Middle lane hogging

[leosayer]

When do I become a MLM??

Picture the scenario...I'm driving along a motorway in lane 2, overtaking cars and lorries in lane 1, the traffic is fairly heavy and I have cars behind me in lane 2 who are gaining on me and I pull back in to lane 1 as I have finished my overtake. Lane 3 is busy as well.

After 10-20 seconds of lane 1 I come up behind a lorry doing 60mph and are unable to get back into lane 2 without moving into a non-existant gap, so I slow down and wait for a gap.

Should I just have stayed in lane 2 in those circumstances?

[SVS]

Naah, you should have gone into lane 3 and floored it

Oops! Thought I was on the BMW drivers' forum for a minute there

[TripleS]

leosayer said:

When do I become a MLM??

Picture the scenario...I'm driving along a motorway in lane 2, overtaking cars and lorries in lane 1, the traffic is fairly heavy and I have cars behind me in lane 2 who are gaining on me and I pull back in to lane 1 as I have finished my overtake. Lane 3 is busy as well.

After 10-20 seconds of lane 1 I come up behind a lorry doing 60mph and are unable to get back into lane 2 without moving into a non-existant gap, so I slow down and wait for a gap.

Should I just have stayed in lane 2 in those circumstances?

In the circumstances you describe I think I would have remained in lane 2. It's not good to hog a lane of course, but lane swapping is potentially troublesome and if you anticipate difficulty getting back from L1 into L2 I think you would be justified in staying in L2. Perhaps you could ease the problem by increasing speed if L2 is clear ahead of you.

Best wishes all,
Dave.

[gdaybruce]

This is often a really tricky judgment call, especially if you're trying to keep to a vaguely legal speed. The theory is clear enough; it's the practice that's often challenging. Personally, I feel horribly "guilty" if I stay out when there is traffic behind but you just know that if you pull in to lane 1 you'll need to pull out again shortly and if the road is busy this will probably be tricky. Trouble is, this is more or less the justification that every middle lane hog uses and I don't want to be one of them!

One consequence is that one tends, almost subsconciously, to speed up to prevent delaying those behind while closing the gap to the next vehicle in lane 1. This generally means traveling a good deal faster than intended, however, so ain't ideal.

A further factor is that the relative speeds of traffic in different lanes can often be hard to judge. I find quite often that I decide to stay out, only to find that it's taking me longer to catch a lane one vehicle than I expected.

Overall though, I work on the principle that I should avoid delaying traffic that wants to go quicker than me so, if there's traffic behind and lane 3 is busy, then, depending on the circumstances, I'll either accelerate to get past the next vehicle in lane 1 and then pull in and slow down, or pull in straight away. At least I don't then feel guilty!

[leosayer]

gdaybruce said:

This is often a really tricky judgment call....

Nail on head Bruce, your post describes exactly how I feel. There have been some circumstances recently where I haven't wanted to speed up yet feel guilty if I've held people up on some occasions and pissed off at myself for not making optimum progress on others.

I try to put myself in the position of the drivers behind me...would they expect me to move over or not? I guess as long as I'm not staying in lane 2 too long and not endangering anyone then drivers behind will just have to wait their turn!

[mph999]

leosayer said:

gdaybruce said:

This is often a really tricky judgment call....

Nail on head Bruce, your post describes exactly how I feel. There have been some circumstances recently where I haven't wanted to speed up yet feel guilty if I've held people up on some occasions and pissed off at myself for not making optimum progress on others.

I try to put myself in the position of the drivers behind me...would they expect me to move over or not? I guess as long as I'm not staying in lane 2 too long and not endangering anyone then drivers behind will just have to wait their turn!

True, I have the same issue, but if I'm going to be stuck in Lane 1 I'll stay out at 70, anyone behind will have to wait - don't forget, after me they're first ...

I understand your concerns though, but after all, I'm legal and they're not. To me, that justifies it.

We're not talking for long here, else I would pull back in and fight my way out again. In general traffic, I'll pull back in if I can do so for 10 secs, before I need to change lanes again.

Martin

[gridgway]

mph999 said:

I understand your concerns though, but after all, I'm legal and they're not. To me, that justifies it.

Martin

Sadly that's what the hoggers think! I'm not referring to you Martin of course (I snipped your post for brevity).

