Dumb drivers: Idiots that know that a lane is closing/merging yet proceed to fly down it and pull in front of people!

[Murphyrulez]

Originally posted by: Ultima

Originally posted by: Squisher

Originally posted by: johnjbruin

Originally posted by: maladroit
i do that all the time. it's still a lane. you don't have to merge way back in the line. it's not like i'm driving on the shoulder of the road. so i take the empty lane while you take the slow, full lane.

I totally agree with maladroit
I dont see anything wrong with that either. If it was a shoulder and not a legal lane then its just simply wrong.
But if it is lane, and it going to end 3/4 of a mile later, and the traffic is moving at less than ten miles an hour(quite frequent in LA e.g 405) then whats wrong with doing this.

Nobody is stopping you from doing it and it is legal so what do you see thats wrong.
You get pissed because you are two lanes across in that "fast lane" and are "stuck" behind all the other people in the fast lane or just dont want to do it then you are doing it by free will... not because its illegal to drive in a lane that will end 1/2 a mile later.

In terms of not letting people in. All I say is whatever... I have never had prolems getting in since the people who are mastering the are of not braking always let me in.

This is circular reasoning. THE REASON THE LANE IS NOT MOVING IS BECAUSE A BUNCH OF @SSHOLES ARE LATE MERGING!

And would traffic be moving if everyone merged 1/2 mile up instead? No, you'd just have the same situation with 1/2 mile MORE of blockage. It makes more sense to use 100% of the available capacity of the highway, which means people merge at the merge point and merge like a zipper.

You don't quite grasp the concept.

When people WAIT till the last second, they come to a stop at the flashing arrow. THEN the other lane has to stop, to let that person in. If they had merged 1/2 mile back, they would have zippered in, and nobody would have stopped.

Got it?? I hate to say it, but you are like the millions of other sheep out there that cause the traffic jams because you don't THINK.

 

[prontospyder]

<<If they had merged 1/2 mile back, they would have zippered in, and nobody would have stopped.>>

Not necessarily. I've seen people stopping 1/2 mile back and causing a jam on the merging lane. Trying to merge 1/2 mile back doesn't guarantee that people will allow you to merge easily. There will still be people who tail gate and block you off.

 

[Lucky]

Do you know what the physical back of gore is?

Honestly, no I dont. That doesnt change the fact that the distance from the point of exit to the point of entrance is not 800', based on a 144' estimate of the width of the highway below. I do admit that I was off-base in my estimate of interchanges around here being 100' between each other though.

 

[Dually]

I would not let them in either if I didn't have a small sedan which I need.

I think it makes people angry when other folks do that for a few reasons. One reason is that we feel we have been waiting in line and shouldn't be scammed by cheaters. The second reason is that we want to be able to cheat to as it seems fair if others can do it and get away with it.

 

[Gaard]

Well...as long as we're all venting.

I live about 1/2 block from this one intersection so I do this a lot. There's 5 lanes (2 for each direction plus a left turn lane). At the light, you have the left turn lane, the go straight lane, and the outside lane which is 'go straight or turn right'. I almost always go straight so I get in the 'go straight' lane. Usually, some jerk gets in the 'go straight or turn right' lane...even though right at the other side of the intersection is a merge sign! The right lane ends immediately after the intersection! Sure enough, these people get it into their heads to gun it at the green light so they can get ahead of everybody else going straight. You can always tell these people because they constantly inch their cars forward throughout the duration of the red light. If I see this I match them inch for inch...they nudge forward, I nudge forward. At the same time I act all antsy and look over at them while I'm nudging forward. My wife cracks up while I'm doing this because I've done it so many times she knows what's coming. At the change of light, the other car guns it, peeling out and racing to cut me off...while I putt-putt through the intersection laughing my ass off.

 

[txgixer]

I drive in the DFW area . . . . .

Merging here works best on an ~every other car basis~ . . . but people do not use that concept on a regular basis

If a car comes speeding down a narrowing lane, I just point the UNconcealed handgun (personally, I use a Glock) and they get in behind me

Anyway, I agree that there is A LOT more traffic on the road, and not an easy problem to address, alleviate, or police.

 

[Ultima]

Originally posted by: Murphyrulez

Originally posted by: Ultima

Originally posted by: Squisher

Originally posted by: johnjbruin

Originally posted by: maladroit
i do that all the time. it's still a lane. you don't have to merge way back in the line. it's not like i'm driving on the shoulder of the road. so i take the empty lane while you take the slow, full lane.

