Why is it such a problem for people to merge into traffic???

[RECHRGD]

Just gonna vent a little here.  Today I was coming off the freeway into an area where two roads merge into one.  It usually goes fairly good when people let every other car merge into the one lane.  Not today!  Traffic was backed up onto the freeway.  When I finally was getting close to the merging point, I could see that, not all, but some of the cars in the other lane were not letting the freeway traffic merge and in turn, backing up traffic.  Sure enough, when I tried to merge into the lane at the appropriate time the little bitch beside me pulls up to ride the bumper of the car I should have been getting behind.  When I looked at her and let her know what I thought of her driving talents, she made it clear that I was the idiot for even thinking that I could have been able to get in ahead of her little P.O.S. car.   I know this happens all the time and it shouldn't bother me after all these years, but it still pisses me off.  I also love the ones that are afraid to merge ONTO the freeway and will come to a complete stop!!  Oh yes, and then there's the ones that......Oh never mind.  Bob

[moparguy01]

they do that here in fargo too. Thats why i like driving my beater bronco. I just merge. they move.

[Blown70]

You see in fargo EVERYONE thinks THEY OWN the lane they are in.  I lived in Minneapolis and would drive there any day of the week.  Most people did not give you a ton of room but would let you MERGE.  Never had a problem there.

Just this week I ran 2 cars of a lane to merge.  GUESS what nothing was in the lane next to them.  They just did not want to move there a$$ over.

Tom

[Chryco Psycho]

my experience is it is far worse in Canaduh than the US , the US has a Lot of highways & people seems to be able to merge & actuallly accelerate while doing so
not here , most people seem to think thereis a stop sign at the end of merge ramps or at the minimum it must be illegal to accelerate until you have jumped out into traffic @ 1/2 the posted speed & as for megering when 1 lane is blocked everyone gets into the blocked lane kknowing they can force there way in a couple of spots ahead so the through lane often becomes a standstill while everyone drives by because they are Obviously more important 

[moparguy01]

You see in fargo EVERYONE thinks THEY OWN the lane they are in.  I lived in Minneapolis and would drive there any day of the week.  Most people did not give you a ton of room but would let you MERGE.  Never had a problem there.

Just this week I ran 2 cars of a lane to merge.  GUESS what nothing was in the lane next to them.  They just did not want to move there a$$ over.

Tom

Oh i agree completely Tom. In Minneapolis people know how to merge, and they let you in. Not like here where they see if they can run you off the road. I see it most with younger women drivers gabbing on their freaking cell phones and trying to put make up on. News flash honey! the makeup doesnt help! start driving!

[Brock Samson]

on my merge ramp here onto US 101 some folks like to drive up on the shoulder so they go past the cars merging every-other...  then at the end of my freeeway jaunt to work they stay in the off ramp till the last possible second then cut across diag and block. both the two lanes exiting... 

i so wish the CHP would station bikes at those two points...

oh,..  and turn signals?... why inform the driver your gonna cut off your gonna squeeze infront?.. 

thanks you...

[PocketThunder]

   with everyone above.     When they wont let me in, I just start merging into traffic with my beat up 89 Ram.   they will stop or slow down..

[Brock Samson]

i must say though with my R/T folks just pretty much get the hell outta the way... 

one of the fringe benifits I guess... 

[John_Kunkel]

My two major traffic peeves, those who can't merge and those who pull in front of you from a side street and won't accelerate to match your speed.

I think both are related to some belief that pushing the accelerator pedal more than 1/4" makes you a "hotrodder".

[Blown70]

those who pull in front of you from a side street and won't accelerate to match your speed.

OHHHH THIS ONE PISSES ME OFF TO NO END.  WHY WOULD YOU PULL OUT?  WHY?   I always say if you cannot get moveing then it was not safe to pull out. 

[derailed]

those who pull in front of you from a side street and won't accelerate to match your speed.

OHHHH THIS ONE PISSES ME OFF TO NO END.  WHY WOULD YOU PULL OUT?  WHY?   I always say if you cannot get moveing then it was not safe to pull out. 

I encountered these assholes alot when I was truck driving and to top it off, they would pull out in front of you and then go an eighth mile down the road and stop to make a left turn and wait for traffic. Nothing like standing on the brakes wondering if your gonna run over the top of them or not. Another group of assholes that should be banned from society are these people who feel its necessary to drive 60 mph for 5 miles in the left lane side by side with somebody else so you cant get around them. Never mind the road rage tickets, I think they should start ticketing the cause.

[Blown70]

Well that is why I would not drive a truck ... I may not get on the brakes.  GOD BLESS THOSE THAT CAN!

