Car Talk Guide to Civil Driving

Ever been on a 3 lane freeway, guy in the center lane is driving slow, you pass on the left then try to move over into center lane, at the same time guy in the right lane has just done the same thing, you find both of you are trying to merge into the same spot. Why is it the other guy gives you dirty look, flips you off, honks his horn or all of these things as if he feels he was the only one entitled to change lanes at that moment.

I could be mistaken, but I seem to remember that in Germany you can get a ticket if you are “slow” in the fast lane. ie you are only allowed in the left lane if you are actually passing another vehicle.

“Why is it the other guy gives you dirty look, flips you off, honks his horn or all of these things as if he feels he was the only one entitled to change lanes at that moment.”

Because it’s his road. Not everyone is as rude and inconsiderate as that, I hope. About all you can do is watch closely to make sure that you both don’t merge at the same time. At least one of you needs to, and you can trust yourself a lot more than you can trust the other driver.

If the car ahead of you is in the left lane in anticipation of passing slower traffic, but he pulls into the right lane when he sees you coming up on him at a faster rate, do not pull abreast of him and then slow down so as to trap him behind the slower traffic ahead of him. Instead, repay his courtesy by quickly passing him so that he can pull back into the left lane before he catches up with the slower traffic.