The Holeshot - what say you, OPPO?

"davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com" (davesaddiction) 01/30/2014 at 08:00 • Filed to: OPPO HIVE MIND

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So, every day, on my way home from work, I come to a busy intersection. This particular intersection has three lanes at the light which, south of the intersection, merge into two and then one lane as the road curves up and around a fairly steep hill. (There is a left turn lane and a right turn lane beside these three lanes.)

10-20 cars always stack up in the left-most lane. 5-10 cars line up in the middle lane (where I usually end up), but occasionally, like today, there was no car in the right lane and I took it.

With 400+ horses at my beck and call, it was easy for me to get off the line ahead of the other two cars next to me, and to put several car lengths between my car and the others before the lanes merged. I whipped up the hill to enjoy a few turns of empty tarmac before re-joining more traffic a mile down the road (today I was fortunate enough to also catch a stale green light at the next intersection). I impeded no one's progress, but I did go ahead of many other cars that I would have been behind if I hadn't take the spot in the right lane.

So, what's your take on the holeshot?

Is this a completely legitimate use of automotive superiority over the beige masses? Or am I a jerk for not queueing up like the other sheeple?

thebigbossyboss > davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com 01/30/2014 at 08:05

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Too legit to quit, in fact a traffic engineer would be proud of you for maximizing road capacity.

McMike > davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com 01/30/2014 at 08:10

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I daily drive a Vanagon. What's a hole shot?

Chteelers > davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com 01/30/2014 at 08:11

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I approve of the holeshot, but only if you have clear vision of cross traffic in both directions, and ahead of you. People trying to catch the yellow, or trying to turn left in front of you, may attempt to speed thru the intersection just as your light turns green. If you jump the start, you're the first person they'll T-bone at their increased speed. So fire away with all 400 horses, but be sure to watch for cross traffic yahoos.

yamahog > davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com 01/30/2014 at 08:12

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I say legit, especially since it seems like the casual driver has the reaction time of a drunken sloth.

KB Garage > davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com 01/30/2014 at 08:15

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NOOOO!!! AAAHHHH!!!! That guy is in front of me now! He's impeding my trip by one car length!

If someone is really getting their panties in a bunch over this very strange mentality, I can only assume they have a terrible home life and they really should be thanking you for slowing their trip down by 0.5 seconds , thusly saving them from enduring more time with their fat shrew of a spouse. You're doing them a favor and don't you forget it! Carry on, sir.

Jayhawk Jake > davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com 01/30/2014 at 08:16

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I think it's okay. It's not like you are in a turn only lane and going straight or anything. In the very least it's legal , so go for it.

Thomas Nourse > davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com 01/30/2014 at 08:19

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I say go for it... In some situations it is necessary. There's an exit here in town where you are you are forced into either far right or far left lane of a four lane one way. If you don't make your holeshot you're screwed if you have to make a turn on the opposite side at one of the subsequent intersections.

Mattbob > davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com 01/30/2014 at 08:20

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as long as it's legal, go for it.

Thomas Nourse > KB Garage 01/30/2014 at 08:24

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Edit - I totally misunderstood your comment. My remarks actually have nothing to do with yours.

It isn't about the time it takes - it is about having the freedom to flog your car (at legal/safe speeds) around that upcoming s-bend (i.e. the series of corners on Teague Pkwy in Bossier just north of the light at Airline) without being impeded by somebody who has no interest in such things...

Thomas Nourse > yamahog 01/30/2014 at 08:25

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Oh look that left turn arrow just turned yellow... was it ever green?

AAAAARRRRRRRGHHH!

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > Chteelers 01/30/2014 at 08:29

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All yahoos were present and accounted for.

puddler > davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com 01/30/2014 at 08:32

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if it's a right-on-red lane & you block it, thats a dbag move. but if nobodies turning, then all's fair.

ColoradoTaco > davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com 01/30/2014 at 08:32

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Why the fuck do we need 400+ horses if we're not gonna take the hole shot when it's available? i would have done the exact same thing.

