Am I A Middle Lane Hogger?

[shnabz]

Am I A MLH?

This is how i see it;

Lane 1 = Lower than speed limit or = to Speed limit
Lane 2 = Speed limit/Overtaking
Lane 3 = Speed limit/Over speed limit/Overtaking

I travel in the middle lane at 70mph because i want to get to my destination as fast as i can without breaking the speed limit. I will lose my job if i get 3 points!

As long as the traffic in lane 1 is less than 70mph (most of the time) i am technically classified as overtaking, just as the lane 3'ers are passing me.

If lane 1 is clear, i will move back into it.

My definition of "clear": Being able to travel at the speed limit without having to slow down for a slower travelling vehicle.

I will however, move into lane 1 if there is a slower moving vehicle, but only provding that i will be able to get back into lane 2 (to overtake slower vehicle) without having to slow down for slow vehicle.

I think that seems fair, all i want to do is travel from A to B as fast as i can without breaking the law. I have nothing against people that wish to travel at higher speeds, and i personally, am looking forward to the speed limit increase.

Please point out if you think I am a MLH and should be burned, but make sure to provide FAIR reasons why.

P.S. I hate people that travel in the middle lane doing less than the speed limit, when they could be in lane 1 and still do their slow speed without being adversley affected. This means that I have to move to lane 3 and slow the speeders down, because i will not speed! Don't care if you've got a fancy car, get up my arse and nothing will happen, i will still do 70 until i can move back to lane 2 or 1. Should i just undertake these people or what? I don't like to slow the lnae 3ers down, but i will do whatver i need to, to get from A to B as fast as i can. (Within the confines of the law)

[R0G]

Simple answer to this is to ask this question -
Are you using the middle lane and causing inconvenience to any other road user when you could easily be in lane 1 ?
(Inconvenience would be making another road user change speed or direction (lane) when you could have prevented them doing it without being forced to change your speed or compromise your safety)
If yes, then you are not driving in the correct way

[The Black Flash]

It's nothing to do with what speed you're going at, or what the limit is.
Lane 1 unless overtaking.
If you've moved into L2 or L3 to overtake, move back in as soon as soon as there is a gap big enough to do so. Big enough = you don't have to slow down or pull out again as soon as you get there.

[Terminator X]

Yes, get off that middle lane. Lane 1 at all times assuming that there is space to move back there.

TX.

[shnabz]

Terminator X said:

Yes, get off that middle lane. Lane 1 at all times assuming that there is space to move back there.

TX.

Why should I move back to lane 1 when i will need to pull back out immediately to overtake the next vehicle which is travelling slower than 70

Edited by shnabz on Saturday 15th October 15:05

[shnabz]

In that case, im doing the right thing, it may cause lane 2 users an incovenience, but if i hadn't have moved out then i would be the one having to change speed, so i couldn't easily be in lane 1.

R0G said:

Simple answer to this is to ask this question -
Are you using the middle lane and causing inconvenience to any other road user when you could easily be in lane 1 ?
(Inconvenience would be making another road user change speed or direction (lane) when you could have prevented them doing it without being forced to change your speed or compromise your safety)
If yes, then you are not driving in the correct way

[shnabz]

The Black Flash said:

It's nothing to do with what speed you're going at, or what the limit is.
Lane 1 unless overtaking.
If you've moved into L2 or L3 to overtake, move back in as soon as soon as there is a gap big enough to do so. Big enough = you don't have to slow down or pull out again as soon as you get there.

It is to do with speed, if i travel at 70 and vehicles are in lane 1 doing less than 70, i'am not going to join it or else i would have to pull straight back out again to overtake. Its all about reading the road.
Aslong as i am travelling faster than the traffic in the lane to the left of me, thats ok. Most of the time in rush-hour traffic, you would have to move back out as soon as you got back into lane 1, so that could mean i end up in lane 2 for many many miles. But if it isn't rush-hour traffic, i dont mind being in lane 1 aslong as i can get back out to lane 2...provided everyone isnt hogging it!

