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A new study confirmed what all the frustrated drivers of the I-5 already suspected: for many Oregonians, the left lane is not a place to move effectively, it is a sacred space for deep personal reflection exactly three miles below the speed limit.
According to a study by the Oregon Department of Transportation Institute for Traffic Inefficiency (ODOTITI), 87% of Oregon drivers consider the left-hand lane as a stress-free zone to consider the big decisions of life, admire cloud formations, or simply exist in their own small world.
“We found that drivers in Oregon see the left lane as a vibration, not as a traffic tool,” said lead researcher Dr. Linda Pearson. “A participant described it as “the ideal space to breathe and refocus before arriving at Trader Joe’s.” It is a real quotation. That is why I drink.
The study also revealed worrying trends:
38% of left-wing campers admit that they have no idea how many cars are behind them.
22% say they “become nervous” if they exceed the speed limit, then they slow down “just a little bit.”
11% say that if someone wants to pass, “He can just get around me, what happens? ”
100% of California and Washington drivers surveyed are considering therapy.
Jasper Wynwood, 36, driver
local, says he likes to use the left lane to process his thoughts.
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“Sometimes when I drive, I start to wonder… Who am I, really?” Wynwood reflected, blocking traffic at a constant speed of 62 mph in his silver Subaru Outback. “I like to keep steady speed so I can really focus on the deeper questions of life, you know? ”
Meanwhile, Ashley Carter, a Seattle resident, marble, described the experience of trying to cross Oregon as an “absolute psychological war.”
“I was just trying to drive from Portland to Medford, and suddenly I found myself behind a guy in a Prius who seems to be thinking about the meaning of the universe instead of moving,” fulminated Carter. “I flashed my lighthouses. I honked. I screamed. Nothing. He just… shook his head as if he was about to make a major career change and stayed at exactly 62.
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