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com 01/30/2014 at 08:33

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So, from the responses, it seems like car guys have no issue with this, but I do wonder what the majority of the general public thinks. I guess if some random person decides I'm a dick because of something like this, that's on them, not me.

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > ColoradoTaco 01/30/2014 at 08:33

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Ha! Good point.

KB Garage > Thomas Nourse 01/30/2014 at 08:37

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Lol, so basically you agree. Like I said, he's not affecting anyone really.

That's a great section of corners, though when I lived on that side of the river BCPD would post under that bridge and wait for folks to get a little enthusiastic through there.

I like hitting the clover between Shreveport and Bossier. And it's absolutely best served without a car in front of you. Pic for reference for non-locals.

edit: you don't get a picture. Because kinja hates you. And me apparently.

NotUnlessRoundIsFunny > davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com 01/30/2014 at 08:47

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Unless you cut someone off in the process, and it doesn't sound like you did, I'd say no harm done. Other than perhaps showing off a little. :-)

Thomas Nourse > KB Garage 01/30/2014 at 08:50

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Yep... And the ramps on the Bossier side are nicely banked as well. My heart sinks a little every time I come up to those ramps and there's someone ahead of me. If there's no one behind me I'll actually slow down to give myself plenty of room to do it properly.

nermal > davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com 01/30/2014 at 08:52

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My thoughts are that if you weren't supposed to use that lane, it wouldn't be there. Along the same lines, if you weren't supposed to push the accelerator pedal all the way down, it wouldn't go that far.

So, go for it. Provided of course that you do it safely, without cutting anybody off, and without making a spectacle by doing a burnout.

KB Garage > Thomas Nourse 01/30/2014 at 09:04

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I approach them the same way you do. Especially if I'm on the bike.

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > nermal 01/30/2014 at 09:15

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Check, check and check. Didn't even squeal a tire.

greenagain > davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com 01/30/2014 at 10:40

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Every morning my drive to work also serves the purpose of getting my adrenaline going.
I'm out to win the Morning GP every day.

greenagain > ColoradoTaco 01/30/2014 at 10:42

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I find nothing more annoying than having a German car with the big engine upgrade, yet the driver was never introduced to the accelerator.

Dusty Ventures > davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com 01/30/2014 at 21:11

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If at the light all three lanes are straight-only lanes, as it sounds, then I see nothing wrong here. However, there's an intersection near my house where there are two lanes for going straight into a single-lane merge about 100 feet down the road, but the right lane of the two is a "straight or right turn" lane. Most people who intend to go straight avoid this lane so as not to impede cars that will be turning right (since we're a right on red state a car turning right can go any time, while a car going straight has to wait for the light to change, thus effectively blocking the lane). Due to the optional right turn, and the fact that the merge is almost immediately after the light, I and most other drivers seem to consider anyone who gets in that right lane with the intent of going straight to be a dickbag

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > Dusty Ventures 01/31/2014 at 09:13

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Yeah, blocking an "option" lane is obnoxious. At the intersection above, there is a dedicated turn lane.

It's definitely situational - obviously, the shorter the length of road before they merge, the more likely you are an ass for taking that lane.

DasWauto > davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com 02/04/2014 at 13:11

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I do this at every available opportunity. Never obnoxiously or anywhere near impeding anyone, obviously. Completely legit, I say.

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > DasWauto 02/04/2014 at 13:42

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I like the way you think, DW.

But I'd wager that some people do find the behavior itself obnoxious. Probably not going to stop me, though.

DasWauto > davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com 02/04/2014 at 13:48

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What do I care if they're behind me? :P

Old-Busted-Hotness > yamahog 02/05/2014 at 07:34

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And the situational awareness of a concussed duckling.

Old-Busted-Hotness > davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com 02/05/2014 at 07:42

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It's not like he's holding anyone back. There's no valid reason to object unless he goes full-Cleveland and uses the holeshot to cross over to the left lane and wait for traffic to clear so he can turn.

