Impatient drivers passing on shoulder

[Robroy]

In the last two years, I have seen at least five or six people passing other drivers on hills or blind curves. I have been driving for 30 years and only seen it once before. It is the most ultimate combination of "I don't care about anyone/I don't care about myself." I think people should lose their license immediately for doing that.

I drive about 45 miles, each way, on two lane back roads on my commute. I've gotten to where I know where all of the passing zones are and there aren't many. If someone ends up in front of me (doesn't happen very often) and I need to pass, I plan out where I'm going to pass, assuming there will be no cars coming the other way.

But after I'd done this commute for a few months, I noticed something interesting. There are places where there is a double yellow line, yet you can see a long way down the road except when the corn is tall (curves). I now use them to pass (except when the corn is tall). But I also have discovered some areas where, though it is a passing zone, you are taking your life into your hands unless you can get around the car really quickly.

I got a speeding ticket once while passing a car on a long straight. I learned the hard way that you can't exceed the speed limit to pass someone in this state (plus, my car is a ticket magnet). Since then, I've tried it without speeding. It's very difficult to do unless you are passing a tractor. I just make sure I do it now where there are no cops around.

 

[Killed_by_Death]

I'm reminded of highway 331 between Sattahip & Ao-Udom where there were dotted lines painted on the crest of hills & the buses & lorries really tried to pass on those, over the tops of hills, w/o being able to see if someone was coming

 

[Robroy]

I'm reminded of highway 331 between Sattahip & Ao-Udom where there were dotted lines painted on the crest of hills & the buses & lorries really tried to pass on those, over the tops of hills, w/o being able to see if someone was coming

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It's kind of shocking when you realize that you can't really trust the dashed lines.

Because I drive a sports car in a financially depressed area, I actually get a lot of other drivers doing inappropriate things when i try to pass. I take it in stride. We all have our personal areas of temptation. For many of them, they just don't like to be passed. It is very common for them to start racing me when I try to pass. But you learn how to deal with it and get by without it becoming dangerous.

I do remember, back in 1974, having a gutless Vega GT and trying to pass a really beautiful 67 GTO with a "drag racing" type tire setup. He was doing 35 in a 45 - long two lane straight road - but every time I tried to pass he'd speed up and block me. So, I backed way off, then got it up to about 75 and when I tried to pass him he floored it. It caught him by surprise. i.e. I made it past.

But the part that I really enjoyed was when he tailgated me until my right turn about a mile up the road. I had 60 series radials (BFG Radial TA) on that car and he had the "fairly skinny" drag racing tires in front. I took that corner hard and he followed - at least for a few feet. He slid across the intersection and embedded the front of his car hard into the almost vertical embankment on the other side of the ditch.

I did the same thing to a 1963 Ford 500 full of guys cruising the Renton loop. In this case they slid across the intersection, jumped the curb, took out a stop sign and finally came to a stop high-centered on concrete bumpers in the parking lot there.

I've never been into having a lot of power, but have always been into cars that could corner fairly well. My current Scion FR-S with Michelin PSS's is a slot car.