211–220 of 231 posts
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Oh, so you end up with space to merge easily then if they're speeding up.
it really depends on where they are in relation to me and if people are following them closely when they see my signal they are behind me so making it much more difficult to merge cleanly - i can either hop over as soon as i signal (not safe) or brake so i can merge behind them, where if they hadn't sped up i'd just move over naturally in the flow of traffic it really feels to me like your comments are meant to needl…
This is how you're supposed to merge. When you get on the freeway you don't expect the current flow of traffic to accommodate for you, instead you accommodate for them.
"it really feels to me like your comments are meant to needle my complaint re: folks not understanding the zipper merge, am i misreading you? do you think the zipper merge should not be used?"
I am not sure you're understanding how it's supposed to work... People in the flowing lane aren't meant to stop or slow down to let you over.
The zipper action is meant when it's backed up. The zipper lane isn't designed for you to disrupt the current flow of traffic.
Edit: here's a video, maybe it will help you understand better
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You're not forced to brake if you can see that 2 lanes go down to 1 and you therefore anticipate that the cars in the other lane are going to have to merge into your lane and you leave a gap to allow them to do so.
If there is an appropriate gap it is fine. However in my experience many people in the zipper lane merge without regard to what the traffic in the lane they're merging into is doing. Thus forcing people to slam on breaks and slows down the overall flow of traffic.
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it really depends on where they are in relation to me and if people are following them closely when they see my signal they are behind me so making it much more difficult to merge cleanly - i can either hop over as soon as i signal (not safe) or brake so i can merge behind them, where if they hadn't sped up i'd just move over naturally in the flow of traffic it really feels to me like your comments are meant to needl…
"brake so i can merge behind them" This is how you're supposed to merge. When you get on the freeway you don't expect the current flow of traffic to accommodate for you, instead you accommodate for them. "it really feels to me like your comments are meant to needle my complaint re: folks not understanding the zipper merge, am i misreading you? do you think the zipper merge should not be used?" I am not sure you're un…
I love this spirit. In the office where I work, the main door locks whenever it closes, so the first person to arrive each morning props the door open for everyone else. Well, a new tenant moved in to one of the other units, and they started taking our doorstop. Morning after morning we had to go find it and retrieve it, for weeks! One day it occurred to me that I didn't have to complain to management, or get mainten…
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Brawndo! it's what plants crave. Where do you draw the line though when catering to the uniformed? There is a reason we hire SME's.
You design systems for the way nature works not how you wish nature worked ideally.
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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…
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It hasn't worked for banks and all the various ways they've tried to keep pens from walking off, nor gas station bathroom keys. In effort you expend is ultimately wasted, as someone that wants to take will take and someone that is unawares they accidentally disposed of the utensil will not be stopped by any of the attempts. However if it makes you feel good and you enjoy the time spend over a weekend doing it, by all…
I've always thought people stealing pens is just a form of advertising which is why any company offering pens puts logos on them. All this post makes me think of is what other commonly-stolen objects one could put advertising on.
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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…
I never thought of it as a moral thing, but I merge as early as possible (ideally, I set myself up in the lane I need for the entire trip and avoid merging at all) simply because it's the safest thing to do.
When I don't do this, I will either miss the exit I want, or I'll get stuck at a standstill waiting for the rare kind soul in the lane next to me to let me in.