Since when is going the Speedlimit BAD?

[Mytical]

Ok recently I went on a trip to Virginia. 98% of the time I am what you call a cautious driver (I do take SOME chances, jut not many). Mostly because I have issues with getting crowded. Anyhow, I mostly stayed on the Interstate. Many rest stops on the way, with plenty of chances for food and gas (or both ).

I have cruise control, and set it for the speed limit (whatever it was), so I could adjust in the seat if I needed (for comfort..that is a LONG drive). People were passing me as if I was sitting still, or riding my bumper. Even during the period of time when people could literally see 10 feet because it was pouring down rain. It didn't matter if the speed limit was 55 or 70, I often would even go 2-3 miles over that and still it was like I was sitting still. Just glad it was late when I was on there so it wasn't even worse!

Oh but that isn't the half of it. Had something happen THREE times. A vehicle would zoom pass me, and with nothing in front of them..(no traffic, no light, absolutely nada in front of them) hit the breaks and go SLOWER then I was right in front of me. What the heck?! They would start out riding my bumper, zoom to another lane, get past me, zoom back..and hit the breaks. For absolutely no reason.

I did love when I got the chance to be part of a Convoy though. You can pretty much safely ride in line with the rigs, and nobody bothers you. Often a rig would slow down, get behind me (with another in front) and 'escort' me. Nobody would be dodging in and out with them around

[Gawdzillers]

Going out to Colorado last summer, lots of people did that to me while driving through Kansas. I had cruise control set for a little above the limit and people still passed me. Nobody rode my bumper or braked in front of me, though. There weren't very many cops around, and it was Kansas (as in a straight stretch of interstate with gazillion-mile visibility), so I guess people figured they could open up the throttle a bit.

[G-Radical]

Those people breaking in front of you were being jerks. They were pissed off that you were not going as fast as they would have liked, thus, they were forced to change lanes to go around you. So they thought it would be a good idea to get in your face like that.. . . . .Curious, were you driving in the left lane going the speed limit? The left lane is usually for passing or faster traffic on interstates and highways and stuff.

[blas]

I hate people who are in a huge hurry to pass you, but then toodle once they get in front of you.

[mikoyan29]

I hate it when people ride your bumper for a while, then decide to pass and take forever to pass....and make sure they linger in your blind spot while doing it.

[Whiskey]

A lot of kansas natives I knew would end up in ditches every winter because they "knew what winter was like in Kansas." I never did because snow and heavy rain is to be feared and to be driven in very carefully.

[Mytical]

No I always followed the signs, if it said "Slower traffic stay right" I stayed to the right. If it said "Slower traffic stay left" I stayed to the left. I am a big stickler for signs. Speed limits, whatever, get obeyed..period ( well 2-3 mph over at most). Funny thing is, there would be cars that I would see way back in the distance in my rear view that would pass me in under a minute, followed by a police vehicle who WASN'T chasing that car. I know my speedometer is not busted so *shrugs*.

[LillFilly]

I really hate that when people want to have their petty revenge for you going the speed limit. I'm a fan of cruise control too; saves a bit on gas, and I can flex my legs.

[RecoveringKinkoid]

When tailgaters pull that shit (and you can always tell when they are) just wait till they are passing you, then slow way down. They will zing around you way faster than they mean to, putting a ton of room between you and then.

If they want to keep up their little game, they will have to slow WAY down in order to put you in a position that you will be riding their bumper. Since you have already forced them to give you a lot more space than they intended, this will be extremely hard for them to accomplish.

These people are remarkably stupid. So they are really, really easy to screw with.

Do not play. You should never tailgate. So don't. Even if they have done it to you. If they slow down to thirty, make sure you have plenty of room between you and them, and slow down to twenty nine. Don't worry about the people behind you, at this point, this is not your fault. It's the asshole who is now in front playing games at fault. Do not ride his bumper. Just slow down to what you have to slow down to, and give yourself plenty of room to stop or swerve if you have to.

[Dave1982]

I drove the entire length of I-81 through Virginia on a road trip back in 2004 (and back again a few days later on the way home). Hated every minute of it. I don't know if its true but I'd heard that VA was notorious for ticketing out-of-state drivers. Moreover, I'd heard that their state troopers were in the midst of a speeding crackdown during the time I was going to be driving through. Sure enough, the moment we hit the VA border a good 10-15 vehicles were already pulled over just over the line.

I set the cruise control to the speed limit and left it there as much as possible.

But the other - more frightening - problem was how mountainous I-81 in VA is. More than once I didn't think i was going to make it up a grade without being rear-ended because my poor Civic couldn't handle it. I'd already downshifted to 4th gear and had the accelerator jammed into the floor and could barely stay above 50 MPH.

Never again.....

[Berys]

Mytical: As a Virginian my whole life I can honestly say that I can't remember ever experiencing the "pass and brake" shenanigans from other drivers. The people driving like maniacs though... that's pretty much par for the course. Seen the mail carriers zig-zagging across the road to hit all the mailboxes in one pass while making the truckers dodge them. That's right, dodge them, not the other way around. State always seems to be putting up new gaurdrails and other safety measures.

Dave: Assume that you're talking about the area right around the Blacksburg/VA Tech exit there (mile marker 118 I think), and you are indeed correct. Way to steep through there. Pray to whatever deity you will that you never get gridlocked in that after a VA Tech football game. Not a pretty sight.

[Lady J'ssem]

Ahhhh VA traffic how I loathe you. Every day I have to work I have a brush with death on I-95. It sucks. People will pass and brake. People will flip you off if you're going slower then they want to go. PEople will suddenly stop for no reason in the middle of rush hour, and cause everybody to get angry and full of road rage.

They're planning on upping the age to get a driver's liscense. I think they're doing that for the safety of the kids. Tooooooo many road ragey adults. (The lady that flipped me off for going 70 in a 65 was a white haired granny! )

[Mytical]

The down hill part was insanely frightening. Semi's right behind you, and it is HARD to stop a semi (they had run away truck ramps it seems every mile). Having one of those ride your bumper is a experience and a half. Yeah, I don't play the ride the bumper game. I give everybody but semi's a good space if they are in front of me. Semi's I give even more. Just hated it when with three blasted lanes (mostly empty) somebody would pass me up and then all but stop. What the heck is the point of it? I'd just switch lanes for awhile, and end up passing them up again. No CLUE what they were thinking.

[sparx]

I'm from the UK, big trucks have a max speed limit of 60 on the motorway (70 is the normal speed limit for cars and stuff). Ofc most motorways have 3 lanes. The inside lane and two overtaking lanes.

So why is it that if I am going 70 down lane 2, and come across some driver going 65, so I will go into lane 3 - and then get tooted at for doing the speed limit in lane 3 (overtaking the guy in lane 2), by some obnoxious person in their super hyped up car. (Note to non-uk residents: the speed limit is a statutory max - you CAN get a speeding ticket for 71mph, although they tend not to do anything until 78/79.

[Mytical]

On the large hills trucks are SUPPOSED to be going 45 mph. Other vehicles have a 65-70 mph limit. So you would think that a semi would not be able to ride a cars bumper. You would be WRONG. Even going 72 mph, I had a semi practically touching my bumper for miles. Steady stream of vehicles in front and beside me, so no chance of getting out of the way..my nerves were shot by the time I reached a rest area and pulled in to get out of the blasted way.