BlownV8

"Maryland passed a law for the "left lane bandits". If one does not move to the right and let the left lane traffic by THEY get a ticket."

Florida has had this law for years. I have never seen it enforced. They have signs all over the place but people choose to ignore them.

E55AMG99

Every state has laws like this. Something about impeding traffic. They apply to two lane roads as well. Unfortunately, the police/highway patrol don't feel that enforcement is a benefit to the public safety.

Some of my friends have been CHP for 20+ years and none of them have ever written a ticket for impeding traffic yet they average 5-10 speeding tickets daily. They'll ride a guy's *** to intimidate until he moves over but never write them up. Maybe they know the judges will throw the ticket out of court and admonish the cop for wasting the court's time.

What's worse? A stream of cars traveling 10 over the limit in the left lane wihtout obstruction or the same group of cars having to pass in the right lane one jacka$$ traveling 5 under the limit in the left lane?

Arnie

I hear your collective cries! In Oregon we have a violation called "Failure of a slow driver to drive in the right lane". In order to get a ticket, the "slow driver" must travel at a speed, lower than the normal flow of traffic. The good thing is that "I was doing the speed limit" technically is not an affirmative defense here. The bad thing is that many judges don't think it's a big deal, as long as the guy is driving the speed limit. If the violator is 10 miles or more below the speed limit in the "A" (left) lane, I almost always cite. The moron's excuse? "Well, the middle lane and the right lane were empty, why couldn't they go around me?" Another thing that sucks, we hardly ever use unmarked cars in Oregon. (Speeders, rejoice!) So, whenever I see some idiot slowing everybody down in the "A" lane, before I get to him, he will notice me first and move over.

Be safe.

Mr. Xristo

Usually if I am in the left lane and am unable to move over (boxed in) I stay there and let the person deal with it; especially if I am proceeding at 80.

EX-BEEMER

Arnie, since you're "on the other side of the gun" maybe you could answer a question for me. Do laser jammers actually work? I've seen conflicting stories both ways. I'm considering ordering a V1 soon but don't know whether to augment my ECM with a jammer?

I appreciate your candor on a thread that may rub you the wrong way.

ThemisN

THe example Mr Xristo mentions is ok...IF youre boxed in , what can you do at 80?

What gets me going when you see this ***** get in the left lane when you are clearly coming up faster than they would be going...and then they dont even PASS the guy that was in front of them! Drives me nuts.

EDWARD CONROY

I had an embarrassing and kind of funny thing happen to me years ago. It was at night and I was in the left lane in my Mustang GT, doing about the speed limit. This guy was barreling down on me. I thought, I'll show him, and kept going faster. At about 85 he put the lights on and pulled me over. He didn't ticket me, but said, when someone comes up behind you in the left lane and wants to get by, GET OUT OF IT. I never forgot that.

E55AMG99

LOL
too bad more people can't learn from your lesson

FateMaker

Hmm, I guess you could keep a red spotlight in your car and scare the crap out of people at night who don't move over!

E55AMG99

The would be funny as hell but I'm sure the cops wouldn't think so

teflon

A few comments:

First off, I have the K40 system installed in my 99 W210 E55. I wish I could report positive things about it, but I cannot. K40 is one of the worst companies I have dealt with. They get kudos for their "stealth" installation (you cannot even tell the system is installed). But, while the install is nice, the main reason for having the system is to detect RADAR and jam laser. The laser jammer has been ineffective at least two times, and the RADAR detector is so sensative, that it picks up every stray source of radiation, including transformers on telephone poles. This is hardly an effective strategy for detecting bogeys (but incidentally works great if you're trying to detect microwave leaks while you're driving around ). The unit even goes off when other cars with normal RADAR detectors are in proximity. . Worse yet, I have repeatedly tried to contact them over the years for various reasons, yet they do not return phonecalls, emails, or even letters. They are a "black hole" company IMHO - certainly not the type of company I am accustomed to dealing with. My only consolation is that the unit came with the car when I bought it used, so I didn't feel totally ripped.

Second, on the issue of LH lane driving, I've noticed this culture varies region by region - areas with less traffic tend to have more folks cruising around in the left lane with their head's up their butts, while regions with chronic traffic congestion issues, tend to have more drivers that are aware and less that drive in the LH Lane.

A few years ago, I was in LA for the first time as a driver. I'm typically considered an aggressive driver here in OH, in that I will pass on the right if I've given plenty of notice and the need be. Normally I have a good sense for where cars are headed and what their drivers will do. Not so in LA, everyone seems to drives as aggressively as I do. Several times during that trip, I found myself being the source of the traffic problems, rather than avoiding them like normal

I hear in Germany, (maybe other places in Europe too?) they take this more seriously than speeding. Anyone know for sure? I have to say, slow drivers in the passing lane is my biggest pet peeve.

moa4r

i've driven in Germany and other parts of Europe and know for a fact that you are not even supposed to be in the left lane unless you are passing someone. They do take it very seriously and thats why it is safe to drive fast out there-- you won't run into idiots chilling in the left lane doing 55...
people here really need to get this simple concept through their heads, trust me i know exactly where you all are coming from, but i disagree with whoever said the problem is not as bad in congested areas...I think it is actually a lot worse in places with bad traffic. I live in DC and man you wouldn't believe how stupid some driver's are

Pbglas

I used to know someone who would put on his cruise control and drive on the left lane. He was a smug sob who claimed he was doing his bit to maintain speed limits.

