XPost: comp.mobile.android, comp.mobile.ipad   
   From: nospam@nospam.invalid   
      
   In article , Jolly Roger   
    wrote:   
      
   > >> > If you drive 55mph where the flow of traffic is 70mph then *you* are a   
   > >> > hazard. Many of those idiots you see are trying to avoid an   
   > >> > un-anticipated impediment.   
   > >>   
   > >> Depends very much on the circumstance. What if the speed limit is 55?   
   > >   
   > > then the road is underposted.   
   > >   
   > > the safest speed is the prevailing traffic flow, not the number on the   
   > > sign.   
   >   
   > Prevailing traffic flow is 55-60 MPH, as I described.   
      
   not when there are vehicles passing at psl+30, which you said occurs   
   regularly.   
      
   what you are describing is an underposted road and/or a clump of   
   traffic going slower than the prevailing speed.   
      
   > >> What if there are multiple flows of traffic - some obeying the speed   
   > >> limit, and others not?   
   > >   
   > > there aren't multiple flows. there may be a few people who want to go   
   > > significantly faster and occasionally some who want to go slower. most   
   > > of the traffic will be around the 85th percentile speed.   
   >   
   > You must be playing some sort of word game. If I'm driving on the   
   > highway and most people are going 55-60 mph, and then a pack of 2-6 cars   
   > comes from behind going significantly faster than everyone else, then   
   > when they have passed, everyone but them is still doing 55-60, then I   
   > would describe that as two different packs of drivers - one that is   
   > driving normally and safely, and another that is going significantly   
   > faster, following way too closely, and making dangerous maneuvers in   
   > multiple lanes with disregard for safety.   
      
   you can describe it any way you want, but you will likely be wrong.   
      
   there is *one* average speed. not two (or more).   
      
   if there are as many vehicles traveling 'significantly faster' as you   
   say there are, then the average speed will be higher than 55-60.   
      
   > >> Very often, I'll be driving with cruise control   
   > >> set to 55-60 in the middle lane of a 3-lane highway where the posted   
   > >> speed limit is 55, where most of the cars around me are doing similar   
   > >> speeds (again, around 55-60), and a group of cars (usually anywhere from   
   > >> 2 to 6 cars) will come up from behind driving significantly faster than   
   > >> 55 (sometimes 15-25 miles faster (yes: 75-85 mph in a 55), speeding much   
   > >> faster than the traffic around me), usually with one or two idiots   
   > >> leading the pack in some sort of apparent race to see who can get   
   > >> wherever faster.   
   > >   
   > > if you're going to be going 55-60 in a 55mph zone when there's faster   
   > > traffic, you should be in the rightmost lane. if not, you're the   
   > > problem, not the others.   
   >   
   > I very often am in the right lane, and sometimes I'm in the middle lane   
   > as there is slower traffic in the right lane. I almost never use the   
   > left lane, except to pass. Nevertheless, often the "fast and furious"   
   > pack that comes from behind everyone else is the one introducing danger.   
   > It seems like you want to blame everyone but them for the problem.   
      
   yield and there is no danger. and just how often does this happen   
   anyway?   
      
   > > it's also rare that people go 85 in a 55, particularly on an urban   
   > > highway which has too many curves for that to be realistic.   
   >   
   > First, I didn't say they all go 85 in a 55. You're picking the biggest   
   > number you can to make a point, apparently. I can see right through   
   > that.   
      
   i'm going by what *you* said. are you changing your story again?   
      
   > >> driving significantly faster than   
   > >> 55 (sometimes 15-25 miles faster (yes: 75-85 mph in a 55), speeding much   
   > >> faster than the traffic around me),   
      
   even if we use the lower speed of your range, 75 mph, that too is rare   
   when average flow is 55-60 (your numbers again).   
      
   > Second, you aren't in a position to make any claims as to road   
   > conditions or length of straight aways.   
      
   actually i am, since i've studied this extensively.   
      
   > It just so happens more than one   
   > of the highways I mentioned does have significant stretches of straight   
   > aways (one has a 20-mile stretch). Again, what I described above is not   
   > uncommon here.   
      
   if it's a 20 mile stretch of straight highway and it's posted at 55   
   mph, it's very likely underposted.   
      
   if there are numerous exits and/or traffic is typically heavy, then 55   
   mph might be appropriate, but then 75-85 mph (your numbers) would be   
   *very* rare.   
      
   where is this mystery road, so people can look on a map and see just   
   what conditions actually exist?   
      
   > > and how are you measuring speed anyway?   
   >   
   > Several ways. On one occasion, I got into the left lane and increased my   
   > speed to their to see they were doing 78 or so.   
      
   pacing is fairly reliable, but that's only one occasion.   
      
   > In other circumstances,   
   > I know my own speed and judge theirs (albeit roughly) by how fast they   
   > pass others on the road.   
      
   unless you've been trained to visually estimate speed, it's almost   
   certainly wrong, especially when moving.   
      
   > >> Inevitably one or more drivers in the speeding group   
   > >> gets upset that the drivers in my group are "in their way", usually in   
   > >> various lanes (almost never just the left lane), and start tailgating   
   > >> and using aggressive and fast lane switching maneuvers in all three   
   > >> lanes, often making double-lane-switches without signalling within a few   
   > >> feet of other cars and pulling other dangerous stunts to get past these   
   > >> "slow" drivers that are imposing such an inconvenience on their little   
   > >> racing game as quickly as possible, safety be damned.   
   > >   
   > > not the norm.   
   >   
   > It happens frequently enough, and it's dangerous.   
      
   if it happens more than occasionally, then you're going too slow.   
   that's just how it it.   
      
   the fact that you're putting *all* of the blame on others is even worse.   
      
   > >> In such a   
   > >> situation, I'd typically like to gradually decrease my speed, and make   
   > >> safe lane changes to the right to get as far away from the idiots as   
   > >> possible, if and when such opportunities safely become available.   
   > >   
   > > wrong solution.   
   > >   
   > > decreasing your speed when you're already below the prevailing speed   
   > > increases the chance of a crash, more so than speeding up.   
   >   
   > As I have already said, the prevailing speed is 55-60 because   
   > most everyone on the road is driving that speed. If I am in the second   
   > lane of a four lane highway and a pack of fast and furious idiots comes   
   > from behind in multiple lane, making rapid, dangerous lane changes and   
   > tail gating multiple cars, I'm going to try to get as far away from them   
   > as possible.   
      
   why are you in the #2 lane of 4 lanes going 55-60 when there is faster   
   traffic? you're part of the problem. move to the #4 lane, or at least   
      
   [continued in next message]   
      
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