It's the cruising lane...

[7db]

Unusually, I found myself in the public bar last night and as I ordered the two chaps next to me were rounding on the third of their number who was indignantly recounting the tale of how he was cruising down the middle lane on an empty motorway and some chap came up behind expecting him to move over to lane one. Why should he move over when there's a perfectly good outside lane.

It's the truck lane, the cruising lane and the overtaking lane. I should know, I drive ever day.

That's right, said the barman as he poured my pint, they taught us that on the speed awareness course. Middle lane is the cruising land and the outside lane is for overtaking. He was quite adamant that you shouldn't be in lane 3 unless overtaking, but not to mix it with the trucks in lane one.

Now, I'm not the kind of chap to butt into another's private conversation, but there it was two vs two, middle lane motorists against the world, and the chance finally to have a word (no, not that word) with an MLM about their driving.

What should I have said to persuade him of the error of his ways?

[carreauchompeur]

Repeatedly smashed his MLM head into the heavy wooden bar whilst rhythmically chanting "NO NO NO" with each satisfying, bloody swing.

[creampuff]

Sometimes if you approach in an empty Lane 1, a MLM, overtake them in Lane 3, then go back to Lane 1, they get some clue. But then sometimes not.

[Rovinghawk]

"Get someone to read you the Highway Code v-e-r-y s-l-o-w-l-y"

RH

[anonymous-user]

creampuff said:

Sometimes if you approach in an empty Lane 1, a MLM, overtake them in Lane 3, then go back to Lane 1, they get some clue. But then sometimes not.

bks to that. Pass in lane 1.

[Snowboy]

I'm coming round to the idea that lane discipline isn't just as simple as 'stay to the left'.

The intention is to drive in a manner that keeps traffic moving.
Sometimes it is better to stay in the middle lane if there's moderate traffic in the inside lane otherwise you will be constantly ducking in and out.

Sometimes a car behind should just pull out to overtake rather than demand you pull in.

It all depends on which lane has the most space.
If the inside is busy and the outside clear it makes sense to hang in the middle and let the overtakers go out.
If the inside is clear it makes sense to pull in.

I'm sure a lot of people have pulled left, and then when they want to pull back out they find someone has crept up the outside in the middle lane and is blocking them in.

It a simple question of 'am I holding up traffic?' if so move.
If not, stay where you are if you like.

Keep left is a good rule to start with.
But it's better to use some initiative too.

[Pothole]

Snowboy said:

otherwise you will be constantly ducking in and out.

So what?

[SmoothCriminal]

Crossflow Kid said:

bks to that. Pass in lane 1.

This can't be dealing with educating bellends that don't know how to drive

[y2blade]

Are you sure you are not quoting Claudia Winkleman?
She said exactly the same on the radio the other day!



"Truck lane, Cruising lane, overtaking lane."

[Deva Link]

7db said:

What should I have said to persuade him of the error of his ways?

There's nothing you can do. Even if they did accept what you said, they wouldn't admit it.

Crossflow Kid said:

bks to that. Pass in lane 1.

I do that.

[Potatoes]

y2blade said:

Are you sure you are not quoting Claudia Winkleman?
She said exactly the same on the radio the other day!



"Truck lane, Cruising lane, overtaking lane."

Maybe Claudia's been on the speed awareness course. They would never teach that on the speed awareness course... would they?

Either way, piss = boiling

[Snowboy]

Pothole said:

Snowboy said:

otherwise you will be constantly ducking in and out.

So what?

So.. If nobody overtakes you during the time you pulled in and out then it was a totally unnecessary manouver.

Very sensible for a young driver to get into the habit of pulling in, but otherwise pointless.

[Deva Link]

Snowboy said:

I'm sure a lot of people have pulled left, and then when they want to pull back out they find someone has crept up the outside in the middle lane and is blocking them in.

I do regular long journeys during the day when the motorways are (usually) quietish. Tend to stick cruise on and drive at 70ish so no worries about looking out for laser speed traps and unmarked police cars etc. Also I get paid mileage so the more MPG I do the more I make.

I get blocked in lane 1 a fair amount by people who will be driving faster but then get next to me and match my speed. It tends to make me pull back into lane 2 much earlier than I should need to, and sometimes the MLM will pass me in lane 3, pull back into lane 2 and then slow down again.

