We’ve all been there- driving along, being awesome, when you come across some shmuck who doesn’t have the slightest clue about roadway etiquette. Maybe they’re rolling 55 in the passing lane, or riding on the bumper of the car ahead when that same passing lane is open. For whatever reason, they’re idiots.
Redditor Whorabola has offered up a suggestion for roadsigns intended to educate these scofflaws, and I for one think this would be road tax used right. What do you think?
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To this day, this olelongrooffan has never been able to get into the Reddit speed of conversation, is anyone surprised? And tonite it is no different..However, I do have this to say about that. If you are driving at the same speed as the vehicle in the next lane, one of you is in the wrong lane. In my case, it is usually the one to the left of this right lane travelling olelongrooffan.
Right there with you longroof. There is a corollary to this you know. When you (and you know who you are) slicing across every lane of a 4 lane freeway like the whole world is your personal autocross, please dont take it personally when you encounter me in the right lane doing the speed limit and you get boxed in behind me along side a tandem trailer big rig in the number 2 lane. And please, please dont take it personally when I get tired of having you 10 mm off my bumper and brake check you.
What part of 'Stay Right except to pass' don't you understand? You'd get about 30% more throughput on average, and about 75% less aggravation. And some days (not many) it's cool to be the slow guy just hanging out in the right lane and letting the whole world rush by. Other days, don't make me flash you twice.
I'm trying to make more days the taking it easy in the right lane and less days the get the hell out of my way days. Especially when commuting to and from work- I'm already pissed off that I'm going to work, I might as well take it easy on the highway and not raise my blood pressure any more. If I just chill, I don't get as upset at stupid drivers, and I find I'm in a better mood when I reach my destination, even if I get there a few minutes later.
I hate to say it, but you're right. I have to remind myself of that every day.
I don't agree with "stay right except to pass". If I'm going faster than most people then I should stay left unless someone faster is coming up behind me. Then move out of the way otherwise I have to swerve right to left and back all the way to my destination. I believe every driver should have to take drivers training. Stop giving licenses to the idiots until they know how to drive properly and the road will be a better place for everyone.
I was driving home from eating black-eyed peas yesterday and in the right lane of a 4-lane divided road doing the 35 mph limit, plus or minus a few. A car was behind me, then passed me, then pulled back in front of me, right at the moment when an opossum ran across the street. Passing guy locks up his brakes to avoid hitting the critter, which was hidden from me, at first, and my immediate thought was someone still hadn't stopped drinking in the new year.
I have been waiting for a last call for a while!
Also paging (SSurfer?) I have seen that you are in Lexington… If you get bored and need some groceries that don't suck stop by the Trader Joe's (early this week) and ask for Joel (the guy with a wallet chain, because I'm lame).
Hello fellow Lexingtonian.
While I appreciate the offer, we typically don't shop at Trader Joe's too often. Nicholasville traffic being the main reason. But if you're ever at a Cars & Coffee, look for the big gray F150 and you'll find me. And FYI the 1st Cars and Coffee of 2013 is this Saturday, and I hope to be in attendance.
Hey guys and gals, speaking of slowpokes, I want to do a hypermiling experiment. Got any tips other than:
-driving slow and constant
-get rid of all unnecessary weight
-half a tank of fuel (or less)
-no A/C
Thanks and I'll do a write up here with the results. I'm hoping to achieve 26 mpg in the V8 between Oakland and Sacramento (and back).
I've heard of people touting "pulse and glide" – get up to your target speed quickly, and then let the car coast back down.
Also, check your tire pressure.
i.e. gradually pump the tires up to their max rated pressure
– a few psi at a time
– check for any drastic changes in handling or braking (shouldn't be)
– single biggest thing you can do for higher mileage
Maintain steady throttle on the uphill even though you're losing speed. Fight the urge to press down more on the pedal when you reach the crest of the hill, you're seconds away from "cheap" energy on the downhill side of the slope.
Steady throttle is a huge deal, which makes me suspicious of pulse and glide, but in all my runs through Appalachia I've come to believe in a gradual increase anticipating the uphill and a gradual decrease anticipating the downhill to maintain as steady a speed as possible.
That pulse and glide stuff doesn't work in my head. I just like to think of everything as an energy state thing. Give it a bit of extra gas on the downhill side to pick up "cheap" momentum because you're going to need every bit of it on the uphill side. Too many WW2 flight sims, I suppose.
The key is anticipation of the hill. A little speed going into a hill to keep from down shifting going up and prevent the engine from lugging. Otherwise he's agreeing with the steady throttle.
Gas engines (as you well know) vary greatly in fuel efficiency and power delivery, and there are sweet spots for both, and they can vary with load. Lugging the engine up a hill is not efficient. Idle on the flat in high gear is also often not the best spot. On my Jeep, the sweet spot is at the bottom of the power band, and I'd expect it to be there on most engines. So, a little revved, but basically coasting is best, particularly around 40mph in a higher gear is usually best, but that assumes flat ground.
