Okay, Minut, the more I read of your posts the more I'm convinced it's just a matter of semantics. I think you're confusing a situation where the traffic merge has just started to create a slowdown with the situation where traffic has clearly formed lanes and those lanes have come to a stop or they are stop-and-go.

Having said that, if you are trying to tell me that you could come up on a traffic jam where you see, let's say, two lanes of traffic each a mile long, you would feel you're correct in traveling past both of those lanes of traffic to the merge point where only one lane is open and trying to get in at the front of the line ?

If so, we should just move away from the conversation. Really.

 

You know, I've been reading this debate about the merge issue and I am intimately familiar with situations where the merge lane backs up because so many people wait to the last minute and try to cut everyone off who is moving at a crawl or at a standstill. I've been bullied by cars and SUV's who have had plenty of chances to merge and then decide that I have to stop traffic to let them in. After reading the posts from both sides I can only conclude the following:

1. People who do this sort of thing are thinking primarily of themselves and no one else. They feel entitled to get things the easiest way possible, even if it means putting other people out. They will not change, no matter how much you reason with them and try to make them see the very real error in their ways.

2. I will still continue to not let these people in unless it is obvious that they have a legitmate reason for having not merged when they HAD THE CHANCE. And they will always be pissed at me for doing this. That's OK, because the line of people behind me will be grateful to me. It especially cheeses me off when I see someone come out of the lane being merged into to skip ahead. They get extra special treatment from me!

On a positive note though, now that I don't live in the driving hell of S. FL anymore, I feel like I have become a more conscientious driver because I can tell that other people respect the fact they aren't the only ones on the road. Much less road stress and anger!

 

To some extent, I think you might be right. There is definately a difference between merging that causes congestion, and merging that does not. When I say "causes congestion" I am speaking of the resulting density in the remaining lanes as opposed to the method of merging. That is, congestion due to the number of vehicles in the remaining lanes exceeding the maximum number that would still allow free-flowing (speed unrestricted by density) traffic. I think those that are arguing for early merges are envisioning densities that are not congested in the remaining lanes, whereas I am talking about congested post-merge conditions. Further, I think those that are arguing for early merges wrongly believe that traffic would be uncongested without late mergers in conditions that are really exceeding the capacity of the remaining lanes. In those cases, the research and testing has shown that late merges are most efficient. If the capacity of the the remaining lanes is exceeded by the number of cars present, you will always get late merging, as early merging leads to a rearward travelling merge point and causes an expanding section of unused road. Nature abhors a vacuum, and so do drivers. There will never be a miles-long column of cars, since people will always fill a gap that is too long. I think the early merge people don't consider that early merging doesn't magically increase the capacity of the remaining lanes, nor does it magically decrease the safe following distance. Early merging is fine, if there isn't any traffic.

 

Okay, had to dig up my old thread to vent about the most recent lack of driving courtesy I've experienced.

Today, on my commute, was the worst case I've seen in a while. There's a line of about 8 cars going down a secondary road at about 60 mph. Not a car, but a truck... not just a truck, but a truck pulling a garden shed marked "Oversized Load"... pulls into the line of traffic not a hundred yards in front of the first car in this long line. So everyone has to hit the brakes firmly for this clown who then proceeds to drive 40 mph in a 55 zone for 10 miles where there's no chance to pass. :impatient

I see this a lot. People pulling out into traffic wherever they can squeeze in. Even people making right turns on red. They don't wait for the traffic to clear... just squeeze in and make a bunch of cars hit their brakes.

A lot of selfish drivers on the road these days.

 

Unfortunately there's not much you can do about it.

Interesting thread, though. Lots of passionate people about what is the proper technique for merging in heavy traffic. I'm glad there was something of a happy ending at least.

 

i gotta say im a horrible driver, to a point. i may cut you off but there is ALWAYS a signal and im running through lanes of traffic, ok no excuse for that one...i always use the speaker function on my cell phone...but i will almost always give the right of way to someone else

 

I almost got T-Boned the other night come home from work. It was a 5-Way intersection and I was on the main road through it, so I don't have a Stop. At least it was a large enough intersection so I had room to swerve. I still can't believe it, he must not be familiar with the place to know that I wasn't going to stop. My brakes work great though! I bet if I was in my van it would have happened, thank God that car can handle well!

 

It's called the "Me First" syndrome and I heard it called that about a year ago on a news segment on MSNBC. The term is also used for those that pass on the right and then cut into a line of traffic causing those behind to slam on brakes to avoid rear end collision.

There is zero patience in society anymore and the last thing that most folks will tolerate is sitting still waiting on a line of cars to pass to pull out safely. It doesn't matter whether it is an inconvenience to those passing by at speed or not...it's just pure arrogance. Unfortunately I see it many times on a daily basis and the worst are those doing a right turn on red without stopping and stop sign runners.

...and while we're on that subject when did STOP become YIELD? Any one else old enough to remember the 5-second rule?

 

I've noticed that a lot of people don't get the concept of a stop sign - you stop and wait until traffic is clear for you to proceed. They seem to think that the fact that they've stopped (even though the definition of "stopped" seems to be up for debate) means that they can go. "What?! You mean that I'm supposed to wait for two or three, or more cars to pass before I can go???" Idiots.

 

One I haven't seen yet.

Here in Vegas, we have lots of center medians that prevent one from entering the left turn lane too early. What I see are folks in the adjacent straight-ahead lane not pull up to the car in front of them which stretches out the line past the turn lane entry point. Where I go every day the left turn arrow goes first, followed by the general green light. Problem is these clowns keep me from getting into the turn lane even though it's completely clear until their light turns green...by the time I get over and up to the light, it's red. I have to sit through an entire light cycle, and here they are w...a...y t...o...o l...o...n...g. Drives me crazy

 

My peeves would include:
1) Tailgating!!!
2) Cutting into the carpool lane!!! (especially if they are alone!!!)
3) Changing lanes without signaling!!!

LA traffic is pretty bad so i experience this almost everyday :(

 

...run over them. I don't because it would probably damage the car.

Here are some that I haven't seen so far in this thread:

The bicyclist who behaves like a vehicle on the sidewalk or in a crosswalk and like a pedestrian when in traffic. WALK your bike in the crosswalk and on the sidewalk, and RIDE it in traffic!!:

The motorized scooter (as in the kids' "Razor" type) rider who thinks he should travel at 30mph along the sidewalk, and then dart into traffic. To a motorist's instantaneous glance, he looks like a pedestrian, but his ability to attain motorized vehicles' speeds makes him dangerous to others, but especially to himself. Yet for the most part , he seems to be oblivious to the risk.

Joggers, runners and walkers who use the center of the street as their private path, or who move 2-4 abreast to take up the right traffic lane instead of or in addition to the curb or sidewalk. I am so tempted to just take them out as they casually look over their shoulder and then as slowly and as grudgingly as possible move gradually to the right to make room for me to pass.

Last, but certainly not least (in addition to all the other peeves already mentioned by many others) the pedestrian who crosses against the light or jaywalks with no regard to the right of way of vehicles.

 

A true defensive driver must always yield "Right of Weight". You never win an argument with a car twice your size. You may be right, but all it does is let your estate maybe win a lawsuit.