It does bring another question. Is staying in lane actually ok if you are travelling at the speed limit? After all noone should overtake as they are breaking the law.

Graham

[leosayer]

gridgway said:

It does bring another question. Is staying in lane actually ok if you are travelling at the speed limit?

Not if the lane to your left is free. Two wrongs don't make a right.

[trackcar]

I'm a left lane hogger, it's rare that i venture into lanes 2 or 3 as i tend to drive at about 60mph on the motorway anyway so i just trade places with truckers and caravanners and then get straight back into lane 1 asap.

I heard some muppet on radio 2 calling lane 2 the "cruising lane" .. with words like that going out to millions of listeners it's no wonder people have trouble using the correct lanes

I wish they'd use the overheads signs more for "use left lane unless overtaking" and other such useful comments instead of having them switched off, or more alarmingly seemingly 3 hours out of date with traffic info.

[sevener]

I was given the advice that if it was going to take longer than say, 20 seconds, to catch up with the next 'target' in lane 1 - then move left. The only time I don't is when you get 'a feeling' that the following traffic isn't going to co-operate when you need to overtake.

IMVHO, the lack of use of Lane 1 is because people don't plan fully. They've been caught out a couple of times when no-one will let them come out, so find it easier to just "stay put" in Lane 2 with everyone else

[BOF]

This might discourage some of the hoggers???

www.405themovie.com/download405.asp

bof

[Fat Audi 80]

What about when the motorway is being held up all on its own with one MLM sitting in lane 2 with a clear road ahead as a swarm of traffic waiting to get by in lane three.

Are you ever been tempted to "clip" the OS rear bumper sending them spinning into the hard shoulder?

I know I have been!

Cheers,

Steve.

[gridgway]

always tempted! One thing I am conscious of is that they may not be looking to their rear-nearside. So if if I am in L1 and come across a L2 hogger and have to move out to L3 to overtake, I give a good flash of headlights to make sure I have been spotted.

Graham

[TripleS]

Fat Audi 80 said:

What about when the motorway is being held up all on its own with one MLM sitting in lane 2 with a clear road ahead as a swarm of traffic waiting to get by in lane three.

Are you ever been tempted to "clip" the OS rear bumper sending them spinning into the hard shoulder?

I know I have been!

Cheers,

Steve.

Strangely enough no, that's never crossed my mind. A lack of imagination must be part of my problem.

Best wishes Steve, and all,
Dave.

[J1mmyD]

My rule of thumb is that if the car(s) approaching from behind can complete their overtake before I reach the vehicle that I need to overtake, then pull in. If not, I complete my overtake of the upcoming vehicle before I move over.

The ones that do p*** me off are those who approach at speed, then slow down alongside you despite having a clear road ahead of them. Perhaps indicating then starting my move might give them a little incitement to move on (of course, I would never dream of doing that).

[Fat Audi 80]

TripleS said:

Fat Audi 80 said:

What about when the motorway is being held up all on its own with one MLM sitting in lane 2 with a clear road ahead as a swarm of traffic waiting to get by in lane three.

Are you ever been tempted to "clip" the OS rear bumper sending them spinning into the hard shoulder?

I know I have been!

Cheers,

Steve.

Strangely enough no, that's never crossed my mind. A lack of imagination must be part of my problem.

Best wishes Steve, and all,
Dave.

You obviously can't imagine them gracefully preforming a seven hundred and twenty degree spin into the nearside armco David..... msl:

Cheers,

A slightly phsycotic Steve.

[7db]

sevener said:

The only time I don't is when you get 'a feeling' that the following traffic isn't going to co-operate when you need to overtake.

Just a thought -- wouldn't you rather have the uncooperative numpty in front, barging other people out of the way?

[sevener]

db, I'm talking about a group of MLMs behind in Lane 2, not just one numpty

[7db]

I think the collective noun for MLMs is an "asylum"...

[splatspeed]

leo i seems you are thinking about your driving

this is not the norm

be glad you still have a brain

the MLOC has moved into the outside lane with the increase of speed enforcement

causing traffic to bunch

no one moves over and lets anyone pass anymore

if someone comes up behind me in the outside lane then i move over under the inmpression it is one of 2 things

1. police
2. a complete nutter travelling faster than me

germany dosn't have this problem for some reason or france

after overtaking people move over

however ther late manouvers are shocking

but people do pay attention on autobahns

death does concentrate the mind