OT: Do turning lanes have no meaning anymore?
- Thread starter Langmuir
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anon_xdc8rmuek44eq
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Don’t forget the people who don’t use their cruise control, speed up and slow down so you pass them a dozen times in a ten mile stretch of highway!
The cruise control brings up another pet peeve of mine. I almost always set my cruise control to 7 mph above the speed limit. Sometimes when I am passing numerous cars, there will be somebody that comes up behind me and tails me. They seem to expect that I am going to slow down and get in the right lane just because I am not passing fast enough for them. When I am done passing the cars, I will move over to the right lane, but not before. Then they barely wait for me to get over to the right lane before trying to pass me leaving sometimes mere inches between us.
If I am passing, I will use the left lane and if I am not I will use the right lane. I feel no obligation to get out of somebody's way just because my passing is not fast enough for them.
See I'd agree with you, except many what I could consider "busy" intersections in my local area do have a dedicated left turn lane but don't have a left turn arrow. The lights aren't staggered either to let one side go, then the other, allowing you to turn left. So what happens is exactly what you're describing - someone sits in the middle of the intersection waiting for a chance to turn left - which usually happens on the red.
After a decent accident at an intersection like that I asked a local cop what the person waiting to turn left should do? His response - God's honest truth - "You should wait for someone to wave you through."
Post-modernism. Most folks could not tell you want it is, but we've been increasingly influenced by it. Basically, there are no absolutes and if you create your own reality, then of course the rules do not apply to you. This is somewhat problematic in real life, however, as someone who thinks they are Superman and tries to fly discovers.
The solid line is obsolete. No one obeys it and people change lanes all the time, solid or dashed line, doesn't seem to matter.
Fun fact - unless posted that no passing is allowed - passing on a double yellow line is legal.
https://www.mcall.com/all-warrior-070204-story.html
...But state police Lt. David V. Miller, patrol section commander of Troop M in Bethlehem, offered a contrary view.
While stressing that it's highly ill-advised to pass on a double- yellow line, Miller said that, technically, it's not illegal.
"Actually, I'm a little bit ambivalent about having this put in the paper," Miller said, fearing it might prompt motorists to undertake dangerous passing maneuvers more often.
But a double-yellow line alone represents "a cautionary warning [wherein] passing is discouraged -- but not technically prohibited," Miller said. "It's not illegal per se to pass on the double yellow."
Years ago, my mother-in-law met us at the Cincinnati airport, which is in northern Kentucky. We came to the intersection of I-275 and I-71, and she wasn't sure where to go. So she came to a dead stop in the passing lane of I-275 to get her bearings, while we're yelling "TAKE THIS EXIT!"
Since then, I have driven eight hours each way to Cincinnati, just so she doesn't have to drive us anywhere (she's 97 1/2).
Since then, I have driven eight hours each way to Cincinnati, just so she doesn't have to drive us anywhere (she's 97 1/2).
Call me a prick or whatever you want but when there is a merge on a highway due to construction I am not sitting in one lane for a mile when the other one is open. I will drive up and merge at the merge point. My biggest irritation is when a cork soaker thinks it’s his duty to block me for 3/4 of mile with open highway in front of us both.
Not interested in calling names, but this practice is what causes traffic to stop at said merge point.
Not sure how to interpret what you wrote, but if that merging car is sitting still, I can see how that would be the wrong thing to do.
I will try to get people waiting their turn, so I pick a car and stay even with it until forced to merge. I will do this at a point that is reasonable. Not a mile back, but not a hundred feet either. Both lanes can then fill up and can begin merging properly at a single mesh point where the lane begins to disappear. This is the only way to prevent the merging lane from forcing the other lane back, and it enables full utilization of the highway. Invariably the drivers in the merging lane are less patient, more aggressive, me-first types. They won't wait their turn and will try to force themselves in even if it isn't their turn.
Fortunately where I live now people tend to be a lot more civil. Haven't needed to do it in these parts. The northeast and most large metro areas? Loaded with aggressive, me-first drivers.
No - no it isn't - meanmiJ01is doing the right thing. It's those who don't follow the zipper merge and try to block cars from entering in at the merge point that causes the backup.
Or if you didn't like that one - listen to the Germans - reißverschlussverfahren!
Or if you want something more official - and likely to induce nightmares - watch this one from the Kansas dept. of transportation with two talking traffic cones showing you what to do.
You're closer but you talk down on "me-first" types and you're a me-first by your actions. You say you pick a car and stay even with it, forcing others to stack up behind you because you feel you're right in what you do. You pick a car and stay even with it even if there's still 1000ft to the merge point forcing others to back up behind you, I'd say that's an example of being "me-first".
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I code crashes for Mecklenburg County NC. I don’t see to many crashes from this type of behavior. That not to say it’s not happening. Just saying it’s not causing crashes.
Lately it’s been open season on pedestrians. We’re having a record year for pedestrians hit and pedestrian fatalities.
Lately it’s been open season on pedestrians. We’re having a record year for pedestrians hit and pedestrian fatalities.
Wrong. If I were "me-first" I would pass everyone that has been waiting and cut in front, forcing the cars that were in the area before me to go through the construction area behind me.
You see what I do as forcing cars to stack up. I see it as letting the cars that have been waiting ahead of me (i.e., those that arrived before me) to proceed through more quickly. That is not "me first."
