So on those exit ramps where it is possible to bypass a lot of backed up traffic (Exits on 66E for 123 and 234 come to mind)...I'm pretty sure it is illegal to pass traffic without the intention of exiting the interstate.

Has anyone ever been pulled over for doing this? What does the citation actually say?

While this practice is both common and annoying in the 703...it's perfectly legal.

Frank Poncherello Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> While this practice is both common and annoying in
> the 703...it's perfectly legal.


its technically not but no one will ever enforce it. all youd have to say is that you got off too early by accident. its just like driving in the left lane is illegal but almost no one writes tickets for it

I don't see how it would be illegal to take the 123 exit ramp, drive half a mile, then re-enter the highway without actually taking the exit.. all to bypass a half mile of traffic.

I'll continue to believe it is not illegal until someone can show me the code section.

captain071412 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> So on those exit ramps where it is possible to
> bypass a lot of backed up traffic (Exits on 66E
> for 123 and 234 come to mind)...I'm pretty sure it
> is illegal to pass traffic without the intention
> of exiting the interstate.
>
> Has anyone ever been pulled over for doing this?
> What does the citation actually say?

I don't think it's illegal. It's annoying, just like people who wait until the last possible minute to merge over when a lane closes down (so they can cut ahead of everyone else), but it's not illegal.

You know what I hate? Idiots who don't wait for the last second to merge over when their lane is closed off. They want to wait a few moments to merge in front of me. So not only am I letting them in front of me, i'm letting everyone who proceeds to pass by them in front of me too. It's not avoidable, so accept the fact you're should pull up to the last second in your lane, then merge over. That's when I'll be more than happy to let you merge into my lane.

technially not Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Frank Poncherello Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > While this practice is both common and annoying
> in
> > the 703...it's perfectly legal.
>
>
> its technically not but no one will ever enforce
> it. all youd have to say is that you got off too
> early by accident. its just like driving in the
> left lane is illegal but almost no one writes
> tickets for it

If it's illegal then please enlighten us and SHOW us the specific legal code that addresses this situation. You can't because there isn't one...so sit down and have a nice cup of shut the fuck up.

Frank Poncherello Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> If it's illegal then please enlighten us and SHOW
> us the specific legal code that addresses this
> situation. You can't because there isn't one...so
> sit down and have a nice cup of shut the fuck up.

I had heard it's illegal, too, but couldn't find anything with a very fast search of the Virginia code database.

Note, however, that it IS illegal to go through a parking lot to avoid a traffic light (something having to do with avoiding a traffic control device or something). I'd bet the sideroad words, if they exist, are near that law:

http://leg1.state.va.us/cgi-bin/legp504.exe?000+cod+46.2-833.1

http://leg1.state.va.us/000/src.htm

No idea but I wouldn't do it anyway. While it may not be illegal, it's certainly not very courteous.

Fuck courteous. Get the fuck outta my way.

trogdor! Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> captain071412 Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > So on those exit ramps where it is possible to
> > bypass a lot of backed up traffic (Exits on 66E
> > for 123 and 234 come to mind)...I'm pretty sure
> it
> > is illegal to pass traffic without the
> intention
> > of exiting the interstate.
> >
> > Has anyone ever been pulled over for doing
> this?
> > What does the citation actually say?
>
> I don't think it's illegal. It's annoying, just
> like people who wait until the last possible
> minute to merge over when a lane closes down (so
> they can cut ahead of everyone else), but it's not
> illegal.

So when do you merge? When the sign says to? If the sign says "Left lane closed, 1/2 mile ahead, merge right" do you merge 1/2 mile before the lane closes or do you wait until the lane closes?

The correct answer (and one that many folks, including yourself, don't know about) is that you should merge when the lane closes. Why is this? Let me explain.

If you're on a two lane road that goes for five miles, that's 10 lane miles of road. If at the three mile mark, a sign says that one of the lanes will be closed in a mile, and *everyone* merges at that point, you (the driving public) have just reduced the lane miles not by one mile, but by two. By merging at the point of closure, you only lose the lane that is closed and have 9 lane miles to travel.

And, of course, you should also use the zipper method.

That being said, this only works in the land of unicorns and rainbows and will never happen on the streets of Fairfax because there are too many douchebags (and Asians) behind the wheel who don't know that the road is a system and we're all parts of it. It's our job to ensure it runs smoothly. All it takes is one d-bag (or Asian) to F things up with their selfish driving (or inability to drive) and the next thing you know, the whole system's fucked.

dbs Wrote:
> So when do you merge? When the sign says to? If
> the sign says "Left lane closed, 1/2 mile ahead,
> merge right" do you merge 1/2 mile before the lane
> closes or do you wait until the lane closes?
>
> The correct answer (and one that many folks,
> including yourself, don't know about) is that you
> should merge when the lane closes. Why is this?
> Let me explain.
>
> If you're on a two lane road that goes for five
> miles, that's 10 lane miles of road. If at the
> three mile mark, a sign says that one of the lanes
> will be closed in a mile, and *everyone* merges at
> that point, you (the driving public) have just
> reduced the lane miles not by one mile, but by
> two. By merging at the point of closure, you only
> lose the lane that is closed and have 9 lane miles
> to travel.
>
> And, of course, you should also use the zipper
> method.
>
> That being said, this only works in the land of
> unicorns and rainbows and will never happen on the
> streets of Fairfax because there are too many
> douchebags (and Asians) behind the wheel who don't
> know that the road is a system and we're all parts
> of it. It's our job to ensure it runs smoothly.
> All it takes is one d-bag (or Asian) to F things
> up with their selfish driving (or inability to
> drive) and the next thing you know, the whole
> system's fucked.

So there is one other person in this area that can drive and knows what zippering is? We should run into each other sometime!

That's not illegal. If anything, this improves traffic by increasing the rate of throughput. They should be welcomed as heroes!

I'M A FIVE-STAR MAN!!

ghost of frisky & sammy the dog Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I don't see how it would be illegal to take the
> 123 exit ramp, drive half a mile, then re-enter
> the highway without actually taking the exit.. all
> to bypass a half mile of traffic.
>
> I'll continue to believe it is not illegal until
> someone can show me the code section.



Upon further investigation, I retract my previous statement. I had said that I didn't believe it was illegal and I wanted to see the code section where using an exit to bypass traffic on the highway was prohibited.

It is in fact illegal under code section 46.2-830 (failure to obey a highway sign)...

More specifically this highway sign:

 
Attachments:

technially not Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Frank Poncherello Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > While this practice is both common and annoying
> in
> > the 703...it's perfectly legal.
>
>
> its technically not but no one will ever enforce
> it. all youd have to say is that you got off too
> early by accident. its just like driving in the
> left lane is illegal but almost no one writes
> tickets for it



Driving in the left lane is not illegal in Virginia.

What is illegal is failing to move right to allow faster moving traffic to pass in the left lane.

You can hang in the left lane all you want until a car wants to pass you.

 

yeah, Frisky - It all has to do with those dots in the road. Notice on the exits they are tiny square dots instead of the long stripes? Well that actually means something. When there are long white stripes, you can pass across them any way you want. When they are tiny square dots (dunno the official names of this crap but that part of the ramp has a name) , you are ONLY allowed one pass - either to enter on, or exit off the ramp. If you are observed passing back over, you can get ticketed.............

I work that move all the time, its freakin' wizard!

Frank Poncherello Wrote:
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> While this practice is both common and annoying in
> the 703...it's perfectly legal.

No one says "the 703", fag.

Just Say No Wrote:
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> I work that move all the time, its freakin'
> wizard!


You drive like this, dont you?