In general California 5 or more rule is ment to apply for 2 lane highways--not residential streets From: Anonymous Date: Tue, 2 Jan 1996 02:26:56 GMT It is so frustrating when slow drivers drive in front of you, especially if you are in a rush. Drivers who drive slow should move out of the way from another car if they can or if they are holding up traffic. I hate the way most slow drivers think. They think that because they drive slow in front of you then they are helping you out by keeping you from exce- eding thier speed. They need to learn how to be comfortable driving, and then maybe we can also sart to raise the speed limits.
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