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Donating forks to the dining hall

ben.page

191–200 of 231 posts

Re: Donating forks to the dining hall

#191
post #2

My partner and I donated cutlery to our Apt complex multipurpose media room. It's where people who live there can watch movies on a projector or have meetings or birthdays. We bought over 50 teaspoons. I think we're down to 5. We got 10-15 each of knives forks and spoons and they were predated, but not as much. The body corporate tut-tutted and said they wouldn't do it, I think it's ok to accept some people just wind…

For the next set, buy something noticeable (i.e. bight yellow handles). I'd bet accidental theft will go down and folks will take time to return if they do accidentally take.

Re: Donating forks to the dining hall

#192

Earlier quoted context omitted.

They've actually had to try to make people more of a jerk in the midwest, and instruct them on why the "zipper merge" is NOT bad: https://www.dot.state.mn.us/zippermerge/ Otherwise if there's a sign that says "Left Lane Closed 10 Miles Ahead" everyone will get in the right lane for ten miles .

It is plausibly a more efficient usage if both lanes of traffic are moving. In practice drivers treat the "zipper merge" as acceptable when the left lane is closed ahead, there is 500 ft of road remaining and traffic in the right lane is already dead stopped. It isn't uncommon to see people approaching at 1.5x - 2x the posted speed limit and trying to "merge" then.

That is the correct behavior. If only one lane is stopped its far more likely to stretch back and block an exit that does not need to be blocked.

Re: Donating forks to the dining hall

#193

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> everyone will get in the right lane for ten miles. And have 10 miles to get up to speed. As opposed to the zipper merge where everyone waits til the last minute, and everyone has to come to a complete stop. Supposing of course your observations are true. From what I can tell with the "lane closed in 10 miles", is some asshole invariably sees it as a chance to get ahead of everyone else, zooms through the left lane,…

I understand that my argument will lead to the inevitable 'well if everyone one followed all the rules all the time' type response, but there if people are leaving the appropriate following distance with perhaps a bit extra at the as they approach the zipper merge, than there is no reason the merge cannot take place at near highway speeds, certainly with no need to stop. Its no different than how a freeway entry work…

I can't prove it, but I suspect (strongly) that whichever method you believe to be the correct one, following distances must shorten dramatically, or speeds must drop so low as to threaten traffic jams (which, perversely, leave everyone bumper to bumper). It's all about how many cars are trying to use that stretch of road for a period of time, and if all are to fit through within that window, there is both a minimum speed and a maximum following distance. Wish I wasn't a math flunky.

Re: Donating forks to the dining hall

#194
post #137

There's a common pattern in population dynamics that I've observed, which probably has a formal name: A given system with (to simplify) two types of behavior: good and bad will tolerate and self correct up to certain percentage of bad actors (call this the jerk threshold, JT) after which all participants switch to the bad behavior. Examples are line formation for a service, cutting people off in traffic, stealing fro…

They've actually had to try to make people more of a jerk in the midwest, and instruct them on why the "zipper merge" is NOT bad: https://www.dot.state.mn.us/zippermerge/ Otherwise if there's a sign that says "Left Lane Closed 10 Miles Ahead" everyone will get in the right lane for ten miles .

For years, I thought early merging was the morally correct choice, until a friend in my car yelled at me for doing it. He was a very conscientious person, but he was also a bus driver in the city (and thus much better trained in driving through congested areas). I think it's just a matter of education.

Another way to think of it: if you merge early, then the actual correct time to merge becomes indeterminate. Do you merge when you see the sign? Wait till you see a good gap? What if the person behind you doesn't have a gap, and they drive right past to keep looking? It becomes chaotic, and everyone thinks they are getting picked on when someone decides to merge in front of them or passes them. So much wasted anxiety and anger. It's a lot easier (in congestion) to wait until you need to merge, then merge.

In free-flowing traffic, it's a bit different, but the Minnesota page on zipper merging acknowledges that at the end of the article.

Re: Donating forks to the dining hall

#195
post #149

Earlier quoted context omitted.

ugh tell that to the idiots who give me the finger for zipper merging in Columbus, OH

What's the legal situation? Where I live in the EU merging lanes demands a zipper merge according to law.

There are signs posted explaining that zipper is the correct way to go, but I still get run off the road for doing it when merging onto the outer belt in this city

Re: Donating forks to the dining hall

#196
post #149

Earlier quoted context omitted.

ugh tell that to the idiots who give me the finger for zipper merging in Columbus, OH

Well if you're forcing them to break when you merge then that kind of requires a finger imo. Regardless Columbus has a great lack of turn signals and understanding of basic intersection rules.

> if you're forcing them to break when you merge then that kind of requires a finger

i do my best to avoid forcing anyone to brake, ever

usually the people flipping me off are speeding ahead of me from the other lane as soon as they see my signal go on

Re: Donating forks to the dining hall

#197
post #196

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Well if you're forcing them to break when you merge then that kind of requires a finger imo. Regardless Columbus has a great lack of turn signals and understanding of basic intersection rules.

> if you're forcing them to break when you merge then that kind of requires a finger i do my best to avoid forcing anyone to brake, ever usually the people flipping me off are speeding ahead of me from the other lane as soon as they see my signal go on

Oh, so you end up with space to merge easily then if they're speeding up.

Re: Donating forks to the dining hall

#198

Earlier quoted context omitted.

No? >Your comments starts off accusing them of faking the cute little story. No it didn't. I am saying that it reads like they might have thought up the idea as something to blog about before they executed the idea. For the sole purpose of appearing more interesting. Irrelevant here means just uninteresting enough that it wouldn't be brought up in conversation when people describe their life. >The fact that your comm…

> I am saying that it reads like they might have thought up the idea as something to blog about before they executed the idea. For the sole purpose of appearing more interesting. Where I'm from we call this "telling on yourself." It occurred to you to read the story this way, so reflexively that you never stopped to question the thought and indeed have resisted quite stubbornly all suggestions, no doubt soon includin…

It says that I am able to understand the motives that may guide some blog posters. Yes.

Glad you understand me.

Re: Donating forks to the dining hall

#199

Earlier quoted context omitted.

No I didn't. You're free to feel like I did though.

Yes you did. You may not have intended it that way, but that's how it comes across. You're free to feel like you didn't, but if you're looking to communicate effectively, and not just argue on the Internet, it would be worth your while to figure out why your comment comes across that way.

No. It can come across however you like, doesn't make it whatever you like.

Re: Donating forks to the dining hall

#200
post #75

[flagged]

Some of us genuinely believe in mutual aid and practice it. Talking about mutual aid inspires mutual aid. It's ok to tell stories where good things happen because you got involved.

Uh, of course it's okay to tell stories?
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