Curse you.
I refuse to lower myself to the common denominator.
Instead, by my shining example I will drag the masses - kicking and screaming if necessary - to evolve until they attain my higher stage of being!
Sorry about the hijack - just wanted to respond briefly.
My GM was built in Michigan, thank you very much. So was my husband’s. With parts produced partially in Lordstown, Ohio. When the profits Honda and Nissan receive for their cars stay in America rather than going back to Japan, my attitude may change. Chrysler no longer fits under the “domestic” aegis, either. (There’s also my 100 Years Between Wars rule, but that’s another story.)
**
Like the '89 Corsica my dad bought as a beater when he retired? 200K+ miles on it, and running like a champ. I think he changed the spark plug wires a few months ago… And then there’s my buddy’s $35,000 Acura, that needed to have the entire power steering system rebuilt within 8000 miles.
Like I said - it’s my own personal prejudice. And I kinda like it.
Ok, a theater. There are two lines, one is to buy a ticket from a cashier, one is to wait to get in the theater. Imagine that there is an open cashier and nobody is changing lines to use it? You certainly wouldn’t just stand there at the back of the line, would you? Of course not, you would go and use that open cashier, then take your place in line #2. The theater is going to get filled up at the same exact rate, only the order of people that get in will be changed.
Of course, we are not talking about being in line, we are talking about driving. When driving, one is allowed to pass another driver, if one wishes to, this is never true with cutting in line. That empty lane is a perfectly valid lane for a person to drive in, just like it is valid to go to an open cashier, if nobody else is.
The fact is that most of these traffic jams are not caused by the last guy trying to shoehorn in, it’s caused by volume pure and simple. The fact that the traffic is stop and go makes the last second merge possible, at full speed it is terribly dangerous.
Thanks, sweetie. I’m now quite impressed that you can merge smoothly and politely after going around every other car and merging right before the end. I’ve never, in my 20+ years of driving, 10 of it in Chicago rush hours, ever seen somebody do the late merge in a smooth and polite way, because it isn’t polite to piss off the 15 people you pulled in front of. But I’m sure you’re the exception. I fully and completely apologize for having my audicity. I’ll even go so far as to ignoring the amusing irony of somebody who registered here a year AFTER I did telling me to “Stick around.” Hell, I’ll just sit back and enjoy your hypocricy too. Thanks for the laugh.
It seems to me it is pretty obvious that if the sign is up two miles before hand it is the primary responisbility of the person in the lane about to end to merge safely, not right away, not at the last minute, but when an ample opportunity to do so hapens. I suppose it may be at the last minute, but the problem of waitng until then is that you have no option but to merge, whether it is safe or convenient to do so.
I was just in the situation like this on Sunday. The stupid cars lined up way, way, way early. It was a waste of road. It was irritating. I wondered for the 857th time why we are not taught, in driver’s ed, to wait until the end and go left, right, left, right smoothly and quickly into the single lane. I think this method is better, but either method would work fairly well as long as EVERYONE does the same thing: either everyone gets over, or everyone waits to the end. That’s obvious.
That’s why I got over early, along with the other drivers around me. It’s what the vast majority of cars were doing. Even though I don’t think this was the most efficient way to get a herd of cars through, acting with the group is the fairest thing. To do otherwise would be to exacerbate the problem and cut people off who were clearly ahead of me in the queue. The main reason the clogged lane wasn’t moving smoothly was identified by zut: drivers using the blank lane to bypass all the cars to go the front and then force them to let them in.
Is it frustrating that people use the road inefficiently? Yes. Do I wish they wouldn’t merge so early? Yes. Does that justify me being a dickweed (a dickweed being someone who knowingly makes the problem worse for their own selfish gain)? Well, I don’t feel like it does.
I was getting incredibly irritated at the few people who were zooming by me, so I unwrapped some unchewed candy and heaved individual pieces out the window at them as they passed by. Juvenile? Oh yeah. But it made me feel better, and it passed the time.
