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Left-lane drivers beware( Tampa, FL article about I-75 )
Bay News 9 - Tampa, FL ^ | 01/27/2005 | Bay News 9

Posted on 01/27/2005 6:08:40 AM PST by devane617

Aggressive driving along Interstate-75 appears to be more problematic than ever.

"We're seeing the problem of road rage increasing," said Florida Highway Patrol Trooper Norman Parks, who has been patrolling the interstates for almost 15 years.

"It's scary to drive down here," said one driver.

"Weaving, tailgating, cutting people off," said another driver.

"When you get all of that, it can pose real problems," said Parks.

That's why Florida Senator Mike Bennett is pushing for the Road Rage Reduction Act to be made into law. It's designed to reduce the amount of people in the left lane.

"We have a lot of people in the state of Florida who unfortunately, drive in the left-hand lane and block traffic," said Bennett.

Signs in the median advising people to only use the left lane for passing don't seem to be working.

"We need a better tool to specifically deal with this issue," said Parks. If the bill gets passed, there will be more signs like these and bigger ones.

If the bill gets passed, you'll not only see more signs and billboards on the roadways warning drivers to stay out of the left lane, but greater enforcement of that.

"We're trying to figure out a way to increase traffic flow and prevent citizens from accidents and road rage," said Bennett.

Bennett says the Department of Highway Safety's involvement is key to the bill working. If the bill passes, the department will be required to work with the Florida Highway Patrol to educate the public about the new law through an awareness campaign.


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Culture/Society; Government; Miscellaneous; News/Current Events; US: Florida
KEYWORDS: leftlane; rage; road
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To: johnfkerrysucks
Get the heck outta the left lane unless you are passing!

That's the law in a lot of states.

21 posted on 01/27/2005 6:28:00 AM PST by mewzilla (What the heck's going on in Davos?)
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To: devane617
A solution to road rage is is to leave in time to get where you are going with no speeding and a little time to spare. If you are too immature to do that, you shouldn't blame the guy slowing you down for your own lack of foresight.

Not only is the speed itself dangerous, but so is the differentials in speed between the slow and fast drivers. Nobody should be going more than +/- 10 mph from the posted speed limit except for very short stretches to ease out of bad situations.

22 posted on 01/27/2005 6:28:27 AM PST by Colonel Kangaroo
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To: sgtbono2002

They are liberals who want your to stop smoking and speeding.


23 posted on 01/27/2005 6:28:37 AM PST by bmwcyle (Washington DC RINO Hunting Guide)
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To: devane617

I don't live in Florida but have been there a few times. What I noticed while driving on the interstate once was that it started to rain and drivers were pulling over to the shoulder in droves. It was not an especially hard rain either.


24 posted on 01/27/2005 6:30:07 AM PST by Graybeard58 (Remember and pray for Spec.4 Matt Maupin - MIA/POW- Iraq since 04/09/04)
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To: devane617

It's not just the slow drivers that are a problem; it's also the people who are going 10-20 mph above the speed limit, but refuse to ever get in the right lane, and cut off anyone who wishes to pass a slower vehicle.


25 posted on 01/27/2005 6:30:12 AM PST by B Knotts
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To: mewzilla

Exactly. Lead, follow or get out of the way.


26 posted on 01/27/2005 6:30:29 AM PST by AppyPappy (If You're Not A Part Of The Solution, There's Good Money To Be Made In Prolonging The Problem.)
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To: Chuck54

Hey, I see you come from the same philosophy of driving as me -- the speed at which I am driving is the absolutely correct one. All seriousness aside, though, the problem is much more heavily weighted toward those who drive too slow in passing lanes than those who drive too fast. Still, there are few pleasures more sublime than finally cutting off some clueless cluck doing 35 in the left lane of an interstate.


27 posted on 01/27/2005 6:30:39 AM PST by speedy
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To: devane617

What about the idiots who think its thier birthright to drive as slow as they want in the middle lane just because there is another lane to the left of them?


28 posted on 01/27/2005 6:32:10 AM PST by rmmcdaniell
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To: devane617

Ok. If someone in the right lane is going below the speed limit or riding their brakes or whatever and I get in the left lane to go around them, I'm going to do it at a speed and distance that I feel is safe for both of us. If I'm going 65 in a 65 and the speed racer going 90 runs up behind me flashing lights and tailgating, because I don't "get over" immediately , tough. We have to share the road. IMO the DPS guys need to spend more time on addressing the rage driving issues instead of making people who are going the speed limit get out of their way so they can speed.


