Don?t you love it when...

[chync_imp]

I spend all of my time riding in the Blue Ridge Mountains if North Carolina on the twisty mountain roads.

There are plenty of roads with little to no cross roads or driveways that you have to worry about cars suddenly emerging from. About the only thing I worry about are bicyclists and deer at dusk.

But increasingly I experience an odd phenomenon and I’m wondering if it’s just me.

Today I was behind a truck in very twisty blind curves. The curves are one after another with no turn outs.

The truck stopped just before a blind curve and waved me to pass. Was this a truly kind but mentally challenged soul? Or was he trying to rid the world of a biker by luring me into passing in a very tight blind turn?

It happens all the time. And they act as if I’ve just refused a winning lottery ticket when I choose to forgo the chance to get up close and personal with a car grill.

Am I being paranoid or is this a secret trick for getting rid of bikers?



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[KiowaEagle_imp]

You’re rightfully paranoid but for the wrong reason. They’re not trying to kill you, there are just that many stupid people out there.

 

[PowerDubs_imp]

Just another normal citizen - clueless to thought beyond basic- Huh?

Don't think anything more about it than that- at least he pulled over. Most aren't even cognizant to achieve that level of awareness.

 

[Nortoon_imp]

It's usually the other way around for me. When I am in cruise mode, I wait for a straight stretch, signal right, pull over and wave to them to pass. Nothing spoils a lazy ride more than a chrome grill in your mirrors.

Never had a cager or trucker wave me by. But given the CBs passing ability I never needed it.

 

[PowerDubs_imp]

If you are on a motorcycle and need to wave someone by- something is severely wrong.

If you are in a car and need to wave somebody by- something is still severely wrong.

Keep up with the expected flow of traffic, which should allow a decent amount of acceptance for slightly slower than optimum for a short time period- but getting to the right if more than one lane of traffic as soon as possible- if not then you are doing something wrong.

At no point should there be a need for a wave by, high beams, finger, etc- unless someone was clueless, rude, or blatantly should not be on the road anymore.

 

[Cormanus]

You've constructed an elegant argument, PowerDubs. Anyone who doesn't behave according to your norms is "... clueless, rude, or blatantly should not be on the road ..." Cute, but neither reasonable nor fair. What if someone's view of safe driving is different from yours? Does that make you "... clueless, rude, or blatantly should not be on the road ..."?

That's simply too narrow an approach for the world I've inhabited all these years. While, on a road where overtaking is possible relatively often, a person can and should wait for an opportunity to pass and suck up travelling slowly until they have a chance to do so. I'd be inclined to agree that, if they don't, they're "... clueless, rude, or blatantly should not be on the road ..."

However, there are lots of other circumstances. For example, if I'm travelling at about the speed limit (in a car or on a bike) and someone clearly wants to go a whole lot faster and there are limited opportunities to overtake, I'm going to pull over and get out of the way. I choose not to live with the irritation of either feeling pressured to drive faster than I want to keep someone else happy or to have them on my hammer and likely to rear-end me. Likewise, if someone is tailgating me and it's difficult for them to pass, I'll get out of the way. I may think they're "... clueless, rude, or blatantly should not be on the road ..."; it may be right that there's something severely wrong, but it is what it is and it happens every day.

When I'm on the bike, on, say, a winding road with limited opportunities for passing safely or legally, and I'm able and wanting to travel faster than a car or truck in front of me, I hope they will pull over when it is safe and let me pass. Many do and I'm grateful for it. I do the same for them if our positions are reversed. On popular motorcycle roads, where many want to and can ride faster than me, I wave them through. In those circumstances I'd not assume either party to be "... clueless, rude, or blatantly should not be on the road ..." I'd see us as reasonable people doing the best we can to interact sensibly with one another.

 

[KiowaEagle_imp]

You have a point Cormanus but what about those that just stop at a dangerous spot expecting you to pass them as chync noted, either on or just before a curve. Clearly they’re either trying to be nice or they may be annoyed that you’re behind them. Regardless they are putting you in a dangerous position and as a driver themselves they should be more cognizant of what they’re doing.

 

[LongRanger_imp]

I doubt these drivers are trying to kill anyone.