Not in front of me, it ain’t. If I’ve been patiently waiting in the correct line (lane) like the good little sheep I am, and you come zooming up from somewhere behind me and then want to nose in in front of me at the last possible second, hell will freeze over before I let you in.
IMO, “lane ends 2 mi.” is the signal for people to begin orderly merging. It doesn’t mean everyone should immediately try to get in the non-ending lane right that second, but it also doesn’t mean that people should travel “1.999 miles” before trying to merge. When I see a sign like that, I start looking for a chance to merge and I merge when I can. Then I also let other people in as we all travel merrily along.
But the asshole who roars up at the very last second and then tries to force his way back over is not going to be allowed to do so where I can control it, which is to say directly in front of me. Is it human nature? Sure. Is it petty? Maybe. But that’s just the way it is in my world. If your time is ever so important that you cannot reasonably wait your turn like the rest of us peons, get yourself some emergency lights and a siren, and then maybe I’ll let you in.
Okay. So which one of y’all was it that tried to cut in front of me on 93, got pissed when I denied access, and proceeded to roll down your window and yell at me? It’s not that I feel like being bitchy, but I dont see why I should stop to let you in because you failed to merge in time. If you had 2 miles, why wait till the last second? You had plenty of notice.
I also hate when there’s a 2 lane stoplight-one lane to go straight, and one to turn. Dont cut off everyone in the turn lane, make your way to the front of the straight lane, and try to cut me off as the light turns green. Surprise, I’m not letting you go. Does that make me a bitch? I guess so.
To be honest with you, staying put will probably get you your tickets faster.
Figure it this way- invariably there will be sods from line one who will try to squeeze themselves over to line two and take advantage of the newfound window. But as everyone crowds themselves over there and up to the front of line two, all that’s happened is added confusion and congestion as the people try and sort out their new placement in that line. And meanwhile, back in line one, the mass exodus of idiots who have moved over to the new line have in effect opened up and relieved the congestion in it. The result? A faster and smoother line one, and probably a set of tickets faster than had you switched to line two.
Cool, eh?
I assume, however, that you really didn’t want us to read into this that literally. Sorry.
Using your analogy of the ticket line and the merge lane, let me ask you this- how would you feel about a person in back of line one barging his/her way up to the front of line two?
If your like anyone else, you probably be pissed. There you are, standing around waiting for your turn at getting a ticket, and here this guy comes along and defeats the whole purpose of it all. By way of his actions, he’s basically said to everyone else, ‘Hey, I don’t care what you’re doing, or why you’re doing it. I’m getting my tickets and fuck off to you.’. Not only is he doing that, but he’s also taking advantage of the people who have patiently waited their turn in line.
Talk about rude, arrogant, jackass behavior. Sheesh!
Oh, and if someone tries to stop your sorry ass from cutting in line of everyone else, I’ll applaud the hell out of them (If, by chance, it doesn’t happen to be me- I’m a self-described ‘Merge Policeman’ you lament above). More power to the person who tries to thwart your stunt.
Outside of that, I’m with zut. He’s got it straight.
In his book Dave Barry’s Guide to Guys, Barry describes a situation wherein two cars are proceeding, stop-and-go fashion, side-by-side down an interstate at rush hour. One lane ends due to construction up ahead. Both cars are moving maybe one mile an hour, when they’re moving at all. The guy in the non-closing lane obviously feels entitled to his place in the road. The guy in the closing lane just as obviously feels that the first guy should let him in. And so the two cars, at approximately one mile an hour, wreck. Barry described it as “the world’s most avoidable accident.”
As someone who has studied traffic engineering, I can give a technical explanation as to why it is better to merge at or near point where the lane actually ends, rather than long before. This explanation is oversimplified, but the theory stands up.
A key equation in traffic engineering is that volume and speed on a given stretch of highway are inversely proportional. That is to say, the more traffic volume, the lower the speed.
Based on road conditions (lane configuration, turns, grades, roadside obstructions, mix of cars/trucks/buses, etc.) traffic engineers have formulas that will determine the speed at which traffic will flow for a given traffic volume. These formulas are based on observed traffic phenomena, and translate quite well to actual real-life road performance.
