I’m for the zipper if traffic is heavy, if you can’t get over early you shouldn’t be punished. What I hate is when there is enough space and time for motorists to get over, but they insist on speeding ahead and attempt to play chicken at the merge this just increases the risk of traffic slowing further due to an accident.
By “playing chicken” you mean “following the law and all the god damn driving training guides to do the most efficient thing possible with two lanes merging that would also be the safest if people weren’t possessive fuck cunts when wrapped in a car, the absolutely correct fucking zipper merge” right?
If lane 2 is closed ahead, and you’re in lane 1, I think it’s a jerk move to leave lane 1 to try to rush ahead a few cars and cut someone off when you need back into lane 1
If you erratically jump into my lane, barely a foot ahead of my car, you are cutting me off.
If you only left 16" of space in front of your car for me to merge into because you think you’ve got the moral high ground due to having merged sooner than needed, then you deserve to get cut off.
Youre letting your sense of “fairness” override good sense.
Using both of the available lanes and efficiently merging from two to one lanes at a designated point instead of at random is far safer and faster than people randomly merging from lane 2 into lane 1 when they are 34 cars back, or 16, or 5, or 105, each time stopping or slowing traffic in lane 2 and lane 1. Those people are being inconsiderate, unsafe, and inefficient. Stop blocking flowing traffic to merge poorly.
Use both lanes, especially if one is open. Dont merge early. Zipper merge at an expected and predictable point so traffic can flow safely instead of start and stop.
I don’t care about people merging who have been in the closing lane for some time, I was pretty sure the original reply was talking about the people who leave the flow of traffic to speed ahead when they know the lane will close. If you’re already in flowing traffic is there a benefit to zooming ahead and cutting someone off?
Again, that’s not wrong, unfair or at all “cutting someone off.” Thats using the empty lane efficiently and safely to speed up traffic. Its the people ignoring an open lane, crawling along that are causing an issue. Its the people merging early out of the largely empty lane that causes an issue.
There is nothing wrong at all about using an empty lane in any context to zipper merge. You thinking it is wrong is literally wrong.
No, it’s being an asshole and thinking your shit matters more. I’m not sure what you’re even arguing at this point. We’re clearly agreeing that zipper merging is most effective, but if you leave a lane to cut back in 1 or 2 cars ahead, you’re an asshole.
To clarify, by “play chicken” I mean dive into the other lane and forcing other people to slam on their breaks. Not merging when they can. My frustration is just around safety, not getting cut off or anything.
Two lanes or one will fit through a 1 lane naroowed section in a perfectly optimized way at the same speed. 1 lane cab only carry “x” cars per second. But by putting the merge at the choke point, we end up with gaps when people hit the brakes to let the other lane in and don’t accelerate at the same speed. I lane with 10 ft gaps between cars might get through a bit faster because a perfect merge with 10 ft gaps isn’t going to happen. Basically, its the Nagel-Schreckenberg effect except everyone gets stuck slowing to 15mph at the merge instead of merging early and possibly oinng through the restriction faster without issue.
Having said that, there’s no mechanism to enforce early merging other than being a good driver (or the unsung hero’s who straddle both lanes to prevent cutting). I’ve given up. If no one else will drive properly, then why shouldn’t I drive to the very front and push my way in? I’m just punishing myself by doing it the better way because it requires everyone to participate.
Eventually, we can avoid this by using dynamic signs on a gantry over the road to close/open the lane way ahead of time depending on flow and how far back the line goes.
Eh I don’t think lane straddling is a good idea either, if everyone zippered appropriately we wouldn’t need that, and if both lanes are relatively clear we wouldn’t need it either. I think driving will always suck no matter what, “safe driving” is something no one can really agree on. Not to mention there is a section of drivers who believe aggressive driving is not only acceptable, but a way to protect the ego.
This is the real solution. I spent some time in Worcester, England living with a couple there, it was so nice being able to walk to the grocery store and wherever else we wanted to go. I don’t even think I had to wait at any crosswalks or anything. Now I’m living in a big sweaty American city where sidewalks aren’t guaranteed.
I’m for the zipper if traffic is heavy, if you can’t get over early you shouldn’t be punished. What I hate is when there is enough space and time for motorists to get over, but they insist on speeding ahead and attempt to play chicken at the merge this just increases the risk of traffic slowing further due to an accident.
