My Recent Road Rage Story

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But you said in your first post that you only merged because of what the other people were doing, I was taking it as you would have rode all the way to the end if no one interefered w/ you, you would have rode it till the bitter end.
 
Andy, yes, I would have rode further down the road, until the merge point or shortly before, if some knob hadn't started playing "you can't get by me" with me.



I would have signaled for a left-lane change several hundred yards to 1/10th of a mile before the merge, probably, depending on the speed of traffic in the left. If traffic were stop and go, then probably waited until closure, and if moving readily on the left, signalled earlier.



I don't really see the issue with that. If people want to queue early, go ahead. If they then feel like they have EARNED stiffing me out of not being able to merge and instead glue themselves to the car in front of them, then who is really being petty then?



P.S. Andy, that quib "you would have rode to the bitter end", tells me you really have a lot of disdain for what I did. Again, you might want to look into what's going on in your life that would make you react in such a way to someone doing something that is, as Les said: both legal and moral.



Sorry if that came off as preachy, but most people that get upset on roads, and over react (people that swerved into the lane to cut me off for example, and those that say that they can understand why they did it) typically have some other problems in their life, some other things that they can't control, and they use the power and the anonymity of the motor vehicle as their means to assert themselves. These are often the same people that IF they had an issue with you face-to-face they would more than likely not make a peep.



P.S.S. I once, long ago, was that guy that would crowd the shoulder as people pass ON THE SHOULDER, or pull out in front of them as they attempt to USE THE SHOULDER to get to a merge point faster (I wasn't on the shoulder), so I can understand the frustration. However, that was years ago. At some point in my life I realized that it isn't my job to enforce traffic laws (or my own sense of fairness on the road), and that I can't really know what is going on in the life of the person in that other car. Maybe they need to get to an emergency room, for example?



TJR
 
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I ride as far as I can and then cut in....Busses and semis do it....Taxis do it....

most locals do it....so I do it too.....:D
 
TJR-- My life is quite fine and if someone does something in person that annoys me equally, I'll let them now it, unless it is a trivial thing which is not worth the breath. I don't go out on the roads looking to get road rage, I just hate when people endanger my life and/or my belongings. Many people that ride in that lane all the way to the end think that as long as they follow that white line to the end, they can just move over into that lane sometimes w/ or w/o a turn signal on and without hesitation. Which in turn, could cause an accident which damages my personal property and might cause injuries to me. Where as if they merge where there is room, you fit in nicely and no one gets pissed off, win-win.



On this hole topic, I wonder what any road construction workers think of this? I know from what i've seen, they do not like when people are driving down the lane that ends, because traffic comes too close to them. I can't say from personal experience, just from seeing them flick people off that do it. Maybe someone on this site can pipe in if they are and what their viewpoint is.



Which is another thing to keep in mind, that we are all expresing our views on this topic, you asked what we all thought and we are letting you know what you think. We could stop the arguing and agree to just disagree on this topic.
 
Andy, if people are going to ride until the end and then unsafely merge, cutting people off and not using a turn signal in the process, then I agree. But that wasn't my case, and that doesn't have to be the general case when using both lanes until the merge as is described by the LATE MERGE concept.



As for construction workers, I was one. I used to flag traffic and work behind closed lanes. I've seen it all. It's the people doing the stupid, unexpected, thoughtless things that get people hurt. Driving down an open lane, under the speed limit and then, merging safely at or just before the merge point SHOULD NOT be unexpected, or considered dangerous or rude.



Hey, Andy, I appreciate your input. You think I was wrong. I appreciate that opinion. I don't agree with it. I'd like to change attitudes in this regard because I think that what I did was legal, reasonable, and if more people would adopt it more merge points would be safer, more pleasant and faster. And, as I have shown, traffic engineers agree with me.



TJR
 
Just remember 77% of all statistics are made up and you can always change data to make your point seem true, (not accusing you of this) but if this does work the way you say it does, all states would apply it.
 
TJR, you did absolutely the right thing--except for letting this moron force you into compliance. You're supposed to use all lanes up until the merge point, and then alternate, like a zipper. (In fact, that's the term traffic control experts use for the technique.)



If they wanted you to stay out of that lane a mile or two earlier, they would have closed that lane a mile or two earlier.



Just out or curiosity, what's your view point on when people cut in line in front of you when you are standing in line, such as at the store or waiting to get into a concert?
Click to expand...



