Breakdown Lane Use!!! - Striper Talk Striped Bass Fishing, Surfcasting, Boating

"uffah!!" · 05-03-2006, 10:47 AM

Don't know who started it, but , I know quite a few drivers got pi$$ed at me for making the get off the highway where they didn't want too. It is especially dangerous for us guy's in tractor-trailers, your in the first travel lane, and have a turn signal on to get off the highway, and the autos won't let you in the lane to get off!! I've told more than one driver, when your behind me and see that light flashing, I'm not ASKING to turn off, I'm TELLING you thats where I'm going!! Trucks are not allowed to travel in the breakdown lanes.

gone fishin · 05-03-2006, 10:54 AM

I agree Larry - maybe with the loot that the gasoline tax brings in an additional lane or two would be in order. OR perhaps that money ended up in the general fund - same as the license fees that were supposed to support sporting issues?

beamie · 05-03-2006, 11:10 AM

Totally agree Larry.

Many times I almost sideswiped a car coming up from behind on the right not thinking a car would be there when I was approaching an exit.

BigFish · 05-03-2006, 11:13 AM

"Uffah"...never thought about you truckers....man thats gotta suck! Fishsmith...I am talking "Safety" as opposed to saving you or anyone else for that matter a minute or two....because whether you believe it or not....thats all it is saving you! You ever have a guy fly by you in a big GD hurry......he gets in front of you and a couple others and then he hits a snafu of stopped cars and then you wind up getting in front of him again after all his trouble??? That is what I am talking about...we are all going to get there.....people just need to think smart and obey the laws...but unfortunately...they don't!

spence · 05-03-2006, 11:20 AM

Being from Iowa the notion of opening the breakdown lane is completely alien.

I'm not sure what's worse. The danger caused by breakdown lane drivers...or the danger caused by me trying to "catch" them at the 93/24 merge

-spence

Clogston29 · 05-03-2006, 11:37 AM

The roads are over capacity (especially south of boston) and something needs to be done to alleviate potential gridlock so allowing breakdown lane travel during peak hours is done to increase capacity. On a two lane highway, allowing breakdown lane traffic increases the roadway capacity by 50% (not considering losses due to weaves and people just being afraid to drive with someone close to them) which is gonna save you a hell of a lot more than a few minutes per commute. The only other solutions are widening the roadway which everyone would bitch about paying for (well over $1 million dollars per mile not including bridge reconstruction which will run another couple of million dollars each) and siting in traffic during a few years during construction or simply doing nothing in which case everyone would bitch that the state is doing nothing to address the aging and outdated infrastructure. The state does not have the money to fix everything (and the feds aren't exactly throwing money our way after the big dig).

Raven · 05-03-2006, 02:08 PM

not everything is enforcible.....i guess

i remember living outside of Atlanta Georgia and each day on the commute home there was a huge line for the off ramp and these speed demons would come flying along at 70 - 75 mph in the middle lane then at the last second cut in line so to not have to wait like everyone else to finally get off the freeway. So thinking it had to be illegal i stopped and politely asked a police officer about this practice and he said it wasnt illegal but it wasnt the safest thing to be doing either......

so the next day, i was now a speed demon

and you had to time it just right looking for that sweet spot of an opening or you had to blow on by and turn around at the next exit which was almost as fast. i feel bad for the truckers though because they outweigh the little passenger cars and crunch them like soda cans.

BigFish · 05-03-2006, 02:27 PM

Clogston...I think we all understand the reasoning behind opening the breakdown lanes....but thanks for drawing us the picture anyways!

(Not snapping at you, just having a laugh at the 3rd grade description

) I am talking trading safety, which should be the higher priority, for saving a few minutes....thats all you are saving is minutes....and only a few at that.

You guys think that abomination called the HOV lane saves time???? El-Wrongo my friends! You ever see how that works??? You get in the HOV lane and you fly for a bit while the other lanes plod along.....then when the HOV lane ends, it spits you into the high speed lane of the traffic that is just plodding along......which only slows down the other traffic and only saves the HOV drivers a couple of minutes and costs the others more time!!!!

If you think that HOV lane works and was worth the money to build it and maintain and operate it...you need to have your head examined!

Diamond Tackle · 05-03-2006, 11:27 AM

Ive told guys here in NJ that you Mass guys drive on the "shoulder" as we call it here, and they dont even believe me. Maybe you save a few minutes, but if youre going to use it as a passing lane,doing 50 its pretty dangerous.And the cops DO look the other way.
I even observed people getting the HIGH beams while driving on the shoulder. Whats that guy supposed to do drive off into the ditch? Thats just insane. Your cops up there are nuts(sorry but its my opinion). My buddy got a ticket for a headlight out(thats what he was stopped for, NOTHING else. He showed PROOF that the car was just inspected the day before,therefore...logical conclusion, it just happened. Sorry NY Lic plate driver, you lose. Real nice guys.
I simply would never use the shoulder to drive on, legal or not.