Tailgaters!

 The biggest cause of traffic slow down on HWY 17 (Heading to Santa Cruz) I see it every day, (For last 7yrs!) is what you just mentioned!  There is usually a Safeway semi (could be any semi though)on the hill (I call it the 5 O'clock jam) What happens is the semi is heading up the Hill in slow lane at his speed limit of 35MPH, and someone traveling at speed (55+mph, usually closer to 65mph) comes around one of the many bends in the slow lane (semi lane) possibly trying to pass someone in the fast lane and runs up on the semi slams on brakes and and 99% of the time that person can't move over due to people in fast lane already.  Well, now this person gets an opening and moves over into fast lane at 35MPH and accelerates to pass the semi,  thus probably cutting off someone that was at speed, causing him to decelerate rapidly and thus the back up begins to Caterpillar its way back into Los Gatos!  99% of the time this is what causes the traffic parking lot on the "Hill" The remaining 1% are those that pass any semi's on the hill at 37MPH! Aside from any accidents on the hill, passing the semi's is the biggest slow downs.
  Now, 100% of this scenario could be avoided if anyone driving up the hill would, A) NOT TAILGATE, leave large gaps to allow people to merge over and not cause slow downs (I know perfect world and all) B) When heading to Santa Cruz, realize the probability of a semi in the slow lane ahead of you is high! Be prepared! If everyone happens to be in the fast lane and the slow lane is empty,don't look at the slow lane as a "Passing lane" there's probably a reason everyone is in the fast lane.  That reason would be a semi!    

If everyone happens to be in the fast lane and the slow lane is empty,don't look at the slow lane as a "Passing lane" there's probably a reason everyone is in the fast lane.

Can I get an amen!!

Michael

Passing in the slow lane is a big no-no in the UK, as is driving slow in the fast lane.

Should be a ticket offense here, but it's rarely enforced.

If I had a nickel for every time I've seen someone merge onto the freeway doing 45-55, and head straight over to the left lane...

BTW, I'm no speed demon, but on the freeway I like to go as fast as safely possible...  On the single-lane winding roads I'm usually the slow one pulling to the side every few minutes.

I have the ultimate tailgater revenge:

Many years ago as a young private I saw this happen.  A convoy of M1 tanks is in Germany of an exercise called Reforger (Return of forces Germany)  Huge exercise.  A 911 Porsche is blasting through traffic and decides at a stop light he is going to get up all over the the 63 ton M1.  Now bear in mind, we the US Government for months have been telling people  the M1 was new to Europe and was not like a normal tank, do not tail gate it, fire or injury could occur (you can see where I am going with this), the tailgater i snow boxed at the light by two M1's.  Now for those of you have never seen an M1, it has turbine diesel motor essentially a jet.  It is blowing out 1500 degree exhaust in a path about 8 feet wide by four feet tall and maybe 10-20 feet behind it.  The Porsche has nowhere to go and catches fire, the driver abandon it.  He sues the Army in German court (for those of you who don't know it, German Courts are not the friendliest courts to be in, less so if you are a foreigner).  The verdict...the German Court sides with the US Government, seems there was adequate notification, the driver admitted to having seen the commercials, and saw the convoy warning signs .  Yes virginia there is some sort of vengeance out there!

I can try to be forgiving of tailgaiters, let em by with a bit of grace, but my pet peeve is...

Tailgait me until I move aside, then move forward to the next guy driving with the flow, tailgait him, repeat, repeat again. That one frosts me. If you can find some open road by passing me, then I'm happy to get out of your way. If not, then slide a good CD in and think about that girl you knew in college...or a thirty pound salmon, or whatever floats your boat.

Venting is fun!

If not, then slide a good CD in and think about that girl you knew in college

    

Michael

.or a thirty pound salmon, or whatever floats your boat.

 A little off the Track...

 While riding in one of our older engines at work ( The Tank Story re-mined me of this... )

 A Hip Hoppen Loud as ALL Can Be Dude comes to the stop light next to us with windows down

 and Humanity Ha ten Music Blaring to the point it was shaken us in our Engine...

 The Engineer starts to accelerate with the Brake on and I guess hit the Turbo on the Exhaust of the Old

 Beast as we left the light and we Got the Laugh of a Life Time..

 Black Soot Poured out of Our Exhaust and filled his car so Bad we could not even see him in it...

 Hoots & Howls of laughter and Car Horns could be heard as we crawled away...

 It was Beautiful......

That is funny story I would of loved to have seen!

The ones that come real close to seeing a little road rage are the ones that tailgate you in the fast lane at the speed limit or just over . I pull over for them and they pass me , pull into my lane and then slow down ! Would love to have a real heavy duty front bumper on my 3/4 ton and give them a little wake up call .
 I like Oregons laws on most highways , LEFT LANE FOR PASSING ONLY !