Go With The Flow

Check out this link which is a recent news item from CNN. 

http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/us/2008/01/09/ross.ok.slow.drivers.beware.ktul

Kudos to the OK Highway Patrol as it begins warning, then citing, slow drivers in the left lane.   Now, if they’ll only start wearing our “Slow Drivers ==>” decal on their patrol cars…

Subtitle: “An extraordinary Act of Public Obedience”

Students from Georgia State University decided to be law-abiding citizens and drive the speed limit, exactly the speed limit, around the “Perimeter” in Atlanta to see what would happen.  Although this little experiment was a bit contrived (i.e., they “locked door handles” across all four lanes), it very clearly points out how those who insist on driving slowly in the left lanes can provoke other drivers, some of whom end up making terribly unwise and dangerous decisions as a result.

Watch this video and keep your eyes peeled for those who drive off onto the shoulder to get around.  One vehicle (a white van) clips the side mirror off a parked car and could have plowed into the back of it under slightly different circumstances.

To view “A Meditation on the Speed Limit” try this link on YouTube.  Let us know what you think.  Does it prove a point?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1B-Ox0ZmVIU

If this link doesn’t work, try searching YouTube using “meditation speed limit” for your search terms and that should pull up a current link.  If all else fails, go to the CampusMovieFest link (below) and then click on “Search Movies” and enter “meditation speed limit” and that will get you there.

http://www.campusmoviefest.com/movies

We’ve driven thousands of miles under the MOVE OVER ==> decal and have been amazed at how effective it is in getting slower drivers to either move to the right or pick up the speed. But don’t leave it to us to tell you.

Here’s an email we recently received which echos our personal experience…

I just got back from a 4000 mile trip from Colorado to California and back, I’d guess over 200 people moved out of the left lane after reading my decal. There were just three I had to go around, and of course “salute”

I’m so glad my TV station told us about you.

Oh, BTW, the sheriff’s dept here is looking into getting these for their cars

John G
Fort Morgan, CO

From time to time, our choice of the name, “Left Lane Drivers of America” has been challenged. The “Left Lane Drivers” part of it, that is (So far, nobody has felt compelled to challenge the “of America” part). Typically, someone writes and reminds us that the Left Lane is “for passing only” and that that’s the law. What’s more, the usual suggestion is that it is “arrogant” for someone to drive continuously in the Left Lane and/or it is “hypocritical” to do so, since we claim to be trying to get people out of the Left Lanes in the first place.

For those who are somewhat muddleheaded about this, we will now attempt to provide a bit of clarification. And, since this kind of challenge provides us with the opportunity to provoke what might be a new thought or two about the function/purpose of the Left Lane, we hope to take advantage of that, as well.

Technically/literally, “Left Lane driver” simply means someone who is driving (or who drives) in the Left Lane. Nothing too mysterious about that. However, in today’s jargon, the term has developed an additional nuance.

We’ve all heard the Left Lane described as the “Fast Lane” and there is something to this. Even though the original idea (and thus, the resulting law) behind the Left Lane was apparently one of only entering it for the express purpose and brief moment of passing another vehicle (and then immediately returning to the right lane), consider the fact that this was originally conceived more than 50 years ago, long before we had the kind of congestion we have today. Given the fact that we’ve now got so many cars on the freeways that all lanes are required just to accommodate the ever-increasing volume, it seems only reasonable for us to re-think the Left Lane and, ultimately, formally re-define its function.

In our opinion, the Left Lane should be the lane where faster traffic (relative to the right lanes) should be flowing. In contrast to the earlier, almost wooden idea that the Left Lane is “for passing only“, we think we’re now seeing evidence which suggests a capitulation of sorts to the hard reality of 21st century traffic and a resulting morphing of the understanding/purpose of the Left Lane in a very practical way, viz., more and more traffic signs are now decreeing, “Slower Traffic Move Right” or, “Slower Traffic Keep Right”. This is a significant change. Capice?

So long as someone in the Left Lane is moving faster (relatively so) than vehicles to the right, then there should be no issue with him/her continuing there until such time that there is no traffic in the right lanes or until such time that somebody comes up on their tail wanting to go faster than they (in both situations, they should promptly move to the right lane).

In sum, then, one can be a “Left Lane driver” while advocating the basic platform of Left Lane Drivers of America.  [JAT]

Here’s a snip from an email we received and, although this wasn’t the main point the writer was addressing, it reminded me of an observation I’ve been wanting to make…

“…I make several 180 mile trips on the interstate throughout the year and my biggest frustration is slow people in the left lane. Iowa even has signs posted on the roadways notifying slower cars to stay to the right, but still these drivers continue on, moving slowly, in the left lane.“ [Emphasis mine–JAT]

A number of months ago, I bought one of those AbLounges.  You know, the piece of exercise equipment that looks sort of like some kind of lawn-chair chaise which lets you fold yourself inside and out when you sit in it and which offers you rock solid, highly-defined abs as a result of what appears on TV to be an almost effortless expenditure of energy.

