Some Folks Calls It Fahrvergnügen . . . (driving pleasure)

[RadicalModerate]

There are lots of threads in here about bad driving.
I thought I'd throw this alternative into the mix.

Yesterday, I became part of an impromptu "driving club" on the way back from Minnesota. My wife and I were in a peppy, rented Volkswagen Passat, with Texas tags, and the best cruise control (in terms of precise speed adjustment) that I’ve ever had the pleasure to use. I hate to be in a group of vehicles while burning up the miles on the Interstate but for half an hour or so I couldn’t help but get stuck in a group of six or seven cars—all running between five and seven miles an hour over the speed limit (75)—in the direction of OKC. This was up there north of Tulsa on the Will Rogers Turnpike.

Here’s the amazing part: Everyone in the group followed the rule about only being in the left lane when passing. When we encountered a “slow-moving” semi (actually running the speed limit or just under it) it was a simple matter for all of us to get past it without ever even having to touch the brakes. It was signal . . . move left to pass . . . pass . . . move back into the right lane. It was like we were all on exactly the same page. At one point, one of my fellow travelers waited just a bit too long to make the move into the left lane to pass a truck. I had anticipated passing and already occupied the lane. I simply did a couple of “down-clicks” on the cruise control, conveniently located on the end of the turn signal, then flashed the headlights to let the other driver know he was free to move left and pass on account of I was yielding.

(I was glad the VW we were in didn’t have that stupid feature of having the headlight on at all times for safety or it would have made signaling the other driver next to impossible.)

The Texas tags no longer say “Drive Friendly” but it’s still a good idea to do so.

It was actually a little fun to fly in formation down the Interstate with folks who actually seemed to know how to drive and were paying complete attention to what they were doing. Which is a good idea at 80 mph so as not to end up like a version of one of the many dead deer that were part of the scenery earlier in the return trip.

[rezman]

I had the same experience coming norh between Houston and Dallas. A group of about seven or eight vehicles running between 90 and 100+ for miles... All strangers, all on the same page, rocking and rolling.

[TheTravellers]

Can y'all please drive with me on the Parkway to and from work each day, lol?

I'm seriously considering paying to put this on a billboard - "If you are in the left lane and not passing, MOVE OVER NOW!"

[RadicalModerate]

I feel as if I have to qualify my original observation by admitting that I used to drive a truck and ride a motorcycle when I was young. =)
(and saw a lot of dead animals in the rain and fog as we left the quiet little village, with sidewalks and a respect for pedestrians on the way back home)

At some point, further down the road, at about 75 mph, and with a different group of speed demons in our immediate vicinity my wife mentioned how long it took one semi to pass another one (thereby blocking the passing lane). It took, like, at least ten minutes.

From a safe, four-second distance, in the passing lane on the left, behind the truck blocking the easy flow of other traffic, I said: "When you are driving one of those, you have to keep the transmission and the engine rpms in tune. They have a narrow range of efficient operation."

Sure enough, I was right. And the driver so moved . . . . . . eventually.
If our rented VW had had clearance lights, I would have flashed them. =)

Geez . . . Next time maybe a CB instead of Sirrius Radio? =)

[Dubya61]

My wife refers to this phenomenon as a pod. Sometimes we'll be going somewhere and somewhat crunched for time, and she directs that we find a pod and go faster.

[kevinpate]

Back when I transported Scouts to camps and other events, some trips were a joy RM, for the same reason. Others were somewhat marred, and mental notes were made on who to be kind to and spare them the need to drive to future events.

[FighttheGoodFight]

Am I the only one who does not like driving at all?

I would rather take a train or bike. Wish I could bike from OKC to Norman for work. I don't think I want to wake up that early though...

[Plutonic Panda]

While I'm not going to say how fast I travel on the rural interstates when going to Dallas or Houston... I will say Oklahoma really to needs to do a few things here

Make a law banning semi's from using the left lane

enforce the passing lane making sure people don't obstruct traffic

up the speed limits to 85-90 on the rural interstates

they also really need to start getting people for driving like maniacs not using turn signal and distracted driving ect.

I would advocate for making certain stretches of of I-35 having no speed limit, but other parts would have to have to have a limit, like going through the Arbuckles; and too many people in this country just don't pay attention when they drive. If you looked inside every car, I guarantee you 8 out of 10 people would be on their phones, eating, reading a book, putting make-up on etc.

