Why do idiots try and control my driving?

Scania · 9 Feb 2006 at 18:22

[TW]Fox said:
You've just contradicted yourself.

I'm good at that arn't I?

[TW]Fox said:
How can anyone merge in turn if you are using your truck to block the outside lane? Merge in turn takes place at the point of lane closure, not 300 yards prior to it.

Either you are in favour of it or not?

To my mind, if a driver has'nt pulled over 300 yards before roadworks, he's intent on cutting in and can enjoy the obscenities written on my trailers back doors!

The occasions I refer to is when on a motorway and the traffic is near stationary,also, if to me with my view advantage, I can see what carnage the gits cutting in at the last minute cause. truckers often do it, I suppose its pure frustration and I/we stand guilty as charged m'lord.

I also will in roadworks, pull alongside somebody who's rigidly sticking to whatever limit has been set (as every Tom Dick & Harry blatantly ignores it ,even when "specc camerad") and I will match his speed, this really causes upset to the idiots behind, but, I get plenty of thumbs up from the road workers who the speed limit is set to protect, that said at night if the roadworks are not being worked, I won't bother.

Jet · 9 Feb 2006 at 19:00

Everyone's theories are all well and good but the reason most people use an empty right lane are not doing it because they think merge in turn is the best system, it's because they are lazy.

Roadworks give more than 1000 yards of notice in most circumstances which in non-rush hour is plenty of time to position yourself in the left-hand lane.

If everyone is in the left hand lane, they can simply drive through the obstruction, the minute you get people needing to cut in in the last 200 yards it slows everyone down and makes people annoyed.

The IAM may recommend something in particular but until this is adopted by the highway code, you doing something different to everyone else is dangerous or just plain selfish.

If everyone queueing in one lane would cause problems behind then the road workers should have signs asking to queue in both lanes. I don't agree with blocking the right lane but I get satisfaction from people doing it

Oblivious · 9 Feb 2006 at 19:17

Morba said:
do you actually drive?

when coming up to a brow of a hill, do you drive at 5mph as you cant be sure whats the other side?

Yes, my average is around 55k to 60k a year.

No I don't thats just being silly. I would slow down to a speed that would give me a reasonable stopping distance tho.

Trickle · 9 Feb 2006 at 21:50

PeterNem said:
The fact of the matter is leaving a queue to build up in one lane and having the other lane sat empty is silly.

Disagree with this and automatically interpreting a fairly ambiguous part of the highway code in this way as gospel.

Queue is going to be exactly the same size wherever you merge down the line so to me it doesnt make sense to leave it to the last minute on a 2 -> 1 situation.

Merging at the same place, closer to the juncture at a 3 -> 2 does work better imho.

Trickle · 9 Feb 2006 at 21:54

[TW]Fox said:
Merge in turn takes place at the point of lane closure, not 300 yards prior to it.

How can it take place at exactly the right spot on point if cars are parallel or not travelling at the same speed in each lane. Or if someone has just merged and not left enough of a safe gap for the next car to merge?

It just cant happen the perfect way you seem to want it too. Therefore expecting everyone to suddenly start adhering to this is madness.

TripleT · 9 Feb 2006 at 21:59

I'm sorry but this merging ASAP **** is utter utter *******s! :rolleyes:

There's 3 lanes open for a reason, use all three of them. If everyone wasn't so childish then the queue would move a lot smoother. :rolleyes:

TripleT · 9 Feb 2006 at 22:04

R124/LA420 said:
I sometimes use my artic's trailer to stop selfish drivers cutting in, but, only when I'm about 250 > 300 yds from the lane closure, its the idiots who insist on cutting in at the last minute that cause the tailbacks we all hate being stuck in.

If everybody did "merge in turn" then the traffic, in theory, would still flow.

Sadly, that theory is rarely seen working, due, as I say to the idiots cutting in.

Hmm, why do I just know I'm going to get some flames for my actions?

Damn, most of the things you say I agree with but that's just wrong on SOOOO many levels

Lopéz · 9 Feb 2006 at 22:05

If people were a bit more decisive about their driving then this sort of situation would occur far less. People tend to meander down the outside lane and attempt to drift into gaps that don't really exist with all the alacrity of a damp log.

Why not give it some beans down the outside and tuck neatly and incisively into a gap in the traffic? Your car has a gearbox and a precise steering system, so use them. Zip filtering is far better than everyone sitting in the inside 2 lanes. Of course, chopping people up isn't really on but that isn't what's being discussed here.

