My Recent Road Rage Story

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Andy, in that location, I agree that there's reason for some anger, but I think it needs to be directed at the morons who designed that intersection, not the drivers on it. Whoever thought that you could take two lanes of Highway 10, two lanes of Highway 47, one lane of Highway 610, and one lane of Foley Boulevard, and merge them all down to two lanes of traffic within about a third of a mile, needs to be fired.
 
Bill I will agree with you on that one. I can see in some instances where the merging at the last moment would work better, again like on a ramp. But I think that only works good because they have a light that meters the traffic to go "zippered". But if you have time to get over earlier than the last possible instance, it will keep the flow of traffic moving versus lane a go than lane b go, because not everyone will respect who' turn is next unless there is something that tells them too.



Also when one goes to drivers ed, aren't you taught to merge where there is an opening?
 
QUESTION: Go south on I-25 and turn off at exit 139. This is a two-lane road which immediately turns left and passes over I-25 and joins eastbound Martin Luther King, Jr. bypass going east. Immediately after passing over I-25, the left lane peters out and the road becomes one lane just before joining MLK bypass. My question is: Which lane legally has the right of way or which lane must yield to the other before the two lanes become one lane? There are no yield signs.

- John Yauk

ANSWER: When a lane is ending, it is the responsibility of the vehicle in the lane that is ending to merge, according to Colorado Springs Police Department spokesman Lt. Rafael Cintron. “The person with the right of way is the person in the lane that’s ongoing. If your lane is coming to an end, you have to yield the right of way.” As one reader pointed out, it’s a yield, not a race-as-fast-as-you-can to get in front of everyone in the lane that isn’t ending.
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Andy asks:



Also when one goes to drivers ed, aren't you taught to merge where there is an opening?
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I remember that. But who's to say there isn't an opening another mile or half mile down road?



Or are you saying it is supposed to be "merge at earliest opening?"



And if so, what does one do if the congested left lane backs up to an on ramp...are those people just coming onto the road supposed to immediately merge, even though there is 1, or 2 or 5 miles of open lane until the merge point?



Nah, I bet when that happens it almost forces both lanes to be used until closer to the pinch point.



TJR



 
Also when one goes to drivers ed, aren't you taught to merge where there is an opening?
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I think that varies widely depending on when and where you get your driver's ed. When I was getting driver's ed in the late 80's, I was taught the zipper merge when in heavy/slow traffic, and where there's an opening when in moving traffic.



But I've heard from friends here who got their driver's ed in Minnesota, who have told me that not only didn't they learn the zipper, but they also didn't learn that slower traffic should keep right.

 
Andy, I don't see how that last posted quote means anything.



I'll take the points one by one:





When a lane is ending, it is the responsibility of the vehicle in the lane that is ending to merge, according to Colorado Springs Police Department spokesman Lt. Rafael Cintron.
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Agreed. I had a responsibility to merge. I would. I still had a mile-plus to do so. My alternative to not merging would be to drive into a barrier.





“The person with the right of way is the person in the lane that’s ongoing. If your lane is coming to an end, you have to yield the right of way.”
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Okay, agreed. As I merge, into the left lane I would have had to yield the right of way. Again, no problem there. I hadn't intended on merging yet. Again, I had another mile of open road.





As one reader pointed out, it’s a yield, not a race-as-fast-as-you-can to get in front of everyone in the lane that isn’t ending.
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Again, to that I agree. I wasn't speeding. I wasn't dodging in front of people. I wasn't weaving. I started in and stayed in the right lane and reduced my speed well under that for the construction zone.



TJR
 
I was merely putting it out there that people in that left lane do not need to make an openening for those that choose to ride the lane to the end.
 
Andy, I appreciate that. They don't need to. But, if they were as courteous as you claim people should be, they would, right? And then everything would run more smoothly.



The zipper requires that people be more courteous and go one, then the other. In really congested traffic it is the way to go.



TJR
 
No, TJR, you were not wrong. People are like sheep and start lining up way too early when they see these signs. I do it too most of the time. I have been in the long slow lane and been ticked when all these other "a-holes" are blowing by me and getting way ahead of me. Sometimes I do what you do and stick it out in the merging lane until the end, but usually I also get the finger or a near-hit by an "enforcer".



However, I pretty much agree with you that there is nothing wrong with using the open lane until the end. However, the herd of sheep will usually try to stop you from doing it, as even I will often not let the ones who blow by in the merging lane in when I should. I get mad just like the rest of the sheep.



Human beings are pretty stupid and irrational beings. You can't change 'em.
 
Cutting to the front of a line waiting to get through a choke point should be punishable by hanging.



I agree everyone should fill all available lanes until the choke point and then alternate, but if they don't cutting to the front is a great way to piss off a lot of people.
 
Being that I was the 'inspiration' for something, I'm putting my 2 cents in...



I would have driven down the empty right lane until the merge sign. I have a freeway on ramp near my house that enters the freeway and then that lane ends, making for a second merge left. Everyday, during rush hour, there are the people that will 'scibblydoo' down the right shoulder, trying to get by as many cars as they can before they merge into traffic. I come up the ramp, match my speed to the freeway traffic, and merge when safe. I then merge left again as soon as possible. I see these people pass by me on the right, and EVERY TIME, I pass by them 1/4 mile up the road, trying to get over from the ending right lane...

On another note, last week I was driving the Stang back up Hwy 50 to Tahoe, and being that it's summertime, there was traffic. I was in a long line of cars. (at least 25...) When I got to the passing lane at Twin Bridges, I passed several vehicles, but still had several more yet in front of me. I could see that there was a 5th wheel/toy hauler causing the back up. He was on the grade above me, with about 30 cars between us. At the top of the grade, there's another passing lane. All 30 cars fell in line like sheep behind the 5th wheel. I used the left lane and PASSED ALL 30 of 'em, including the 5th wheel! Lemmings....
 
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If you have the space to get in, than ride the lane, but get over when there is an opening. The people that get the "number one" finger are those that don't merge in where there is a safe opening. Those are the people that tick everyone off.
 
You were wrong! You knew of the closing, so you should have got over. You didn't save any time. Around here you'd be blocked too, even by the Semi's. Stay with the flow. This is one of the reasons for road rage and wrecks. When you pass all those cars and then pull back in their lane, you have ticked everyone of them off. One of them may have a gun a decide to follow you.
 
Why should he get over when there is still a mile before it merges? Why even bother having the lane at all if no one is going to use it?



I hate people that wont let me in when I'm on a on ramp.



One time I tried to get on with my sport trac in tow and some mini-van jerk speed up and kept to where he was in the middle of my truck so I couldnt get over. I had to get back off the highway. Luckily next time around I caught up with him and blew black smoke from the dually in his open window.
 
JK II, in the case you mentioned, I think the other guy should have let you in, however if one were to have the room to get in, but chose to try and get in front of just one more car to make him 10' closer to home, than he doesn't need to let you in, but since he sped up to do it, I'm with you on that. Again, a lot of the people that wait till the end assume there is going to be an opening for them. I notice more people cut semi's and trucks w/ trailers more than any other vehicle. This is bad because those vehicle's can't stop as quick as most cars and they could possibly rear end the others.
 
TJR - I agree with you. I'd have done the same thing if I were a mile or so before the merge point, as you were. There's just no sense in the "sheeple" jumping into the left lane two miles or more before the merge, then getting ticked off when someone else has the common sense to use the open lane.



Now, those motorcyclists who use the right shoulder to pass cars in the right lane . . . that's a different story!

 

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