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vegpedlr
Samba Member
Joined: June 07, 2014
Posts: 774
Location: TBD
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 Posted: Tue Sep 01, 2015 10:23 pm Post subject: What's with the illegal passing of a Westy? |
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Going to the market today, tailgated by a contractor pickup as I turned from a residential street to a main road. Yeah, I'm slow, and it's up a gentle hill, but once I get to the limit, the guy passes over the double yellow and roars away. Sort of. I wasn't that far back. I guess someone was in a hurry to get to the bar!
I've been passed in solid line turn lanes and shoulders, all while cruising at the limit. Even in the Subie I don't generally drive much faster, yet no one panics. All so they can gain a 1/4 mile? I amble up right behind them at the next signal or road construction, wondering if I should puke coolant on them.
The best is going up Echo Summit, west bound. There is a short passing lane where people bust a nut to pass me (legally), then immediately slow down when it gets twisty. I don't slow down, I keep my momentum and tailgate them over the summit.
Relax people. |
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tjet 
Samba Member
Joined: June 10, 2014
Posts: 3533
Location: CA & NM
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WestyBob
Samba Member
Joined: June 11, 2004
Posts: 2346
Location: Portland, Oregon
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| Posted: Tue Sep 01, 2015 11:03 pm Post subject: Re: What's with the illegal passing of a Westy? |
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The perception out there is all Vw vans/buses are slow. It's been around for a long time. Also, people don't like being behind a rig that they can't see around or in the distance.
I now have engine conversions that would blow the doors off many modern cars but I still get the same as you described. But I treat it all in two ways.
First, I try to be as polite as possible and even try to do what I can to help them pass me. I hope by doing so I can moderate any hostile thoughts they have about Vw vans/buses in general.
Second, I always just assume such drivers are in an emergency like trying to get to the hospital or late for a meeting. That way I don't get upset  |
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mrcool
Samba Member
Joined: April 01, 2015
Posts: 358
Location: Bozeman, MT
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| Posted: Tue Sep 01, 2015 11:25 pm Post subject: |
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Its annoying but also a reason why I love driving my westy.
I can't be in a hurry anywhere I want to go. It forces me to chill instead of white knuckle driving and frantically looking for highway patrol... It relaxing! untill assholes like that guy in the truck create a dangerous situation for you. But most the time its relaxing! |
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newfisher
Samba Member
Joined: January 05, 2012
Posts: 1764
Location: The wet spot--Oregon
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| Posted: Tue Sep 01, 2015 11:26 pm Post subject: |
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Its also about being able to see around or through the vehicle in front of you. Our vans block alot of visible area ahead and some people are uncomfortable behind vehicles like ours vs small cars with non tinted windows that you can see over , around and through. Following a semi trailer at the speed limit is also different. The stopping distance for most big rigs is greater than a van or a truck with a canopy or even an rv. Most feel a little safer behind a semi trailer knowing they can out stop them if needed.
On the other hand....I enjoy the speed limit in the right lane and when someone ducks out erraticly trying to pass me "just because" I find that the 2.5 frankenmotor, taller 4th and heavy rt foot gets thier attention |
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jackbombay
Samba Member
Joined: October 19, 2007
Posts: 2723
Location: Eastern Idaho
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| Posted: Wed Sep 02, 2015 3:04 am Post subject: Re: What's with the illegal passing of a Westy? |
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| WestyBob wrote: |
First, I try to be as polite as possible and even try to do what I can to help them pass me. |
Yep, there is no specific benefit to me to have cars piled up behind me, I like to let them through so they can go flush the cops out, that way I don't get pulled over.
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morymob
Samba Member
Joined: November 09, 2007
Posts: 4683
Location: east-tn
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| Posted: Wed Sep 02, 2015 3:54 am Post subject: |
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| The big 'PASS NOW AVOID THE RUSH' in my back window seems to have helped a lot. |
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Gauche1968
Samba Member
Joined: April 13, 2006
Posts: 1518
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| Posted: Wed Sep 02, 2015 6:11 am Post subject: |
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They should take half the cops off the streets, put them on highway patrol and have them actually enforce traffic laws--then we'll see how fast the accidental death rate drops......
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1984 Vanagon GL
1984 Vanagon Westy |
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CessnaJon
Samba Member
Joined: August 15, 2008
Posts: 677
Location: Senoia,GA
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| Posted: Wed Sep 02, 2015 6:52 am Post subject: |
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Suicide passers are more active when I'm in my MGB than my bus. Even travelling above the posted limit folks feel compelled to pass me. They do whatever it takes, even passing on double line curves, bridges, work zones, school zones, etc. Cant quite figure it out.
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1973 Westy (shared birthday)
1990 Westy Multivan
2015 Passat TDI 6sp
2015 Sportwagon TDI 6sp
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atomatom
Samba Member
Joined: May 15, 2012
Posts: 1867
Location: in an 84 Westy or Bowen Island, BC
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| Posted: Wed Sep 02, 2015 6:53 am Post subject: |
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i guiltily admit, i get a kick out of passing people in my van.
however, if there is someone behind me, as jack and bob said, i'll gladly help them pass (pull over, or, if there is a safe shoulder, right indicator and slow down until they pass)
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84 Vanagon Westy, 1.9L, California raised but defected to Canada. |
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outcaststudios
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Joined: February 09, 2015
Posts: 1732
Location: Maine
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| Posted: Wed Sep 02, 2015 7:00 am Post subject: |
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to the op: you shoudlnt tailgate people for any reason. anyone who is driving and believes that they are entitled to go fast is an idiot. you are lucky to have a pulse and you outta be happy you are even able to own and drive a car of any type. life is too short to risk hurting anyone so you can save 30 seconds.if that. statistically/mathematically speaking there is absolutely no significant gain at all for speeding on a trip that is less than 3 hours long. do the math.
