Got my letter published in Newsday

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I wrote this in response to an earlier letter in which a woman protested against drivers who flash their brights and in which the AAA essentially says it's OK to hog the left lane.

Link to original article (subject to expiration)

ASK DR. CONEHEAD
Taking a second pass at passing


May 29, 2005

A recent column about passing in the left lane led to a number of responses from readers. Here are a few:

Russell Salerno, of Dix Hills, writes: "I was dismayed at the AAA's response to Beth Rose Feuerstein's question about yielding the left lane to faster traffic.

"Firstly, it's OK to flash headlights at a vehicle you wish to overtake. This time-honored rule of the road is a simple and effective way to signal the vehicle ahead of your intentions.

"'Slower traffic keep right' is another longstanding rule of the road which inexplicably has fallen out of favor in the NY region. It costs us nothing to swing over to the right a few moments to allow faster moving traffic to pass, and it makes good sense to do so: it reduces congestion which leads to quicker commutes, and it's one of the most effective ways to reduce frustration that can flare tempers on the road.

"More troubling is the AAA's implication that it's OK to block the left lane unless traffic is moving substantially faster than you. This is a vague and subjective standard. How about when a vehicle is moving exactly the same speed as the vehicle next to it? We've all been there, trapped, sometimes for miles, behind two vehicles travelling side by side, unwilling to yield to the traffic behind. Here the simple act of moving to the right lane is a courtesy we can all appreciate regardless of how one interprets the meaning of 'substantially faster'."

And motorist Debbie Howarths writes: "Driving should be first and foremost about safety. I drive various Long Island highways daily and many times have witnessed the scary scenarios described in her letter; tailgating, flashing of headlights and worse. Obviously she is not traveling with the often illegal speedy flow of traffic. This results in aggressive drivers passing on the left and putting slower moving vehicles in both lanes in danger. Has she considered what would happen if she suddenly had to stop short with a tailgater so close he can read her speedometer? Parkway policing is best left to the real police. The most prudent course of action would be to move to the right lane allowing the infuriated driver to pass you."

SEND QUESTIONS to Dr. Conehead, Newsday 235 Pinelawn Rd., Melville NY 11747-4250, or e-mail at [email protected]. Please include an address and phone number so the doctor can reach you.

Copyright 2005 Newsday Inc.

NOTICE: In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, this
material is distributed without profit to those who have expressed
a prior interest in receiving the included information for research
and educational purposes.
 
Russ said:
I wrote this in response to an earlier letter in which a woman protested against drivers who flash their brights and in which the AAA essentially says it's OK to hog the left lane.

Link to original article (subject to expiration)

ASK DR. CONEHEAD
Taking a second pass at passing


May 29, 2005

A recent column about passing in the left lane led to a number of responses from readers. Here are a few:

Russell Salerno, of Dix Hills, writes: "I was dismayed at the AAA's response to Beth Rose Feuerstein's question about yielding the left lane to faster traffic.

"Firstly, it's OK to flash headlights at a vehicle you wish to overtake. This time-honored rule of the road is a simple and effective way to signal the vehicle ahead of your intentions.

"'Slower traffic keep right' is another longstanding rule of the road which inexplicably has fallen out of favor in the NY region. It costs us nothing to swing over to the right a few moments to allow faster moving traffic to pass, and it makes good sense to do so: it reduces congestion which leads to quicker commutes, and it's one of the most effective ways to reduce frustration that can flare tempers on the road.

"More troubling is the AAA's implication that it's OK to block the left lane unless traffic is moving substantially faster than you. This is a vague and subjective standard. How about when a vehicle is moving exactly the same speed as the vehicle next to it? We've all been there, trapped, sometimes for miles, behind two vehicles travelling side by side, unwilling to yield to the traffic behind. Here the simple act of moving to the right lane is a courtesy we can all appreciate regardless of how one interprets the meaning of 'substantially faster'."