In Germany, I've heard cars there don't even come with cup holders because they believe you are doing one thing, driving. Not drinking, not eating, not textin; they are driving.

[hoya]

I always use the left lane because I am always passing.

[Plutonic Panda]

You can do the speed limit on I-35 through Edmond and be passing nearly everyone. I became very flustered today because of that. Got stuck behind some old bag doing 55MPH right next to semi on the left lane.

[hoya]

You can do the speed limit on I-35 through Edmond and be passing nearly everyone. I became very flustered today because of that. Got stuck behind some old bag doing 55MPH right next to semi on the left lane.

That's why God invented euthanasia.

[TheTravellers]

Am I the only one who does not like driving at all?

I would rather take a train or bike. Wish I could bike from OKC to Norman for work. I don't think I want to wake up that early though...

I don't like it either, at least during a commute. I don't mind driving when there's nobody around and the roads and weather are good. I got so much more read/done when I lived in Chicagoland by having the train commute to do things on. Also was more fit because walking was part of my day and now I have to remember to make an effort to work out, it's not just automatic.

[rezman]

We used to go up to Chicago a couple times a year to visit both sets of grandparents and all of the other relatives, who were scattered about the Chicgaoland area. We usually stayed with my paternal grandparents in Berwyn, which is just southwest of Chicago on METRA's southwest suburban line ...also known as the "Q" to the old timers. We could take a nice walk from 26th & Clarence to the station and either ride downtown, or go further west out to the other grandparents in Downers Grove, where it wasn't too far of a walk from the station to their place, or ride on out to Naperville to stay with my aunt & uncle.

[MadMonk]

I had the same experience coming norh between Houston and Dallas. A group of about seven or eight vehicles running between 90 and 100+ for miles... All strangers, all on the same page, rocking and rolling.

I've done something similar between Dallas and OKC, from Denton to Norman. I actually felt bad when we had to break up the group and go our separate ways. It's a beautiful thing.

[Jim Kyle]

I've done something similar between Dallas and OKC, from Denton to Norman. I actually felt bad when we had to break up the group and go our separate ways. It's a beautiful thing.

That it is. Back in the late 70s I flew up to Denver to help my middle son drive back to OKC, since he had a bad case of flu at the time. We were pulling a UHaul with all his worldly goods on board, and driving his Dodge Charger at a cruise-controlled 75. Those days were the height of the CB craze and just about everyone on I-70 was on Channel 19 -- and a few miles east of Burlington we sorta by accident formed a small convoy with another Sooner on her way back to OKC and a military family en route to Chicago. We stayed together all the way to the I35 junction, and even paused there to have supper together!

The lady from Midwest City stayed with me all the way back to OKC, and the conversation really helped keep me awake and alert. At one point I managed to get a fire going in the ash tray and had to pull off on the shoulder to get it fixed; she immediately wanted to know what was wrong, and slowed down a bit until I could catch up afterward.

You can tell how remarkable it was, for me to remember that drive almost 40 years later!

[rezman]

I've done something similar between Dallas and OKC, from Denton to Norman. I actually felt bad when we had to break up the group and go our separate ways. It's a beautiful thing.

I've had several high speed group runs, although not quite as fast as the return from houston, I've felt the same way when it came time to split up, there was always a friendly exchange of waves.

[Plutonic Panda]

That it is. Back in the late 70s I flew up to Denver to help my middle son drive back to OKC, since he had a bad case of flu at the time. We were pulling a UHaul with all his worldly goods on board, and driving his Dodge Charger at a cruise-controlled 75. Those days were the height of the CB craze and just about everyone on I-70 was on Channel 19 -- and a few miles east of Burlington we sorta by accident formed a small convoy with another Sooner on her way back to OKC and a military family en route to Chicago. We stayed together all the way to the I35 junction, and even paused there to have supper together!

The lady from Midwest City stayed with me all the way back to OKC, and the conversation really helped keep me awake and alert. At one point I managed to get a fire going in the ash tray and had to pull off on the shoulder to get it fixed; she immediately wanted to know what was wrong, and slowed down a bit until I could catch up afterward.

You can tell how remarkable it was, for me to remember that drive almost 40 years later!

You remember everything! I really love your posts. They are very detailed oriented and nice to read.