Edited by shnabz on Saturday 15th October 15:07

[R0G]

shnabz said:

In that case, im doing the right thing, it may cause lane 2 users an incovenience, but if i hadn't have moved out then i would be the one having to change speed, so i couldn't easily be in lane 1.

R0G said:

Simple answer to this is to ask this question -
Are you using the middle lane and causing inconvenience to any other road user when you could easily be in lane 1 ?
(Inconvenience would be making another road user change speed or direction (lane) when you could have prevented them doing it without being forced to change your speed or compromise your safety)
If yes, then you are not driving in the correct way

Told you the answer was easy

[shnabz]

R0G said:

Told you the answer was easy

Terminator X doesn't agree though, he/she say's im a MLH. That's why im slightly confused and came here in the first place, there seem to be a number of people who would say im a hogger, but atleast an equal number of people who would say im not.

At the moment its 2 - 1

So thats good

[randlemarcus]

2-1-1 now

I put a 10 second limit on going back into Lane 1. If I think I will be there for less than that, I stay where I am. Ten seconds at motorway speeds is a fair distance, and allows others to plan, based on my movements and average speed.

Means I get stuck if I have been a blockage from time to time, but I can live with that.

[shnabz]

randlemarcus said:

2-1-1 now

I put a 10 second limit on going back into Lane 1. If I think I will be there for less than that, I stay where I am. Ten seconds at motorway speeds is a fair distance, and allows others to plan, based on my movements and average speed.

Means I get stuck if I have been a blockage from time to time, but I can live with that.

Haha, i was actually thinking this before my original post! A 10 second limit seems fair, but... what if there is 30 seconds of cars behind me (driving at 70 and not waiting for me to move over) then if i pull into lane 1, 10 seconds later its time to overtake, but wait! They haven't followed me into lane 1! Now i have to wait 30 seconds for them to pass before i can move back out. Unless they flash me out.

I do agree with you, and most of the time i kinda follow this 10 second rule, but lately ive noticed there are people hoggging the middle lane, and when i have space to move into lane 1 i always think, once i move over they will never let me back out! Bearing in mind its rush hour traffic.

[eztiger]

shnabz said:

what if there is 30 seconds of cars behind me (driving at 70 and not waiting for me to move over) then if i pull into lane 1, 10 seconds later its time to overtake, but wait! They haven't followed me into lane 1! Now i have to wait 30 seconds for them to pass before i can move back out. Unless they flash me out.

You've contradicted yourself. If they were at 70 and not waiting for you to move over, they would not be alongside you - you could just pull back out.

If they are now alongside you, meaning they're now at a greater speed than you and overtaking - you were holding them up before. The fact you now have to wait for them to go past before you pull out is just courtesy and letting the other drivers make maximum progress. This efficient progress is exactly what you're saying you want to be able to do - perhaps if everyone co-operated like this rather than sitting in lanes when the one next to them is clear...

[deeen]

What you are calling the "middle lane" is actually an overtaking lane. If you think of it like that, you can probably answer your own question.

[shnabz]

eztiger said:

You've contradicted yourself. If they were at 70 and not waiting for you to move over, they would not be alongside you - you could just pull back out.

If they are now alongside you, meaning they're now at a greater speed than you and overtaking - you were holding them up before. The fact you now have to wait for them to go past before you pull out is just courtesy and letting the other drivers make maximum progress. This efficient progress is exactly what you're saying you want to be able to do - perhaps if everyone co-operated like this rather than sitting in lanes when the one next to them is clear...

I'am afraid you've jumped the gun, I haven't contradicted myself, i dont recall saying that the reason why i have to wait is because they are alongside me.