When my easy answer to a sculpted midsection arrived, I had one of my sons put it together for me (otherwise, it would still be in the shipping box).  I tried it out for a couple of minutes and enjoyed it.  Then it was given a prominent place in our rec room.  Funny thing.  Since I hardly ever go into the rec room, it ended up just occupying space, unused.  And my promised “rock hard abs” were nowhere to be found.

One day, upon noticing that I still had what appeared to be just a single, larger ab and not the desired, well-defined “six pack”, I decided I would do something to insure that my AbLounge would accomplish more for me than simply collecting dust.

I took it and placed it directly in the path I take as I move back and forth multiple times throughout the day between the La-Z-Boy recliner in my office and the kitchenette where I go to fix myself a latte’, get a glass of water to drink, etc.  I figured that if I nearly tripped over the thing (which, in fact, happened more than once) then, surely, I would take a few moments to develop those “rock hard abs”.

Now here’s my point: it has been at least six months since I put that AbLounge there and I can tell you that I hardly notice the thing every time I walk by, even though I have to walk around it!  This is the problem with those posted exhortations along our freeways which say Theme and Variation of ”Slower traffic move right”.  Nobody notices them.  Like my AbLounge, the signs are, for all practical purposes, invisible and their message goes unheeded.

This is one really good reason why the MOVE OVER decal is so effective.  Since the decal suddenly appears in a driver’s rear-view mirror and since it is so completely out of the normal driving routine, it not only gets noticed but its message very often gets through.

I can pretty-well guarantee you that the pro-active, MOVE OVER message gets a far better response than those seldom-noticed, seldom-heeded, roadside signs.

We’ve got to get drivers thinking about the proper use of the Left Lane.  The MOVE OVER decal plays a significant role in bringing this to the forefront of drivers’ minds.  Thanks for helping us spread the word.

P.S.  Does anyone want to purchase a very slightly used AbLounge?  [JAT] 

“when I see these ridiculous stickers, I slow down and stay in the left lane.

“I pay road taxes like the rest. thank you for letting others id themselves as road raging speeders that I slow down and block.spoke with a few people that target these speeders in the left lane also.”

Knightmare

This unedited email (including the title) clearly demonstrates the kind of attitude which does absolutely nothing to help reduce what we call the “emotional temperatures” on today’s crowded highways.  In fact, it appears that “Knightmare” is an appropriate moniker for this person.

We can only wish s/he would consider the possibility that this kind of behavior potentially provokes other drivers, with foolish and dangerous actions being a likely response.  All of this could easily be prevented if “Knightmare” would simply move out of the way and let the other person pass.  Then we could all live to have pleasant dreams, instead.  [JAT]

Sooner or later, it had to happen.  A blog for Left Lane Drivers of America.  After being on numerous radio interviews, scattered news stories around the country on TV and even in a few newspapers here and there, word is getting out: If you’re not a Left Lane Driver, then get out of the Left Lane!  Many thanks to you for helping us spread the word.

This pro-active, ”grassroots effort” is still very much in its infancy.  The goal is nationwide awareness, to get drivers all over the country to be more actively thinking about the proper uses for the Left Lanes on our freeways and multi-lane highways.

Just over 50 years ago, then-president Dwight D. Eisenhower signed the Federal Aid Highway Act, authorizing almost 50,000 miles of Interstate Highways (freeways) to be built.  Now that this remarkable undertaking is complete (Technically, almost complete: there remains one, final connection north of Philly to close the last gap in I-95.  The project involves an I-95 interchange with the Pennsylvania Turnpike and an additional bridge over the Delaware River parallel to the existing bridge), it’s appropriate that we remind ourselves that we probably won’t see much in the way of additional new miles of freeways in our lifetimes.  What we will see are more and more cars and trucks coming on to the existing infrastructure, adding to the congestion which is already almost intolerable in some locales.

Our work is cut out for us.  The only positive alternative we can think of, near term, is to encourage drivers to make the best possible, most efficient use of what we have.  In other words, we need to do what we can to keep the flow going.  Among other things, this involves giving other drivers the courtesy of getting out of their way, wherever possible.

If we don’t start thinking along these lines, we’re only going to see the emotional temperatures on our pressure-cooker freeways get hotter.  So please, do your part.  And, help us spread the word…