So I'm driving on the freeway tonight with my family...

[driver8]

I'm in the middle lane of a five lane highway and I'm cruising along at about 70-75 mph. Traffic is fairly light. I notice this car in my rear view mirror about 6 car lengths back and he keeps flashing his head lights at me. I tell my wife and she says, "Maybe we have a light out or something wrong with a tire?" I reply that everything seems fine and the mini van is handling well. Again -- flashing lights. The car flashes them a couple of more times and I move over another lane thinking the car will pull up and give me some indication of what is wrong.

So, the car pulls up to me...and then speeds right past me!! It was an older man -- in his seventies or eighties and he was using his lights to tell me to get out of his way!! I ask my wife, "When did flashing your lights become the signal to move out of a lane so some dickhead can go through?" There were two lanes to my left, and the guy never made an effort to pass me. I don't know why but this really got me -- I was pissed. Pretty fucking arrogant, if you ask me.

[Crazy Guggenheim]

1. What a jerk!

[billyskank]

3. It's usually BMW drivers who do that

in this country. Although if the lane to the right is free then they will always use that, at least.

[WCGreen]

2. Maybe the Viagra was wearing off..... And he wanted to get

home as quick as can be....

[dogfacedboy]

4. It's common practice with truck drivers, however

this is usually done on a 3 lane road when someone is driving too slow in the center lane. Sounds like this guy was just a shmoe.

[WCGreen]

5. I Admit, I wil do that when two people are racing

One going 54.5 mph in the right lane and the other doing 54.75 mph in the left.....

[KitchenWitch]

6. That is an old trucker signal

Was not arrogant, he was just indicating that he wanted to pass. The proper response is, after he passes you, to flash your high beams letting him know it is safe to come back into your lane.

[WCGreen]

7. That;s a big ten four.....

[KitchenWitch]

9. Yup

Remember when truckers used to be the most courteous drivers on the road? I am not saying all truckers are assholes now, but I just rememeber when most truckers were very well rested, etc, before deregulation.

[billyskank]

8. But surely on a multi-lane highway in light traffic

the proper thing to do is pass by in a different lane? :shrug:

[KitchenWitch]

10. Left lane on multi-lane highways are intended to be passing lanes

not thru traffic lanes, unless the traffic is heavy. Got into a "discussion" with MrKW about that very thing just yesterday.

[billyskank]

11. Ah, yes, we do the same thing here

except that it is the left hand lane that is the regular driving lane, and the right hand lanes that are for overtaking, of course.

I didn't realise you did that - I thought your freeways were a kinda a free-for-all.

To tell the truth, if I'm driving up the left lane and there's somebody pootling along in the middle lane for no reason, I usually just breeze past on the inside rather than swing all the way round him to go past on the (correct) right hand side.
:spank:

[KitchenWitch]

12. We are "supposed" to honor the left lane as a passing lane

but different regions of the country have different driving behaviors. Here in Minnesota, people will occupy the left lane for hundreds of miles when the right lane is open.

In Wisconsin, they pass on the right (which drives me batshit crazy).

There are regions of the country where the police give drivers tickets for unnecessarily driving in the left lane. Wish it were enforced everywhere.

[democracyindanger]

13. European signal

In Europe it's standard practice to flash your lights when you're about to pass.

In America--aside from what people have said about truckers--yeah, it's pretty much "I'm a dickhead, get out of my way."

[KitchenWitch]

14. I guess I am a dickhead then!

[democracyindanger]

16. No worries

So am I, on occassion. :)

[billyskank]

15. In Britain it signifies dickheaditude also

:(

[A HERETIC I AM]

17. The guy might have been a dick......BUT....

In this country we have DISMAL lane discipline. If you are traveling on a multi lane highway with an open lane to your right...

YOU ARE IN THE WRONG DAMN LANE!

Most freeways have a sign that says "Slower traffic keep right" but in some areas it reads (much more appropriately) "Keep right except to pass"

Regarding truckers, most states these days restrict heavy trucks from the left lanes and some areas require trucks to drive in only the two RIGHT lanes, even if the freeway has 5 or more lanes in one direction. (The Beltway around D.C. is a good example) If you are driving in the 2nd from the right hand lane in such an area, you are in the truckers passing lane. I see this every day where a driver, both cars AND trucks (Yes, plenty of dickhead truckers) will drive down the middle lane of 3 lane freeway and NEVER MOVE OVER! It pisses me off to no end.
(I am a Commercial Truck Driver with over 1,500,000 accident free highway miles)
Also, passing on the right is inherently dangerous and should be avoided as much as possible.

I can see how the OP'r would think that driver was being a dick, but in all fairness, if there was an open lane to the right, he should have been there in the 1st place.

[driver8]

19. I was going almost 75 mph and was in the middle lane!!

There were two lanes open to my left and I was definitely keeping up with traffic. It's not like I was forcing cars to pass me because I was going so slow. If there are two lanes open to the left, aren't those called "Passing lanes"?

WTF??

[aePrime]

21. I think you were fine

I was taught in driver's ed, oh those many years ago, that if you have three or more lanes you should prefer to stay in the middle lane. Like a knight in a chess game, this gives you the most options, and the guy should have used the left lane to pass you -- that's what it's for!

[A HERETIC I AM]

24. Were there lanes open to your right?

That was my point. Look, i'll give you this. The guy WAS BEING A DICK, OK? Sure he could have changed lanes to the left and gone around you and that would have been the end of it.

The point i am trying to make is simply, if there is an open lane to your right, that is the appropriate lane for everyone. The left lanes are for passing. When the pass is completed it is appropriate to move back to the right if it safe to do so, REGARDLESS of how fast you are going. Saying "I was doing almost 75 MPH" and "I was definitely keeping up with traffic" is irrelevant. There are plenty of folks that use that same logic and STILL manage to hold up traffic.

The poster above who mentions they were taught that the center lane is the safe one is correct only to a certain extent. If traffic is moderately heavy and there is an exit and entrance ramp frequently then the center lane IS a better choice because entering and exiting traffic tend to slow the flow of the right lane. If exits are sparse and the traffic is slow, the right lane IS INHERENTLY SAFER and therefore the correct one for travel.

[alarimer]

23. I think it is acceptable to travel in the center lane

if there is one. I do it in cities where there is a lot of traffic entering from the right and often the right lane leads to "exit only" situations. If I don't plan on exiting, and am traveling through, I am entitled to drive in the center lanes at prevailing speeds. Or even on the left, if it is faster. It keeps me out of the way of exiting cars and I can maintain a good speed (well except at rush hour or something).

[skoppa]

18. My dad almost got into an accident b/c someone did that to him.

[Beware the Beast Man]

20. When people do that to me, I just go slower.

The noive!

[Shine]

22. I think it's a European thing...

People drive waaay fast over there, on the autoban, and that's the way they signal if they want to pass you.