Lets say, for instance, that we’ve got a stretch of highway with two lanes in the relevant direction, and a total traffic volume of 1000 cars per hour in that direction. This would give a traffic volume per lane of 500, if both lanes were open, and a volume per lane of 1000 if only one is open.
In our example, the average speed on the highway might be 60 mph for a volume per lane of 500, and 20 mph for a volume per lane of 1000.
Let’s consider a 3 mile stretch of highway, the last mile of which is reduced to one lane. If the traffic all shifts into one lane at the beginning of the stretch (2 miles before the lanes actually come together) the traffic volume will be 1000 cars per lane for the whole 3 miles. Accordingly, the speed of traffic will be 20 mph for the whole length, meaning that the traffic will take 9 minutes to travel the 3 miles.
If on the other hand, all of the traffic were to stay in two lanes for the two miles leading up to the point where the lanes actually come together, the volume will be 500 cars per lane for the first two miles, and 1000 cars per lane for the last mile. Accordingly, the traffic will be able to travel at 60 mph for two miles and at 20 mph for only one mile. The traffic will be able to travel the first two miles in 2 minutes, and the last mile in 3 minutes, giving a total travel time of 5 minutes.
Although this is a simplification, and ignores merge and deceleration effects (which you’ll get whether the traffic shifts to one lane at the point where the lanes actually come together or two miles before), the 4 minute difference in travel time for that highway stretch is very significant. The higher volume the highway has, the larger the time difference will be.
In short, when warned of a lane merge you should continue down the highway in your lane for as long as you can and still safely and smoothly merge.
This is a bit difficult to describe (like describing tying one’s shoes) but I’ll try.
On my commute home, a three-lane (LEFT, CENTER, RIGHT) SOUTHbound highway becomes 2 lanes going EAST and 2 lanes going WEST; the center lane splits in two. If you want to go EAST you should be in either the RIGHT or CENTER (southbound) lane. If you want to go WEST, you should be in either the LEFT or CENTER (southbound) lane. Signs announce the split starting about 2 miles in advance.
The 2 lanes (eventually) going EAST merge with another EASTbound highway carrying heavy commuter traffic out of the city. So what happens is the 2 SOUTH/EASTbound lanes (i.e. CENTER and RIGHT lanes) get totally backed up. Traffic is basically stop-and-go for a mile or two before the split.
(Bear with me, I’m getting to the point, really I am!)
The SOUTH/WESTbound (i.e. LEFT and CENTER) lanes merge into a WESTbound highway with very little traffic. Therefore, because I want to go WEST, I would hope to be able to get into the LEFT lane early on and just cruise through onto the smooth flowing, lightly-traveled WESTbound highway.
But, NOOOOOO!!! It doesn’t ever happen this way. WHY? Because someone who wants to go EAST but doesn?t want to wait politely with all the other EASTbound “idiots”/“suckers” in either the CENTER or RIGHT lane, decides to use the LEFT (WEST-going) lane until the very last second and then “late merge” (a polite euphemism if ever I heard one) into the EASTbound traffic. To do this, this late-merger must, of course, slow down to the crawl of the EASTbound traffic. This, of course, brings ALL the left lane traffic to a crawl/stop as well, including all the WESTbounders who would otherwise be able to just breeze through onto the WESTbound highway.
Thus the convenience of the late-merging individual (their need to get to their destination a couple seconds earlier than the other ) inconveniences many others who otherwise would have no reason to be inconvenienced (forced to slow down) and are in their “purely” rightful (i.e. LEFT) lane.
I must say this seems rude and unfair to both the LEFT/WEST bounders who would otherwise be unhindered and the RIGHT/EASTbounders who have politely waited their turn. And therefore I do feel that these late-merging, self-important asses deserve all the vindictive (and gestures) sent their way. (For myself, I try not to sweat this stuff too much.) And yes, while the situation might be aggravated/increased by those in the center lane who refuse to let the late-merger merge late, this is not the root cause of the backup.
