Merging on a Highway

[jalapeno_pretzel]

Exactly! I am so annoyed if I do it right and wait in queue then have some smarty pants come whizzing along and expect to get in front of me. Nope. I would rather park and sleep in that spot than let them in.

Except you aren’t doing it right.

Not only are they not doing it right, but in my state what they are suggesting may soon become illegal and they could receive a traffic ticket for it.

 

[dioxide45]

Yes, but it only works if you are far enough back that you can merge easily with no slowing up or stops. Otherwise it is line cutting and done only to get ahead of others. I had Drivers ED in the 60's and they taught a lot of things back then that aren't relevant in todays traffic.

Yeah, I was taught wrong things even with driver's ed in the 80s, like adjusting your side mirrors so you are mostly looking at your car instead of using them to avoid blind spots.

 

[Moliphino]

If getting into the left lane wasn't an option, then it sounds like slowing down would have pretty reasonable especially considering you were getting off at the next exit and would need to slow down anyways. It's just about human decency...why would one not try to be helpful to another when does nothing to inconvenience them etc. Your choice of course, but I agree I'd think you were a jerk if I saw the situation. Having said that some ppl. enjoy being a jerk, so such is life.

It didn't seem like a situation where the other driver would have an issue and would need help. It was a simple merge into light traffic. If he had just slowed down slightly he could've gotten on behind me easily, instead of driving up alongside me and having to hit the brakes harder when the merge lane ended.

 

[JLTraveling]

Isn't it a jerk move of the merging car not to have slowed down to pull in behind?

And two wrongs make a right? Or I guess both parties can stand their ground right into a collision or a shootout, if that makes them both feel better....

 

[Christine]

Yes, but it only works if you are far enough back that you can merge easily with no slowing up or stops. Otherwise it is line cutting and done only to get ahead of others. I had Drivers ED in the 60's and they taught a lot of things back then that aren't relevant in todays traffic.

Yeah, thinking back to those days, honestly, we never really had traffic. Not like now.

 

[kdonnel]

And two wrongs make a right? Or I guess both parties can stand their ground right into a collision or a shootout, if that makes them both feel better....

I can't find the story because it is difficult to Google Richard Petty Accident and not get Nascar related stories but.....

He ran for political office in North Carolina. During the campaign he was in a car accident. His explanation of what happened was basically that the other driver would not get out of his way so he rammed them.

We should all drive like Richard Petty.

edited to add:
Found a story, doesn't mention his ultimate response.
https://greensboro.com/richard-pett...cle_9b367971-70ea-5a5a-97a6-af97a4975884.html

 

[RedHead0186]

Thought of this thread yesterday afternoon when merging on to a highway during rush hour. There was a car in front of me that wasn't quite getting up to speed. I tried to hang back a bit (even though I like to hit the top/bottom of the ramp at highway speed), until I saw the traffic patterns and realized there was a long line of cars in the right lane (and no room for any of them to move over as there was a long line of cars passing in the left lane). So I sped up a bit and had to get pretty close to that car in front of me and had juuuuust enough room to sneak in ahead of the car coming up behind on the highway (not merging). The car in front of me that was also merging had plenty of room in front of her, so it seems she could have sped up a bit to give me a bit more room to squeeze (not legally her responsibility, but common courtesy). When I ended up passing her later on she shot me a look, I was like "what did you want me to do?"

It all turned out just fine, but certainly made me think of this thread!

 

[tzolkin]

It's kind of surprising how many people don't seem to understand the concept of zipper merging and how it keeps traffic flowing better. Glad I'm in an area where most people get it. I'll see the occasional car practically rear ending the one in front of them trying to keep someone out and force them off the road, but most people know how to take turns.

We just took a road trip last week with lots of construction. There was one lady who was actually trying to shove cars off the road and block the lanes with her SUV to ensure that no one could get in. I see people often like that, but she was over the top.

Exactly! I am so annoyed if I do it right and wait in queue then have some smarty pants come whizzing along and expect to get in front of me. Nope. I would rather park and sleep in that spot than let them in.

And this is exactly why the traffic backs up and people get into accidents. Everyone has to come to a complete stop because of the few who are refusing to allow others to take turns.

There seems to be this bizarre and angry sense of "justice" that some people seem to have about merging lanes. People who are convinced that they are absolutely correct and they are going to "punish" those who they think are wrong with an "I'll show you" type of attitude. People sit in traffic for ages fuming, swearing, and poised to block everyone else from getting in. Wouldn't it just be more pleasant overall for everyone to just relax and take turns one car from each lane at a time while keeping the traffic flowing? I really don't understand why some are so adamantly opposed to proper merging.

 

[Robber Baron]

They always have lots of temporary signs for a lane closure. I think they should make every other one a zipper illustration.

 

[gmi3804]

There seems to be this bizarre and angry sense of "justice" that some people seem to have about merging lanes. People who are convinced that they are absolutely correct and they are going to "punish" those who they think are wrong with an "I'll show you" type of attitude. People sit in traffic for ages fuming, swearing, and poised to block everyone else from getting in. Wouldn't it just be more pleasant overall for everyone to just relax and take turns one car from each lane at a time while keeping the traffic flowing? I really don't understand why some are so adamantly opposed to proper merging.

People like that must be hell to live with.

 

[SirDuff]

Not only are they not doing it right, but in my state what they are suggesting may soon become illegal and they could receive a traffic ticket for it.

We just took a road trip last week with lots of construction. There was one lady who was actually trying to shove cars off the road and block the lanes with her SUV to ensure that no one could get in. I see people often like that, but she was over the top.


