Oh, Texas . . .

We just completed the Saltillo-NE Indiana road trip. Ironically, it took about as much time as the Toluca-NE Indiana road trip did three years ago. Oh, the joys of having a toddler in the backseat.

But really, all went well. However, as a public service, I do feel compelled to comment on one teensy issue we encountered.

TEXANS--GET OUT OF THE LEFT LANE!!!!!

Entering Texas, I though it was just a US-driver-thing. However, as we skirted Memphis and entered northern Arkansas, suddenly most drivers realized that the passing lane it just that--for passing other cars.

Yes, people--this is the official name of the left lane. The passing lane. NOT the fast lane. I'll be honest--for years, I called it the fast lane myself. Knowing that I am a bit of a slow driver, I always stuck to the right lane. However, plenty of people consider themselves fast drivers. And according to this logic, they need to be in the "fast lane". All the frickin' time.

Or, as I tried to explain to Mario once, in the style of a high school geometry proof, "apparently it's cool to drive fast. And if the left lane is the fast lane and it's cool to drive fast, the left lane is therefore the cool lane and everyone wants to be there." Hence, the passing lane was dubbed the "cool lane" in our family.

But it's not. It is the passing lane. So once you've passing whoever you're passing GET YOUR ASS BACK OVER TO THE RIGHT LANE!

This brings me to the closely-related point #2. If you've got your cruise control set at 71 mph and the person in front of you has theirs set at 70.5 mph, it is NOT OK to take a full 10 minutes to pass this person. For 20 seconds, put your foot on the frickin' gas and PASS THEM ALREADY!

While one may think that it's cool to hang out in the left lane, the rest of us view said driver as clueless and inconsiderate. Furthermore, this is dangerous. Save us all untold amounts of frustration, a stroke on the part of my husband, and a high-speed (likely fatal) accident and only venture into the left lane if you're actively passing someone.

Then get back over.

Thank you.