Now, Lockfist, Bearflag, and your supporters, I’m not going to leap to conclusions and assume you are also one of those, and would also claim that, were you wanting to go RIGHT/EAST, your convenience trumps that of all the other drivers and therefore the LEFT lane is there for you to use as long as you can until you late-merge. I will ask you genuinely, what do you think is fair and appropriate to do in this situation?
I await your response.
Thanks for bearing with me.
P.S. Having studied this phenomenon for 3 years, I’ve not noticed any correlation between late-mergers and the type of vehicles they drive (not all BMWs, SUVs, POSs, whatever). I have noticed they’re mostly men, FWIW.
wireless
I agree with you. I will perform a “late merge” only when it is safe to do so and in a way that will not impede the flow of traffic. I will not “early merge” when there is no need.
My points before were directed to those who think I should “early merge” when there is no need… and especially to “early mergers” who feel the need to block “late mergers” because they just don’t like “late mergers”. In that situation, the “early mergers” have become nothing more than control freaks.
Now, in your situation, I could not perform a “late merge” from the leftmost lane without impedeing the westbound traffic in that lane. Therefore, I would be happy to wait my turn in the center or right lanes, leaving westbounders free to go home in a timely manner.
Also, in the hypothetical OP, if the right lane is backed up, and the left lane is clear, there’s no reason to “early merge” since traffic is equally impeded no matter which way I go, and I completely agree with Billdo that “late merges” are better than “early merges” in that case because everyone is best served if all open lanes are used to the greatest extent possible.
PS: Hamlet, I sent you an email describing my sarcasm to you here in the Pit, but I don’t now if you got it. No hard feelings. All in good fun. 
Good fun? Sarcasm? What are these concepts of which you speak? I am just a poor Danish prince, and your ways of sarcasm and fun frighten and confuse me…
No worries.
Fuck you, too! 
Case in point, the I-80eastbound/ I-35 northbound junction in Des Moines.
If you try to merge left onto the ramp leading to northbound 35 from eastbound 80 somewhat late (within the last 500 ft of 80 prior to the split), the idiots with Dallas Couty and Polk County Iowa plates and Minnesota plates squeeze you out.
If you get over anywhere between the " I-35 Northbound-Left Lane- 3 Miles" sign and approx 500 ft of the split, the Minnesotans/Polk Countians/Dallas Countians run right up your tailpipe, flash their lights, honk their horns, and motion for you to get back into the right lane with all the other “slowpokes” NO MATTER HOW FAST YOU DRIVE.
Of course, being from Nebraska, the local cops won’t let ME go one mph over the limit, so I HAVE to obey the speed limit or risk being fined. Sometimes I risk it; sometimes I’m an obstinate “limit enforcer”.
I need to steal some Minnesota or Dallas or Polk County plates so I can put them on 20 miles west of Des Moines and drive as fast as I want through Des Moines.
Bearflag70, thank you for understanding the fine nuances of how to merge in traffic. I appreciate the ongoing support on account of the bashing that has ensued since my OP.
NighRabbit, I think I made my point of view painfully clear. Apparently, your definition of “leisurely” seems reasonable for you. I never said that I slam on my brakes nor do I cut off any cars. I simply slow toward the last 50 feet of the lane (as traffic permits) and through my rear-view mirror pick a space to enter the appropriate lane. For the record I was driving a rental – 2002 Neon Yellow Ford Mustang – now tell me that doesn’t piss you off just as bad !
