Driving Los to Las and Back - A Rant

I had a long cross country drive one time, and experienced other drivers at the opposite sides of the spectrum. One driver was pretty consistently running 10 over, and he and I took turns being the 'rabbit' for probably close to 300 miles. Neither of us got pulled over, so win win. Then at the end of that long trip, There was a guy going 60.5 in the left lane in a 60 zone. I couldn't get over in the right lane to go around him for a bit, and once that lane opened up, I pulled over and passed him. I had floored it, and he did to, by the time I was ahead of him we were approaching 90! I never wanted to run someone off the road as bad as I did at that moment. I hate those self appointed traffic marshals here in Seattle.

 

Hello, exactly!!!

This thread sponsored by Ludacris.

 

What is this highway "traffic" stuff you people speak of?

 

Here is my golden rule for highway/freeway driving.

 

Being from the East Coast and having driven cross country to move to the West Coast, I can say without a doubt, CA drivers are the absolute worst...in every way. I don't know about Norcal, but Socal is ridiculous. You have a whole subset of people who believe the left lane is the slow lane. You have drivers that believe they determine the pace of traffic...they go slow, but if you change lanes to pass, they speed up to stay ahead. Tons of road rage drivers who will throw crap out of their window at the car behind them. Its endless. Yes, bad drivers are everywhere, but there are definitely more here in Socal.

 

"Have you ever noticed that anyone driving slower than you is a moron, and anyone driving faster than you is an asshole?" - George Carlin

Agree about left lane being for passing only. Drives me crazy to have to pass someone on the right because they won't freaking move over.

I learned to drive in the Boston area, have lived and driven in Austin for years and drive all over the country on business trips, and no one comes close to being as bad as SoCal in my experience.

 

I HATE bad drivers, especially on a highway. There is no need to act stupid on the road and potentially hurt someone. That being said, I'm jealous you are driving distance to Vegas. We pay $800 flight for the two of us round trip from Canada

 

I love this

Wins award for best road signs ever!!

But drivers still won't get it.

TomTWI

 

Alberta

I see lots of Alberta tags in LV. If you have the time do the drive some day.

TomTWI

 

They really do need to widen 15, at least to Barstow. That would get rid of a lot of problems. There's no reason to have 2 NB/SB lanes anywhere along that highway.

 

Are you talking about the 15 from Vegas to Barstow or from Socal to Barstow? Because Socal to Barstow is pretty much 3+ lanes the whole way.

I would like to see a dedicated truck lane on the 15, between Socal and Vegas. Although a**holes would just use it to pass on the wrong side.

A few years back there was a series on TV called Dangerous Drives, and they once featured the I-15 between Socal and Vegas. They said that the combination of the desert heat, the speeding drivers, the truck traffic, and people under the influence was what made it so dangerous.

 

There's a reason we've started making this drive at 4am.

 

therein lies the problem! 75-80 is NOT the average driving speed between SoCal and Vegas. It is more like 85-90. Not moving over from the left lane when you feel that driving 75 is sufficient to allow you to stay in the left lane is part of the problem. That will cause others to pass you on the right, give you dirty looks, and then cut back in front of you. I have a lead foot. I have been doing 90 going to Vegas many times and get passed as if I was doing 55. No problem! If others want to drive faster, move over to the right lane and let them go faster. Most of the time the problem is caused by the drivers who are totally oblivious that they are holding up an entire train of cars in the left lane because they are going the speed limit. The right lane is clogged by 18 wheelers. The speed limit is 70-75 most of the way through the desert. 75-80 is barely over the speed limit in these sections. Standard is 10 mph over to avoid a ticket. CHP will not even start targeting you unless you are well over 10 mph over the posted speed limit. Hence, 85-90 is the norm, not the exception for this drive.

 

I drive from Phoenix

Last weekend I really noticed the further away for civilization I was the more courteous the drivers were.
There were tons of LH lane pokies until I was north of Wickenburg, then everyone seemed to move over and let us lead foots through.
Same on the return trip, as I made it closer to Phoenix, the pokies magically reappeared.

The only time I had to pass on the right, you guessed it, “PRIUS”

I usually run 80 to 90 and I always need to watch my mirror. Plus I love it when the 90 to 110 guy goes by.

He is now my little bunny rabbit, I like keep him about ½ mile out front in case my radar doesn’t pick up.

 

Bad drivers?

So Cal has bad drivers simply because there are so many drivers compared to elsewhere, just gonna happen. But overall, I think So Cal drivers are aggressive, not necessarily bad. You need to know how to hit the gas and hit the brake down there, just kinda goes with the civic ethic.

In the west, I'll serve up three locales: Our desert when the midwest and Canada seasonally boots its elderly. Scottsdale/Phoenix/Tucson for the same reason. And the worst? Oregonians; here, there, doesn't matter. Oh, and there could be a special place in hell reserved for Vegas' unique melange of auto bedlam -- cabbies and addled turistas, and let's add in a horridly inadequate/antiquated road system.

 

We used to fly into San Diego, spend a few nights, then drive to Vegas. We haven't done that for about 10 years now, but iirc the speed limit on the 15 was 65. What is it now?

And how many of you 80-90+ mph drivers have gotten tickets on the way to Vegas? Or, going back for that matter. We always did a one way car rental and flew home from Vegas, so I have never driven Vegas to CA.

 

The only time I drove the 15 from LA to LV was in May 93. Daylight hours on a weekday and it was the best ride in my life. Great site lines, cruise control 85-90 all the way with not an enormous amount of traffic. The mountains and desert breathtaking to a lifelong northeasterner who had never been south of Washington or west of New Jersey.
I can still hear the radio advertising in my head for the $12 rooms at Excalibur and the $5.99 prime rib buffet at the Hacienda-which was great.

 

Try Miami. Not Florida in general or even south Florida just the city of Miami. If you see somebody driving safely it is likely a tourist.

 

Vegas to LA somewhere near San Bernadino I was going around 105 and an unmarked car pulled up alongside, flashed a badge, and motioned for me to slow down.

 

Try all of Oregon. Worst drivers on the planet. I think it comes from not having to pump their own gas.

Joe - Speed limit? What speed limit?