Wrong. Minor distinction: there is no merge “point” - the lane slowly fades away until there is no longer room for two cars to ride abreast (since the widths of the two cars and their drivers’ personal spaces vary wildly, this is a huge variable). When the sign says “lane ends, 1000 feet,” and you’re in the lucky lane, your job is to get over with all due haste, merging at or above the speed of traffic, so that you don’t have to hit your brakes and cause a back-up.
Life’s not fair – suck it up. Merging sooner may cause congestion if the traffic volume is already too high and those merged on are not paying attention, but if you wait until your lane is gone, and because of your own incompetence, you have to stop, you will not only cause congestion (too much volume in one lane), but you will also cause a “standing wave” back-up which can persist for hours.
The drivers behind you will also have to hit their brakes (because the “flow of traffic” is now moving more slowly) and the “zipper” maneuver that allows everyone to take a turn and merge politely at speed has been screwed up until two or three drivers all decide to sit still while the clusterfuck clears up, and then start a “fresh” zipper.
YES! Only here’s a better idea: if you’re in the lane that people are going to be merging into, why not move over one more lane, and leave a car-sized hole for one of your unfortunate neighbors to merge into?
Wow - you’re right, those guys are assholes. Except, apparently, in Pittsburgh, where it’s considered a local courtesy to wave the first two or three left-turners through if you’re opposing them with a solid green. Some Pittsburgh drivers assume that this courtesy will be granted, causing near-accidents; some of them go so far as to assume it will be granted in other cities, pissing off people like you and me. Boy howdy!