Fortunatley, he would frequently get speeding ticket for doing 5 mph over! I am glad out police had the good sense.

Eddie Knopp

Teflon - Is the K40 system 4-5 years old ? Does anyone know if they've been modified since ?

BlownV8

"unit even goes off when other cars with normal RADAR detectors are in proximity."

That's a sign the other guys radar detector is a leaking POS! I have picked-up a leaky detector from over a half mile a way with my V1. It's damn frustrating when they are behind you and going around the same rate of speed. I wonder if the leakage is enough to do damage to the detector's owner....kind of like those cops getting cancer from resting the radar guns in their laps.

Arnie

The late reply to EX-BEEMER's question: Do laser jammers actually work? I don't know. The only way to find out would be to get one and to try it out. As far as the laser detector are concerned: don't waste your money, folks.The radar beam becomes about 30 feet wide at 1000 feet of distance. In other words, if 3 cars with radar detectors drive next to each other in 3 lanes and the radar is 1000 feet away, all 3 radar detectors will go off. Laser, on the other hand, is 2.7 feet wide at 1000 feet from the source. So, if a car next to you gets picked up by a laser, your laser detector will stay quiet, because it won't feel a thing (with one exception). If YOUR laser detector goes off, start looking for a safe spot to stop and get a ticket.

Here's the exception I mentioned earlier. Sometimes in a heavy traffic the laser beam will actually hit a target at an angle and bounce off, setting the laser detectors off down the range. My nephew has a $400 Valentine radar/laser detector, so when he bought it it had 30 days money back guarantee. Needless to say we tested the crap out of it, in different trafiic conditions. First we parked his car with the detector in it and I shot it between the headlights from 500 feet. The detector went off. Then he opened the driver door and I shot the door, the detector was quiet. But in heavy traffic I was shooting the "B" lane while he was in the "A" lane. His detector went off couple of times. But later in the light traffic I was shooting cars right next to him at 1000-700 feet, his detector didn't feel a thing.

He decided to keep his detector after all.

Left lane: try to imagine that you are running code at 120 MPH in the "A" lane with lights and siren. Everybody gets out of the way, than one moron starts passing somebody, gets in front of you, sees you, panics, slams on the brakes and practically parks his car in the "A' lane. At the same time you are desperately trying not to run the SOB over. I have to deal with these kinds of people quite often. Sometimes I wish I had... No, I beter keep it to myself, because some of my desires are impure and unprofessional.

Arnie

teflon

Thanks Pbglas, you made my day :-)

While I've never been to europe, that's the way I was always taught to drive in the US. I guess it's not a law here, but it sure as hell should be. Either that, or I need to move to Germany. I might make up the cost of the move in my savings in speeding tix alone!

I believe it is...If I could get K40 to return my calls or correspondence, I could tell for sure. Unfortunately there are no longer any dealers in Cleveland, so I can't even get the unit checked out or serviced - again, since I cannot get K40 to call me back.

I totally sympathaize with you! I also have seen this happen to other police on the freeways too...You guys have my undying respect for your self control and dedication.

Actually the best investment in speeding ticket evasion I have made has not been in technology, rather, donations to the local FOP. Typically they will send you an FOP booster sticker and card for your donation, which on occasion will bring you some courtesy from an officer - it is certainly not a carte blanche, but if you were behaving sanely and merely exceeding the limit, the officer will occasionally "warn". Maybe this is just an Ohio thing? I know there has been some controversy in OH (for admittedly obvious and real reasons, but hey...).

srt10viper

Latest issue of Motortrend has a detector test. The V1 kicks everyones A$$ except for POP radar. The escort passport won 94.85 vs 94.75. It beat the V1 in POP mode, ergonomics and VALUE. The passport got a 9 out of 10 for value and the V1 got a 7 out of 10. The best is that the Passport scored 5 out of 10 times LOWER than the V1 in radar tests. HOW THE HELL IS IT A BETTER VALUE IF I AM MORE LIKELY TO GET A TICKET WITH THE PASSPORT??????

I am going to send a email to MT about this. The V1 hands down is THE BEST radar detector out there...

ROB

FateMaker

What band was the leaky detector? K? Ka? X?

BlownV8

K

FateMaker

Maybe those drivers think they are driving a Ferrari and what is behind them is not important!

I have seen this happen before on the freeway. The last one I saw was an elderly lady driving a Caddy in the fast lane at about 65 mph. A CHP with his lights on, obviously going someplace in hurry, came up behind her but she was totally oblivious. The CHP was on her bumper for about 1/3 mile and actually passed her on the left shoulder in a clear area. She didn't even move over after that.

ThemisN

I have a thing for statements of "value" from magazines. When I read something ME, MYSELF, AND I will make the determination of what I want to spend and place a value on the increased perfromance. Magazines, though, tend to assign "value" to merely being a more affordable product. And as mentioned above it usually decides the winner of a comparison. It's like comparing the E55, RS6, and jag..and giving it to the jag because its cheaper and supposedly has "more bang for the buck". Whle it never happened with teh above mentioned cars, it has happened on other comparisons.

God it disgusts me.

Pbglas

It is their opinion! Although to us ours matter more! And we spend hte money. Also I am not sure magazines are always on hte up and up.

Where did the Jag beat out the Mercedes and the Audi? I missed that one.

E55AMG99

Who is the biggest advertiser?

vlix

where do u guys put your radar detectors? does anyone have any pix?