So, I just had the pleasure of a 2500-mile round trip from Denver to Western Michigan. I loaded the Sequoia with two boys and two dogs (didn't think it'd really work in the CS) and headed out. Here are two specifics I saw:

Approaching Chicago, I saw a tractor trailer pass a car and pull back into the right hand lane. All normal, right? The car pulled immediately out of the right hand lane, and sat in the left hand lane just behind the truck. This effectively blocked any overtaking traffic. Until the road widened to three lanes, we were stuck.

In Iowa on the way back to Colorado, I got stuck behind a sedan travelling about 72mph in a 70mph zone. I counted 5 gaps where I would have pulled back into the right lane, and three of those were really long. I didn't go around on the right, but I clearly could have.

Punchline (you pretty much all know this): Americans have no lane discipline and don't really understand how highways are supposed to work. In the wayback (25 years ago) when I did driver's ed, we did a little on-highway driving, but I don't remember any discussion about "stay right unless overtaking; move over to allow others to merge; pay attention to traffic conditions; etc. I know I'll be talking to my kids about the nuances of highway driving, but shouldn't that really be covered in driver's ed, as well?

Anybody got any other ideas (other than the ever-popular side-mounted recoilless rifle)?

I feel better having vented.

PS I only saw two Caymans the whole trip. A gray Cayman at the corner of NE14th and 50th in Des Moines and a red CS somewhere on US31 in Michigan.

Having lived in various cities around the country, the one common denominator is the "wheezer" people who crawl along in the passing lane. I can only figure that they do this just to spite people, after all, no one can drive more than a week, even without driver's ed. and not realize that the left lane is for passing.

I might add that there is no hope of educating these people, as it is mostly done in spite, they know the correct way to drive, but they are proving their point "you don't own the road" or "I'm driving at the speed limit, and you are breaking the law." Give up on trying to fix this one.

Several years ago I followed a Pennsylvania State Trooper up I-81 for about 80 miles. He spent the entire time in the left lane at the speed limit, regardless of whether or not there was anyone in the right lane. And there was very little traffic that day - he wasn't a "rolling roadblock", he wasn't doing anything of any value, he was just driving the way he probably does in his POA. This one isn't going to be fixed in your or my lifetime. And about 20 years ago there was a guy who used to write into "The Washington Post" traffic column about how he drove in the left lane because he "preferred it". His last name was Nestor, and for a while the traffic column guy referred to the obnoxious habit of left lane driving as "nestoring". I'm sure it made Nestor very proud.

What drivers' ed? It has been eliminated in Texas - your parents can teach you to drive and you get to take the exam for a "learner's" permit at age 15. Fortunately, I'm old enough that I DID go through a school program, taught by the man voted best Driver's Ed Teacher in the entire state.

Don't y'all know that the L lane is now reserved for those who adjust their make-up and talk on their cell phones while cruisin'!!?? They drive it like they own it!!

If you tail gate me (I cannot see your headlights) at 10+ over the speed limit in the left lane then I will not get over. I will not be bullied by someone in a car. Hit me. It will be your fault and I will sue.

I will move over if you are within a safe distance of my car. No problem.

Hah, in NorCal I've seen left lane bandits obstruct highway patrolmen trying to pass.

I deal by assuming these folks are passive aggressive losers (mostly) or complete oblivious (occasionally) who probably don't have the most fulfilling lives in any case. Let them have their few minutes of power until I can treat them like a slalom cone.

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2000 Audi S4 (daily driver)
2005 Volvo V70R (family hauler)
2007 Cayman S (psychotherapy)

Yeah, unfortunately it's a fact of life driving in the US... My brother is one of those "I have a right to drive in any lane and they should all be going the speed limit". I always reply yeah, and you're not employed to regulate speeders! While I understand their point, many states do actually have signs to drive right, pass left. Some are purely advisory, but some are actually regulatory and can result in a ticket. That is, if a cop sees it and decides to ticket the blocking car instead of the speeder-in-waiting!

While I don't usually try to provoke people, I have at times when finally able to pass the person, get right back in front of them and slow down until they are forced (usually at about 10mph below the speed limit) to get in the right lane, at which point I get back up to speed and immediately signal and move into the right lane. And you know what? About 1 in 10 actually seem to get it and keep using the right lane - at least for as long as I can see them in the rearview!

In Alberta, unlike some provinces/states, there is no law against passing on the right - which is the first strike against trying to adhere to 'left lane is for passing'. Used to drive me nuts - now I try to amuse myself by not getting too wound up. My ex sister-in-law had the best excuse, 'it's harder for radar to get me in the left lane'. Maybe we should all drive in the median using that logic

My favourite observation: years ago I turned down a divided highway, starting in the left lane, when I then switched into the right lane maybe a mile later. The only two vehicles on the highway were myself and one other car, which I had turned onto the highway as it just passed in my direction and to which I eventually settled in at about the same speed. I was maybe 500-1000 ft behind when I did the lane change (several 'steam-boat' counts). Immediately after I changed lanes, the car ahead of me changed to the left lane. I thought this was rather coincidental, so, being the mischievous type, I changed lanes back to the left, again behind this car at about the same distance. It immediately switched back to the right lane. I did this maybe 6-8 times in total with the same reaction from the other car - until he finally kept touching his brakes lights in obvious frustration to my actions. I then stayed in my lane just about busting my gut to what I had experienced! Talk about a distinct reaction. Anybody else experienced this sort of thing?

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GT Silver CS
1980 Honda CBX
2004 Suzuki SV1000
2006 Subaru Legacy
2002 Honda Insight

Not quite the same, but on positive note I had a guy in a pickup move to the right, wave me by and give a thumbs up as I passed which I returned with a smile and a wave. That is the exception to the norm though, as traffic is so congested that all lanes are usually steady at the same speed making it almost worthless to try and pass since there is little open road to be found.