Same goes for people who dilly dally up bypasses eventually reaching 60mph after about 4 miles. Jesus! Put your foot down and get on with it!

Scania · 9 Feb 2006 at 22:11

TripleT said:
Damn, most of the things you say I agree with but that's just wrong on SOOOO many levels

Nobodys perfect, especially not I.

-

I'll make a concious effort to refrain from now on.

cootuk · 9 Feb 2006 at 22:56

There are roadwork/lane closure signs so all it needs is
'use both lanes' signs with
'merge in turn ahead' and then
'merge here' at say 200yds away

Simple.

whitecrook · 9 Feb 2006 at 23:10

I read a page by some guy in San Franciso a while ago which was very interesting and discussed this whole issue in detail but damned if I can find it, was talking about phantom traffic jams, merging etc.

Anyway while looking I found this http://www.traffic-simulation.de/ it's pretty fascinating.

MrMoon · 9 Feb 2006 at 23:18

Lopéz said:
Same goes for people who dilly dally up bypasses eventually reaching 60mph after about 4 miles. Jesus! Put your foot down and get on with it!

here here I hate that, your joining a ******* motorway get your boot down

lordrobs · 9 Feb 2006 at 23:22

Do you not think that half the reason for the queue is people tearing up the outside lane then barging there way in at the last minute.

Good god man we're british... queueing (sp?) is what we're good at

NickXX · 9 Feb 2006 at 23:35

R124/LA420 said:
I also will in roadworks, pull alongside somebody who's rigidly sticking to whatever limit has been set (as every Tom Dick & Harry blatantly ignores it ,even when "specc camerad") and I will match his speed, this really causes upset to the idiots behind, but, I get plenty of thumbs up from the road workers who the speed limit is set to protect, that said at night if the roadworks are not being worked, I won't bother.

Nice one, so when they do eventually get past you they'll burn off, and likely well over the speed limit. Very professional.

Jet · 9 Feb 2006 at 23:36

I agree. Merging takes time. If there are no problems behind for roundabouts or traffic lights then read the bloody road signs and get in the left lane instead of being selfish and cutting everyone off.

Scania · 10 Feb 2006 at 00:30

NickXX said:
Nice one, so when they do eventually get past you they'll burn off, and likely well over the speed limit. Very professional.

What they do after the roadworks is upto them, I'd rather help the idiots obey the temporary limit and keep the roadworkers safe.

- I do this frequently along the A500 in Stoke (currently 30 limit) strange, yesterday there was a camera van there I wonder how many drivers itching to "boot" past me thought again as they trundled past the "Safety Camera" @ 30MPH ???

Its no fun working 5ft from speeding cars, especially when your protected by little more than traffic cones!

Pug · 10 Feb 2006 at 01:31

i'm amazed after 3 pages people still thimk sitting in the left lane is the most appropriate thing to do.

If we cant convince a motoring forum, we have NO chance with Jo Public.........

cootuk · 11 Feb 2006 at 08:24

The big problem with queueing up in the same lane around towns is that tailbacks jam up everything behind you. When Manchester Road in Bradford was being dug up, the idiotic blocking of clear lanes by cars intent on not letting anyone past just led to the city centre grinding to a halt because of tailbacks.
The big problem is that most drivers appear to be thick as the proverbial.

lordrobs · 11 Feb 2006 at 09:19

My reasoning behind queueing was as follows.

If people use the 800 yards as a warning and move into the open lane(s) in advance when its safe to do so the traffic can stream through the road works at whatever the speed restriction is (lets say 40 for example)

Now unless people merge in turn at a fair old lick (which is doubtfull) then the traffic isn't going to flow as well as a constant stream of traffic at 40

Maybe i'm wrong but I wouldn't consider myself as "thick as the proverbial"

Muban · 11 Feb 2006 at 09:50

Pug said:
Straddling lanes to prevent people doing stuff is childish, dangerous and silly.

Definitely...

Pug said:
So, to play with him, i nudged my nose up the inside lane, not overtaking, just offering the bait, resulting in him violently swerving back across.

...to be fair though, so was that.

As it happens I agree with the OP. There is a big difference between screaming up the outside lane close to the merge point when the traffic on the inside is at a standstill and merging in safely while both lanes of traffic are still moving. From what he has written so far I think he was trying to do the latter.