Took a rare trip on the 407 ETR (Express Toll Route, I think) yesterday.
Talk about the Jim-only lane!
They could hold the World Road Hockey Championships in the right lane on that road, and they'd hardly ever have to yell "CAR!!"
At first glance, it appears that drivers are assigned a lane at random when they enter the highway, and they stay there until:
a) they die;
b) they run out of fuel;
c) they decide to exit the highway.
On closer examination, it seems to me that a 'local culture' has evolved; the default lane seems to be the second from the left.
I believe I may have remarked on this before; it makes no more sense now than it did then...
What would ever cross someone's mind to get over there, set the cruise to a buck-thirty, and start working on their e-mail?
Brutal.
If I only had a dollar for every car I passed on the right (legally; you could look it up...) on that return trip.
Then I thought - hmm-mm; the Ontario Provincial Government could have $155 for every car I passed on the right, and hundreds of thousands more too.
Because every single one of those cars was violating the Ontario Highway Traffic Act, section 148, subsection (2), Fail to turn out to the right when being overtaken by another vehicle.
You could look that up too, but I'll save you the trouble - click here.
If they were really clever, they'd convert and install more of those toll collecting gantries so they would automatically take photos of cars violating this subsection.
They'd balance the budget within weeks.
Then Premier McGuinty could afford all the green energy subsidies he could possibly come up with.
Just trying to help.
Hello, Jim.
I've got some observations and thoughts on your comments:
1. Your description of Lane Discipline on the 407 is current and accurate.
2. It wasn't always like this - when there was less traffic ( say 3 years ago ) other drivers not only kept right, but actually moved over when approached from behind.
3. I have a theory about the choice of the #2 lane - psychologically, it is perceived to be the "fastest and least effort" lane to drive in: The #1 lane is fastest, but they have to pay attention to traffic and move over when over-taken; The lanes to the right are for slower traffic, AND you have to deal with people merging and moving to the left. In reality the #2 lane is the "minimal mental effort required" lane.
4. A cop can't use a radar gun to write a ticket for not keeping to the right.
Posted by: joeu | June 10, 2012 at 08:55 AM
The 407 is among the worst culprits in the "disappearing driving lane" category. The regular drivers take the path of least resistance and simply drive in the lane that's not going to turn into an exit. Two wrongs, in this case, making a 2nd from the right.
Posted by: Jon | June 11, 2012 at 12:05 PM