Doing 40 kph.. on a farkin' highway!

[Talon]

Yesterday I had my first idiot driver of the spring season. While most drivers in this town aren't the brightest bulbs in the box, this one was dimmer than most.

I was headed to school on the highway, when I had to slow for a woman ahead who was only moving at 80 kph. I was mildly annoyed, as we were on the express lane which has a limit of 100 kph. But there was a merging lane ahead back into the collector lane, which did have a limit of 80 kph. Ok if she wants to be a stickler for posted limits, fine. (Driving conditions were sunny and clear btw) But warning bells were going off from the way they were driving. She kept drifting into other lanes, like they couldn't decide where they were going.

Once we were on the merging lane she slows. And slows, and slows, right down to 40 kph. The collector lane we were merging into had a limit of 90 kph! This being the middle of the day, traffic was sparce, and moving very fast! WTF!! Any idiot knows, or should know that barring heavy traffic, you NEVER slow down when merging into a bloody highway. One of the few times I angrily slammed on my horn, but she paid no attention. Even after she finally picked up speed, she kept up with the lane-drifting act. I admit I was sorely tempted to be a dick right back to her, like cut her off and then slow right down.

Granted this wasn't a true merging lane. The lane broke off from the express, and became an additional lane on the collector. So we weren't merging into traffic. Good thing too, that would have been a royal mess. How the heck did this old airhead pass the driving test?

Seriously people, if you're not confident driving on the highway, do everyone a favour and stay off it.

[blas]

I totally agree.

Around here, we are lucky enough to have two different ways to get around quickly. One is an older highway with a speed limit of 50 mph. The other is a freeway with the standard limit of 65. Both will get you to the same place.

It always befuddles me as to why people insist on going 50 mph on a clear day on the freeway, while people blow past me going 75 on the older highway.

It also befuddles me as to why no one knows how to fucking merge.

[Broomjockey]

It always befuddles me as to why people insist on going 50 mph on a clear day on the freeway, while people blow past me going 75 on the older highway.

At least 50mph is still a relatively decent speed. 40kph less than what you do on a residential street. It's less than 30mph, actually.

[IT Grunt]

Around here, the speed limit is 70 mph. With all the blind curves and hills on the highways here, someone doing 25 mph or less would be road kill easy. No question about it.

[Irving Patrick Freleigh]

Going that slow on a fucking freeway is just asking to be wiped out in a fiery ass-end collision.

People like that ought to just hand in their drivers license and sell their car.

[sarasquirrel]

i hate those damn lane drifters. and i don't always deal with it on the highway. any multi-lane roads. i never want to drive the same speed as the person next to me, for fear of lane drifting. make up your damn mind!

on the highway, the speed limit is 65. i usually do between70-75. yet i see other whiz by at like 120. WTF

[MCSledgehammer]

Has she never heard the adage, "You have to catch up to get on the merry-go-round, because it won't slow down for you"?

As a vaguely related note, the book "Traffic: How we drive and what it says about us" is a terribly interesting read, if you're into that sort of thing.

[Bandit]

Sounds like some of the drivers around here escaped and (eventually) got to where you are.

Sorry.

There are enough twatwaffles like that around here. Nothing like calmly toodleing down the 417 at about a buck 20 to find someone camping in the fast lane doing about between 60kmh and 80kmh.

The drivers here both suck and blow at the same time. Nothing like seeing some clueless fuckwit doing 20kmh UNDER the limit drive right through a red.



B

[protege]

Going that slow on a fucking freeway is just asking to be wiped out in a fiery ass-end collision.

Yep, truly dangerous, that is.

When driving back from Grandma's one night, quite a few people nearly rear-ended someone doing that. Little old lady in a white Ford Escort station wagon, doing about 30mph (well below the 45mph minimum speed allowed on interstates) in a 55 zone. Er, it's *posted* 55, but most people do 65 or 70. Trust me, there's nothing that scares me more than to be going along with traffic, and having to slam on the brakes because of an idiot. It's even worse if there's a large truck behind you...

[Salted Grump]

There are enough twatwaffles like that around here. Nothing like calmly toodleing down the 417 at about a buck 20 to find someone camping in the fast lane doing about between 60kmh and 80kmh.

*Sings* Someone Lives near Ottawa! *Stops Singing* Sorry about that; I'm about 50K South of the 416-417 Linkage And frankly, there's a reason why I avoid the 400-series roads. Mostly because certain people are failures at simple things like 'Don't try to run the 26-wheeler, which is carrying about Sixty Cows, off the road; It's bigger than you, and all you'll do is distress the Cows.'

Or, even more often, 'The limit says 100. I go 115 in the right lane, and let people pass me because the road's deserted at 3 AM. Why in Hell are you weaving across three lanes of traffic, gabbling on a Cellphone, and going Fifty K?'

[dalesys]

It's even worse if there's a large truck behind you...

Like Cosby says: "First you say it, then you do it."

And mothers are always more concerned about the health of your underwear than your body:

"I hope, for my sake, that you were wearing clean underwear!"

"Yes, mom. I had a spare pair in the glove box."

[protege]

And mothers are always more concerned about the health of your underwear than your body:

"I hope, for my sake, that you were wearing clean underwear!"

Well, Mom, they *were* clean

[It's me]

Granted this wasn't a true merging lane. The lane broke off from the express, and became an additional lane on the collector. So we weren't merging into traffic. Good thing too, that would have been a royal mess. How the heck did this old airhead pass the driving test?

This was on the 401 I take it? Where 120 kph is the norm in heavy traffic and bad weather? And a whole lot faster when it's clear? Man, that woman is an accident waiting to happen!

[Hyndis]

Yep, truly dangerous, that is.

When driving back from Grandma's one night, quite a few people nearly rear-ended someone doing that. Little old lady in a white Ford Escort station wagon, doing about 30mph (well below the 45mph minimum speed allowed on interstates) in a 55 zone. Er, it's *posted* 55, but most people do 65 or 70. Trust me, there's nothing that scares me more than to be going along with traffic, and having to slam on the brakes because of an idiot. It's even worse if there's a large truck behind you...

Yup, I've had more then one near heart attack from that sudden shock of seeing a car simply not moving (relatively) in the middle of a freeway!

I wish the polite would be more proactive about pulling people over and citing them for going to slow. Yes, it is against the law to go too slow, but highway patrol cars are few and far between.