I totally agree with maladroit
I dont see anything wrong with that either. If it was a shoulder and not a legal lane then its just simply wrong.
But if it is lane, and it going to end 3/4 of a mile later, and the traffic is moving at less than ten miles an hour(quite frequent in LA e.g 405) then whats wrong with doing this.

Nobody is stopping you from doing it and it is legal so what do you see thats wrong.
You get pissed because you are two lanes across in that "fast lane" and are "stuck" behind all the other people in the fast lane or just dont want to do it then you are doing it by free will... not because its illegal to drive in a lane that will end 1/2 a mile later.

In terms of not letting people in. All I say is whatever... I have never had prolems getting in since the people who are mastering the are of not braking always let me in.

This is circular reasoning. THE REASON THE LANE IS NOT MOVING IS BECAUSE A BUNCH OF @SSHOLES ARE LATE MERGING!

And would traffic be moving if everyone merged 1/2 mile up instead? No, you'd just have the same situation with 1/2 mile MORE of blockage. It makes more sense to use 100% of the available capacity of the highway, which means people merge at the merge point and merge like a zipper.

You don't quite grasp the concept.

When people WAIT till the last second, they come to a stop at the flashing arrow. THEN the other lane has to stop, to let that person in. If they had merged 1/2 mile back, they would have zippered in, and nobody would have stopped.

Got it?? I hate to say it, but you are like the millions of other sheep out there that cause the traffic jams because you don't THINK.

Isn't that the pot calling the kettle black? If the other lane has to stop, that's because the lane is close to capacity - and guess what? They would have to stop if they were merging before for the same reason. Only so many cars can fit in one lane.

 

[Squisher]

Originally posted by: Ultima

Isn't that the pot calling the kettle black? If the other lane has to stop, that's because the lane is close to capacity - and guess what? They would have to stop if they were merging before for the same reason. Only so many cars can fit in one lane.

Believe me, all the cars would not have to stop only slow down, that is the concept of merging. The stopping is unnecesary most of the time. If more people would think more about how to keep the flow going rather than how they can take advantage of the situation we all would be better off.

 

[McPhreak]

I have no problem with anyone merging at a specific merge point, but what REALLY pisses me off is when, during traffic jams, people drive down those "EXIT ONLY" lanes on the freeway and merge back onto the freeway, causing all sorts of problems. The lanes even have solid yellow lines painted on them to remind people that it's for cars wanting to exit the freeway only. For anyone that lives in the Bay Area, one good example is right before the Bay Bridge if you're driving northbound toward S.F. They have those 2 exits right before the bridge that have "EXIT ONLY" lanes and the freeway is always packed there because of the damn illegal mergers.

 

[CrazyDe1]

I wait until the last minute to merge in because someones alwasy gonna let you in. I don't force myself in..i just drive to the very end and sit there w/ my signal on and wait until the soccer mom lets me in becuase someones always gonna let you in. I then proceed to courtesy wave haha. I also always let people in who do it becuase I like the aggressive attitude and I figure its good karma. As for the person who hates people that use the merge lane to pass people in a traffic jam...I do that too I don't think its illegal..."I switched into the other lane cuae I had to get off at the next stop..but then i realized it was ending" I also use the freeway merge lane to pass slow drivers that are blocking me in. Like others have said...if you sit there and wait in line, you deserve to sit there forever. I dont' really care if you don't let me in, cause I dont 'expect everyone to...I just know that someone will. I've driven an hour long drive in rush hour driving my style, my friend sat in line in 1 lane and drove through, took me an hour(usually takes 35 minutes)...took him an hour and a half starting at the same place and ending at the same place.

 

[CrazyDe1]

A few other thing I'll do is if I know theres a merge a mile up I'll get in the lane that needs to merge cause it goes faster. In heavy traffic I'll drive in the right lane cuase most people get in the left one for people entering the freeway to merge...then when I get to the exit right before the freeway on ramp, I go back in the left lane becuase then the right lane is slowed up because of mergers...

