As a point of interest, I see

these same "laggards" at the airport: they'll take up both sides

of a moving sidewalk or escalator which thus prevents people from running

past them to catch a flight. All the while you can hear the recorded voice

saying, "Please stand to the right so that others may pass you on

the left."

The rules of the road follow

this same basic tenet of courtesy: you should allow others to pass by

moving/staying to the right. It's not an affront to your character or

ego; it really just comes down to common courtesy and decency. You'll

probably be rewarded with a friendly smile and wave for yielding to someone

who desires to pass.

In contrast, you may get a

nasty glare or, worse, a profane gesticulation for forcing that person

to wedge around you into clear traffic. Moreover, you should not take

offense to someone who signals that they would like to pass (in the "passing"

lane no less) by flashing their headlights. This is an internationally

recognized signal and is the only means of communicating this intention/request

to you. Just move over and allow them to pass on your left. It's always

safer to pass on the left but I find myself passing more on the right

because of the preponderance of "passing-lane cruisers."

Nighttime consideration: it's

very distracting to be in the "driving" (right) lane with someone

pacing me, slightly behind, in the passing lane. Did it ever occur to

those of you that do this that your headlights beam directly into my side-mirror

and then glare right into my face? If you were passing me, this nuisance

would be short-lived but, because you're pacing me, your headlights shine

relentlessly into my eyes. Since you're not passing me, you should be

behind me where your headlight beams will only be reflected in my center,

rearview mirror which I can dim.

At any rate, there is good

reason that this basic, fundamental law of driving right/passing left

exists and, yes, it should be enforced. For your reference, here is the

law, verbatim, as published in Chapter 4 of the Georgia State Driver's

Manual:

"When there are two or

more lanes for traffic moving in the same direction, slower vehicles should

use the right hand lane except when passing or making a left turn. In

any case, you must not drive slower than the minimum speed limit or so

slow as to interfere with the normal flow of traffic."

There it is: You should not

be driving in the passing lane unless you are in the process of passing

or preparing to turn left. If you are continually passing a line of slower

traffic to the right, no problem, but you should move right when you're

done.

Notice also that the verbiage

states "slower" and not "slow." Thus, if you are moving

"slower" than the traffic around you, even if you're at the

speed limit, you are legally bound to be in the right lane.

Now, if you feel justified

in cruising in the passing lane at 55 mph on Ga. Highway 74, pacing the

car to your right and with a train of cars a mile long in your wake, then

I would say that: 1) You are breaking the law. 2) You are solely responsible

for generating traffic congestion. 3) You are completely oblivious to

the needs of those around you. 4) You lack the intellectual capacity to

care about anyone but yourself or, much worse, 5) you do this intentionally

to generate some strange pleasure of having control over other people

which feeds your incredibly pathetic ego. This is understandably a major

source of road rage.

If someone wants to drive safely

and slightly above the speed limit and pass, they should be allowed to

do so. Yes, they risk a speeding ticket but, so long as they do it safely,

that's their business. It's not the "Laggard's" place to keep

them at 55 mph. Just remember: there may be someone in your selfish wake

who is trying to get a child to the hospital, or who is trying to get

to the scene of an accident that involved a loved one, or who has some

other type of family emergency that you are keeping them from. As in the

game of Parcheesi, you have created a blockade and no one can pass. Why

not do the neighborly thing by moving to the right so that your fellow

motorist may pass? What kind of a person can possibly feel good about

preventing someone from passing?

For those that choose to make

their own rules (e.g., Mr. May), you should be cited because you are violating

the law, not to mention that you are an impediment to those of us who

would like to get home from work to see our families. Also for Mr. May:

regarding your childish tactic of not permitting anyone to pass and get

in front of you (quotes: "I'd rather see him run up a tree"

and "there is no way on the planet I'm going to give him the room"),

allow me once again to quote the law (verbatim from Chapter 4):

"Remember, that it is

unlawful to increase your speed until you have been completely passed

I personally cannot believe

that anyone would prefer to run someone into a tree rather than allow

them to pass. How can anyone say such a thing?

R. P. Trapaga

Peachtree City, Ga.