The Theory of the Left Passing Lane, or the “Passing Lane Personality Complex”
I’ve been quietly noticing for several years that there is a repeatable behavior that happens when I’m driving down the road, in any vehicle, that causes people behind me to exhibit what I’m calling the “Passing Lane Personality Complex”.
It goes like this:
You’re happily driving down the road at a safe, comfortable speed, and hit a bit of right-lane congestion in your lane. You naturally pull into the left lane (the “passing lane”) to bypass the clog in the right lane. Others vehicles behind you do the same.
You could be doing 55mph, 65mph, 85mph or more when you pass these cars in the right lane, it doesn’t matter. The “Passing Lane Personality Complex” happens at any speed.
Once you pull back into your own spot in the right lane again, ahead of all of the congested cars in the right-lane behind you, WITHOUT FAIL the person who was driving behind you in their vehicle ABSOLUTELY MUST pass you at a speed greater than your speed.
You could be doing 100mph when you pull back into that right lane and the next person behind you could be 1/2 mile back, but they ABSOLUTELY MUST pass you at 110mph or more. And when they pass, they have to look at you with some sort of grin of accomplishment on their faces.
There is definitely some sort of consistent personality defect with drivers who do this. I’ve seen it thousands of times and it happens without fail, every single time.
Give it a try at any time on any road, and you’ll see what I mean.