For those who say it would be better if everyone merged by slowing down just a little...yes it would be if no one drove like me...but as long as people drive like me and merge at the last minute, its not gonna ever happen. So the practical thing is to become one of them

 

[Lola]

This is one of my BIGGEST pet peeves. I know this is not the best thing to do, but durring rush hour, when people wait until the last minute to merge, i have seen people squeeze into both lanes. Mind you, traffic is slow then, but still, i love to watch dumb people think they have the power to wait until the very last minute....GGGRRRRRRRR

 

[bizmark]

Okay, as long as this is a "bitch about traffic stupidity" thread, I'll add my bitchin' two cents. In Chicago there are many fairly major streets (55th St / Garfield comes to mind) that have a disappearing right lane. Right after a stop sign or street light, there will be a right lane..... for about 3 car lengths. Then it merges in with the other lane, and people are allowed to park on the side of the street (where the lane just ended). I guess I understand the need for this where there's no turning lane so that people can pass on the right of someone waiting to turn, but it's taken to the extreme and so we get cars zooming at 45mph TOWARDS A PARKED CAR (not a median or cones or even barrels.... a parked car, possibly with pedestrians on the sidewalk just beyond it) trying to wedge between it and the traffic flowing in the same direction. It's scary as hell.... and the traffic is heavy enough to necessitate two lanes in each direction anyway. They need to just eliminate street parking on these major streets, b/c having one lane in each direction on a major thoroughfare is just plain retarded, esp. when there's a second lane that appears for about 2 seconds after every red light, and people try to use it to pass others.

 

[Dragnov]

Hmmm. Whether this truly causes traffic or not, it's more or less about general courtesy. Although it may not be illegal or anything, people don't like to be cut off all sudden. The problem isn't when you speed down the lane and merge when theres an opening, but speed down ALL the way to the end even when there are openings available to that person earlier, forcing a kind person to let your jack@ss in.

 

[Pepsei]

I used to be one of the sheep who lines up on the right at the very back.....

notice people for stay on the left until the last minute will always get out before i do....

so that's what i do now... in additon to blocking other cars who tries to cut me when i merge....

i guess that makes me a double bastard......

 

[PlatinumGold]

My favorite was the B!tch in the merging lane. she and i are driving SIDE BY SIDE, we are coming to the MERGE and she is neither speeding up or slowing down, so i also maintain my speed. . finally she realizes that her lane is ending and she just honks at me and stares at me. i just maintain my speed and give her the bird. What does she think, that because she has absolutely no brains or sense that i'm going to accomodate her idiocy?? finally she slows down and gets in behind me. (there was no one else on the on ramp) what a moron and she was acting like I did something wrong.

 

[BOK]

To the "wait in line-ers": Stop and think why there is ONE line of cars that stretch miles behind the choke point....

....it's because sheep (like many of you here) feel that there's this imaginary "line" that people need to wait in. And let's say that everyone merged at the back of this "line" (like you feel they're supposed to). If the lane is closed for say, 1 mile, and you have a 2 mile line of sheep behind this point, you now have a 3 mile stretch where one lane is "closed", instead of a 1 mile stretch. You've increased the length of the choke point in the highway, that's all. You're not helping the traffic jam by merging early, you're making it worse.

Like a few people have pointed out already - the most efficient way to have traffic flow is for ALL open lanes to be utilized for as long as possible. When a lane is closed and cars must merge, there will ALWAYS be a backup. It doesn't matter if people merge at the choke point, or 2 miles behind.

If you don't understand the above concepts, then you are dumb. Period. There's nothing else any of us can say or do to change your asinine way of thinking.

And SMART drivers (like myself and several of you here) will make most of the road that is given to us - legally. If hundreds of you sheep are patient (or dumb) enough to "wait in line" driving 10mph because the OPEN lane is closing 2 miles down the road, then WE will take the open lane, and merge when we have to. No need to worry about those of you who feel you're road warriors that won't let anyone in. For every ONE of you, there are TEN others who will let people merge in, either because they're courteous, or because they're slow.

 

[josphII]

Originally posted by: Garfang
Last time I blocked someone a few weeks ago, he hit the side of my car. I stopped, got out to look at my car (not too much damn-age, but damn!), and he decided that would be a good time to drive away. He, driving an 87-ish S-10 Blazer, could not out drive me and my Civic with my mad pizza driving skillaz. I was on the hellular to 911, and the dispacher told me to let him go, so I did as soon as I gave her the licence plate number. He was running red lights anyway, and I didn't feel safe chasing him.

The dude was stupid because had he stopped, I would have looked at my car (again, not much damage, just an 8 inch long dent ¼ inch or so deep, and some ugly tire rub marks that will buff right off) and told him it was cool, don?t worry about it. But now he?s got a hit and run on file.

you think he has a hit and run on his file on account of you telling a 911 operator what happened? um no

 

[josphII]

Originally posted by: NFS4
Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrr, I was driving on I-40 this morning and the right lane was going to end due to construction...but these jackasses kept flying down at insane speeds trying to get the jump on everyone and cut over to the left lane instead of merging WAY back up the line. This is even AFTER they see the two BIG "Right Lane Ends" signs on either sign of the road. And of course, they slow down everyone else as they flip on their turn signals to merger over. Two fuggin' bastards tried that sh!t on me and tried to merge in front of me after they made the "mad dash" to the finish. I simply hugged the bumper of the van in front of me and wouldn't let 'em over.