Very poor analogy. What TJR did was more akin to going to the checkout area at a store, seeing two cashiers open, one with a line of a dozen people waiting, and the other with no line at all. If all those morons want to wait in line, that's up to them--but they have no right to gripe if TJR decides to go use the other checkout lane. It was just as open to them as it was to him.
 
Andy, statistics are not made up, however they are manipulated to express specifically what someone wants you to believe most of the time...
 
I have to agree it's just common courtesy to go ahead and get in line and not cut in front of someone else at or near the head of the line. Every morning I get on a crowded freeway for my commute into town. Where I get on is always backed up down the feeder. Every morning I "get in line" and patiently wait to get onto the freeway. Every morning there are a-holes that don't bother to get in the back of the line. They rush up and force themselves into the front which of course just screws every one else in line. I keep hoping they enact a law allowing "open season" on these rude SOB's. Every one of them deserves to die if you ask me.

ps. Not saying your situation was the same TJR. Just venting about the aholes I see every day. I'm tired of it and I'm sure others are equally fed up with it. I think your situation was a little different but to many of those you were passing it wasn't. Which is why many were upset.
 
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Bill V, thanks.



Yes, the studies I have read refer to the term "zipper".



I'll apologize again to Andy if he thought I was arguing. I truly believe that a lot of people in several states have the incorrect attitude and behavior when it comes to this situation and it is actually THEM that are causing the safety and delay issues.
 
Andy, since you mentioned MNDOT, and are a fellow Minnesotan (I'm across the river from you in Brooklyn Park, and I'm guessing one of the merge points you're complaining about is when Highway 10 goes from six lanes down to two just north of Northtown Mall), here are some articles specific to us 'Sotans, including quotes from MNDOT experts on the best practices...



http://www.dot.state.mn.us/newsrels/03/10/29merge.html



http://wcco.com/topstories/Good.Question.merging.2.370216.html
 
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Bill V,



Classic. As I thought. The people that think they are so noble and courteous are actually causing excessive delays, and those zealots among them that dodge out to play "line enforcer" are putting everyone at risk.



Classic.



Attitudes and behaviors have to change. Just because a majority of people are doing something doesn't make it right/correct/advised.



I like this excerpt from the 2nd article you linked:



"Oh that's the worst," said a driver in Coon Rapids, talking about those who cut in at the last minute.



"They think these people are trying to cheat but actually that's what we want them to do," said Jabr. "We want them to merge at the very end."



That's because merging early makes the backup longer. When we use both lanes until the actual merge point and then take turns, the backups are shortened by as much as 35 percent.



"We all want to be nice guys and merge right away but that's not really what we want," said Jabr. "Merge at the very last moment possible."
Click to expand...



TJR
 
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TJR, actually, to a certain extent, I hope they won't change. Right now, there are two miles of traffic in one lane, and another that (except for the occasional passive-aggressive idiots that provoked you to start this thread) is wide open for those of us who understand the system to drive in. If, on the other hand, everyone learns the process, that two miles of heavy one lane traffic will become 1/2 to 3/4 of a mile of heavy two lane traffic (the slowdown will be reduced, but not eliminated), meaning that you and I will have that additional 1/2 to 3/4 of a mile to sit through...
 
To be fair, a reporter from the Minneapolis Star-Tribune accurately pointed out that there are definite mixed messages. Shortly after WCCO-TV ran the story I had linked above, the Star-Tribune reporter posted a photo from a safety poster in a Wisconsin rest stop, located just a few miles from a Minnesota construction area where they are very actively encouraging zipper merging via signs, flashing LEDs, etc. That poster:



[Broken External Image]:



No wonder some people are so confused on this subject...
 
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I do agree the waiting line to get through this is longer, but I believe the overall time w/ early merging will be quicker. Its the same amount of cars trying to get through the same space. So the line might be 35% shorter, but it will probably take the same amount of time to get throught. In the second article it does say there are too many factors to say what is the right and best way.



Bill V, Yes that is the location I am talking about. On rainy/snowy/slick days, like today, I avoid it so i don't have to worry about skidding into someone that cuts me off.
 
Bill V, but if things don't change, then you, I and a few others will always have to watch out for the couple of idiots that think the are Ponch.



Andy, again, merging too early makes everything slower. The savings are not only on shorter lines, but on increased throughput. We are seeing these changes in many states.



Conventional wisdom isn't always as wise as we think.



 

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