1. The Clueless Trailer
It doesn't matter if it is a semi, a motor-home, camping trailer, or any other kind, the Clueless Trailer is where it shouldn't be--the fast lane. Little do they know, regardless of the signs lining the freeway saying "no vehicle pulling a trailer in the left two lanes", it is against the law for them to be in that lane. They don't care though, because they're going 65 mph! A miracle for vehicles of this size and weight. Unfortunately for the Clueless Trailer, and for all of us stuck behind them, the speed limit is 70, and even then, in the fast lane it's more like 75. So we poor commuters who have just worked a 9 hour day on 5 hours of sleep are stuck going much slower than we'd like, when all we want to do is be home watching Netflix already. Please, take you and your miracle trailer that can go 65 mph into another lane.
2. The Racecar Driver
Maybe the exact opposite of the Clueless Trailer, the fast lane is the Racecar Driver's domain. They own it, or at least they think they do. So regardless if you are stuck behind a bunch of other cars and you can't do anything about it, they'll practically be kissing your bumper and revving their engine for miles on end, because apparently the freeway is a racetrack where everyone should be going at least 90 or not be driving at all. Sometimes, if you're lucky, they'll even start honking at you. In traffic that is completely backed up. Where no one can move, but they expect you to for some odd reason. Racecar drivers, I am not a traffic wizard, please calm down.
3. The Soccer Mom
Mini-van going 90+ mph in any lane. Stay out of their way.
4. Mr. Zippy
Mr. Zippy is an interesting driver to encounter. Their tactic for getting where they want to quicker is to zip in-between cars almost constantly, though they typically end up staying where they were as traffic consistently changes around them. Take my poorly drawn example as reference.
5. The Timid Tom
Now, Timid Tom is usually an old guy, but not always. Timid Tom will be in any of the 4-5 lanes of traffic except for the far right lane, where they probably should be. They also never have their flashers on. But they are always going at least 15-20 miles under the speed limit. Going 50 in a 70, with no flashers for warning, making you suddenly change lanes and hope there is space for you so you don't have to slam on your brakes. Cause that can't be good for your car, and it's kind of scary, and no one wants to do that. Honking at these guys will do nothing, and if they are indeed old, I don't like honking anyway because I'm afraid to startle them. However, if this is you, or someone you know, please, keep right.
6. The Commuter
Last but not least, we find the Commuter. The Commuter is usually impatient, but often too tired as well to really do anything. They go the speed limit, or just above the speed limit, clearly trying to make it home in good time, but also do the drive often enough that they're kind of on auto-pilot. You'll usually see them slouched on one arm in traffic, or talking on their cell-phone. Pretty decent drivers to be around, and easy to bond with over the frustrations of the other 5 types of drivers.
Now, of course I'm not being serious here (well, mostly), but driving for an hour and a half to two hours every day can be frustrating, and everything mentioned above has come from common things I have actually seen daily. Though most of this post was all in good fun, I hope this is relatable to others who drive a lot, and I'd be very entertained to read what drivers you encounter that I didn't mention.
On another note, one day soon I'll begin posting about our trip to Asia, so if you're interested in seeing the #clarkesinasia, look for that(:
