Philly McButterpants Posted August 13, 2017 Share Posted August 13, 2017 (edited) Just got back from a week in Myrtle Beach. While the vacation was great, getting there and back was an exercise in frustration. Driving on I-95 should be considered cruel and unusual punishment. There is so much traffic from Baltimore to Richmond, it's sickening. How in the world can you have a traffic jam on a 4 lane highway at 10:00 AM on a SUNDAY?!?!? Anyway, here's the gist of the post - When driving on the interstate (and a lot of other places), I'll set my cruise control for 7-10 MPH over the posted speed limit. I know that my wife and kids do not use CC, and they all think i'm nuts for doing so. I can tell that a lot of other drivers do not use CC either, because their speed fluctuates a lot. Added Bonus (and the reason i don't carry a gun): How often does this happen to you? - You're driving on the interstate, you come up behind a car in the right lane, so you go to pass this person. As soon as you get along side of them, they begin to speed up. the result is A) you have to speed up to complete the pass B) you end up side by side for umpteen miles C) they pull ahead and you go back to the right lane. This only applies to regular driving, not heavy traffic - in heavy traffic all bets are off and it's Thunderdome. Also, the result of A) is that they will then speed up to pass you. and then slow down again. This person doesn't want to go any faster than you, but just needs to be ahead of you. I cannot tell you how many time the above happened to me on this trip: Drives me bat crap crazy. And don't even get me started on the number of drivers who just park themselves in the left hand passing lane in SC, NC and Virginia . . . rant over... Edited August 13, 2017 by Philly McButterpants Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
plenzmd1 Posted August 13, 2017 Share Posted August 13, 2017 We do have a pet peeves thread for this ! But anwser your questions, 95 from NYC to The Outerbanks always crazy from May-September. Saturday even worse than Sunday, as so many rentals run Sat-Sat. For the most part, you will go and a much faster and consistent pace in the right lane on 95 , trust me on this. i use cruise control when it makes sense. Mine now even slows down if you get too close to car in front of you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frostbitmic Posted August 13, 2017 Share Posted August 13, 2017 I never use it, I prefer speeding up and slowing down just to irritate people ... Just kidding ... I generally base my speed on how fast the majority of traffic is going and how far ahead I can see hiding places for the police. I'm not even sure my cruise control even works. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
\GoBillsInDallas/ Posted August 13, 2017 Share Posted August 13, 2017 Just got back from a week in Myrtle Beach Any hot b!tches? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Philly McButterpants Posted August 13, 2017 Author Share Posted August 13, 2017 Any hot b!tches? Lots! Even had a nip slip on the beach Friday. Surf was kinda rough . . . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ExiledInIllinois Posted August 13, 2017 Share Posted August 13, 2017 Yes. Over the road only trips. But not in wet or other inclement weather. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Johnny Hammersticks Posted August 13, 2017 Share Posted August 13, 2017 I also just got back to Vermont from MB last night, and yes, I do use cruise control. My father tells me that it kills your gas mileage, but I don't care. It's convenient. We abandoned the I95 route after our first trip to the outer banks a few years ago. Got stuck in traffic for over 6 hours at least, and the tolls were substantial. We take 87 down to New Paltz and then take 84 West all the way over to I81 which spits us out just south of Scranton. Then we drive down to Staughton VA and hop on 64 east which brings us back to 95 on the south side of Richmond (cut over on 288). 81 is sooooo much better than 95, IMO. We made it from central Vermont to Myrtle in 15 hours with 2 small kids. If I'm headed pretty much anywhere south of D.C. this is the way to go. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Augie Posted August 13, 2017 Share Posted August 13, 2017 I use cruise as much as possible. Put it on 7-9 over limit and now worries, in theory. My wife got a ticket going 6 over while heading to see her mother in SC who had fallen and broken her ankle. I thought she deserved an award for ONLY going 6 over. The people who pass you, get in in front of you at an unsafe distance, then go slower than you are PISS ME OFF! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ExiledInIllinois Posted August 13, 2017 Share Posted August 13, 2017 I also just got back to Vermont from MB last night, and yes, I do use cruise control. My father tells me that it kills your gas mileage, but I don't care. It's convenient. We abandoned the I95 route after our first trip to the outer banks a few years ago. Got stuck in traffic for over 6 hours at least, and the tolls were substantial. We take 87 down to New Paltz and then take 84 West all the way over to I81 which spits us out just south of Scranton. Then we drive down to Staughton VA and hop on 64 east which brings us back to 95 on the south side of Richmond (cut over on 288). 81 is sooooo much better than 95, IMO. We made it from central Vermont to Myrtle in 15 hours with 2 small kids. If I'm headed pretty much anywhere south of D.C. this is the way to go. Cruise is BETTER for fuel economy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Johnny Hammersticks Posted August 13, 2017 Share Posted August 13, 2017 Cruise is BETTER for fuel economy. My dad is so full of crap sometimes. He used to tell me all the time growing up that wearing baseball caps would make me go bald. I wore them all the time anyway. I'm 38 and I still have beautiful, luxurious hair...lol. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SlimShady'sSpaceForce Posted August 13, 2017 Share Posted August 13, 2017 All the time when traffic allows it. Rule # 1. Never take 95, 495 or 395 unless it's between 1 AM to 3 AM. Rule # 2. See rule #1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Punching Bag Posted August 13, 2017 Share Posted August 13, 2017 I use cruise control quite often for I have a bad leg. I have the good kind of cruise control which you can set as low as 25 mph, When I am not using it like for rush hour traffic I have a hand control. