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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Middle lane - how did you know?

308 replies

Graasspp · 08/11/2023 13:33

Who taught you to stay left unless overtaking on the motorway?

How did all these utter counts not learn this?

For me it was my dad who told me.

Aibu to wonder how this ignorance prevails daily?

OP posts:
Thread gallery
15
enchantedsquirrelwood · 08/11/2023 15:28

I showed her that before moving in you see if you are gaining on the next person in the left hand lane you stay out to go past them too and the move in until you start approaching the next car that you are gaining on

Oh no, your sister was right. What you told her to do is middle lane hogging*!

*Of course it isn't, but loads of drivers out there seem to think that it is.

Quite why they can't use the outside lane(s) I don't know.

Nuca · 08/11/2023 15:28

I do tend to go in middle lane and zone out relaxing. And I hate the guys who go cutting in front and then go into the left lane. Especially if both lanes are quite empty. It's more dangerous cutting in. It feels very aggressive.

You think it's normal to 'zone out and relax' whilst driving on the motorway? And then you're annoyed at the people who drive properly by having to go out past someone zoned out in the middle lane and they then move into the correct lane where you should be? The mind boggles

Pawtucketbrew · 08/11/2023 15:30

"zoning out on the motorway"
Oh my days, no wonder there are daily accidents on my local motorway!!

I am a frequent motorway driver and agree with PP. If you drive you know which lane you should be in. If for any reason you are only comfortable trucking along in the middle lane, quite frankly you shouldn't be there.

There is nothing worse than an oblivious driver in the middle lane and is quite frankly dangerous and inconsiderate driving.

DappledThings · 08/11/2023 15:37

And I hate the guys who go cutting in front and then go into the left lane. Especially if both lanes are quite empty.
I'm glad you noticed me. I frequently go right two lanes, overtake the twat sitting in the middle lane and go back left two lanes in one maneuver. Very occasionally that makes the middle lane twat wake up and move left themselves but mostly I assume the MLTs are too oblivious to notice. Which if you are "zoning out" makes sense.

asterel · 08/11/2023 15:43

On the motorways I travel on the traffic is constantly so busy that the only way to drive is to stay in lane. I think a lot of the people who complain about middle lane hogging must drive on very different motorways than I do. When you’re on the M6 or M25 at busy times, for example, all the lanes are completely packed, and everyone is travelling at a constant speed, including bumper to bumper lorry traffic down the left hand lanes. You simply can’t keep changing lanes in and out unless you want to cause an accident, not prevent one!

Lovemycat2023 · 08/11/2023 15:43

“Zoning out” is terrifying but explains a lot! Personally I can’t wait for autonomous cars on the motorway so I don’t have to be killed by an idiot speeding / not driving to the conditions/ using their phone / zoned out.

I know there are some risks but surely it can be better than the current situation.

Lovemycat2023 · 08/11/2023 15:43

asterel · 08/11/2023 15:43

On the motorways I travel on the traffic is constantly so busy that the only way to drive is to stay in lane. I think a lot of the people who complain about middle lane hogging must drive on very different motorways than I do. When you’re on the M6 or M25 at busy times, for example, all the lanes are completely packed, and everyone is travelling at a constant speed, including bumper to bumper lorry traffic down the left hand lanes. You simply can’t keep changing lanes in and out unless you want to cause an accident, not prevent one!

That’s what the Highway Code says to do in those specific circumstances. That’s not lane hogging.

Mischance · 08/11/2023 15:44

It really worries me that this generates such anger. Anger while driving is not a good thing.

Clearly bad driving is a pain (and can be dangerous), but getting in a fret about it is not great either as it spawns its own bad driving.

I can honestly say that I let it wash by me, stick to the inside lane and let the idiots get on with it.

Flyhigher · 08/11/2023 15:50

Ok. Maybe zoning out is too strong a word. But I hate cutting in and out all the time. If the road is empty say at night what difference does it make being in the middle lane. With several junctions coming up it means anyone can get on the motorway easily. The left lane is almost never empty in the day. It has lorries and slow drivers in it. You can't see the road signs properly as they are blocked out by lorries. If you are driving for an hour or three hours or four, simply can't be switching out of the left lane every 10 minutes when a car or lorry slows down as it can't make up a hill. Or is slowing down to turn off left.
I see the angry left lane crew zipping in and out on the motorway and think it's aggressive and pointless. If you have kids or elderly people in the car it's just not going to happen.
I tend to drive in the fast lane if motorway is full dipping in and out and middle if it isn't. Think we have bigger problems.

TeslaTwat · 08/11/2023 15:54

DappledThings · 08/11/2023 13:34

They do know, they just can't be arsed to drive properly. It's laziness rather than ignorance.

I don't know if they do know anymore. I've even seen people respond on the threads that come up quite often "oh I just thought it was any lane apart from the fast". Some do say "I feel safer so I'll do it anyway".

Superscientist · 08/11/2023 15:55

enchantedsquirrelwood · 08/11/2023 15:28

I showed her that before moving in you see if you are gaining on the next person in the left hand lane you stay out to go past them too and the move in until you start approaching the next car that you are gaining on

Oh no, your sister was right. What you told her to do is middle lane hogging*!

*Of course it isn't, but loads of drivers out there seem to think that it is.

Quite why they can't use the outside lane(s) I don't know.

