Why is it that any time you have construction on the highway, people feel inclined to merge into one lane a mile before the lane is blocked off? More importantly, why is it that when people merge early, they feel that the cars behind them should be obligated to merge when they do? Countless times I've seen some asshole pull out of the merged lane to block people from passing by, which they have every right to do as long as the lane is still open.
What authority do they have to decide when it's appropriate to merge, especially when there are cones and arrows conveniently placed on the road for this purpose??
When traffic merges early, it adds to traffic buildup. It causes traffic to move more slowly through the construction. Furthermore, it adds an element of danger when people merge (and unmerge) based on their own whims. It's faster and safer to wait until you've reached the point where you are instructed to merge.
That doesn't make any sense.
If everyone merged sooner it would be far less disruptive to the flow of traffic because people would be able to merge at freeway speed. The only thing that slows it all down is when people wait until the last minute and the open lane is forced to slow to a crawl to accommodate the drivers who are at a dead stop right against the cones.
Merging at the last minute in order to get ahead is a jerk move and slows everything down for everyone else.
I remember one time recently, there was this guy tailgating me bad on I-35. I had my kid in the car so I moved over, because I remembered that there was a construction zone coming up, so I figured I'll just let this dumbass pass because I'm not getting in a wreck if I'm gonna have to slow down anyway.
Well, I guess he didn't know about the construction, because as he approached the area where there is a new concrete wall with no shoulder, he clipped the left side of his vehicle. All I saw was plastic lights and and his mirror flying. The dumbass knew it was his fault, because he didn't even stop. He did slow down thought and I HAD to give him a congratulatory honk and thumbs up as I exited the highway.
People like you are the ones that create traffic.
Being in the road construction industry, I've sat there many times and watched in order to see who really creates traffic, and 10 times out of 10, it's the people that wait until the last second.
People who do that crap suck ass. Then they expect everyone to just let them in. I don't. They need to wait just like everyone else.
There would be no waiting if they just merged earlier.
i have to agree with CF on this one.
There would be less waiting if it didn't have to stop to let those idiots in.
My favorites are all the idiots that cut in at the last minute who are multi-tasking in the first place. Cell phone in one hand, makeup or coffee or cigarette in the other....then block off a lane when nobody will let them in because they didn't merge earlier. And being an unsafe asshat while they're at it. I drive through three of these type of zones each way to work and back and can't believe that so many people here tolerate this. In a state with so many commuters, why can't we get a hands-free law like NY?
I've wanted to install a nautical horn in my truck to scare the out of those people for a long time. Problem is, knowing my luck, I'd blast some 20 year old girl that's texting and driving into a fuel tanker truck or something.
It's faster for everyone to try and merge at one point rather than having people merge whereever they can in the flow of traffic? That doesn't make any sense.
If you haul ass to the front of the line to cut in front everybody, I'm the guy that won't let you in.
And that's a problem how exactly?
That is similar to waiting until an exit has passed you by and you instantly go three lanes over just to make your exit because you never read the signs say you exit is just ahead.
It is called planing ahead, if you would have taken defensive driving or driver's ed you would possibly have a different point of view. If actions likes caused an accident, you would probably be cited for aggressive driving, or worse if a fatality resulted. Unfortunately, my little car has difficulty in preventing this, I'll blow my horn and all I get usually is this:
I despise drivers who rush ahead and then expect to be let in with a smile. I too am an asshole and won't let you in.
Gas prices are high enough already without me causing 10,000 gallons worth to be destroyed.
I hate those asswipes that jackrabbit by and run right up to the barricade and agressively try to force their way in. I am one of those that will move over and block you from going by and will not let you bluff your way in. Those pipe bumpers and grillguards aren't really for running over brush.
There's a difference between cutting in at the last minute and organized merging nearer to the point of the merge. There wouldn't be "cutting in" if the people in the merged lane weren't so stubborn about insisting that no one is getting in front of them because they already merged or because they're almost to the mandatory merge point, and maybe you wouldn't be so pissy about it if you didn't merge too early.
It's simple physics. If you put the same amount of sand in two hour glasses, and Hourglass #2 has a longer "tube" between the two bulbs, it will take the sand longer to get through that hourglass. When you already have to drive in one lane for a 10 mile contruction zone, why do you want to make it 11?
No, that would be the case if you decided to drive through the cones. It's not the same.That is similar to waiting until an exit has passed you by and you instantly go three lanes over just to make your exit because you never read the signs say you exit is just ahead.
It's more like driving on the shoulder because your exit is a mile ahead.
You consider the area right before the cones/barricades the "mandatory" merge point?
Well, if I'm not mistaken that's the point where you're breaking the law if you don't merge.
I don't see why the flow of traffic should be any different 200 feet from the cones than it is 1 mile from the cones.
Look, I'm not talking about driving right up on the cones here... Obviously there are exceptions, but most of the time the people who are stopping at the cones and slowing down traffic are doing so because people wouldn't let them in.
No, what I meant is: Do you think everyone should merge right before the cones to keep everything in order instead of everyone merging before when it's safe to do so?
ing De Zavala when it does down to one lane at the Valero. That's the devil. I'll kill you if you try to get passed me at the Post Office light.
When I see on the highway signs that a lane is going to be closed miles ahead, I already make my way to the lane that will be open. Why would I wait until the last minute? I'm sure construction workers/police officers would appreciate earlier merging, since they won't have to look out for late mergers who come close to clipping them with their side mirrors.
I don't see any reason it can't be perfectly safe to merge 200 feet before the cones. The only time it's not is whenj people in the merged lane are on the bumper of the person in front of them so no one can get in front of them.
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