Retards!!!:|

your just jealous because you didnt do the same thing. why must everyone wait in line when you can go down the other lane and merge further up?

 

[josphII]

Originally posted by: PSYWVic
I never, ever let those inconsiderate bastards in. I don't do anything wrong, I don't cut anyone off or run anyone off the road. I simply ride as close as possible to the car in front of me so they can't get in.

You would think that some people would have learned that taking "cuts" was wrong all the way back in kindergarten... :disgust:

thats called tail gaiting and YOU can be given a ticket. sounds like some of you need to go back to driving school

 

[josphII]

Originally posted by: SaltBoy
I always pray that one of the cars that they pass is a police car... that'd be sweet!

why? its not as if what they are doing is against the law

 

[Ultima]

Originally posted by: PlatinumGold
My favorite was the B!tch in the merging lane. she and i are driving SIDE BY SIDE, we are coming to the MERGE and she is neither speeding up or slowing down, so i also maintain my speed. . finally she realizes that her lane is ending and she just honks at me and stares at me. i just maintain my speed and give her the bird. What does she think, that because she has absolutely no brains or sense that i'm going to accomodate her idiocy?? finally she slows down and gets in behind me. (there was no one else on the on ramp) what a moron and she was acting like I did something wrong.

You DID do something wrong. You failed to accomodate her, if she had to merge in YOU should have sped up so she could have gotten in. Of course she could have slowed down but hello, you're going on the highway? It's not safe to merge at slow speeds.

 

[apoppin]

Originally posted by: josphII

Originally posted by: NFS4
Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrr, I was driving on I-40 this morning and the right lane was going to end due to construction...but these jackasses kept flying down at insane speeds trying to get the jump on everyone and cut over to the left lane instead of merging WAY back up the line. This is even AFTER they see the two BIG "Right Lane Ends" signs on either sign of the road. And of course, they slow down everyone else as they flip on their turn signals to merger over. Two fuggin' bastards tried that sh!t on me and tried to merge in front of me after they made the "mad dash" to the finish. I simply hugged the bumper of the van in front of me and wouldn't let 'em over.

Retards!!!:|

your just jealous because you didnt do the same thing. why must everyone wait in line when you can go down the other lane and merge further up?

What some of you selfish people fail to realize is that this action is what is causing the traffic to slow and ultimately jam. You are not only slowing everything for other people but for you too (plus it is dangerous as NSF4 describes it).

 

[Ultima]

Originally posted by: bizmark
Okay, as long as this is a "bitch about traffic stupidity" thread, I'll add my bitchin' two cents. In Chicago there are many fairly major streets (55th St / Garfield comes to mind) that have a disappearing right lane. Right after a stop sign or street light, there will be a right lane..... for about 3 car lengths. Then it merges in with the other lane, and people are allowed to park on the side of the street (where the lane just ended). I guess I understand the need for this where there's no turning lane so that people can pass on the right of someone waiting to turn, but it's taken to the extreme and so we get cars zooming at 45mph TOWARDS A PARKED CAR (not a median or cones or even barrels.... a parked car, possibly with pedestrians on the sidewalk just beyond it) trying to wedge between it and the traffic flowing in the same direction. It's scary as hell.... and the traffic is heavy enough to necessitate two lanes in each direction anyway. They need to just eliminate street parking on these major streets, b/c having one lane in each direction on a major thoroughfare is just plain retarded, esp. when there's a second lane that appears for about 2 seconds after every red light, and people try to use it to pass others.

There's this two-lane (one on each side) road near my college who's lanes are wide enough to accomodate two cars side by side in each lane (but with maybe 6 inches between the cars, 6 inches to the curb and a foot across the yellow line), but that's how everyone drives there because traffic is so heavy - side by side. Cars are also allowed to park for an hour so they have to merge sometimes to avoid the parked cars. There's lots of accidents on that road (I've personally witnessed three) and a fatal one at least once or twice a year. (on that one mile stretch of road)

 

[UNCjigga]

Don't complain. This is standard procedure...AND very necessary here in North Carolina...

..w00t 100 posts (for the thread)