Hamlet I find it amazing that you brought up Michigan. In fact, I was in Michigan this past weekend during my latest merge situation. I was driving toward Detroit via I-23 and there were plenty of construction zones along the way. Michigan commuters are some of the fastest I’ve seen but also some of the worst mergers I’ve ever seen. In this circumstance, indeed there was a warning sign a full 2 miles ahead. To my amazement, the through-lane was jammed packed with cars while the merging lane was virtually empty at least 1 mile before the lane ultimately ended. I took that opportunity to pass hundreds of cars. What made me angry were the MERGE-POLICE who, incidentally ALL drove pick-up trucks and also the people honking at me as I drove by at a reasonable 45 MPH.
zut, I really don’t know what you are getting at here. Rude and Obnoxious ? The lane doesn’t not end for 2 miles ! I do not “shoehorn” myself into any oncoming traffic. You wouldn’t realize this busy sitting in an unnecessary traffic jam, but there are PLENTY of cars who leave dozens of feet between them and the car in front. I suppose it is for a variety of reasons – elderly folks, people changing the radio station or dialing their cell phone. Point being, I can easily merge 50 feet before the lane closure and cause absolutely no traffic stoppage whatsoever….
Jodi, you’re attempts to block a person from merging before you are fruitless at best. As mention in my OP, you are the driver who causes the bottleneck. Furthermore, for every two dozen of you MERGE POLICE, there will be plenty of space a short distance behind you for my vehicle to merge.
wireless, you almost lost me here but I think I can answer your question. In those situations where a highway diverges into to separate roads, I might wait until just before I approach the solid white line before I merge into my lane. Otherwise you can be ticketed for crossing the solid white line and I’ve seen Police pull people over for doing this. I have not noticed a significant problem with this in the Bay Area (where I commute these days) although your experience is obviously different. In the situation you describe, I agree with you !
Well, Lockfist, one problem I see with your merging methodology is that if everyone followed it - you would not gain the advantage of zooming up x-teen number of car lengths at the merges.
I would argue that a synomyn for your “merge police” would be “people with some common courtesy”. In your Michigan Merge story from above - people knew that the lane was closing. So these people, not wanting to be one of those obnoxious pricks who force their way in at the last minute, merge when there is an oppotunity to do so. They wait patiently for their turn. Then you come zooming up, passing up opportunities to merge safely futher back, perhaps even at speed, because you feel that your destination is more important than theirs.
I am a proud constable in the Merge Police. At the bottlenecks in my daily commute, I am always aware of people who sacrifice common courtesy, not to mention safety, in order to shave 1 minute off their drive time. If I see you pass up an opportunity to merge in order to test your luck further up in the line - you will be looking at my rear license plate at best come the “final” merge point.
Besides, what are you ranting about? You said yourself you always find a way in. Leave it at that and don’t be even greedier.
Thanks to lockfist, I no longer have to mutter the vague “fuck you, asshole” when someone tries to cut in front of me at the merge point. I can put a name to them!
As mske says, if you pass by the opportunity I give you to safley get over AND maintain speed, you can sit there at the merge point forever for all I care. When I see the lane ends signs, I start moving over, almost always maintaining my speed. I don’t tailgate, and I always leave room for others to move over too. If the traffic starts slowing (because of people at the merge point forcing others to stop suddenly) I gladly let in anyone who signals and merges. But if we get to the point of no return and you zoomed past all the opportunities I gave you, I am not going to slow the lane even more to let you in…you can sit there and wait.
I have a hard time understanding how “my turn, your turn” at the merge point is more efficient. It requires the traffic to slow down MUCH more than if there had been an orderly merge to one lane over the past few miles. If everyone in the right lane is moving along, spaced out properly, there is plenty of room for the left-laners to move over without appreciable slowing, and the right lane can continue on smoothly, albeit at a slightly slower speed as required by law through construction zones. But if at the last minute you have to slow down a great deal to let someone through, that slows everybody down in the right lane, all the way back down the line, which causes more people to remain in the left lane because it’s moving faster, and then they reach the merge point too, and soon the entire right lane is practically at a standstill.
So get over, and get over it. And if I leave room for you to get over, do it…don’t wait til the last moment. And to the asshole who nearly took out the side of my car at the exit to Disney World because he tried to force his way in when there was no room in front of me, but plenty of room behind me: I hope that riding my bumper and flashing your brights at me for the next mile was the last straw that caused your wife to divorce you, take all your money and move the kids far, far away from you, and that you die bitter, alone and in extreme pain in a puddle of your own filth. In an abandoned building. In January. In Michigan.