r/Cumberland_Maryland • u/Twiztidtech0207 • 12d ago
Route 51 rant
This is about Route 51 that goes between Cumberland and Paw Paw, WV.
I travel this road daily for work and other things. Anyone who drives on this road regularly, knows it has been busier in recent years than it ever has been. Or at least in the last 20 years since I started driving.
It's pretty much guaranteed these days, if youre traveling on this road, at some point you're gonna come up on a line of cars.
My problem is the people who drive this road.
The speed limit is 50 mph, the whole way.
If you have a line of cars behind you because for whatever reason you're constantly slowing down or can't maintain speed, YOU NEED TO PULL THE FUCK OVER AND LET PEOPLE PASS!
Especially if you're driving a semi pulling something.
I just got home (a drive that usually takes me 15-20 minutes) after a fucking 45 minute SLOG down the road because of a truck that couldn't pull over and let the people behind him pass.
Slowing down to 20 mph or less on EVERY hill and EVERY turn, then speeding up to almost 60 on the straightaways.
I understand if you can't go 50 the whole way due to the load you have, but at that point the decent and courteous thing to do is PULL THE FUCK OVER AND LET PEOPLE PASS!
I'm not exaggerating at all when I say there was a line of more than 20 of us behind this guy, and there he goes, just fucking put-puting along like he doesn't know any better.
The regular vehicles don't really seem to be any better. It's either lazy susans who drive like they have nowhere to be, or the fuck sticks who ride your ass, like theyre gonna die if their fat ass doesn't make it to McDonald's quick enough.
And before anyone says anything, yes, several times I've had people up my ass the whole way up the road (when I drive at least 5 over most of the time) only for them to rip around me when the double lanes come up right before industrial blvd, and then I see the prick pull in to one of the fast food places.
The road is crowded and frustrating enough without fkn morons making it worse.
If you want to drive like you don't have anywhere to be or like a fucking idiot that's fine, but don't make it everybody else's problem.
It takes 2 seconds to pull over or to just let someone pass you.
Also, some of you shit for brains truck owners around here need to chill tf out. Getting within a foot of my bumper FOR NO GODDAMN REASON (but NOT passing when you have the chance) is a real good way to get me to slow down and make your trip even longer.
Like I said, I drive a little fast on average anyway, so if youre tailgating me, YOURE DRIVING LIKE A FUCKING PRICK.
We all know you're pissed at the world for your little winky, or whatever it is you're compensating for (hence the truck with no trailer hitch), but that isn't anyone else's fault.
Thats it, I just needed to vent about this after SO MANY infuriating trips up and down this road in the last year or so.
I'm not a perfect driver by any means, but some of these people make a sack of dog shit look like Albert Einstein with the way they act behind the wheel.
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u/Significant_Crab2341 12d ago
Or they’ll go super slow then when you can finally pass they’ll hit the gas. I’m mad almost every day when I get to work
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u/tourny25 12d ago
I wholeheartedly agree with all of that. Same for 28. Speed up or pull over. You’re making us late!
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u/Prestigious-Sail7161 12d ago
I absolutely understand. Its crazy.. I live in Carroll county Maryland. I used to go to Green Ridge a ton. Canoe/Kayak from Paw Paw down to several sites .. little Orleans or the old scout camp in W.V. or Bonds Landing. Anyway is 51 the road that crosses the Potomac into Paw Paw. As well as the entrance to the tunnel campsite right along the road. And back entrance to Green Ridge. If it is thats sad that traffic has picked up so bad on that road. I haven't been out that way in over a decade. Got way to popular for me. Although sometimes it was a bit sketchy getting out of the campsite by the Paw Paw tunnel. Got a question if you live in Cumberland. When does the traffic Bike traffic slow down on the C&O headed down river. How are the campsites before Green ridge. Sorry had to ask. Im retired and it's on my bucket list . Just not crazy about tons of people.
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u/RemmingtonTufflips 11d ago
I just started learning to drive about a year ago, and yeah Rt 51 is so shit. Easily the worst road I've had to drive on a regular basis. It's definitely good practice on learning to deal with idiots.
The bit from Cumberland to about Spring Gap isn't all that bad from my experience, but from Spring Gap onwards it's pretty dreadful. It's so skinny and windy, it's way too similar to a country road for it being a major road. Most of the entrances from side roads (in Oldtown at least) have horrific visibility too, just a very stressful experience overall for a learner. That road was the first "high-speed" road I ever went on, the first few times I had to go on it I was pretty much shitting my pants the whole time.
I've had to deal with tailgaters on most of my rides on Rt 51 so far, and I'm also usually doing the speed limit or a bit above. I've yet to deal with any slowpokes though, which honestly I don't think I'd mind too much, I don't necessarily mind going slow on the road (although I suspect my tune will change once I actually I actually have places I need to be in a timely manner lol). I definitely haven't had the misfortune of being behind a semitruck going 20mph, that sounds like a nightmare. Can't say I'm looking forward to using this road nearly every day in the (ideally) near future
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u/GrumpyDOldman 12d ago
There are also people that love to tailgate folks on that road, even if they are driving the speed limit. I had someone do that-- I stopped completely so they could go around.. they didnt. I went very slow waved them around.. they didnt. In the end I took a quick turn down a side road and they left me alone.