By leap frog I meant moving into the left hand lane and immediately having to move back out to overtake the car she had pulled behind as it was going slower than she thought. If it would take more than a few minutes to catch up with the inside car I got her to pull in. She thought you had to pull in after overtaking each car or lorry if there was space to fit it.
I'm not talking about staying in the middle as you can see a car one the left some where in the distance.

Sorry missed the tone of the Astrix. I think we are on the same page

TeslaTwat · 08/11/2023 15:57

36 comments and it's already terrifying reading.

I always make an effort to make sure the middle lane hoggers know they are in the wrong. Could be a flash, a passive aggressive indication once I've over taken them or indeed a safe but premature move to the left lane. If it woke you up... good. But I know I'm a twat. Just a rule following one.

minipie · 08/11/2023 15:59

I live in the SE and the motorways I use are very busy and have junctions every 5 minutes. I barely use the left hand lane because it’s always full of slow moving lorries/coaches and people joining or turning off. Frankly it wouldn’t be helpful for me to be cutting in and out of the left hand lane constantly, the space in that lane is congested enough with people who really need to be there due to leaving/joining or being a slower moving vehicle.

On these motorways I would say the middle lane is the default lane and then the inside lane is for overtaking.

I’m sure someone will tell me I’m wrong but honestly if I tried returning to the left hand lane all the time it would cause way more problems.

JJHN22 · 08/11/2023 15:59

This reply has been withdrawn

This message has been withdrawn at the poster's request

beguilingeyes · 08/11/2023 16:02

My driving instructor taught me to stay in the left on all roads where possible, unless manouvering. I try to do this on all multi lane roads, while my husband doesn't and I swear he gets into the wrong lane a lot more often than I do.
I like a four lane motorway where the trucks tend to be in the first lane and the cars mostly use the second one.

JustFrustrated · 08/11/2023 16:02

This thread is terrifying.

As a frequent flyer on motorways all over England, I detest middle lane hoggers. I detest those who have zoned out.

I hate bad driving

(Worst motorway is M25/M4)

And I hate, hate, HATE, when a motorway is 4 plus lanes and no one is using the inside lane at all, instead bunching up into the outside two.

JJHN22 · 08/11/2023 16:03

I meant I go from left lane, right behind the middle lane hogger to the outside lane, overtake and go back across to the far left. And hope they get the point to move over to the left. Doesn’t always work though…

DaftyInTheMiddle · 08/11/2023 16:03

@Flyhigher your stupid antics are way more dangerous than lorries in their correct lane. If driving on a motorway makes you scared then you should do something about it, not tootle along in the middle lane being a dangerous menace to other road users. Motorway lessons are a thing now, get some!

I really wished people were required to retake their test every 5 years or something, it’s absolutely ridiculous how many shit, dangerous drivers there are in the road.

Ilikewinter · 08/11/2023 16:04

Well, the people who piss me off are the ones who on a 4 lane motorway decide to drive in lane 4 at 62mph - when there is an empty lane 3 and quiet lane 2. Im afraid she did get a flash of my lights to bloody shift and when she didnt I ended up undertaking her. Utter madness.

savoycabbage · 08/11/2023 16:04

And I hate the guys who go cutting in front and then go into the left lane.

What do you mean cutting in front?

Walkacrossthesand · 08/11/2023 16:08

@Flyhigher , do you regard yourself as a bad driver because of these choices you make, such as staying in lane 2 on a quiet motorway because you might have to pull out a very 10 minutes or so in lane 1?
Do you move into lane 1 if you see someone in lane 1 gaining on you some distance behind? Or rely on them having to pull out into lane 3 to get by you?
Or do you perhaps not even notice them until they have to pull out to get by you....

Hillarious · 08/11/2023 16:09

Golly. I think we've all encountered @Flyhigher when we've been out driving and have opinions on their driving best kept to ourselves if we wish to remain polite.

TeslaTwat · 08/11/2023 16:10

beguilingeyes · 08/11/2023 16:02

My driving instructor taught me to stay in the left on all roads where possible, unless manouvering. I try to do this on all multi lane roads, while my husband doesn't and I swear he gets into the wrong lane a lot more often than I do.
I like a four lane motorway where the trucks tend to be in the first lane and the cars mostly use the second one.

What four lane motorways are these? The ones I use all have loads in lane 3 and 4 with lane 1 and 2 basically empty.

Lovemycat2023 · 08/11/2023 16:11

Flyhigher · 08/11/2023 15:50

Ok. Maybe zoning out is too strong a word. But I hate cutting in and out all the time. If the road is empty say at night what difference does it make being in the middle lane. With several junctions coming up it means anyone can get on the motorway easily. The left lane is almost never empty in the day. It has lorries and slow drivers in it. You can't see the road signs properly as they are blocked out by lorries. If you are driving for an hour or three hours or four, simply can't be switching out of the left lane every 10 minutes when a car or lorry slows down as it can't make up a hill. Or is slowing down to turn off left.
I see the angry left lane crew zipping in and out on the motorway and think it's aggressive and pointless. If you have kids or elderly people in the car it's just not going to happen.
I tend to drive in the fast lane if motorway is full dipping in and out and middle if it isn't. Think we have bigger problems.

I don’t really understand what this point means “If you have kids or elderly people in the car it's just not going to happen”. Have I missed something? I drive the same if my older mum is with me or not.

Hillarious · 08/11/2023 16:12

@TeslaTwat

Start with the A1(M) by Peterborough.