I have noticed how “ Yield “ situations now follow the laws of the high seas : smaller vehicles have to get out of the way of bigger ones.
Don’t do it. Especially on winding roads. The State uses survey crews measuring distance, elevation and sight lines to figure out where to place those double solid lines.
Oh I’m not suggesting people should cross them willy nilly, only that it’s not illegal in PA to do so when not marked otherwise.
What about the people that are technically 'passing' in the left lane but a really only going 1 MPH faster than the car in the right. That happens on Rt 100 in MD all the time
Please watch the video with the sentient traffic cones to understand why you’re wrong in thinking that others were there first. There would be no feelings of letting others go first if both lanes were used until the merge point.
Plus once again you’re preventing those behind you from following the proper rules of the road and instead forcing them to follow your own beliefs - that’s being me first.
Use both lanes to merge point. Why the hell is that so hard to understand? Zipper merge. Or sit in your lane for 20x longer and let the other people follow the rules.
Probably they are looking at their phone while they are crossing the street or parking lot. I see it at least 3 times a day.
I'm more of a fan of "get in line in the order in which you arrive" rather than "first to the merge point wins". Maybe I'm just old but some of you must be a lot of fun at the supermarket.
And you’re 100% the problem. It’s time to admit you’re wrong and follow the rules. Or just sit in your lane while you get passed by people doing the recommended zipper merge. In PA, Penndot now puts up signs that say “use both lanes to merge point.” They took out an entire page in the CDT to advertise that, cause idiots were parking in the right lane to stop people from using both lanes. The police encouraged people to take videos/photos of license plates of people stopping in the open lane so that they could fine them. But I guess since you’ve been wrong for 60 years, you might as well keep being wrong.
I watched the "zipper merge" video. Did you go to college? You seem to have a problem with reading comprehension. I am in fact strongly advocating this type of merge. But, how do you get that started? You don't get it started by using the disappearing lane to cut in front of those who were there before you.
I advocated picking a car and traveling forward with it to the merge point. I did not say merge in early. The people speeding up behind me will have to wait their turn. The people in front of me that are already in the correct lane will move through the merge point faster. Once I get to the merge point both lanes are filled up and the proper zipper merge can begin.
What happens if I don't do this and go directly to the last-minute merge point? People with a tendency to merge early will continue to do so. People that had already been waiting will get pissed off at seeing a "line cutter." Who pays? Just people that would otherwise be line cutters. (Probably you.) Otherwise, everyone keeps moving. Those who were already there just get to move faster for a while.
No - you're not advocating for the zipper merge which would be to merge at the merge point - you're advocating for the KnightWhoSaysNit zipper merge which seems to be holding up those behind you to force them to merge whenever KnightWhoSaysNit deems it appropriate.
You originally stated - "I will do this at a point that is reasonable. Not a mile back, but not a hundred feet either. " You're the one with the comprehension issue if after watching the videos I posted you still don't understand that the merge should be at the point where it goes from 2 to 1 lane - not whenever KnightWhoSaysNit thinks it's proper, apparently somewhere between 100ft and 5280ft.
We'll just have to agree to disagree. You seem to have trouble understanding that when some get "held up" by moving slower, others that were there beforehand move faster -- more than twice as fast, in fact, until the zipper merge begins. For those that always race up and cut in (such as you), that is probably why it is so hard to understand. You've probably never been in that lane that suddenly moves faster.
Bottom line: Everybody is still moving. It's just those who were already there get to move a little faster than the new arrivals.
Bottom line: Everybody is still moving. It's just those who were already there get to move a little faster than the new arrivals.
If there’s open space, fill it in. Don’t slow up everyone else cause you’re making eyes with a random dude in the car next to you. Ffs. Ever drive with anyone under 75 when you’re pulling this stunt? Do they look like the want to throat punch you?
The line cutters hate it. The people waiting love it. My evidence is that they always let me in when it's time to merge. If I line cut, that doesn't happen. They're pissed off, like you. But perhaps a little less, because they are base-case within the patient group. It seems everybody can't be happy, because there are speeders and aggressive drivers mixed in with patient people. Again, I'm thankful that I don't have to do this much anymore. No longer in a large metro area, and far from the northeast. I don't miss it in the least.
Although I'm not sure where I advocated people holding up people passing the existing queue, you may be correct. Of course, when the rule is, in fact, posted that people should "“use both lanes to merge point”, I'm OK with people following it. Otherwise, I think people simply get in the back of the line. Yes, I learned that 60 years ago (we actually did that in kindergarten to go to the bathroom). Apparently that was "wrong".
I agree completely. Both lanes should be fully used. Question is, how do you get to that point safely?
Sproul thinks it's unsafe to slow down in the empty lane. Simple math would show that both lanes are moving no slower than they would if a full zipper were established. Otherwise, if line-cutting is tolerated, one lane is slowed considerably, usually to some sort of slow/stop combination. I'd say that is more of a hazard than having both lanes continuously moving at the same pace.
Sproul thinks it's unsafe to slow down in the empty lane. Simple math would show that both lanes are moving no slower than they would if a full zipper were established. Otherwise, if line-cutting is tolerated, one lane is slowed considerably, usually to some sort of slow/stop combination. I'd say that is more of a hazard than having both lanes continuously moving at the same pace.
