I was driving back to my place this morning to pick up a few things for work tomorrow, and whilst the roads were quiet at 7am on a Sunday, the roads still offered up its share of fucking morons.

I was on the I-278 West headed into Brooklyn and I could see myself coming up behind a van - one of those Scooby Doo “Mystery Machine”-like things - so I slowed waiting for him to pull over from the fast lane (or passing lane as it’s known here in the US) into one of the other unoccupied lanes, but he didn’t. He stayed in the passing lane. Nothing to his right in either of the slower lanes. I flashed the headlights once… no response. A second time… nothing. So I wait a little, figuring his radio’s going, or perhaps he’s on his cellphone like the rest of the idiots… and then I flash again. This time I see his feint silhouetted arm point to his right, and I lost it. This guy is motioning for me to undertake him because he doesn’t feel the need to remove himself from the passing lane and let faster moving traffic overtake.

Let me bring to your attention some international definitions on undertaking (both from Wikipedia):

United Kingdom - Undertaking is not specifically illegal, however drivers should overtake on the right where possible. Undertaking in an aggressive or reckless manner could be considered Careless Driving or more seriously Dangerous Driving, both of which are legally enforcable offences.

United States - Undertaking is usually allowed if not expressly forbidden by road signs.

So what that’s telling me is that even though undertaking isn’t condoned in the UK, it’s “usually allowed” in the US.

I remember talking with S after she took a defensive driving course to help lower her insurance premiums, and her instructor informing her that the passing lane should be used for passing traffic only in ideal situations, and if at all possible, you should move your vehicle to the right-most available lane to allow faster traffic to pass you safely to your right.

Another excerpt from Wikipedia on the “passing lane”:

Common Practice and most law on United States Highways is that the left lane is reserved for passing and faster moving traffic, and that traffic using the left lane must yield to traffic wishing to overtake. The United States Uniform Vehicle Code states:

Upon all roadways any vehicle proceeding at less than the normal speed of traffic at the time and place and under the conditions then existing shall be driven in the right-hand lane then available for traffic…

And I found this on the New York State Vehicle and Traffic Law website:

Upon any roadway having four or more lanes for moving traffic and providing for two way movement of traffic, no vehicle shall be driven to the left of the center line of the roadway, except when authorized by signs or markings designating certain lanes to the left side of the center of the roadway for use by traffic not otherwise permitted to use such lanes, or except as permitted under subsection (a) (2) hereof.

Subsection (a) (2) hereof being:

2. When overtaking or passing pedestrians, animals or obstructions on the right half of the roadway

As aforementioned, the middle and right hand lanes were empty, and there were no vehicles coming up in those lanes for as far as I could see.

The only explanation has to be that this guy fell into the stereotypical category of lazy, arrogant, American. Surprise, surprise.

[image from Wikipedia]