A Message To My Fellow Michiganders: The Left Lane is For Passing
Summer is here and despite gas prices going through the roof, many Michiganders are planning to hit the roadways again this summer for some adventure and to stretch their legs.
But before you put your rubber to asphalt, I'd like to remind you of one simple thing: the left lane is for passing.
I know I'm not sharing some first time news for most people, but based on my experiences of driving around I96 and 131 over the last few weeks, I'd believe that absolutely no one got the message.
Yes, it's okay to get over early to pass someone to the left. Sure, sometimes the exit is on the left and you have to hang there for a few... but, there are tons of times when people just HANG OUT there. It's not a bar downtown, it's the passing lane. Get over, and GET OUT OF THERE.
Last week, I was driving on 96, and I saw 5 cars in the left lane, jammed up, going less than the speed limit, while the right lane was wide open. So you know what I had to do? I passed them all while going the speed limit in the right lane.
One woman had the audacity to shoot me an ugly look, as if it wasn't her being the psycho using the wrong lane to travel slower than the speed of smell.
In fact- it's actually a law in the state of Michigan that the left lane should primarily be used for passing. That's why you see the "slower traffic keep right" signs. It's safer, it allows for more efficient traffic flow, and it keeps people from switching lanes and crashing as often.
And don't get me started on the people who hog the left lane then refuse to zipper merge properly (yes, you have to let people over into your lane when the other lane is ending, and it's okay if they go to the end of the line to join the lane, that's the point.)
So if you see me flying past you in the right lane, please know I'm judging you. And yes, you are the bad guy in this scenario.