Dear Evansville Drivers: Please Put The Phone Down And Get Out Of The Left Lane
A Friendly Reminder That You Have Handsfree Technology
Let me preface this by acknowledging the fact that I'm an aggressive driver. I was once nicknamed Lead Foot Lori. I'm also a big advocate for not using your cell phone in the car. I'm begging Evansville drivers to put the technology away and get out of the left lane. I was recently sitting at the stoplight on Highway 41 and St. George Road. I look to my left, and sitting in the turn lane was a man getting more work done on his laptop than I generally do in 20 minutes. The light turned green, and he continued to type on the laptop, sitting in his lap, mind you. Eventually, he turned, naturally delaying traffic and several cars behind him that didn't make the light due to his selfishness. Do I even need to mention this is against the law? More recently, I attempted to pass a car by going into the passing lane (the left lane). The Honda Civic in front of me in the passing lane was barely going the speed limit, as I watched multiple cars pass me and them on the right-hand side. I gave them ample time to get into the right lane, and they did not, so I passed them on the right (yes, I admit, I was riding his bumper to communicate my intention). Much to my surprise, the driver rolled their passenger window down to make sure I could see their gesture, intended to let me know they didn't approve of my tactics. However, I wasn't taken aback by the proverbial "bird"; rather, I gasped when I noticed his left hand was not on the steering wheel, but holding his cell phone. Cell phone in hand, the other hand out the window, knee driving the car. I'm not here to claim I'm a go-to driving guru; I'm just here to remind everyone that you're not the only one on the road, the left lane is for passing, and we all need to put the technology down in the car.
A Friendly Reminder That The Left Lane Isn't For Cruising
I can hear the masses yelling at me already, but this isn't about my inability to be a good driver. This is about how selfish we've all become when on the road. Roadways are built and developed with progression in mind. Indiana has a law for this, literally nicknamed the Slow Poke law. Simply put, if you are in the left lane, it is illegal to proceed in that lane if you know another vehicle is attempting to pass you. Even if you are going the speed limit, if you are not passing, you must move to the right. Driving at the speed of the flow of traffic is very important to reducing accidents. The law intends to keep traffic congestion to a minimum and stop slow drivers from creating traffic congestion. If you are the person who yells at those people speeding around you, keep in mind, it's a whole lot easier for the cops to catch us speeders if you leave that left lane open for us. If your left-hand turn or exit is coming up, yes, you should move to the left-hand lane. If your turn or exit is 15 minutes up the road, you do not need to move over yet. Let's all try a little harder to do our part on the roads to make it safer and easier to get where we're going, myself included.
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