By “playing chicken” you mean “following the law and all the god damn driving training guides to do the most efficient thing possible with two lanes merging that would also be the safest if people weren’t possessive fuck cunts when wrapped in a car, the absolutely correct fucking zipper merge” right?
If lane 2 is closed ahead, and you’re in lane 1, I think it’s a jerk move to leave lane 1 to try to rush ahead a few cars and cut someone off when you need back into lane 1
Zip merge isn’t cutting people off tho.
If you erratically jump into my lane, barely a foot ahead of my car, you are cutting me off.
I flow with traffic and leave room for people to merge. But I people right behind me leave the lane and speed by to get one car ahead. It’s pointless.
If you only left 16" of space in front of your car for me to merge into because you think you’ve got the moral high ground due to having merged sooner than needed, then you deserve to get cut off.
Youre letting your sense of “fairness” override good sense.
Using both of the available lanes and efficiently merging from two to one lanes at a designated point instead of at random is far safer and faster than people randomly merging from lane 2 into lane 1 when they are 34 cars back, or 16, or 5, or 105, each time stopping or slowing traffic in lane 2 and lane 1. Those people are being inconsiderate, unsafe, and inefficient. Stop blocking flowing traffic to merge poorly.
Use both lanes, especially if one is open. Dont merge early. Zipper merge at an expected and predictable point so traffic can flow safely instead of start and stop.
I don’t care about people merging who have been in the closing lane for some time, I was pretty sure the original reply was talking about the people who leave the flow of traffic to speed ahead when they know the lane will close. If you’re already in flowing traffic is there a benefit to zooming ahead and cutting someone off?
Again, that’s not wrong, unfair or at all “cutting someone off.” Thats using the empty lane efficiently and safely to speed up traffic. Its the people ignoring an open lane, crawling along that are causing an issue. Its the people merging early out of the largely empty lane that causes an issue.
There is nothing wrong at all about using an empty lane in any context to zipper merge. You thinking it is wrong is literally wrong.
No, it’s being an asshole and thinking your shit matters more. I’m not sure what you’re even arguing at this point. We’re clearly agreeing that zipper merging is most effective, but if you leave a lane to cut back in 1 or 2 cars ahead, you’re an asshole.
I fully disagree that its being an asshole, as does all drivers ed and traffic engineering.
That’s the zipper merge around here.
To clarify, by “play chicken” I mean dive into the other lane and forcing other people to slam on their breaks. Not merging when they can. My frustration is just around safety, not getting cut off or anything.
That’s wild
Two lanes or one will fit through a 1 lane naroowed section in a perfectly optimized way at the same speed. 1 lane cab only carry “x” cars per second. But by putting the merge at the choke point, we end up with gaps when people hit the brakes to let the other lane in and don’t accelerate at the same speed. I lane with 10 ft gaps between cars might get through a bit faster because a perfect merge with 10 ft gaps isn’t going to happen. Basically, its the Nagel-Schreckenberg effect except everyone gets stuck slowing to 15mph at the merge instead of merging early and possibly oinng through the restriction faster without issue.
Having said that, there’s no mechanism to enforce early merging other than being a good driver (or the unsung hero’s who straddle both lanes to prevent cutting). I’ve given up. If no one else will drive properly, then why shouldn’t I drive to the very front and push my way in? I’m just punishing myself by doing it the better way because it requires everyone to participate.
Eventually, we can avoid this by using dynamic signs on a gantry over the road to close/open the lane way ahead of time depending on flow and how far back the line goes.
Eh I don’t think lane straddling is a good idea either, if everyone zippered appropriately we wouldn’t need that, and if both lanes are relatively clear we wouldn’t need it either. I think driving will always suck no matter what, “safe driving” is something no one can really agree on. Not to mention there is a section of drivers who believe aggressive driving is not only acceptable, but a way to protect the ego.
I’m all on board with parking our cars I’m a giant garage at the edge of town and riding bikes everywhere. I hate driving in traffic.
This is the real solution. I spent some time in Worcester, England living with a couple there, it was so nice being able to walk to the grocery store and wherever else we wanted to go. I don’t even think I had to wait at any crosswalks or anything. Now I’m living in a big sweaty American city where sidewalks aren’t guaranteed.
People are just driving dude. Don’t assume people are spiteful.
I’m not assuming spite, it just isn’t safe.