Lane discipline rant

**Moki** · 16th November 2008, 06:44

Just having a good rant about something the really gets my goat...and I see it happening every day.

Could someone please shed some light on why some people camp out on the inside lane (SH1), drive at 80km and refuse to move over? One would have thought that after a while, one would notice that long queue of traffic following and others undertaking.

I really can't understand what thought processes , if any, are going on in their heads?

**Grahameeboy** · 16th November 2008, 06:49

Originally Posted by Moki

Just having a good rant about something the really gets my goat...and I see it happening every day.

Could someone please shed some light on why some people camp out on the inside lane (SH1), drive at 80km and refuse to move over? One would have thought that after a while, one would notice that long queue of traffic following and others undertaking.

I really can't understand what thought processes , if any, are going on in their heads?

Do you mean outside lane?

**James Deuce** · 16th November 2008, 06:54

He does mean the outside and the poor chap may even be from another country.

Why do people do it? Because they don't get taught to do otherwise because there is no legal requirement to do so in NZ. The "Keep Left" thing is purely courtesy, unlike the UK where you get ticketed for passing on the left. Courtesy is something the average Kiwi not only can't do, they're actively suspicious of people who are actually courteous. Wave someone through an intersection when you have right of way and watch the avergae Kiwi spend 30 seconds trying to figure out what is going on and then they either sit there and stare suspiciously at you and try make you go, flashing lights and tooting horn, or they'll try to prove that they have bigger courtesy testicles than you and try insist that you go. You can't just accept the offer, because that may mean that the other person thinks you are special needs or something.

I loved driving in the UK. Really freaking busy, but people were super polite and traffic didn't stop moving unless something forced it to like lane closures, accidents and roadworks. The M25 must be a nightmare now they've lost two lanes to Buses.

**Moki** · 16th November 2008, 06:59

Originally Posted by James Deuce

He does mean the outside and the poor chap may even be from another country.

Why do people do it? Because they don't get taught to do otherwise because there is no legal requirement to do so. The "Keep Left" thing is purely courtesy, unlike the UK where you get ticketed for passing on the left.

I loved driving in the UK. Really freaking busy, but people were super polite and traffic didn't stop moving unless something forced it to like lane closures, accidents and roadworks. The M25 must be a nightmare now they've lost two lanes to Buses.

Sorry for the terminology....you know, the "overtaking" lane....

**James Deuce** · 16th November 2008, 07:00

It's all good.

**paturoa** · 16th November 2008, 07:01

It urks a shed load of people including me

http://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/sh...ad.php?t=65833

**James Deuce** · 16th November 2008, 07:06

It used to irk me too, but then I remembered I'm on a bike and I have two other overtaking lanes on a piece of 4 lane blacktop.

**Moki** · 16th November 2008, 07:22

Well, I've been enlightened this morning. For all these years I've had my insides and outsides inside-out? Must be down to my early years in other countrie. Learning to ride -and taking my exam- on a Harley Sportster (the z1300 was a little too "cumbersome" to take the exam with), followed by a few years of defensive riding classes in the the Middle-East and many more years in the UK and Europe.... Sh** I'm all nostalgic now.

I meant right lane...

**Kickaha** · 16th November 2008, 08:24

Originally Posted by Moki

Could someone please shed some light on why some people camp out on the inside lane (SH1), drive at 80km and refuse to move over? One would have thought that after a while, one would notice that long queue of traffic following and others undertaking.

After decades of studying this phenomenon I came to the conclusion that it was because they are inconsiderate wankers who should be dragged from their cars, gutshot, fed to the dogs, and have their remains hung up alongside the road as a warning to others (along with those who don't use indicators)

**spookytooth** · 16th November 2008, 08:42

The prixs that sit on the centre line behind a truck thats pulled left to let ppl pass,piss me off big time

**FROSTY:Me** · 16th November 2008, 08:48

Can one of you legal beagal types shed light on this one--I was of the understanding that the law states you MUST keep as far left as possible when driving.
I thought that if you can get hassled for overtaking on the left there must be a corosponding keep left law

**spookytooth** · 16th November 2008, 08:50

There used to be I got a ticket along time ago for riding in the outside lane.Failing to keep left was the charge

**James Deuce** · 16th November 2008, 08:57

Originally Posted by FROSTY

Can one of you legal beagal types shed light on this one--I was of the understanding that the law states you MUST keep as far left as possible when driving.
I thought that if you can get hassled for overtaking on the left there must be a corosponding keep left law

Multi lane highways in NZ aren't regarded as a single highway, each lane is a highway in its own right. There is a legal provision for failure to keep left, but it relates to driving to the left of your lane, not the left lane of the multi lane highway you're on. Failure to keep left is the minimum charge laid in a head on.