To get uphill without lugging, you'll need to either downshift or speed up a bit to anticipate the hill, and the downshift will put you up into higher revs right away, and drink fuel. I'd expect that to work pretty well. (I do it, occasionally. Normally I face a choice between bad and worse mileage, so…)
And watch for cops on the downhill- keep the throttle constant and gain as much speed as you can on the downhill (without flooring the gas) to carry into the next uphill.
Tape your panel gaps. (EDIT: Blue painter's tape is probably the way to go here.)
Replace your air filter (seriously, that bought me nearly 5mpg(!) on that strip of road this last time around; probably needed to do it a few thousand miles ago…). New spark plugs and other similar tune-up bits are probably also a good idea. Oil & coolant you can leave alone (doesn't really affect mileage, unless it isn't there ;).
If you want to get hardcore, the biggest wins for baffles are a strip at the base of the windshield, full fenders/covers for the rear wheels (like the first gen Insight and oh-so-many Detroit Land Yachts) and anything to make the rear end more of a kammback. The windshield and the wheel covers are the easier of the two, and the Phaeton has a pretty good shape as is, so no sense screwing up your rear visibility. The idea with the windshield strip is to make the transition from the hood to the glass gentler, which should alleviate some of the high-pressure that builds up there and creates drag (see also: why do cowl scoops do anything?).
FINAL EDIT: Looking forward to the results. (And now I'll leave well enough alone)
As much as is possible and safe, try to not use your brakes. Brakes are nothing but useful kinetic energy turning into waste heat. If you can do it safely and without pissing people behind you off, try to start coasting down to a stop from as far off as possible, to use the minimum amount of brakes necessary. Also, don't launch too slow and soft. You obviously don't want to launch as hard as possible, but drawing the launch out wastes energy too. If you launch at like 50-60% effort while trying to maintain as steady a throttle state as possible, it usually yields the best results.
Great timing- I'll see all kinda of crap on the highway tomorrow.
Headed back to DFW but using another route besides the 81-40-30 since 40 has a 2 hr wait for construction.
Trying Knoxville, Chattanooga, something more west, Louisiana then DFW. I hope. Should be interesting.
Hey, Boston area folk, here's an offer for you…
http://www.groupon.com/deals/larz-anderson-auto-m…
Cut rate at the Transportation Museum!
Good deal. I paid full price and it is worth every penny.
Meh. Good enough idea, but I suspect normal Californian road sign literacy rates would apply and make it a bust out here.
I don't know about how it works anywhere else, but here in the metro ATL, the right lane on interstates is THE lane to use. Everyone here is a left lane hog. They'll drive like bats outta hell to get into the left lane in front of everyone and then push the hat to the back of their head and drop 15mph to cruise. Unless a cop pulls a sweep, they'll stay there..indefinitely, regardless of traffic, until the last possible minute and then do a no-turn-signal 3 lane chop to get to their exit.
I just flick the signal, drop into the center or right lane, move to the outside and then cruise right on by 5pmh faster then them.
By the way, not a damn person on the road understands, recognizes or cooperates with "flash to pass" here. It blows. Only the truckers know it and appreciate the clearance "flash."
<img src="http://i253.photobucket.com/albums/hh44/erwins_photos/i-684_ny_nt_22.jpg" width="500/">
I knew that exchange looked familiar. I typically get off at 9E to head east through the hellhole that is CT.
Anyone who has driven through CT would agree these signs are needed there. If you haven't ever driven through CT, Google my screen name and [redacted].com's worst states to drive across…
I knew I shouldn't have clicked the Reddit link… Reading people discussing car/driving issues on Reddit is always a painful experience.
Here, this is just preaching to the choir.
Edit: Hey, 102! I am finally "awesome" according to Intense Debate!
<img src="http://intensedebate.com//images/id-rep_scale.png">
On Hooniverse, all the engines are strong, all the bodies are good looking, and all the commenters are above average.
I don't know why I clicked on it after reading your post. But I did. And I then I was reminded why I don't visit reddit.
There is a view point of the Crooked River in Oregon which is a very high bridge
<img src="http://i.imgur.com/KFqkN.jpg" alt="" title="Hosted by imgur.com" width="500">
This sign is in the parking lot…
<img src="http://i.imgur.com/S20ii.jpg" title="Hosted by imgur.com" alt="" width="500">
![http://i253.photobucket.com/albums/hh44/erwins_photos/i-684_ny_nt_22.jpg"](http://i253.photobucket.com/albums/hh44/erwins_photos/i-684_ny_nt_22.jpg"){kind=link}
![http://intensedebate.com//images/id-rep_scale.png">](http://intensedebate.com//images/id-rep_scale.png">){kind=link}
![http://i.imgur.com/KFqkN.jpg"](http://i.imgur.com/KFqkN.jpg"){kind=link}
![http://i.imgur.com/S20ii.jpg"](http://i.imgur.com/S20ii.jpg"){kind=link}
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