[Johnny SixPack]

those who pull in front of you from a side street and won't accelerate to match your speed.

OHHHH THIS ONE PISSES ME OFF TO NO END.  WHY WOULD YOU PULL OUT?  WHY?   I always say if you cannot get moveing then it was not safe to pull out. 

And more often than not there is no traffic behind you too.

It oughta be legal to pull those people outta there cars and beat 'em with Wiffleball bats.

[Lowprofile]

I wish I had a "Dash Cam" like the cops do, so I could show you guys the unbelievable carelessness in which drivers endanger themselves and others around them!    Moms w/ a mini-van loaded with kids, grumpy old men, the "Fast & the Furious" crowd, young girls texting messages to their girlfriends while negotiating a 40 mph exit ramp, tired truck drivers swerving all over the road..............shall I go on?

I have been driving over the road for the better part of twenty years, and it just seems to get worse every day.

[moparsuebear]

Ahhhhh, Alaska! For some reason Alaskan drivers are fairly friendly and doesn't have merging problems here. Most people toot their horn to let you know it's okay to pull in front of them. Oh, and about that deer thread...... try hitting a moose!!!

[Dale The Bold]

OHHHH THIS ONE PISSES ME OFF TO NO END.  WHY WOULD YOU PULL OUT?  WHY?   I always say if you cannot get moveing then it was not safe to pull out. 

Wait a minute.  I've always explained this as a law.  I thought I was their only target.  On the stretch of highway I take to work, everyone has been given a photo of the front of my car, and their vehicles equipped with a warning system of my approach.  They communicate with each other and try to put an end to my safe driving.  Here is the routine...

I will be following SAFELY in the left lane, as we pass the slowies in the right.  I go fast enough that there aren't any cars behind me, but leave at least two SECONDS of following distance --never measured in car lengths, because more speed should equal more distance.  As we left-laners pass a cluster of cars, one of the slowies will be warned of my approach ("Attention anyone southbound on 41, near mile marker 131, Dale is leaving braking distance between him and the car ahead of him. Please put a stop to it immediately." "Roger that, I'm on it.")  And then they cut me off --signal optional-- completely disregarding the mile of open lane behind me.

I try to tell myself that at least I have the option to slam the brake and not have a "half a car-length" moron behind me.  Some day, I will be the witness to a multi-car pile-up.  And I hope I can take that opportunity to stand on my soap box and say, "This is why I oppose speed limits. Speed limits do make sense, but they're too easy to enforce.  All these dead bodies around here should be a reminder of why we should leave braking distance, and why people should be severely fined for cutting other drivers off and for tailgating."

A coworker told me he will ride someone's bumper if they are going too slow in the left lane.  I ALWAYS slow down for people who do that.  Especially since they usually disregard the fact that I'm following a bunch of slow guys and have no option to speed up.  Going bumper to bumper increases cautiousness, slows everyone down, increases frustration, and it's all because 20 cars up, the lead car is not getting into the appropriate lane and none of us have control or influence over him.

I would love it if they took everyone's license and forced us to take an extremely hard test, biannually, in order to keep our privilege to drive.  I really think it would open up the highways, because more than half of the drivers out there think that putting your, m, and their own life at risk is worth getting home 6 seconds earlier.

[Chryco Psycho]

I LOVE the left lane slow pokes , I cannot even imagine what they are thinking
Just yesterday I crossed the city I live in on The major highway & at the north end a guy cuts me off "merging into traffic at under the speed limit & as I was slamming on the brakes he moves over 2 more lanes into the left lane & settles on 2 miles over the limit & drives 20 miles across town forcing everyone going slightly over the limit to pass him on the right keep in mind this is almost midnite & there is virtually no traffic in the slow lane where I was & I was doing the exact same speed in the slow lane with no problems

[Brock Samson]

that's where the 50 cals. and the flamethrowers come in handy... 

[4402tuff4u]

Just gonna vent a little here.  Today I was coming off the freeway into an area where two roads merge into one.  It usually goes fairly good when people let every other car merge into the one lane.  Not today!  Traffic was backed up onto the freeway.  When I finally was getting close to the merging point, I could see that, not all, but some of the cars in the other lane were not letting the freeway traffic merge and in turn, backing up traffic.  Sure enough, when I tried to merge into the lane at the appropriate time the little bitch beside me pulls up to ride the bumper of the car I should have been getting behind.  When I looked at her and let her know what I thought of her driving talents, she made it clear that I was the idiot for even thinking that I could have been able to get in ahead of her little P.O.S. car.   I know this happens all the time and it shouldn't bother me after all these years, but it still pisses me off.  I also love the ones that are afraid to merge ONTO the freeway and will come to a complete stop!!  Oh yes, and then there's the ones that......Oh never mind.  Bob

That's why is nice to drive an F250 company pick up with scratches, dings and smoke windows! It's either let me in or it's forceful "I'm going in". I give them ample time for them to let me merge and I'm not a dick about it. But I love the ones that speed up into a void to block you from merging, well the truck has heavy duty bumpers that work as can openers and you see them lock up the brakes because they don't want to impact them. Also the windows are very dark and they cannot see in. They don't know what to do when they come up next to me.   