Too many people view traffic as combat, and resent anyone who gets in front of them.

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > Old-Busted-Hotness 02/05/2014 at 08:49

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Ugh - and I've seen people do that. There a neighborhood to the left before you get to the stop of the hill, so if someone pulls this crap, there are cars lined up all the way back to the intersection on a steep incline, waiting for that ass to turn left.

journeymanbaiter > davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com 02/05/2014 at 15:00

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You didn't cut anyone off when you changed lanes after the holeshot, so you're golden.

puddler > davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com 04/23/2014 at 22:39

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i thought it was an unwritten rule of the road, if you take the empty lane at the light, you've gotta earn it.

mazdaspeed2 > davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com 04/24/2014 at 09:03

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I think most people would call you a dick, and I probably would too (newer BMW stereotypes are often very accurate). That being said, if I didn't have all of 90whp (Mazda 2 problems), I would definitely do it too haha. Bottom line, you aren't doing anything illegal, and as long as you're not cutting people off enjoy your horses!

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > mazdaspeed2 04/24/2014 at 09:06

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Ha! Thanks. I do my best the be overly polite in traffic to counteract the stereotype, but the holeshot is often too tempting to pass up...

mazdaspeed2 > davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com 04/24/2014 at 09:13

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I used to drive a Mazdaspeed Protege (150 whp!!) and it was difficult to pass up a chance to use the boost, haha. How do you like your m3, and what does the car feel like to drive?

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > mazdaspeed2 04/24/2014 at 09:19

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I absolutely adore it, and hope to keep it for the long haul. That said, it's considerably heavier than my Mazda, and you can feel it. Power can never make up for weight. Never. Being able to flog the hell out of my 3s hatch around town, day in and day out, and still get 25 mpg was pretty fantastic. It was the perfect car for that time of my life. I sold it to a friend in town, and he's loving it. I haven't driven it since I sold it; I probably should to see how I like it after driven my car for almost two years.

mazdaspeed2 > davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com 04/24/2014 at 09:32

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The weight would probably be a deal-breaker for me. I lost 70 hp going to the 2, but I also lost about 500 lbs and I would make that trade again. I definitely miss the boost, but I have yet to find a road where I can't drive the 2 at 11/10ths. If there was a tune or some way to get maybe 30-40 more hp I would do it, but having a car that weighs only 2300 lbs hasn't gotten old yet.

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > mazdaspeed2 04/24/2014 at 09:53

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The only Hot Wheels (Matchbox, actually) I have at work is a Caterham Superlight R500, if that tells you anything.

mazdaspeed2 > davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com 04/24/2014 at 10:53

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Haha, I like your style.

Justin is driven > davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com 04/30/2014 at 13:53

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As long as the right lane is not a turn lane, then yeah, sure, go for it. Getting ahead of the rabble is a great idea most of the time, as long as you're not cutting anyone off or otherwise being a dickhole.

BeholdTheCamaro > Chteelers 05/02/2014 at 09:40

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I used to go for the holeshot whenever I saw it, but not any more after this exact thing happened to me. I was in the far right lane and ended up with a Tahoe on my left that I couldn't see over too well, but I figured that just this once I'd be fine. The light turned green, I gunned it, and some idiot ran the red on the cross street and smacked me right in the front driver's-side wheel. Their insurance paid for everything and I actually got back more than the cost of the car, but I got a concussion and my car has been totaled.

I went back and looked at the light later. The cross street light is red for a full two seconds before my light turns green.

Chteelers > BeholdTheCamaro 05/02/2014 at 10:33

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Yup. Glad your accident wasn't more severe and that you walked away. Additionally, this is why I don't "time the green" either. You know, approaching a red light at normal speed cause you know it'll turn green when you hit the intersection. That's just begging for a high speed T-bone from cross traffic trying to squeeze through on 'orange' light.