When I pull into the parking garage at my workplace, I have to wait for oncoming traffic to clear before I can make a left turn into the parking structure. The oncoming traffic is typically heavy and I usually have to wait 1-2 minutes before a gap opens. So I sit there, with my left turn signal blinking, waiting for my opportunity.

Invariably, a courteous and well-intentioned oncoming driver will stop, holding up traffic behind them, and wave me through. I just sit there. Even though it's implied that they're giving me the right of way, if I turned left in front of them and they decided to ram me, I believe a judge would find me guilty of not yielding the right of way to oncoming traffic. So I just sit there as traffic stacks up behind them.

 

[PowerDubs_imp]

If you are on a motorcycle and need to wave someone by- something is severely wrong.

If you are in a car and need to wave somebody by- something is still severely wrong.

Keep up with the expected flow of traffic, which should allow a decent amount of acceptance for slightly slower than optimum for a short time period- but getting to the right if more than one lane of traffic as soon as possible- if not then you are doing something wrong.

At no point should there be a need for a wave by, high beams, finger, etc- unless someone was clueless, rude, or blatantly should not be on the road anymore.

Seems you missed this part and responded with emotion-

Expected flow of traffic, allowing an acceptance for less than optimal for a short period of time.


In other words, if you want to go slower than expected, stay right to allow people to pass. If on a one lane road, do at least the speed limit if able.

Sorry, there really is no excuse to back up 3-4-5 people behind you just because you feel like it. To do so is really selfish.

Don’t know where all you others are from- but in Jersey most of us drive an hour or more in each direction to work and back. The oblivious to what is literally the laws of the road aren’t helping things.




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[the Ferret]

I appreciate when slower moving people move over and let me thru and for the most part I accept cautiously. There are circumstances where it's a double yellow line and a blind turn coming up and I turn them down, by letting them see me wave no in their mirror, but for the most part I accept their offer and wave thanks as I quickly pass.

I find people in Ohio and West Virginia more likely to pull over for me. People in Kentucky not so much. Although I had one in Ohio today who seemed to delight in holding me up, running 25-30 in a curvy 55 zone on a state road and braking for turns they didn't need to brake for, but when the solid double yellow turned to solid and dotted in my favor on a long straight stretch, I wasted no time in signalling and getting around them.

 

[Cormanus]

It's hard to argue with you about the specific circumstances chync described, KiowaEagle. Indeed the same thing has happened to me recently. However it continues to seem to me a bit of a stretch to say that these circumstances only arise because people are "... clueless, rude, or blatantly should not be on the road ...".

And, no, PowerDubs, I didn't miss that part of your statement.

 

[4 Paws_imp]

I’m a slow rider these days - by choice, and always ride the twisty country and mountain roads. Have frequently encountered folks meandering down the Blue Ridge Parkway at 10-15 mph below the speed limit and yes they do stop in the middle of the freaking road in a blind corner and wave for me to pass.
Have mostly stopped riding the BRP on Fri-Sun because of this. On the roads off the Parkway it’s usually locals going about their daily lives, if they catch up with me I pull over and if I catch up with them I pass and we always wave to each other. When I’m stopped to take a picture of something I find interesting someone frequently pulls up to make sure I don’t need help. I like my neighborhood.

My point - lots of well intentioned idiots on the roads these days. Try not to be one of them. Relax and enjoy the ride.

 

[PowerDubs_imp]

If you are on a motorcycle and need to wave someone by- something is severely wrong.

If you are in a car and need to wave somebody by- something is still severely wrong.

Keep up with the expected flow of traffic, which should allow a decent amount of acceptance for slightly slower than optimum for a short time period- but getting to the right if more than one lane of traffic as soon as possible- if not then you are doing something wrong.

At no point should there be a need for a wave by, high beams, finger, etc- unless someone was clueless, rude, or blatantly should not be on the road anymore.

I really feel like something is being lost in internet translation. I’m not being the bad guy-

I’m saying if everyone is doing the right things, aware of other drivers and their own behavior- then no need for anything beyond normal flow of traffic.

If extreme actions are being taken- most times the person in front is indeed doing something wrong however that may be to their sensitivities.

Common courtesy and basic laws of the road. Do somewhere around the speed limit, get in the right lane if not passing or if someone on your tail. Don’t tailgate. Easy.




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[the Ferret]

The trouble is on a two lane road many older people don't have the eyesight, reaction times or desire to run at or near the speed limit. They feel just fine dawdling along at 35 in a 55 on a curvy road. The regulatory sign (meaning legal speed limit) says what speed they cannot exceed, it doesn't say what speed they should try and maintain. There is no lower limit for speed, only an upper limit, so people are ok with whatever speed it is they feel comfortable driving, whether you are comfortable with that or not. Where I live in the country that can be anywhere from 15-25 mph UNDER the posted speed limit. I know crazy, but it's their right, and very few LEO's are going to pull someone over for going too slow. I always felt if they are willing to pull me over for going 10 over, they should pull over people for going more than 10 under as well, but that's never going to happen.

 

[Aussieflyer]

Ever since watching my folks grow older and try to maintain full independence with their mobility I all of sudden developed a very healthy respect for elderly drivers who are doing the best they can. Vowed to never be in so much of a hurry that I can't share the road with the elderly or driver with a disability. I find the bigger danger to my health on the road (other than myself :-/) are those 'know-it-alls" that read text messages and put on make-up. Ain't no penalty big enough for those drivers.

 

[Cormanus]

PowerDubs, you're not a bad guy, are you? In urban and high-traffic environments, where people are trying to go about their business, the principles you outline are reasonable and sensible. I agree with you. My point is that they don't always translate easily to rural or less travelled environments. Ferret's right: speed limits are maximums and no-one has to travel at them. People dragging trailers and caravans or chugging along country roads in their Winnebago, may well struggle to travel as quickly as a car or motorcycle. They're not behaving rudely or badly and when they do the right thing and pull over to let others past, they're being courteous and considerate. Good for them.

All this is, of course, is a terrible drift from chync's original question which was whether people who stop to let you past in circumstances where it would be dangerous to do so are not so bright or trying to kill hapless motorcyclists. I'd characterise them as overly courteous and too eager to please to the point they don't quite think through what they're doing.

 

[Nortoon_imp]

In my case many of the pick-up drivers on the twisty back roads I ride, travel those roads every day. They know all the turns and can easily keep up with me even if I am swooping through the corners.

I am 72 years old, not some young squid on a sport bike trying to impress anyone. I ride for pleasure only, and riding with a big chrome grill in my mirrors is not pleasurable. I don't even like bikers following me. I want my space, and want to ride at my own speed, whatever that might be on any particular day.

 

[LongRanger_imp]

On the interstates out here, there IS a posted minimum speed for the #1 lane (the leftmost or "fast" lane), generally where the freeway ascends long grades. You'll also see signs warning drivers to turn off their A/C.

 

[the Ferret]

On Ohio's interstates there is no minimum high speed lane speed limit. In Kentucky the signs read Keep Right Except to Pass, but there is no minimum high speed lane minimal limit. Some will park it there at the limit of 65 in most of Ohio or 70 in most of Kentucky. Ohio has just recently started getting into 70 mph territory on our interstates. Our OSHP (Ohio State Highway Patrol) love to pick off speeders, and are very powerful legislatively, keeping the limit as low as they can for as long as they can.

 

[jtopiso_imp]

On Ohio's interstates there is no minimum high speed lane speed limit. In Kentucky the signs read Keep Right Except to Pass, but there is no minimum high speed lane minimal limit. Some will park it there at the limit of 65 in most of Ohio or 70 in most of Kentucky. Ohio has just recently started getting into 70 mph territory on our interstates. Our OSHP (Ohio State Highway Patrol) love to pick off speeders, and are very powerful legislatively, keeping the limit as low as they can for as long as they can.

In Eur, the general rule for minimum speed is:
-minimim equal to halve the general max speed for that road (e.g. max for highway is 120km/h, so you have to drive at at least 60km/h).
-there is no minimum in urban roads (max: 50km/h)

If you can't drive above the minimum speed (emergency/broken vehicle, special vehicles, tractors, mopeds...), you must use the hardshoulder as much as possible.