If you weren't on cruise it wouldn't be so noticeable, but many drivers' speed varies significantly.

[otolith]

Snowboy said:

I'm sure a lot of people have pulled left, and then when they want to pull back out they find someone has crept up the outside in the middle lane and is blocking them in.

Yes. And that person blocking them in is this guy:

Snowboy said:

Sometimes it is better to stay in the middle lane if there's moderate traffic in the inside lane otherwise you will be constantly ducking in and out.

[budgie smuggler]

As far as I'm concerned, the 'cruising lane' is the empty one on the left, where you can cruise at your chosen speed uninterrupted for miles on end past morons sitting at 62 mph in the middle lane.

[carreauchompeur]

It would be quite fun to make a version of that YouTube video where the American Humvee is driving through the streets of Baghdad, gently nudging cars out of the way, on a busy M6.

[Snowboy]

otolith said:

Snowboy said:

I'm sure a lot of people have pulled left, and then when they want to pull back out they find someone has crept up the outside in the middle lane and is blocking them in.

Yes. And that person blocking them in is this guy:

Snowboy said:

Sometimes it is better to stay in the middle lane if there's moderate traffic in the inside lane otherwise you will be constantly ducking in and out.

I disagree.
The person blicking them is someone who isn't paying attention to the road.

The guy who didn't pull in could be aware of the first car and flash ghem out.
Or drop out to the outside lane to let the first car pull out.

Please don't think I'm advocating 'middle lane moron' behaviour.
I'm just pointing out that on a three lane road that always pulling left at every gap doesn't necissarily help with traffic flow.

Drivers who are aware of the traffic around them can make a judgement call about the most sensible manouver.

[omgus]

Crossflow Kid said:

bks to that. Pass in lane 1.

Used to always be moving from lane 1 to lane 3 and back. Now i just stay in lane 1. If someone is an MLM they will not pull back into lane 1 until they need to get off the motorway.

Also if you ever drive from the M23/M25 junction up to the M40/M25 junction you will notice that during the day lane 1 tends to be the fastest moving. It appears that the middle and two outside lanes prefer to do a steady 50 most of the time.

[illmonkey]

Snowboy said:

I'm coming round to the idea that lane discipline isn't just as simple as 'stay to the left'.

The intention is to drive in a manner that keeps traffic moving.
Sometimes it is better to stay in the middle lane if there's moderate traffic in the inside lane otherwise you will be constantly ducking in and out.

Sometimes a car behind should just pull out to overtake rather than demand you pull in.

It all depends on which lane has the most space.
If the inside is busy and the outside clear it makes sense to hang in the middle and let the overtakers go out.
If the inside is clear it makes sense to pull in.

I'm sure a lot of people have pulled left, and then when they want to pull back out they find someone has crept up the outside in the middle lane and is blocking them in.

It a simple question of 'am I holding up traffic?' if so move.
If not, stay where you are if you like.

Keep left is a good rule to start with.
But it's better to use some initiative too.

Ah, Captin Logic.

Of course you don't need to pull back into lane 1 every time you pass 1 car. If there are a a few and you're making progress compared to them, stay in lane 2 passing them.

The issue is when fkwits sit in lane 2 not over taking anything of hanging on the wing of an other car for miles upon miles.

[otolith]

Snowboy said:

otolith said:

Snowboy said:

I'm sure a lot of people have pulled left, and then when they want to pull back out they find someone has crept up the outside in the middle lane and is blocking them in.

Yes. And that person blocking them in is this guy:

Snowboy said:

Sometimes it is better to stay in the middle lane if there's moderate traffic in the inside lane otherwise you will be constantly ducking in and out.

I disagree.
The person blicking them is someone who isn't paying attention to the road.

The guy who didn't pull in could be aware of the first car and flash ghem out.
Or drop out to the outside lane to let the first car pull out.

Please don't think I'm advocating 'middle lane moron' behaviour.
I'm just pointing out that on a three lane road that always pulling left at every gap doesn't necissarily help with traffic flow.

Drivers who are aware of the traffic around them can make a judgement call about the most sensible manouver.

The point is that the behaviour is self-perpetuating. While you are sat in lane 2, you are effectively reserving the overtaking opportunity for yourself. It's like leaving towels on the pool chairs.