What I think is worse is when someone parks in the HOV lane and does the speed limit. Up here if you are in the HOV lane prepare to do at least 10-20 over the limit or you will get run over.

I don't think it's a matter of drivers spacing out. I think it's conscious/deliberate or subconscious/deliberate. If they park in the fast lane and go slow, eventually they get 3-4 lanes of nearly empty traffic in front of them. They like that and they don't care about you.

Here is another data point: Often, when they do pull into the #2 lane, they speed way up. Very obviously to prevent passing.

It's epidemic. Even comical. Today I watched, predictably, dozens of people in the passing and #2 lane needing to get to the right lane in order to exit. Five hundred feet before the exit!

Our HOV lanes are just a little different then most around the western US. Once you are in, you can't get out for several miles sometimes longer. I have been in Scott's shoe and I am not a slow driver by any means, but then there's always an idiot that up your ass in the car pool coming up at you doing 85-90. They think the carpool is their right-a-way to do 30 over. Our spd limit is 65, most people are doing 75-80 often in the car pool. They just can't seem to understand we just can't get out until there's an exit. I know the frustration both ways. I am usually doing 80 and there's always someone doing 70 holding up 15-20 cars. I love the commuter van or tour bus crawling 60 in the Carpool. If the fwy isn't crowded, I usually get out and haul ass out there instead of staying within the carpool lane. Our unique socal issue is that within the next 5 miles, there will be traffic jam for the next 5-8 miles and you just can't get back into the carpool unless there's an entrance. Then we are stuck with the rest of them sitting there cutting our finger nails until the next carpool opening, so many of us just stay in the HOV cruising 70-75 holding up 35 cars just so we don't have to sit in the parking lot nest lane over.

I found people enter and exit the car pool at will and many do not wait until there's an exit or entrance anymore. I notice people followed traffic rules when I started driving. Not anymore. I am afraid to haul ass doing 80 when the lanes are stopped out there because I have too many close calls where people cross the double yellow and come in from a dead stop. They have no judgement on speed or distance anymore. Too many fcuking driving video games.

Again, they do this because it EMPTIES the lanes in front of them. From a helicopter, you'd see what I mean.

And.....I don't think I have ever heard of someone getting a ticket for camping in the fast lane. I'm 60 now.

Oh yeah, passing on the right. I / we do it many times daily around here. I don't even notice it anymore. The slow lane, bus, or truck lane is the no. 1 lane around here. Welcome to the new America. I drove behind a hotel shuttle today doing 55 in the no. 1 lane for about 3 miles today. There's was a 2000' opening in front of him and cars are pulling away. He sat there with another car right next to him. I think I burned out my high beam flicking him to get him to more. As soon as the gap opened to my right, I got the hell outta there.

I think they will nail ya in Hawwaii. I remember seeing signs about staying above 45mph.

I want to traffic school about 20 years ago. We had to spill out guts on how we were caught. This dumb woman said angrily " The cop gave me a ticket for holding up more then 5 cars going up the mountain pass without pulling out to allow other to pass". We clapped and cheer. I clapped so hard my hand still hurts today.

Saw it just this year. Stuck in the passing lane doing 65 in a 55 with about 7 cars and traffic in the right lane but clear in front of the leader. Cop came up behind us and pushed us to the right till he got to the leader and her he pulled over. Beeped my horn and gave the cop a thumbs up. Woman had the look of complete bewilderment. No idea why she was being pulled over.

Was on the interstate traveling.

Came up on a moving van and a compact car poking along 10mph under the limit. One in each lane. Waited a little, one would start to pull ahead, then the other. Flashed my lights, honked, changed lanes back and forth. After a few miles just said the heck with it (out loud). Downshifted and went to pass on the gravel shoulder!