[RadicalModerate]

I've done something similar between Dallas and OKC, from Denton to Norman. I actually felt bad when we had to break up the group and go our separate ways. It's a beautiful thing.

Turned out there were a lot more [retards, driving-wise] between Tulsa and OKC. =)
I was sorry to see those schooled in the art of interstate navigating graduate to parts elsewhere.
And I didn't even get their names. =)

[RadicalModerate]

We used to go up to Chicago a couple times a year to visit both sets of grandparents and all of the other relatives, who were scattered about the Chicgaoland area. We usually stayed with my paternal grandparents in Berwyn, which is just southwest of Chicago on METRA's southwest suburban line ...also known as the "Q" to the old timers. We could take a nice walk from 26th & Clarence to the station and either ride downtown, or go further west out to the other grandparents in Downers Grove, where it wasn't too far of a walk from the station to their place, or ride on out to Naperville to stay with my aunt & uncle.

That's "all good" as they used to say, back in the day, yet . . .
This is about Efficient Survival on The Interstate Highways
Between Various Versions of Paradise or Purgatory. =)

(ain't it?) =)

Here's an "incidental shot", c/o my Sweet Wife, from the passenger side window, just NE of the completion of a 14 hour drive back to Sweet Home Oklahoma City.

[rezman]

That's "all good" as they used to say, back in the day, yet . . .
This is about Efficient Survival on The Interstate Highways
Between Various Versions of Paradise or Purgatory. =)

(ain't it?) =)

Here's an "incidental shot", c/o my Sweet Wife, from the passenger side window, just NE of the completion of a 14 hour drive back to Sweet Home Oklahoma City.

Sorry Rad. The Travelers just jogged some fond memories there. ... And as they used to say. "It is what it is".

[Dustin]

You can do the speed limit on I-35 through Edmond and be passing nearly everyone. I became very flustered today because of that. Got stuck behind some old bag doing 55MPH right next to semi on the left lane.

That was probably my grandma... Sorry!

[TheTravellers]

We used to go up to Chicago a couple times a year to visit both sets of grandparents and all of the other relatives, who were scattered about the Chicgaoland area. We usually stayed with my paternal grandparents in Berwyn, which is just southwest of Chicago on METRA's southwest suburban line ...also known as the "Q" to the old timers. We could take a nice walk from 26th & Clarence to the station and either ride downtown, or go further west out to the other grandparents in Downers Grove, where it wasn't too far of a walk from the station to their place, or ride on out to Naperville to stay with my aunt & uncle.

Actually, Berwyn is on the line I used to take in, the West line (triple-tracked, expresses, very nice, looks like they've changed the name of the line to just BNSF Railway now, weird). Lived in Downers Grove and hung out in Naperville occasionally, funny... If your grandparents lived in DG close to the downtown station, they were in a pretty decent area (we lived closer to I-355, which was OK, just more suburban).

[RadicalModerate]

If I lived in a place called "Downers Grove" I couldn't wait for a train. That is probably one of the most depressing names for a burg that I've encountered to date. =) Close to "Peculiar, Missouri" in terms of strangeness. I'd have to jump in my car and drive far, far, away. (We stopped for gas in Peculiar, MO--a challenger to the title of strange town names, on the way back to OKC. The VW we were in made it all the way from an hour north of The Cities to the Travel J just off the Interstate on the south end of KC. That, too, was a bit of Fahrvergnügen. (32 mpg . . . average speed 66 mph, including stops).

[blangtang]

They called them "wolf packs" in my driver's ed class, way back when...

I remember the advice was to avoid joining one, since a crash results in many of the participants all getting caught up in a nasty wreckage.

[rezman]

Actually, Berwyn is on the line I used to take in, the West line (triple-tracked, expresses, very nice, looks like they've changed the name of the line to just BNSF Railway now, weird). Lived in Downers Grove and hung out in Naperville occasionally, funny... If your grandparents lived in DG close to the downtown station, they were in a pretty decent area (we lived closer to I-355, which was OK, just more suburban).

They lived on Seeley Ave, just north of Chicago Ave. The 3 track speedway was originally the CB&Q ( Chicago Burlington & Quincy) which is why it was referred to as the "Q". Then became Burlington Northern, then after merger with the Santa Fe, became BNSF. METRA just operates the commuter service.