Who is Crazy…They or Me?

~ Alok Singhal

You might know we drive on the right side of the road here in the West, but even that has at least 2 lanes. The right-most lane is for the slow moving traffic, and you wouldn’t want to be there unless you have all the time in the world to reach your destination! The left-most is for those who can’t wait to get to their destination (like me)!

Now, I am not a slow driver, so I hardly visit the right lane. But then I don’t over-speed in the left, so people keep overtaking me from the right. Even if I am over the posted speed limit, people still keep zipping past me from the right. Some even give me horrible looks as if I shouldn’t be driving at all! That drives me crazy! Would you give me that title if I am already above the posted speed limit? Crazy! Not me…they!

Because of those looks, I do visit the right lane at times…when I get frustrated enough! But then I can’t see people leaving me behind from the left either. And some still give me looks as if I am too old to drive fast! Do you think I am crazy to let them reach early at their destination while I slog in the right lane. No way! …And here goes my car from the right to left 🙂

So, as you can imagine, it’s a constant struggle for me on the road – I can neither let people give me horrible looks when I am on the left-side; nor can I let them feel sorry for me when I am on the right.

When we have 3 lanes, it is easy for me to decide – just be in the middle one 🙂 That’s where I am at peace as I get the least of the weird looks, compared to the other 2 lanes. Some still show me the middle finger occasionally, but I consider it the price I have to pay to be on the road.driving-on-the-rightThings get complicated when there are too many lanes, as in the picture above. What do I do then? That requires a bit of analysis: Leave the left and the right altogether for the reasons mentioned earlier. Leave the 2nd from the right also, as those are the ’un-deciders,’ who can’t be on the extreme right but are afraid of picking up speed too, which is required in the left. That leaves us with 2nd from the left and the middle lane – and I use them both, with 80% of my time spent in the 2nd from left and only 20 in the middle one. The 2nd gives me the speed I need and the middle gives me relief, when I want to relax. The combination works well for me, and since there are too many options for people, I get the least of the crazy looks 🙂

*Picture sourced from here

44 thoughts on “Who is Crazy…They or Me?”

  1. Alok you are far better on those roads. In comparison, people just honk incessantly and overtake from wherever they can here in India. Especially North India. I guess to be able to drive on these roads you need to practice and sharpen your instincts on games!

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  4. At least they just give looks and not drive in front of your car from a teeny bit place you leave when driving bumper to bumper and still get no ticket! Who is crazy…think again and bless your stars Alok 🙂

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  5. It is quite like that the minute people get in their cars, they are under a constant pressure to prove themselves to be the bosses on the road. It’s crazy, confusing and often annoying but something I too have witnessed everywhere.
    So glad you’ve chosen to take middle ground, because speeding past the posted speed limit isn’t too wise in countries that are too happy to hand out tickets at every opportunity.
    Ignore the stupidity and keep driving safe!

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  6. Well, I’m the the West, drive on the left and usually have only one lane anyway so it’s not a problem 🙂

    However, when there are two or more lanes we seem to have a different system – the “slow” lane is where you would normally be, and would only move into the “fast” lane when overtaking. In fact, as of a year or so ago it’s a criminal offence to stay in the “fast” lane if you’re holding people up. (Though obviously it’s also an offence to exceed the speed limit!)

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  7. I find it incredulous people are giving you weird looks – it is probably them and not you. From your blogs, you’ve mentioned of driving far and wide for traveling and it always turns out a safe drive 🙂

    I’m actually not a huge fan of driving, and because of my anxiety I find driving in busy places quite stressful. Here in Australia, we drive on the left side of the road and the fast lane is always the right lane.The best kinds of drives for me is driving in the quieter places or the country where you can literally have the whole road to yourself 😀

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    1. Yes, i have driven far and wide – and across countries. But i never get why people want to just zip through every other vehicle on the road. They are not enjoying then!

      I like quiet drives too, but when i get around cities, there is hardly any option than to bear those looks.

      Thanks for a wonderful comment, Mabel 🙂

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      1. I think some people just like the feeling of a fast car…maybe it gives them a sense of power and control on the road. But it’s not my kind of driving or the way I like to drive. Would much rather have a scenic drive, like so many of the ones you’ve done 🙂

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  8. I’ve always been scared of all the lanes!! I remember how terrified I was the first time I drove in the US 🙂 The good thing is that people usually are quite laid back and not as excited and rude as in the UK 😀

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  9. Driving in fast lane and driving in slow lanes, it seems we are constantly on some lane or the other in our life, as on such streets. Never easy to keep driving when our mind in such clutter and with so many things going simultaneously, we keep doing out of reflection and then we all reach the inflection point…in such situations being right when we are left out seems confusing and being left when we still right is compounding the state of confusion…

    Nice perspective Alok!!!

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  11. I would say ignore those looks and look straight at the road. lol

    In Indian with mostly two lanes, many a time rules are skipped and slow vehicles on fast lane and fast ones on slow has become normal. But I really admire the way the cars maintain the distance between one another in the west.

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  12. It’s quite complicated to understand the road and it seems that you are a driver calling the shots. I still don’t know how to drive and tried to find the logic behind driving a car 🙂 But well written.

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  13. I have always found this confusing, as a driver you think what you are doing is the best and yet someone finds it not that intelligent. I have never tried to drive and always have thought that I would be more worried about the person driving in the opposite than me, I need to learn soon though

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  18. I don’t think you are crazy at all, Alok. You should see me drive. I don’t go 1m/hr above the speed limit and people get annoyed with me all the time though I stay in the right lane. I don’t care, I’m a cautious driver, especially because I drive with my kids in the back seat. But I do stay out of the way for those who seem to be in a hurry.

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  19. Omigosh ! I guess we have an easier option in India- just honk, bump and grind on (never mind left or right). Traffic lights- what are they? And speeding tickets? Well,Gandhiji takes care of that.
    (Just kidding. Things are better in cities like Delhi and Mumbai. I got tickets four times in Delhi over 4 years.Even Kolkata is getting stricter. But frankly, though I always follow traffic rules like a decent Indian citizen, so many lanes would be definitely confusing for me 🙂

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    1. I think more lanes are better as there is less congestion and you can chose where to drive based on your speed. Obviously, there are less accidents too!

      Traffic in India is a mess as nobody follows any laws.

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