"Kim W5TIT" wrote in message
...
"Dee D. Flint" wrote in message
gy.com...

"Kim W5TIT" wrote in message
...
"N2EY" wrote in message
[snip all the long thread]
'Zactly.

Kim W5TIT

Just to illustrate the idiocy of some of the people on the freeway, I'll
throw in a personal anecdote. I was driving down a multilane freeway
through a construction zone and I was in the rightmost lane. I was
going
with the flow of the traffic in the slow lane, which was slightly above
the
limit posted for the construction zone. A semi truck comes up behind
me,
rides my bumper, honks, flashes his lights. Now, I'm already in the
slow
lane with no way to speed up since the vehicles ahead of me aren't going
any
faster and wouldn't want to anyway as there is too much chance to hurt a
construction worker plus fines in construction zones are very steep
here.
This idiot keeps it up until we are out of the construction zone and it
is
possible to move further to the right.

Dee D. Flint, N8UZE


You must have been driving near Dallas...GRIN

Kim W5TIT



Nope. It was near Detroit, MI.

We also have a problem that sometimes mandates driving regularly in the
leftmost lane in some areas. We have a lot of left side freeway exits.
Sometimes traffic is heavy enough that you'd better get into that left lane
at least 5 miles before you get to the exit or you will never be able to get
over to it.

Dee D. Flint, N8UZE

"Kim W5TIT" wrote in message
...
[snip]
But I liken it to the same thing as someone who is at an
intersection with others--in Texas it is common (though I would venture to
say illegal) that the first person at a stop sign goes first. This
practice
ignores all right-of-way laws I learned when I was learning to drive, but
it
is common practice. So, do I part from common practice and keep sitting
at
a stop sign, waiting for the person going straight to go through the
intersection before I take my turn?

The typical law in the states that I am familiar with is that at a 4 way
stop says that the person arriving at the stop first goes through the
intersection first. If two or more vehicles arrive simultaneously, the one
furthest to the right in the circle goes first (i.e. the person who has no
vehicle immediately to his/her right at the intersection). If four arrive
simultaneously, well there's no rule for that and someone has to take the
courteous route of gesturing the cross traffic across before taking their
turn.

Dee D. Flint, N8UZE

On Sun, 21 Dec 2003 22:17:03 GMT, KØHB wrote:

I don't know about Texas law, but I spent part of the spring and early
summer in Germany. Over there you ABSOLUTELY stay out of the left lane
unless you in the act of overtaking and passing. If you dilly-dally around
in that lane and hold up traffic overtaking you from the rear, you'll be
cited and the fine is of some consequence

IIRC Ohio and a bunch of other states had that law years ago. I
don't know if they still do - I'll leave that to the Ahians.

--
73 de K2ASP - Phil Kane

On Sun, 21 Dec 2003 23:31:33 GMT, Dee D. Flint wrote:

We also have a problem that sometimes mandates driving regularly in the
leftmost lane in some areas. We have a lot of left side freeway exits.
Sometimes traffic is heavy enough that you'd better get into that left lane
at least 5 miles before you get to the exit or you will never be able to get
over to it.

We have one spot on a major freeway in Portland (US 26 eastbound)
where it goes into a three-way split very shortly after a tunnel in
which there is no lane changes permitted. There are big signs
"urging" motorists to get in the proper lane long before the tunnel
because both the left-hand split (I-405 North) and the right-hand
split (I-405 South) do not have convenient exits for recovering from
a bad choice. The straight-ahead split leaves you on the downtown
streets, which again does not have a convenient recovery option.

--
73 de K2ASP - Phil Kane

"Kim W5TIT" wrote:

I don't accept JJ's submission at all.


One has to register to view the The Ft. Worth Star Telegram's article
archives, so I didn't look any further. However, will you accept a
submission from the National Highway Traffic Safety Adminstration (DOT)
website instead? If so, this link will take you to a description of Texas
traffic laws. Scroll down words "Minimum Speed Limit" on the left and then
read the information to the right of that (quoted below).

http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/people/inju...98/txspeed.htm

Minimum Speed Limit:
I. No person shall drive so slowly
as to impede the normal and
reasonable movement of traffic.
Tran. Code §545.363(a)
II. A person, driving at less than the
normal speed of traffic, shall drive in
the right-hand lane then available for
traffic or as close as practicable to
the right-hand curb or edge of the
roadway. Tran. Code §545.051(b)


Dwight Stewart (W5NET)

http://www.qsl.net/w5net/

"Kim W5TIT" wrote:

I'd go along with that. However, I
have always (maybe incorrectly,
but...) interpreted that "rule" to mean
traffic that is going *slower than the
posted speed.* Wrong? Right?
(snip)


In general, you're right. Nobody is supposed to break the speed limit, so
laws about slower vehicles moving to the right and not impeding the flow of
traffic don't defend the speeder's actions. But, by the same token, slower
drivers are supposed to move to the right and not impede the flow of traffic
(if those are the laws in your state), so someone speeding doesn't defend
the actions of the slower driver who is impeding the flow of traffic either.
I know that sounds strange, but there is some logic behind it. On multiple
lane highways, congestion (cars bunching too closely together) is one of the
most common causes of accidents. And congestion is dangerious at all highway
speeds, but even more so when drivers are speeding. To prevent that bunching
up, many states have adopted laws to encourage slower drivers to move to the
right so faster vehicles can proceed without bunching up behind the slower
vehicle. The idea is to keep all vehicles flowing smoothly - yes, even if
some are speeding.


