Ease On Down The Road

I have made the drive from Seattle to Portland and back again approximately a billion times in my life. When I lived in Seattle the first go-round a co-worker was also from the Portland area, and we had an unofficial competition going on who could make the trip the fastest. One morning he came into the office, "Two and a half hours, got pulled over in Centralia, didn't get a ticket." Given that the distance from the northern border of Portland to the exit I took to get to my apartment at the time was 172 miles I withdrew from the competition at that moment.

Anymore, I'm lucky if I can make the trip in three and a half hours. Part of it may be the fact that I no longer drive a car that makes cool turbo noises at 105 miles an hour (I've never had Zeb anywhere near 105 miles an hour, but also never drove Red that fast on I-5, beause that would be stupid), but even more at fault is the horrible, miserable traffic.

I think it is time we talk about some common courtesy while out on the open road:

• See that sign, "Keep Right Except To Pass?" Perhaps you should read it and follow it's directions.
• If car A is traveling 60 miles an hour and you are traveling 61 miles an hour you do not get to consider yourself as "passing" car A if I am directly behind you and traveling 70 miles an hour. Get over and let me around!
• When a car is a mile ahead of you on the road you are NOT passing it, so get over. Get over to the right lane and when you get closer THEN pull over to pass.
• When you are at the point where it is appropriate to pull over and pass the car in front of you LOOK and see who is in the left lane. If there is a car there, especially if that car is traveling significantly faster than you, do NOT cut in front of them. Wait until there is a break in the traffic and THEN pull over to pass.
• When I've been following the above rules, and finally find a break in the traffic to pull around you it is HORRIBLY rude to then speed up to the exact same speed that I am traveling.

Yeah, following the above rules might cost you one minute now, but it will all save us hours of time later because traffic is flowing smoothly.