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vegpedlr
Samba Member
Joined: June 07, 2014
Posts: 774
Location: TBD
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| Posted: Wed Sep 02, 2015 7:34 am Post subject: |
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| outcaststudios wrote: |
| to the op: you shoudlnt tailgate people for any reason. anyone who is driving and believes that they are entitled to go fast is an idiot. you are lucky to have a pulse and you outta be happy you are even able to own and drive a car of any type. life is too short to risk hurting anyone so you can save 30 seconds.if that. statistically/mathematically speaking there is absolutely no significant gain at all for speeding on a trip that is less than 3 hours long. do the math. |
Yes I've done the math. Since driving a Westy I've noticed even more clearly that trip duration isn't much different, depending on hills.
"Tailgating" is a bit of an exaggeration. Going up Echo Summit, the tourists are so impatient to get back to their cubicles that they fight hard to pass in the short passing lane. Then they slow down because they don't know the curves. Sometimes they even brake. Going uphill. I just keep my steady pace up the hill, and they watch a VW bus gaining on them.
Good points all. I've forgotten about obstructing view with these bricks. And I look for places to let people pass.
It's just odd that I see this behavior much more when driving my bus compared to any other vehicle, even though I'm driving essentially the same speed. The only difference is acceleration.
I ski fast, try to bike fast, but drive slow. I let the others clear out the cops. |
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MarkWard
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Joined: February 09, 2005
Posts: 17153
Location: Retired South Florida
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| Posted: Wed Sep 02, 2015 7:37 am Post subject: |
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I notice that when I pass some people on the interstate, and move back into the right lane, the person I passed, will accelerate and repass me and move back into the right lane and drop back to the speed they were doing before I passed them in the first place. On a recent trip, this happened 3 times with the same car. I then decided to pickup the left lane pace and put this person a couple miles back. Weird.
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outcaststudios
Samba Member
Joined: February 09, 2015
Posts: 1732
Location: Maine
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| Posted: Wed Sep 02, 2015 7:46 am Post subject: |
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people seem to take it personally that they are being passed, who knows maybe its some left over herd instinct from running through the savannas after food? driving shoudl not be an emotional operation,its clinical and mechanical. you drive a certain speed for a certain reason, you pass for a certain reason you slow down or speed up for a logical end result. anything else is insanity.
_________________
'88Doka JX td
'69 westy
(rip)couple bugs
(rip)three type III"s
(rip) '81 vanagon
a bunch of french stuff,and 9 motorcycles.
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/classifieds/detail.php?id=2573791 |
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SCM
Samba Member
Joined: January 26, 2011
Posts: 3118
Location: Bozeman MT
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| Posted: Wed Sep 02, 2015 8:37 am Post subject: |
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| outcaststudios wrote: |
| people seem to take it personally that they are being passed, .. driving shoudl not be an emotional operation,its clinical and mechanical. |
I have a coworker who is downright dangerous behind the wheel. Always distracted by something, whether it be his phone, whatever is out the side window, or whatever inane blathering is coming out of his own mouth. And constantly speeding or stomping on the gas pedal to accelerate. He's even told me, "I just don't like being behind people".
A couple times I've let him know that he was driving inappropriately, like on an active mine site where everyone watching was a client of ours or coming back to the office from Yellowstone Park during full tourist season when passing anyone only puts you in front of them at the stop light 30 miles down the road.
Anytime I try to mentor him to drive appropriately I'm met with "you're just too nervous, if you were on a controlled course in a proper vehicle would you enjoy going fast? I've been driving roads like this since I was 16...". Never mind that I have 10 years of driving experience over him.
I don't get people like that at all.
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0to60in6min
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Joined: November 27, 2006
Posts: 3416
Location: OR & CA (Oregon/California)
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| Posted: Wed Sep 02, 2015 9:03 am Post subject: |
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whenever I can I pull over to let them pass...
besides that I have this sticker
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vegpedlr
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Joined: June 07, 2014
Posts: 774
Location: TBD
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| Posted: Wed Sep 02, 2015 9:06 am Post subject: |
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| 0to60in6min wrote: |
whenever I can I pull over to let them pass...
besides that I have this sticker
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I love that sticker, I need one, since my Westy's amazing speed has earned it the family nickname of "The Turtle."
Another sticker I saw that I liked was "Keep Left" with an arrow pointing left. |
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Dana Champion
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Joined: July 06, 2012
Posts: 633
Location: Ventura County, CA
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| Posted: Wed Sep 02, 2015 9:31 am Post subject: |
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I think everyone who has a VW van, has a story ! I got passed on the shoulder once  , not to mention numerous dangerous maneuvers by faster drivers over the years. |
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ALIKA T3
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tjet
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Joined: June 10, 2014
Posts: 3533
Location: CA & NM
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| Posted: Wed Sep 02, 2015 12:23 pm Post subject: |
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| WestyBob wrote: |
| ......... I always just assume such drivers are in an emergency like trying to get to the hospital or late for a meeting. That way I don't get upset |
That's a good way to look at it.
Last edited by tjet on Wed Sep 02, 2015 8:31 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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