To all drivers.....

[LoraJ]

This is what I was talking about, though. If I'm the only around, then, yes, I'll be courteous. Honestly, though, I don't have to be courteous. The ramp has a "yield" sign, so those on the highway are under no obligation to let anyone in. I'm sorry if you have to stop on the on-ramp, but sometimes that's the way it goes.

Actually, you should be courteous. My driving instructor taught me how to either speed up to get out of their way or take my foot off the accelerator so that the on-coming traffic could get in. Otherwise you are causing a dangerous situation for them.

 

[Toad_Passenger]

Actually, you should be courteous. My driving instructor taught me how to either speed up to get out of their way or take my foot off the accelerator so that the on-coming traffic could get in. Otherwise you are causing a dangerous situation for them.

Which, as I said, is fine if no one is around. But if I cannot move into the left lane, nor is there adequate space in front or behind me, I'm under no obligation to let the on-ramp merge. If they choose to ignore the "Yield" sign and try to bully their way in, then THEY are the ones creating the dangerous situation, not me.

 

[happywanderer2]

OT,but you are complaining about other drivers so I'll put my 2 cents in. Please, if you are going to turn right at the next light would you get your stinkin car butt in the right lane at a reasonable distance and not stay in the left lane so you can get in front of all the other cars in the right lane, and then barge into the right lane a few feet away from light!

The other day I was in the right lane because I had to turn right just past the light, and I had no less than 3 cars pull in front of me when there was no more than a car length between me and the car in front. The last straw was when I was about 30 ft.from the light someone cut in front of me to then stop and turn right, making me miss the light. And the kicker was that there was no one behind me and the other driver could have stayed behind me and both of us would have made the light. I tell you, there must have been an increase in secretory diarrhea and projectile vomiting that night--if my curses came through.

 

[Arielle22]

I'm sure you can do that if the road you are traveling on is not very busy, but during the morning rush hour in Philadelphia, you better get over as soon as you see enough space. If you wait until the end of the exit ramp, you may never be able to get over.

I hate to see people cut over from the ramp. Wait your turn! If the lane and ramp traffic are going merging evenly (zipper effect) then why mess it up by cutting into traffic? I don't yield to those people.

Here in Boston rush hour it is an impossibility to not stop on the ramps. Traffic is backed up their entire length. During the weekends in Boston traffic is almost as bad as weekdays.

My pet peeve is if you drive in the HOV lane, don't feel you have to go as slow as normal traffic (20-30 mph). If there is no backup in the HOV lane go the speed limit.

 

[Heidict]

And for those already on the highway, please allow those coming onto the highway to get onto the highway safely. Don't hog the highway, thinking you're the ONLY PERSON ON THERE. Well. Newsflash. You're NOT. If someone is having to STOP on the on ramp because you won't move over, it creates a safety problem because then that person has to accelerate from ZERO right at the highway, causing the other drivers to get upset and they have to slow down or quickly move to the other lane, again a safety issue.

Traffic on the highway has right of way. It is the responsibility of the people coming onto the highway to merge and yield to the right of way traffic.

It is not the responsibility of the people going 65-75 mph to slam on their brakes for you, or cut off traffic in another lane to make room for you.

It is your (the merging cars) responsibility to adjust your speed to get on the highway safely, not the highway people.

 

[kaytieeldr]

And the kicker was that there was no one behind me

I HATE drivers who do that!!!! At least you're a good and careful enough driver not to hit them when they cut you off - because when they're not following the 'wait until you can see both headlights in your rear view mirror' tenet, they are driving unsafely (and by unsafely, I mean stupidly ). In fact, you just reminded me I need to call a trucking company and complain about one of their drivers' asinine move yesterday...

===

Speaking of yield signs - no, happywanderer2 wasn't , but many other posters in this thread are... two other things annoy me. One is misuse/confusion between "stop" and "yield" - many times, I see drivers entering highways driving through stop signs as if they didn't exist - gotta get onto that local highway, ya know!; or stopping at yield signs and waiting until... wait for it... the road is clear before attempting to enter the highway - none of this silly merge stuff...

But wait, that's not all! My own highway access is perfectly designed.
True, it's a short ramp ending in a yield sign.
The ramp empties into a half-mile long merging lane.
The ONLY vehicles in the merging lane are ones coming off the ramp and the very rare breakdown.
More than half the drivers I've seen DON'T KNOW HOW TO USE THE YIELD SIGN/MERGE LANE COMBO.
Most often, they'll stop at the top of the ramp (backing up highway-bound traffic onto local streets) and wait for the road to clear.
After a stop, they proceed immediately into the traveling lane.
Drivers who do [ahem] 'yield' often don't bother to look first to see if there's any traffic coming and also swing right out from the ramp to the travel lane.
Even drivers who do appear to slow and look left to be sure it's safe to proceed frequently go right to the travel lane, ignoring the safety of the merge lane to get up to highway speed.

And yes, everything is clearly marked.

 

[kaytieeldr]

It is not the responsibility of the people going 65-75 mph to slam on their brakes for you, or cut off traffic in another lane to make room for you.

It is your (the merging cars) responsibility to adjust your speed to get on the highway safely, not the highway people.

Oh, sure - understood. But since the road is shared, the safe, smart driver would try to leave the far right lane FOR drivers entering / exiting the highway when possible, instead driving in the traveling and, when appropriate, passing lanes.

 

[Heidict]

Oh, sure - understood. But since the road is shared, the safe, smart driver would try to leave the far right lane FOR drivers entering / exiting the highway when possible, instead driving in the traveling and, when appropriate, passing lanes.

But what if there are only 2 lanes? The travel and passing lanes? That is how it is for most of my commute. Thankfully though it's not bumber to bumber so it's generally easy to get on a highway here.

It's only when we get into the city and open to 3 lanes that it gets crazy. That is when the fun starts. Most people are good about doing the "every other" car merge thingy. Some though are idiots.

 

[Disney Ella]

I hate to see people cut over from the ramp. Wait your turn! If the lane and ramp traffic are going merging evenly (zipper effect) then why mess it up by cutting into traffic? I don't yield to those people.

That would be fine if the people already in the right lane slowed down when they saw someone approaching the end of the ramp and actually let them in, but they don't. And when I say you have to merge whenever there is a space, I am not talking about cutting anyone off. I am talking about timing your speed on the ramp to match the available spaces in traffic.