Ehh..At least the speed limit?

[madmusician]

One evening awhile back, I was running late for college. I took the "back way"--winding country roads because they're quicker.

The speed limit on these roads is 35mph. I usually go faster, because I enjoy it and there are no cops there. HOWEVER, I will not begrudge you going the speed limit. If I get stuck behind you and you're going 35, I'm okay with that. Not everyone is a speed maniac like me, and I respect your right to go the speed limit.

Back to the evening in question. It was not dark yet, the roads were dry. It was a gorgoeus evening. I was speeding manically along the roads (well, not really, lol) when I came up behind six vehicles. They were at a near crawl and I had to slow down a lot. And so I got stuck behind this line of traffic.

The guy in front was doing 22. Twenty-freaking-two miles an hour. There were now SEVEN cars backed up behind him and still he could not budge himself past TWENTY TWO MILES AN HOUR. And when we went uphill, of course he slowed down to about three. He nearly came to a dead halt on the curves.

And oh my goodness I was ready to scream! Is it just me, or is it interminably rude to cause that much of a back-up in traffic? I could understand a *little* if it had been dark or wet or ANYTHING. But he had no excuse! And he continued going twenty-two for three more miles until he turned off.

Is it rude to go way under the speed limit for no apparent reason?

[JoyinVirginia]

I live in a rural county with many narrow two-lane roads and sometimes very slow, very large farm equipment traveling on those roads, in addition to school buses, and other who may be going very slow - significantly under the speed limit - for whatever reason. It is considered polite for the very slow vehicle to pull over where ever the road widens, at a driveway or turnoff, etc, and stop to allow the following vehicles to pass. Alternatively, the driver of slow farm equipment often will wave vehicles around his equipement when the road ahead is clear. The vehicles that are following the slow-moving vehicle are expected to go slowly until it is safe to pass, to not honk their horns, and to wave a "thank-you" as they pass. I have done this myself when driving slowly so as not to miss "the turn by the big oak tree after the old store..." you get the picture. I would also prefer to avoid anyone running into my car from the rear!

Joy in Virginia, who lives in a polite county

[madmusician]

I wish I could think of SOME excuse for him. But really I can't. He was driving a Lincoln. Also, on these roads there is actually nowhere to go until you reach the main road, i.e. no turnoffs to look for or anything.

[SunkissableOne]

Ahhhh my biggest pet peeve!  I hate being stuck behind drivers like that!

[Rose2Bear]

It's rude AND very dangerous.  If a cop were around he probably would have pulled that guy over for going so slow.

If its a no-passing zone I guess there isn't much you can do about it though.

It seems to me I always get behind the slowest drivers when I'm pushing the clock to get to work on time.

[Sharnita]

I live on back country roads, very twisty, etc. There are good reasons to be going under the limit besides the fact that the limit is the legal maximum. If you are unfamiliar with the roads, many aren't clearly labeled so you slow down to check the signs.

As someone who has pegged various wildlife including a bear and having nearly missed pegging a loose sheep and an escaped horse, I am careful coming around curves, especially in the country.

I am going to be honest here and say that the OP kind of offended me in that I am being reassured that "If I get stuck behind you and you're going 35, I'm OK with that." I don't really care if someone is "OK" with the fact that I have abided by the law. I am actually obligated to follow laws regarding speed limits and don't really need the "OK" from someone who disregards them. Yet I see and hear several people who act as if their begrudging tolerance of people who follow posted limits is some act of benevolence.

As for the cop ticketing the driver going 22, it is far more likely that our low flying OP will pull a ticket for exceeding the speed limit on twisty country roads.

[CocoCamm]

As for the cop ticketing the driver going 22, it is far more likely that our low flying OP will pull a ticket for exceeding the speed limit on twisty country roads.

It would probably depend on how fast she is going. Personally I try to never exceed 10 mph over the limit and I've never been pulled over for speeding. Now the gentleman that was holding up traffic was going 13mph under the limit, IMO thats ridiculous. Heck thats 2mph slower then the lowest speed limit in my area! I mean it must be nice to take your lesuirely time getting anywhere but not eveyone has that luxury. It would seemt the polite thing to do would be for the slow poke to get out of the way.

[RegionMom]

Here is TX, we often have drivers pull to the right shoulder in order to let "on speed" traffic pass.  There is not always a passing lane.
TX is an nice place, Ya'll!
(at least, out in the country!)

[goblue2539]

I am going to be honest here and say that the OP kind of offended me in that I am being reassured that "If I get stuck behind you and you're going 35, I'm OK with that." I don't really care if someone is "OK" with the fact that I have abided by the law. I am actually obligated to follow laws regarding speed limits and don't really need the "OK" from someone who disregards them. Yet I see and hear several people who act as if their begrudging tolerance of people who follow posted limits is some act of benevolence.

I don't believe the OP meant any sort of personal insult.  It's a technique to avert frustration by reminding myself (or herself, or yourself, or anyone else's self) that they are within the law and doing the "right" thing, and I need to remember that while I choose to go somewhat over the limit not everyone does.  And since you don't care if anyone else thinks it's "OK", why be offended? 