29 posted on 01/27/2005 6:32:27 AM PST by CindyDawg
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To: stboz
Out here in Kaleephornya, the left lane is for racing. If you go 80 mph in the left lane, some Fangio-Schumacher wannabe will be right on your behind, flashing his lights and going 90 mph. CHP ain't doing jack to stop it.

So move over already! Even if you are doing 80. If there is someone behind you wanting to pass -- move over!

30 posted on 01/27/2005 6:34:47 AM PST by FreedomCalls (It's the "Statue of Liberty," not the "Statue of Security.")
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To: devane617

The left lane should be an automated toll lane (with an automated speed check). If you drive too fast or too slow, you lose your card (and get a ticket). If you have any recent tickets, you can't get a card. This would also be a better alternative than the "HOV" or "Limo" lanes being installed in cities (to the benefit of limo-riding politicians). Lower speed limits could be enforced in the other lanes without impacting traffic (if you want to drive fast, pay for the privilege).


31 posted on 01/27/2005 6:35:34 AM PST by Ragnar54
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To: governsleastgovernsbest

NERVOUS NORVUS lyrics - "Transfusion"



ZZZZZZOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMMMMMM
Tooling down the hightway doing 79
I'm a twin pipe papa and I'm feelin fine
Hey man dig that was that a red stop sign
[Scrreeech-BANG, tinkle]
Transfusion, transfusion
I'm just a solid mess of contusions
Never, never, never gonna speed again
Slip the blood to me, Bud

I jump in my rod about a quarter to nine
I gotta make a date with that chick of mine
I cross the center line man you gotta make time-
[Scrreeech-BANG, tinkle]
Transfusion, transfusion
Oh, man, I got the cotton pickin convolutions
Never, never, never gonna speed again
Shoot the juice to me, Bruce

My foot's on the throttle and it's made of lead
But I'm a fast ridding daddy with a real cool head
I'ma gonna pass a truck on the hill ahead-
[Scrreeech-BANG, tinkle]
Transfusion, transfusion
My red corpsuckles (sic) are in mass confusion
Never, never, never gonna speed again
Pass the crimson to me, Jimson

I took a little drink and I'm feelin right
I can fly right over everything everything in sight
There's a slow poking cat I'm gonna pass him on the right
[Scrreeech-BANG, tinkle]
Transfusion, transfusion
I'm a real gone paleface and that's no illusion
I'ma never never never gonna speed again
Pass the claret to me, Barrett

A rollin down the mountain on a rainy day
Oh, when you see me coming better start to pray
I'm a cuttin' up the road and I'm the boss all the way
[Scrreeech-BANG, tinkle]
Transfusion, transfusion
Oh, doc, pardon me for this crazy intrusion
I'm never, never, never gonna speed again
Pump the fluid in me, Louie

I'm burning up the highway early this morn
I'm passing everybody oh nothing but corn
Man outa my way I don't drive with my horn
[Scrreeech-BANG, tinkle]
Transfusion, transfusion
Oh, nurse I'm gonna make a new resolution
I'm never, never, never gonna speed again
Put a gallon in me, Alan

Oh, barnyard drivers are found in two classes
Line crowding hogs and speeding jackasses
So rememmber to slow down today
Hey, daddy-o
A make that type O, huh
Atta-boy
[Scrreeech-BANG, tinkle]


32 posted on 01/27/2005 6:36:09 AM PST by speedy
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To: devane617
Oh, sure, we all know that left lane is the Lexus-lane for you people who have somewhere to go, unlike me.

I'm by no means a slow driver, but I'm also not the fastest on the road. If it's any indication, I've only been stopped once in my life for speeding.