Sorry, i may not have been accurate enough in the post you have quoted; due to wind changes and a slight downhill gradient, the leading car of the 30 seconds of cars has increased his speed by 0.671mph unintentionally, i however have remained at exactly 70mph, over a 10 second distance this will mean he is now 3 meters ahead of what he intended to be, so he is NOT alongside me, i WASN'T holding him up, or the rest of the cars, the reason I have not moved back over is because i did not want to violate the 2 second rule he was adhering to when following me.

Also, lane 3 was empty, if i was holding them up, they would have just overtaken me.

Edited by shnabz on Saturday 15th October 16:58

[mybrainhurts]

A Potato said:

If traffic is quiet I use the lanes properly, if traffic is busy I generally keep up with traffic in lane three and stop there. It's mind numbing sticking to the speed limit and constantly changing lanes!! On a dual carriageway I stick with the flow in lane two or else lead at speed..... *Touch wood* with speed camera alerts and common sense I have a clean licence.

While you sit in lane three, try looking to your left.

You'll probably see everyone in lane one making faster progress than you.

[shnabz]

deeen said:

What you are calling the "middle lane" is actually an overtaking lane. If you think of it like that, you can probably answer your own question.

Yes i can, you mention the word "actually" as if i didn't know it was an overtaking lane, which i have ACTUALLY stated on the original post (see line 6).
I do use the middle lane as an overtaking lane.
I'm not here to answer my own question am I? Im asking other road users for their opinion.

P.S. I have also referred to the middle lane as "lane 2"

Edited by shnabz on Saturday 15th October 17:06

[deeen]

shnabz said:

Yes i can, i use the middle lane as an overtaking lane. But im not here to answer my own question am I? Im asking other road users for their opinion.

Ok well if you pull back to lane 1 when you have completed your overtake, that's great. If you continue in an overtaking lane when you are not overtaking anything, and there are cars behind you, you are a middle lane hogger. In this road user's opinion.

[shnabz]

deeen said:

Ok well if you pull back to lane 1 when you have completed your overtake, that's great. If you continue in an overtaking lane when you are not overtaking anything, and there are cars behind you, you are a middle lane hogger. In this road user's opinion.

Thank you for your opinion, and my response:

If pulling back into lane 1 will cause me to slow down (due to a slower travelling vehicle) then I will stay in lane 2 AND continue to overtake the next slow vehicle.
However, if there are cars behind me which i think wan't to overtake, i will move back to lane 1, behind slow vehicle, provided i can move back to lane 2 before i am actually forced to slow down for the slower vehicle infront of me.

Now, if the people behind me aren't happy with waiting for me to reach a clear part of lane 1, then i suggest they move to lane 3, after all, i driving at a reasonable speed of 70mph.

I guess what i'm trying to say is that I shouldn't have to lower my maximum legal speed so that they can increase their speed. It's all about being fair.

Edited by shnabz on Saturday 15th October 17:14

[deeen]

shnabz said:

Thank you for your opinion, and my response:

If pulling back into lane 1 will cause me to slow down (due to a slower travelling vehicle) then I will stay in lane 2 AND continue to overtake the next slow vehicle.
However, if there are cars behind me which i think wan't to overtake, i will move back to lane 1, behind slow vehicle, provided i can move back to lane 2 before i am actually forced to slow down for the slower vehicle infront of me.

Ok. I think overtaking includes the need to speed up and slow down sometimes. You sound as if you think your constant speed is more important than not impeding a car which wishes to overtake you? I suspect this makes you an occasional MLH. At least you are thinking about it, unlike the MLMs drifting on for miles, blissfully unaware... but I think the "constant speed" thing is leading you towards MLH, at times.

[R0G]

shnabz said:

I guess what i'm trying to say is that I shouldn't have to lower my maximum legal speed so that they can increase their speed.

Precisely

You move into lane 2 when clear THEN others gain on you after a short while and you still have other(s) in lane 1 ahead which you will close on fairly quickly - STAY IN LANE 2 until a long safe gap occurs in lane 1 to let them pass - or they can use lane 3 if there is one

Others who say move immediately into lane 1 after overtaking in lane 2 are only correct if the above situation is not happening