And this is exactly why the traffic backs up and people get into accidents. Everyone has to come to a complete stop because of the few who are refusing to allow others to take turns.

There seems to be this bizarre and angry sense of "justice" that some people seem to have about merging lanes. People who are convinced that they are absolutely correct and they are going to "punish" those who they think are wrong with an "I'll show you" type of attitude. People sit in traffic for ages fuming, swearing, and poised to block everyone else from getting in. Wouldn't it just be more pleasant overall for everyone to just relax and take turns one car from each lane at a time while keeping the traffic flowing? I really don't understand why some are so adamantly opposed to proper merging.

Ironically, those with the "I'll show them" statements are the ones in the wrong.

 

[Christine]

We just took a road trip last week with lots of construction. There was one lady who was actually trying to shove cars off the road and block the lanes with her SUV to ensure that no one could get in. I see people often like that, but she was over the top.


And this is exactly why the traffic backs up and people get into accidents. Everyone has to come to a complete stop because of the few who are refusing to allow others to take turns.

There seems to be this bizarre and angry sense of "justice" that some people seem to have about merging lanes. People who are convinced that they are absolutely correct and they are going to "punish" those who they think are wrong with an "I'll show you" type of attitude. People sit in traffic for ages fuming, swearing, and poised to block everyone else from getting in. Wouldn't it just be more pleasant overall for everyone to just relax and take turns one car from each lane at a time while keeping the traffic flowing? I really don't understand why some are so adamantly opposed to proper merging.

Yeah, that "justice" attitude. They think that since you are just coming off an exit and merging in front of them, you are somehow getting over on them and gaining some sort of time advantage that they don't want you to have because they just suffered through "X" amount of traffic on the road they were already on. Just stupid.

 

[gmi3804]

Yeah, that "justice" attitude. They think that since you are just coming off an exit and merging in front of them, you are somehow getting over on them and gaining some sort of time advantage that they don't want you to have because they just suffered through "X" amount of traffic on the road they were already on. Just stupid.

I think you're on to something. It's ignorance of the rule and determination to somehow "make you pay" for having the "nerve" to actually do what's right. But of course, to them, what you're doing is not right.

 

[RangerPooh]

The driver already on the highway has the right of way. They are to speed up or slow down to get on. When possible you're encouraged to move over a lane to the left to allow them to merge onto the highway safely. Yet, sometimes it's not possible or in your case, you're abut to exit and needed to remain in the right lane.

I think there's a lot of people who 1) have never read the handbook, 2) don't have licenses but continue to drive, and 3) are just rude drivers.

 

[RedHead0186]

The driver already on the highway has the right of way. They are to speed up or slow down to get on.

Your pronoun use is a little off here. Seems like "they" is referring to the driver already on the highway. Context clues lead me to believe "they" is actually referring to the driver merging on the highway, but it's not super clear they way you wrote it.

 

[sam_gordon]

in your case, you're abut to exit and needed to remain in the right lane.

I'm sorry, a mile to the exit is LOTS of time to change lanes and the return.

 

[kdonnel]

I'm sorry, a mile to the exit is LOTS of time to change lanes and the return.

A mile at 70 mph is 51 seconds.

I am not so sure that there is time to safely merge twice in 51 seconds in most traffic situations.

 

[Moliphino]

I'm sorry, a mile to the exit is LOTS of time to change lanes and the return.

It was a bit less than a mile. The mile marker was on the overpass of the road that the other car was coming onto the highway from.

 

[sasywtch]

CA onramps were built to allow a vehicle to come up to freeway speeds. I don't know a single person that is in the right lane that doesn't scan the oncoming onramp to see if they need to move over, speed up/slow down to allow that person in. If you are whistling dixie instead of paying attention to merging traffic in CA, you'd probably get the not so nice hand wave in addition to the long lay your hand on the horn, honk.
Regarding our metered ramps. I'm in favor of them during rush hour. It allows for a better zipper type of situation to keep the freeway moving even though it may back up the oncoming ramp a little. But to be fair, in rush hour you're either sitting in traffic on the freeway or the ramp anyway. This way there isn't 50 cars trying to zip all at once.
The zipper situation when a lane ends or construction. When the sign a half mile back tells you to merge due to lane closures, those that follow the rules tend to do so. So, when they are waiting in that line and watching others who don't merge right away and they get ahead of them, they get irritated. If they want you to zipper up ahead, why have the signs a mile back telling you to merge to the left? And yes, they have the signs telling you to move over about a mile back. You are taking your chances here as a lot of people will not let you in if they've been waiting a long time. There is one area on I5 near downtown (from the airport, right around 880 overpass) where it goes from 4 lanes to 3. It tells you this miles back. During rush hour in the morning, there would be a long line in the 3 lane. You would occassionally see someone buzz by in that 4 lane trying to overtake the people in the 3 lane. Rush hour people are NOT nice in the morning. They will be bumper to bumper, they will stradle the 3/4 lane not allowing a car to move forward in the 4 lane. Sounds rude but 90% of those on the freeway at that time from the people in the 3 and 4 lanes are/were state workers and we all had to get to work. You weren't special to get ahead of anyone.

 

[jalapeno_pretzel]

If they want you to zipper up ahead, why have the signs a mile back telling you to merge to the left? And yes, they have the signs telling you to move over about a mile back.

Why do you have signs a mile or more in advance telling you the exit number coming up? So you have time to be prepared.

Same with construction signs. Of course they're going to let you know in advance that a lane is going to end ... they don't want you just flying down the lane at regular speed, completely oblivious, and suddenly poof, your lane ends. The fact that they let you know in advance that a lane is going to end does not negate that they recommend zipper merging at the point where the lane actually ends since it is safer and more efficient.