Just as I pulled onto the shoulder it magically turned into pavement. Zipped past the slow poke car blockers and pulled into the right lane from the shoulder. Just as I pulled back into the right lane the shoulder went back to gravel. Couldn't have timed the shoulder pass better if I tried. The shoulder had been paved there for road construction trucks to get to their stockpile.

I watch the mirror as I pulled away and the morons decided to get in one lane and a MILE of backed up traffic were all lined up in the left lane to pass..

http://www.travelweekly.com.au/wp-co...Perry-Clap.gif

They (left lane parkers) don't seem to have a clue!!! When you finally make it past them and shake your head out of frustration as you go by, they just look confused!!! I'll never understand why you'd want other cars and semis traveling so close to you on the interstate, from stacking up the traffic!
http://memeshappen.com/media/created...meme-23710.jpg

Those stories are great :) ....kudos to the cops! That said....be careful who ya get behind in that left lane that ya want to move over....

Many years back, I'm in the right lane, doing my usual 14 over, and a car is slowing passing me going just a bit faster....I see (in my mirror) another car closing on him rapdly, then impatiently doing Nascar drafting on his bumper, with the flashing headlights bit. Lead car gets past me, eases into the right lane in front of me, lets Nascar by, eases back in behind him.....and then lights his azz up!

I think I giggled for several miles ;)

I think it's pretty much the rest of the world, not just Germany. Everywhere I've been in Europe, people stay out the left lane except for passing. Even in Thailand where drivers can be incredibly bad (one Thai brother-in-law can't stay between the lines on the freeway for more than a few seconds) people get out of the way when a faster car approaches.

I blame this behavior on our terrible driver education (much like the rest of our education).

Many years ago I told my mom she shouldn't be driving in the left lane except to pass and she said she had no idea that she shouldn't. It just hadn't occurred to her. Now she religiously stays out of the left lane except to pass.

And now for the inverse: I despise when I am in the right lane doing my usual eight to ten over and some jockey approaching 20 over, makes an unsafe, last minute pass, such that they'd rear-end me if I had to take evasive action for something!!!! Especially true when the left lane is totally clear!!!! Just a little planning and space...PLEASE!!

I think this is my biggest frustration.
On our drive south this past weekend, the freeway was moving freely, compared to the parking lot it often is on Saturdays/Sundays.
My feeling is, if you want to speed to the excess those guys doing 75+ are, use the No.1 lane, ie the fast lane. Just don't expect law abiding citizens to get out of your way. With the MINIMUM fine for a carpool lane violation being over $400 (and I am assuming this is for speeding as well as being short a passenger) I can't afford to be giving that much to the state simply because someone else wants to go faster than me, especially when there are 3 or more lanes available to them to use for their antics. I don't expect the cops to ticket people passing on the right here in SoCal, there's too many lanes to make that possible.
And yes, I use cruise control religiously, mostly for the gas mileage benefits it provides.

Sounds like we all need to have some deep breathing excersises, and relax a bit. Quit pushing yourself to the last minute/late, and enjoy the ride....alot less stress that way, and safer.

Ultimately, tailgating, and leaning forward in your seat gritting your teeth will shorten your life (one way or another).

I'd like to know of a place in North America that doesn't have these problems.

I'm not tailgaiting, it kills momentum.
For that reason I avoid towing a trailer thru Los Angeles after 6am.
Stuck in the right 2 lanes with many drivers that never venture to the 3rd lane.

In my sports car I like fast so cal freeways.
On the 5 from OC to San Diego, like 75+mph cars passing on my left.

I was living in Germany when the EU was stood up (2002?). Up until then, trucks were mandatory in far right lane and NO trucks driving on Sunday. After EU took over the Sunday thing kind of went away. However, the right lane thing was still good.

As I said before, the Police just enforce against stupid better over there. They don't hesitate to pull a truck or someone driving in left lane. Plus, they are not very tolerant of flashing high beams/lights.

All in all, everyone knows the expectation and just complies. That is why it works so well there. No one thinks it is their God given right to drive in any lane they please.