The American Spectator

Reader Mail

(Page 3 of 14)

br> -- Steve Keller br> Edina, Minnesota /p> p> Eric Peters's use of Germany as an example of drivers not hogging the left "fast" lane is perhaps not the best example. In the U.S. getting a drivers license is at best a day long event with no follow up training required no matter how long the driver has been at it or how technology or conditions change. To obtain a German drivers license requires years and thousands of dollars of persistent effort to keep and maintain that most treasured of documents. Only a minority of people in Germany have one. I also find the author's focus on "left lane hogs," while failing to acknowledge the physics of increasing speed, lack of continued testing/training, the limits of human reflexes vs. speed attained and geometrical increases of stopping distances with increased speed also troubling. But then he has an axe to grind against "passive aggressives." br> -- Det. Craig C. Sarver br> Seattle, Washington /p> p> Great article, and right on point. Except, the German Autobahn example is a distortion of reality. It is UNLAWFUL to drive in the left lane on the Autobahn UNLESS you are passing another vehicle in the right lane. You WILL get a ticket if observed doing so. You are NOT required to immediately move to the right lane until it is safe to do so, no matter if the car behind you is doing 300 mph. If you are directly beside the vehicle you are passing it is obviously not safe to immediately move to the right lane. This information is not a state secret of the Federal Republic of Germany. It is easily discoverable by those interested in accuracy in punditry. Google.com reveals this information to everyone, although I knew it from personal experience. br> -- C. R. Melton br> Arlington, Virginia /p> p> Another problem we see in the Washington area is what I call the "40-footers." These are people who leave an inordinate amount of space between them and the car in front of them (the Baltimore-Washington Parkway is notorious for this). In heavy traffic the large gap encourages others to change lanes in front of this person. When they do, the 40-footer hits their brakes to regain the lost space, creating a rolling backup. These drivers are infuriating.

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