And motorist Debbie Howarths writes: "Driving should be first and foremost about safety. I drive various Long Island highways daily and many times have witnessed the scary scenarios described in her letter; tailgating, flashing of headlights and worse. Obviously she is not traveling with the often illegal speedy flow of traffic. This results in aggressive drivers passing on the left and putting slower moving vehicles in both lanes in danger. Has she considered what would happen if she suddenly had to stop short with a tailgater so close he can read her speedometer? Parkway policing is best left to the real police. The most prudent course of action would be to move to the right lane allowing the infuriated driver to pass you."

SEND QUESTIONS to Dr. Conehead, Newsday 235 Pinelawn Rd., Melville NY 11747-4250, or e-mail at [email protected]. Please include an address and phone number so the doctor can reach you.

Copyright 2005 Newsday Inc.

NOTICE: In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, this
material is distributed without profit to those who have expressed
a prior interest in receiving the included information for research
and educational purposes.

Great job Russ well stated :biggrin: Obviously Road Rage has no place in your vocabulary :tongue: :rolleyes:

All kidding aside between NY and NJ I have noticed more and more slow or at speed limit drivers hogging the left lane :mad:
 
CT is full of left lane finger in sphincter drivers too. Commonly seen in minivans & SUVs getting passed repeatedly on the right yet never aware that THEY are not that fast & are not passing anything.
 
great cause russ, aka aj gandhi.... :wink:

imho, i think it is part of ny state driving etiquete to snooze
in the left lane....that's why nj drivers look krazy swoopn' &
passn' empires on the right.....
if i'm not passing, i clear the left lane.

thanx for righn' yer letr 2 newzday.
 
Russ, Im glad you wrote this letter. As someone who drives almost 1000 miles a week; there is nothing that bothers me more than slow drivers in the left lane. Is it too difficult to at least move over or drive at least the speed limit. No need to drive 55 in a 65 is there? I love when I flick the brights and only after 10 minutes or they finally get off their cell phone do they move over and proceed to give me the finger or look at me like a crazed lunatic because "ive done something wrong" :tongue:
 
That's funny. Drive at least the speed limit. :smile: (The speed minimum).
Nice letter Russ. It always puzzled me that flashing to pass is considered agressive driving. I prefer it even when done to me. (I'm a slowpoke but not a left laner) :wink:
 
pbassjo said:
That's funny. Drive at least the speed limit. :smile: (The speed minimum).
Nice letter Russ. It always puzzled me that flashing to pass is considered agressive driving. I prefer it even when done to me. (I'm a slowpoke but not a left laner) :wink:

what's considered aggresive driving? flicking the brights or tailgating to the extreme!
 
I would think tailgating to the extreme. Tailgating and tailgating to the extreme is there a difference? :rolleyes: ANSWER: Yes! When it is done like Dale Earnhardt Sr. did and you give a little push. :biggrin:
How about a hood mounted flame thrower! Yeah!!!!!
Burning cinders left on the roadside. :biggrin:
 
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This is the mentality of some folks in the left lane that never yield and move over when I try to pass.
Either complete disregard for courtesy:
20465513-M.jpg


Or just completely oblivious to the world around them:
11742065-M.jpg


And a typical day on the NJ Turnpike:
23549942-M-1.jpg


I like the idea of a flame thrower, but I think something that eliminates the roadblock just a bit quicker would be more appropriate - perhaps a rocket launcher:biggrin:
 
tony, great photos :biggrin:
 
thedon67 said:
I second that. First pic shure looks like Larry G!

Don, great minds think alike, I was going to say the same thing, but if I was wrong, didn't want to offend Larry!!!! :eek:
 
Nope, that first picture is not Larry G :smile: Just one of the many crazed drivers I encounter on my daily commute to work.

Here is yet another example of a mostly empty right lane along with semi's driving where they are not supposed to be - something becoming more common in NJ :frown:

11571280-M-1.jpg


Here is one where I must have missed the sign that states 'keep out of middle lane' :confused:
16075325-M-1.jpg
 
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