As for the rest, I believe this topic has been covered already, and that there was very little agreement on whether people going under the speed limit are more, less, or equally dangerous as someone doing the limit, much less going over it.  I doubt we'll find much more agreement on it now.

[ShadesOfGrey]

There are good reasons to be going under the limit besides the fact that the limit is the legal maximum. If you are unfamiliar with the roads, many aren't clearly labeled so you slow down to check the signs.

I am going to be honest here and say that the OP kind of offended me in that I am being reassured that "If I get stuck behind you and you're going 35, I'm OK with that." I don't really care if someone is "OK" with the fact that I have abided by the law. I am actually obligated to follow laws regarding speed limits and don't really need the "OK" from someone who disregards them. Yet I see and hear several people who act as if their begrudging tolerance of people who follow posted limits is some act of benevolence.

ITA, and furthermore, going faster 'because one enjoys it' conveys an attitude about driving that I consider dangerous.  Another key to the post is that there was no *apparent* reason, but there definitely could have been one that the OP didnt see.  This is also why there are maximums and miniums on major highways now, because too fast or too slow is dangerous for ALL drivers on these roads.  But again, if a driver feels that, in his or her best judgement, a speed below the maximum is best for a particular road, then so be it, even if I dont agree.  

There are exceptions, of course, but I will refrain from posting them, as this topic is VERY divisive on this forum (and could last for months if we started posting every possible situation), and I will stick to the situation that the OP posted in this thread.  

[Pixie]

Once upon a time while living in Alaska, I was driving home one night on a "back road". There is a particular section on this back road where a Mama MOOSE and her twins would often cross.  The speed limit was 25, but I slowed down to about 15 as I neared the "crossing". The car behind me started honking and was right on my bumper,  I ignored him.    Sure enough, Mama Moose ran out in front of me and I was able to stop in time because I had slowed down.   She crossed, I waited.... Guy behind me starts honking again....  I held up my hand in that "Hold on a minute, please" gesture, and waited as Baby Moose #1  crossed, and then waited until Baby Moose #2 crossed, then I slowly pulled ahead and continued on my way, resuming normal speed.

When I got to the gas station and pulled in, the guy who was behind me pulled in, too and came over and asked why I had slowed down, and how did I KNOW those 3 Moose were going to cross right there.   I told him I drove that way most nights and 9 times out of 10, the moose will cross.  Plus, living just down the road, I KNEW that Mama had 2 babies. 

I also told the guy that Honking when you see a Moose is very dangerous, as it may startle them, and a Moose CAN kick out your windshield....  Its been known to happen.


My point is, sometimes there is a reason for people to slow down, although you (general you) may not see it or know what the reason is.    But in the case of the OP, if a driver is holding up more than 3 cars, its polite to let others pass if it is at all possible.  Its even the law in some states, but I can't remember if it was 5 cars in Washington state?   I have been away from home for a while.

[Sterling]

I live on some of those back roads.  More than once I have had people get angry with me for not going the speed limit or only going the speed limit.  They honk and ride my bumper and many will pass even though the road is curvy and no passing is allowed.  I will not pull over because I am not doing anything wrong.  I have had deer, dogs, and a wild pig run out in front of me.  I have only ever been in one accident and that was when a woman who was speeding ran into the back of my car because I was only going the speed limit.

There are many reason that people do not go faster and Yes you may have to actually slow down for a little while but they have thier reasons and are not breaking the law.

[HogwartsAlum]

It's rude AND very dangerous.  If a cop were around he probably would have pulled that guy over for going so slow.

If its a no-passing zone I guess there isn't much you can do about it though.

It seems to me I always get behind the slowest drivers when I'm pushing the clock to get to work on time.

That always seems to happen to me, too.  I always get behind either a tractor/trailer truck, or a utility truck, or a box van, or some really old rattley slow pickup truck, or someone's Grampa who can't see a dad gum thing.  At least with Grampa, I can see the stoplight over his car.

If you aren't able to pass, there's nothing really you can do.  I try not to ride Grampa's bumper because I can't see what he can see, and if he has to stop and I rear end him, I'm the one who gets a ticket.  On a four or five lane road, however, I will go around him.

[Sharnita]

Pixie, your post reminds me of my first year at college in Michigan's UP when I was given the very profound warning, "Moose can be real p!ssy animals." Words to live by.

[purplebunny]

When I was quite a bit younger I was being driven to work by my mom on a 2-lane, high-traffic, completely flat/straight road with a fairly high speed limit for the type of road (70 km/hr). There was a police car who turned onto the road behind us.

Well, the car in front of us panicked and slowed right down to 50 km/hr (the speed limit for any roads where it is unposted).

Within about a minute there was a HUGE lineup (we're talking 30-40+ vehicles... this road is one of FOUR east-west routes between two very, very large communities and it was during rush hour).

As soon as there was a break in the oncoming traffic, the cop car behind us flashed his lights, went around my mom and I, and pulled the slow car over onto the shoulder.

What the slow car was doing was extremely dangerous given the nature of that road, since it has such high volume. Fortunately, they're now in the process of widening it...