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ExiledInIllinois Posted August 13, 2017 Share Posted August 13, 2017 My dad is so full of crap sometimes. He used to tell me all the time growing up that wearing baseball caps would make me go bald. I wore them all the time anyway. I'm 38 and I still have beautiful, luxurious hair...lol. LoL... Was he bald? Then it "should" miss you. Now if his father was bald, you may have to worry a little. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Johnny Hammersticks Posted August 13, 2017 Share Posted August 13, 2017 LoL... Was he bald? Then it "should" miss you. Now if his father was bald, you may have to worry a little. My Father is 68 and still has a full head of hair. He never knew his Father. In any event, I'm married with 2 kids so to make it this far without balding is a victory in my book. Let it fall out now...save money on haircuts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marv's Neighbor Posted August 13, 2017 Share Posted August 13, 2017 I use it but only on mostly level roads, and am careful if it rains. If the road surface is not well drained, you can hydroplane, and it's not safe to use it then. Yes it does save some gas! I-95 can be pretty bad but there are few alternate routes on the east coast going N-S. Living in Richmond, when we drive to Dulles, I take 95 N to either Fredericksburg or Quantico. Fredericksburg exits on US-17, which runs into US-15, while Quantico has the Prince William Parkway. It has traffic lights but both bypass DC to the south and west. Last December we came home from Munich, got our car parked in Reston VA, and drove the Dulles Access Rd, and the EZ Pass lanes on I-495 to I-95 S. It was a good drive, when I was already tired from flying, but the EZ Pass bill was around $50, just for that one trip! That's a rip BUT think of all the people who use that a lot, and their bills must be crazy high. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ExiledInIllinois Posted August 13, 2017 Share Posted August 13, 2017 That's a rip BUT think of all the people who use that a lot, and their bills must be crazy high. So is the price of reinforced concrete roads. A simple, short driveway will cost about 5k to replace. Just imagine what roads cost, lighting, etc... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DC Tom Posted August 13, 2017 Share Posted August 13, 2017 And don't even get me started on the number of drivers who just park themselves in the left hand passing lane in SC, NC and Virginia . . . rant over... One of main the reasons for this in the Baltimore-DC-Richmond corridor is the fetish the area has for left-lane exit ramps. You end up with people poking along in the left lane because "I have to take a left exit in ten miles." And inevitably, since they're too stupid to poke along in the right lane then move left a mile before their exit, they're also too stupid to get within five miles an hour of the speed limit. (And no, people, speed limits aren't just a "don't exceed" number. Most times, they're the safest and most efficient speed the road is designed for. If you're doing ten under because "speed limits are only a maximum," you're !@#$ing up traffic really badly for everyone else.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thebug Posted August 13, 2017 Share Posted August 13, 2017 I do when I travel on long trips. Nice to be able to move your feet around from time to time during a 17 hour drive in an RV. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RaoulDuke79 Posted August 13, 2017 Share Posted August 13, 2017 I did the same drive last year. I'm about an hour and a half West of you Just got back from a week in Myrtle Beach. While the vacation was great, getting there and back was an exercise in frustration. Driving on I-95 should be considered cruel and unusual punishment. There is so much traffic from Baltimore to Richmond, it's sickening. How in the world can you have a traffic jam on a 4 lane highway at 10:00 AM on a SUNDAY?!?!? Anyway, here's the gist of the post - When driving on the interstate (and a lot of other places), I'll set my cruise control for 7-10 MPH over the posted speed limit. I know that my wife and kids do not use CC, and they all think i'm nuts for doing so. I can tell that a lot of other drivers do not use CC either, because their speed fluctuates a lot. Added Bonus (and the reason i don't carry a gun): How often does this happen to you? - You're driving on the interstate, you come up behind a car in the right lane, so you go to pass this person. As soon as you get along side of them, they begin to speed up. the result is A) you have to speed up to complete the pass B) you end up side by side for umpteen miles C) they pull ahead and you go back to the right lane. This only applies to regular driving, not heavy traffic - in heavy traffic all bets are off and it's Thunderdome. Also, the result of A) is that they will then speed up to pass you. and then slow down again. This person doesn't want to go any faster than you, but just needs to be ahead of you. I cannot tell you how many time the above happened to me on this trip: Drives me bat crap crazy. And don't even get me started on the number of drivers who just park themselves in the left hand passing lane in SC, NC and Virginia . . . rant over... I did the same drive last year. I'm about an hour and a half West of you. That whole stretch between DC and northern Virginia is a nightmare. We left at 2 am so we got through early enough where it wasn't too bad. On the way back we just stayed in Richmond instead of driving the whole way though. As for your original question, I seldom use cruise control unless it's a long straight shot with minimal traffic. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boyst Posted August 14, 2017 Share Posted August 14, 2017 Went to Ohio and back, also Michigan, etc. 1400 miles total. Brother has done almost 6000 in the last month. Both of us use cruise. It's difficult in the mountains. And NC drivers who roost in the left lane mess it up too Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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