# How were you taught to merge onto a freeway (motorway) **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 22, 2012, 3:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-were-you-taught-to-merge-onto-a-freeway-motorway/638489 "2012-10-22T03:50:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![robby](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robby/32/11048_2.png) [@robby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robby)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2012, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-were-you-taught-to-merge-onto-a-freeway-motorway/638489/41 "2012-10-29T19:36:34Z")
> [@robby](#): > > He proceeded down a highway entrance ramp at a steady 30 mph, then entered the freeway. I was right behind him, and he didn’t leave me enough room to properly accelerate before the ramp ended, which forced me onto the highway right in front of a semitrailer rapidly bearing down on me. I floored the accelerator of my company Prius (literally jamming the accelerator all the way to the floor), just barely avoiding ending up as a hood ornament on the semi. > [@Xema](#): > > IOW, you were almost responsible for creating a serious accident - not a good way to respond to the questionable (but unfortunately common) driving of the guy in front of you. How do you figure? I was rapidly approaching the end of the entrance ramp. At that point, I had just a split second to decide on one of two options: (1) I could have slammed on my brakes, hoping to not hit the guard rail, followed by an attempt to enter the highway (which had no breakdown lane here) from a dead stop; or (2) entered the highway slower than I would have liked (~35 mph), hoping that my blinking turn signal would, along with me obviously coming to the end of my lane, alert approaching drivers that they should let me enter. Instead, a semi decided to ride up my ass. Nevertheless, the main fault of this was the dumbass in front of me who refused to accelerate properly. In retrospect, I should have hung back more to give myself more room, but the ramp was shorter than I expected, and I also didn’t expect the dumbass ahead of me to enter a highway in such an idiotic manner. > [@robby](#): > > …If I hadn’t been in a company car, I would have honked at him and flipped him off. > [@Xema](#): > > …Which had zero chance of improving the situation and some real chance of making it worse. :rolleyes: Well, it would have made me feel better… 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![solosam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9d8465/32.png) [@solosam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/solosam)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2012, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-were-you-taught-to-merge-onto-a-freeway-motorway/638489/42 "2012-10-29T20:36:42Z")
I usually say the on-ramp is the like an aircraft carrier. By the end of the ramp you BETTER be up to speed, because the rest of the traffic will expect you to keep up with them. ---
**Author:** ![eschereal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eschereal/32/18939_2.png) [@eschereal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eschereal)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2012, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-were-you-taught-to-merge-onto-a-freeway-motorway/638489/43 "2012-10-29T21:01:14Z")
> [@Senegoid](#): > > One of my peeves is those on-ramps, off-ramps, or junctions where the on-ramp and the off-ramp cross … We have a lot of those around here, and if you ever listen to the traffic reports, you would find out there is a name for them. They are called “collector-distributors”, as they distribute onramp traffic to the freeway and collect offramp traffic from the freeway in a single lane. ---
**Author:** ![Xema](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/9de053/32.png) [@Xema](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Xema)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2012, 10:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-were-you-taught-to-merge-onto-a-freeway-motorway/638489/44 "2012-10-29T22:10:26Z")
> [@robby](#): > > In retrospect, I should have hung back more to give myself more room … That’s what I was thinking. > [@](#): > > … but the ramp was shorter than I expected… Okay, but you aren’t really entitled to assume that roads are constructed just as they should be. > [@](#): > > … and I also didn’t expect the dumbass ahead of me to enter a highway in such an idiotic manner. Sadly, dumbassery is all too common and something competent drivers should allow for. > [@](#): > > Well, it would have made me feel better… Clearly, the other guy deserved nothing better. But he’d already showed his lack of awareness, so it’s reasonable to think he might not have been aware of the reason for your gesture, and thus might have reacted aggressively to it. Among other drawbacks, a hostile gesture says that you were taken out of your comfort zone and were unable to demonstrate the “grace under pressure” that is the hallmark of a gentleman. By contrast, a thin smile in his direction says “Hey, no worries - drivers of the better sort are prepared to handle the problems that idiots like you create without fuss or strain.” ---
**Author:** ![robby](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robby/32/11048_2.png) [@robby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robby)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2012, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-were-you-taught-to-merge-onto-a-freeway-motorway/638489/45 "2012-10-31T17:26:49Z")
> [@Xema](#): > > …Among other drawbacks, a hostile gesture says that you were taken out of your comfort zone and were unable to demonstrate the “grace under pressure” that is the hallmark of a gentleman. By contrast, a thin smile in his direction says “Hey, no worries - drivers of the better sort are prepared to handle the problems that idiots like you create without fuss or strain.” Indeed. I can’t really argue with that. In fact, that’s the usual look I give drivers who just inconvenience me, like the ones who refuse to get out of the passing lane on the highway, even though they’re going well under the speed of traffic. In this case, though, I readily admit that the driver in question did manage to take me out of my comfort zone. As I noted above, I thought I was going to end up as a hood ornament on a semi. ---
**Author:** ![eschereal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eschereal/32/18939_2.png) [@eschereal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eschereal)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2012, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-were-you-taught-to-merge-onto-a-freeway-motorway/638489/46 "2012-10-31T20:15:14Z")
> [@Sailboat](#): > > Can’t recall seeing a ramp with a _stop sign_. I’d probably have an accident staring bug-eyed at the thing. [Try this one](http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&q=41.084554,-73.665270%20%28CT-15%20S,%20Greenwich,%20CT%20%2006831,%20United%20States%29), at Round Hill Rd in Greenwich, so that if you ever have to use it, you will be prepared and not have an accident. Both Round Hill Rd onramps have stop signs, but AFAICS, they are the only ones on Merritt Pkwy. A few of the others look a bit ugly-tight, though. ---
**Author:** ![Xema](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/9de053/32.png) [@Xema](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Xema)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2012, 10:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-were-you-taught-to-merge-onto-a-freeway-motorway/638489/47 "2012-10-31T22:02:27Z")
> [@robby](#): > > As I noted above, I thought I was going to end up as a hood ornament on a semi. I’ll concede that the fact you didn’t suggests your handling of the situation was acceptable, if not perhaps exemplary. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-were-you-taught-to-merge-onto-a-freeway-motorway/638489.md?page=2)