[Skued]

Yeah I'm a little pissed!  Last night I was merging onto the highway (rush hour) when this dumbass kid though his Honda was king of the road.   As I merged onto the highway I was at around 45-50mph.  I had opening into the highway  as I enter the highway I see in my left mirror a Honda flying up on me way to fast.  He jumps into the middle lane (now I DID NOT cut him off...he trying to weave around) well he hits a pick up balance off of it slams into my back bumper.   Actually went under my bumper (Ford Bronco 3" lift with 33's ).  The pick-up slams on the brakes and some little car piles into it.   They pull off to center of the highway and I pull to the right.  Anyways the little asshole driving the Honda jump out of his car and just throws a fit.   Good thing it's rush hour and I'm on the other side of traffic .   Cops come everyone gets tickets.  Get this, I get a ticket for in proper lane change!  I thought in proper lane change was not using your blinker.  The cop said he had to issue it...no explanation...just "you can contest at your court date".    I said "I sure will"  Now during all this I'm just ....My saving grace was my wife she kept me clam. It also helps that she soon to be attorney .  Ok, I feel a little better...and when I think about the shape that Honda ended up and the little it did to my Bronco well...hehe

By the way no one was hurt, Thank God.  My two small children where also with me,they enjoyed flashing lights.

Steve

[Brock Samson]

well i'm glad no one was injured,.. and you didn't get into any.. "trouble"..

but i don't understand exactly what happened from this sentence...

" had opening into the highway  as I enter the highway I see in my left mirror a Honda flying up on me way to fast.  He jumps into the middle lane (now I DID NOT cut him off...he trying to weave around) well he hits a pick up balance off of it slams into my back bumper."

[Old Moparz]

Ahhhhh, Alaska! For some reason Alaskan drivers are fairly friendly and doesn't have merging problems here. Most people toot their horn to let you know it's okay to pull in front of them. Oh, and about that deer thread...... try hitting a moose!!!

I worked with a guy who went to Alaska for the summer once. He was supposed to be there with 3 other guys to work on a fishing boat, but it didn't work out. The one guy with the car went home, so he hitched all over to get around. He said the people/drivers he encountered were friendly for the most part, but some were just plain old wackoloons. 

Like the one old woman who gave him a ride once. He said as he got in the car, she was smoking a cigar, had a bottle of vodka & a 357 magnum on the front seat. She'd take a sip of vodka, then switch the bottle for the gun, stick it out the window, & shoot at the roadway signs. She offered him a chance to shoot some signs, but not her vodka.

Maybe by doing that it cuts down on road rage. I never heard if AAA did any kind of statistical study on it, so I don't know.   

[Brock Samson]

I thought about this thread yesterday...
  ..when a woman on a cell phone, driving a Range Rover, made a right turn directly into my path without looking, I had to get hard on the brakes and i  got on the horn too,.. 
At the next light which was green she slowed down till the light turned yellow then blew thru the light just after the yellow...
for no other reason then to be a bitch...
still gabbing away.

[Skued]

well i'm glad no one was injured,.. and you didn't get into any.. "trouble"..

but i don't understand exactly what happened from this sentence...

" had opening into the highway  as I enter the highway I see in my left mirror a Honda flying up on me way to fast.  He jumps into the middle lane (now I DID NOT cut him off...he trying to weave around) well he hits a pick up balance off of it slams into my back bumper."

at this point on the highway there are two on ramps and off ramp on a curve.  Traffic genrally at this point in rush hour is slowing down into this area.  As I came up the first on ramp, I merged into traffic...the Honda sped up be hide me(why? don't know)...the Honda tried to pass in the center lane hitting the pickup truck...turn/balanced back into me.  This all happened before we got to the second on ramp 500ft or so.   Clear as mud?

[Brock Samson]

i see, so he went to pass you on the left but banged into a pick up and bouncing back and ended up hitting you too...
  well, im glad you,.  and everyone else for that matter is o.k.   

kinda like my being rear ended in the road runner, where, in stop and go traffic, some nimrod merged into stopped traffic at way too high a speed and plowed into three cars...