Dwight Stewart (W5NET)

http://www.qsl.net/w5net/

"Dee D. Flint" wrote:

The typical law in the states that I am
familiar with is that at a 4 way stop
says that the person arriving at the stop
first goes through the intersection first.
If two or more vehicles arrive
simultaneously, the one furthest to the
right in the circle goes first (i.e. the
person who has no vehicle immediately
to his/her right at the intersection). If four
arrive simultaneously, well there's no rule
for that and someone has to take the
courteous route of gesturing the cross
traffic across before taking their turn.


Exactly the same in each of the states I'm familiar with (and that is a
good number of states).


Dwight Stewart (W5NET)

http://www.qsl.net/w5net/

Kim W5TIT wrote:
"JJ" wrote in message
...

N2EY wrote:


Hmmm...

She's going with the flow of traffic, *above* the posted speed limit,

but she

should slow down and change lanes so that someone who wants to go even

faster

can get by?

Yes, in Texas it is the law. You are supposed to drive in the right lane
and use the left lane for passing, even if you are doing the speed limit
or over, you are obliged to pull to the right lane to let another pass.
The following is an exerpt from an article in the Ft. Worth Star
Telegram, April 12, 2003.
************************************
Texans must drive in the right-hand lane.

In other words -- move over.

Yes, you. Get out of the left lane.

I don't care how fast you're driving. Or what the speed limit is.

Texas law is blunt.

Except to pass, motorists "shall drive in the right-hand lane."

Both chronic slowpokes and self-appointed speed-limit vigilantes were
stung by transportation writer Gordon Dickson's report. He told how
habitual left-lane drivers are "despised" and how some traffic engineers
believe they cause wrecks.

I am not going to defend the lunatics who zoom up from behind at rush
hour, bearing down two inches behind your rear bumper and so close that
you can smell the extra-grande Starbucks coffee on their breath.

But the law is the law. Yes, it says drivers can't speed or tailgate.
But it also says to stay out of the left lane.

Some violators are obviously in denial.



That was an excerpt from the Startlegram? Shocking.

This violator isn't in denial at all. This violator is waiting for mere
words to turn into action...

Kim W5TIT


So your mentality is, "until I am caught, I will continue to break the
law." Do you speed throught school zones with that same attitude?

Kim W5TIT wrote:



I don't accept JJ's submission at all. Perhaps if he'd reference more than
just the name of a newspaper, I could go and do some research myself. What
*part* of the "submission" from JJ is actually from the newspaper? The line
that says, "Texans must drive in the right-hand lane" or the rest or any
other part of it? I just tried on the Startlegram (an affectionate local
colloquialism for the Ft Worth newspaper) to lookup any news article with
"traffic" in it and didn't pull a thing related to what JJ has above. Not
even anything remotely connected for that matter.

So, JJ, how 'bout something a little more concrete. By the way, the
research did just net that beginning on Sep 1 of this year there is some new
law in effect regarding police safety on highways during traffic stops.

Here, go read it yourself, assuming you can read, if not, maybe your
kids can read it to you.

http://www.broward.com/mld/starteleg...dy/5618883.htm

"KØHB" wrote:

I don't know about Texas law, but I
spent part of the spring and early
summer in Germany. Over there you
ABSOLUTELY stay out of the left
lane unless you in the act of overtaking
and passing. If you dilly-dally around
in that lane and hold up traffic overtaking
you from the rear, you'll be cited and the
fine is of some consequence (250 Euro's
if I recall correctly.) Traffic in Germany
is SO much better, because everyone
moves crisply in and out of the 'passing
lanes', rather than the buttheads here who
take their sweet leisurely time about
overtaking and passing, often just 1 or 2
MPH faster than the right hand traffic
lane is moving.


I really enjoyed driving in Germany also. At first, the autobahns were
shocking. But, after I got used to it (a couple of years), I drove just as
fast as everyone else. Later, after I gained more experience (and a vehicle
that could safely do it), driving at 110 to 120 mph on the autobahn was
fairly routine - faster if I was in a hurry to get somewhere. At those
speeds, it is critical for all drivers to cooperate.


Dwight Stewart (W5NET)

http://www.qsl.net/w5net/