If I-75 is anything like the roads in Washington, it is overly congested, and forcing traffic into the right-hand lane would make the problem even worse. I'll agree that when traffic is light, lolly-gaggers shouldn't hang out in the left lane. But, for the most part, we need to use all the lanes for traffic, and then some. Just because you want to exceed the speed limit by 20 mph doesn't mean that someone who is just going 10 mph over the speed limit should have to pull into the right-hand lane that is at or below posted speeds. When I do pull over into that lane, it is very hard to get back into the left lane, because most people going 20 mph over the limit also are not very conscientious about letting someone pull in ahead of them.
33 posted on 01/27/2005 6:37:11 AM PST by drb9
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To: devane617

This is a very serious problem on all interstates. It's also evident on four-lane state roads. Folks get in that left-lane and think that, as long as they are going the speed limit or just above it, everyone else be damned. That's what's causing this plague of people passing on the right, which is much more dangerous than using the "passing" lane on the left.

How did this come to pass? This plague of left-lane bandits?

Thoughts?


34 posted on 01/27/2005 6:38:39 AM PST by RexBeach
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To: Dubh_Ghlase

It's not just the elderly, people here think it's their God given right to drive in any lane they want, at any speed they want. If you dont like it, you can go around. (not IMO but have been told by Lefties)


35 posted on 01/27/2005 6:38:50 AM PST by txroadhawg (Don't believe any statistics unless you made them up yourself)
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To: Living Free in NH
"Another thing, what about those folks who like to do the speed limit? Everyone knows the cops will give you 10MPH over the limit, yet there are those who like to do 55 in the middle lane - during rush hour, no less. Pi$$es me off to no end!"

AMEN!

and AMEN again!!

About the only thing that irritates me more is someone doing 45-55 mph in the middle or left land during rush hour -- and using one hand (and a portion of hir or her brain) to speak on their stupid cell phone!

36 posted on 01/27/2005 6:39:40 AM PST by chs68
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To: FreedomCalls
We've had several Darwin candidates on the streets in Fresno in the last few months. So far (I think) they've only managed to exterminate themselves. If one of them ever hurts one of my family, .....

If you want to race, go to Daytona.

37 posted on 01/27/2005 6:40:02 AM PST by stboz
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To: Living Free in NH
yet there are those who like to do 55 in the middle lane - during rush hour, no less. Pi$$es me off to no end!

I typically drive about 9 mph over the speed limit. One day, I was doing my usual 64 mph in a 55 zone. It was very early on a Saturday morning -- practically no traffic on the road. I was in the second lane (from the right) of a 4-lane highway, so that I could avoid the occasional merge-ins. I thought I had made a reasonable lane choice for my speed. Apparently not. Some guy doing at least 75 mph comes roaring up on my tail, then starts flashing me with his high beams to get out of his way. Never mind that he had two lanes to pass me on the left, with absolutely no traffic to impede him. But I guess he couldn't be bothered to change lanes. I didn't like his attitude so I stayed right where I was. He quickly passed me, while flipping me off.

In your opinion, was his anger at me justified? Should I have moved over into the far right-hand lane. Or should he have moved into the 3rd or 4th lanes to pass me (without needing to bright me or give me the finger in the process)?

38 posted on 01/27/2005 6:41:45 AM PST by BlackRazor
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To: johnandrhonda

We lived in Florida for two years, and that was enough for me! I kept telling my husband that we would be lucky to get out alive with all of the cootsters trying to kill us with their Cadillacs and Lincolns! The "invisible drivers" were the ones that scared me -- the cars where you can't see the driver because he/she is so short that they can't see over the steering wheel!


39 posted on 01/27/2005 6:42:24 AM PST by Polyxene (For where God built a church, there the Devil would also build a chapel - Martin Luther)
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To: devane617

Maybe the American left-lane hogs should be required to drive in Europe for a few months and see how long they can get away with their oblivion.

It's real, real simple. No matter how many lanes there are, you need to be in the rightmost one unless you're actually passing a car. Then, get over only as many lanes to the left as you have to, and get back right when you're done passing.

I swear, many of the freeways in Atlanta have 5, 6, and 7 lanes each direction but can get "clogged" with ten or so cars that seem to pick lanes at random and sit in them for miles for no apparent reason. Not keeping as far to the right as possible is really about the most obnoxious and selfish bad habit drivers can have, and it needs to be dealt with. I say $500 fine for a first offense, and a 30 day license suspension for the next time.


40 posted on 01/27/2005 6:43:03 AM PST by Turbopilot (Viva la Reagan Revolucion!)
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