There is a street intersection where most through traffic turns right (yield to cross traffic which is generally minimal). Traffic turning right generally flows (slows but doesn't generally stop).

That being said, it tends to back up a little bit - again, doesn't really stop but slows down. Everybody generally waits their turn - keeping it tight with the car in front (not tailgating but not way back either - appropriate for the speed).

So of course impatient, entitled idiots will cut around from the back, drive up using the left lane and then cut back in near the turn.

Ummm, yea, thanks for cutting in line. It's not like the rest of us are waiting to get to the intersection. Maybe we should ALL do the same thing.

To me, this is basically the same as a guy in the back of the line at Costco, or the supermarket, or the post office, or whever just moving up to the front and cutting in.

Is it just me? Or are these guys asshats? I get it - some people are in a legitimate hurry to get somewhere. But most peope - just wait your turn.

quote:

Is it just me? Or are these guys asshats? I get it - some people are in a legitimate hurry to get somewhere. But most peope - just wait your turn.

Yeah probably assholes. It amazes me that women will do this sort of thing in an auto, but never in a supermarket line. It is as if they are protected or immune from someone saying something if they are in their car.

Having the attitude, that maybe you are not that important is one way to go. Of course that only goes so far.

No, no, no. You see, it's supposed to be a zipper. Complete free for all up until the point where only a single line can maneuver. Makes things faster this way. People coming in from any and all directions, perhaps even up the shoulder, to get as far up front as possible. Nobody has time to be courteous, patient, or wait their turn.

Makes me boil. Especially when I've been waiting for 20 minutes in traffic and some asshole decides to stop up the lane next to me so he can dart between me and the car in front of me into the safe traveling distance I have left myself.

Not a lane merge. An asshole deciding to drive past a half mile of patiently waiting vehicles sitting on the interchange ramp and blunder himself in front of them.

Self entitled asshat.

quote:

Originally posted by a1abdj:

...it's supposed to be a zipper...

That was a huge topic of discussion around here a few years ago when there was never ending construction on I-74 going thru city. Here's the official word from IL DOT:

https://qctimes.com/news/local...ed-5e6f1c294910.html

Q. What's happening with the zipping (zipper merge)? I thought it would be solved by now. All it would take is a little imagination with signage. The signage and barrel placement there now doesn't tell motorists to zip. People are doing what the markings are telling them to do. One flashing sign says "Merge ahead." Next sign, "Form two lines." Next sign, "Merge here." That's my suggestion. Then place barrels and lane markers to match. Who could be confused by that? — Don

A. We contacted the Illinois Department of Transportation to find out. John Wegmeyer responded:

"The zipper merge concept is being tried and evaluated in several states, including Illinois. To be safe and effective, it is important to develop a consistent and clear signing/marking plan that drivers recognize and accept. Studies done in other states confirm that the public is reluctant to readily accept the zipper merge. Changes in traffic flow usually take time for drivers to become familiar and feel safe. Bi-directional left turn lanes are common now, but took many years for people to fully adapt to. Roundabouts are becoming common in some areas of the nation and are gaining more and more acceptance as drivers use them and become familiar with how to maneuver through them.

"On most of our interstate routes, the most efficient, safest, and fastest way to proceed through construction zones is for traffic to maintain a 45-55 mph speed and merge into one lane as soon as practical. This is the way most drivers have learned and practiced lane merges for their entire driving life. In high volume urban areas where traffic is congested and traveling much slower, most lane closures result in slow speeds with all lanes backing up and traffic merging into one lane at the merge location. The problem is the transition situation between these two examples where traffic needs to change from the lower volume higher speed merge to the congested slow zipper merge.

"I-74 is in this difficult transition zone. For many hours of the day, the traditional merge works very well. During high volume times, the zipper merge at slower speeds would reduce the length of the backups. That is why we have used the changeable message signs during higher volume time periods to recommend using both travel lanes up to the merge point.

"As traffic volumes continue to increase on our interstates, we expect that the use of the 'zipper' merge will gain more acceptance and become more common as soon as a uniform and safe way of signing them is developed. Until then, the best way to safely travel through construction zones is to slow down, be alert for vehicles changing lanes or speeds, and be patient with the other drivers on the highway."

Ron,

Not ever having heard of the term "zipper merge" I looked it up and found this.




Link to original video: https://youtu.be/8wgSjstvsPc

And let me tell you exactly what is wrong with that video above.

A single line does not move slowly. It can move at whatever speed it moves. Want to know why it moves slow? People "zipper merging" which have either slowed or stopped, and then nose in causing those in the moving line to hit the brakes.

I don't care what these "engineers" have to say. It's like an hour glass. You can only fit so many grains of sand through the necked down glass. Same with traffic. So knowing that you can only fit X number of cars through the only thing that would impact that is further reductions. Say, people having to brake to let others in.

If people could merge while traffic was still flowing (which is generally what happens in an early merge), that would be another thing all together.

Correct, people need to accelerate in order to zipper merge and keep traffic flowing.

Phizzix on-oh-one

quote:

Originally posted by bald1:
Not ever having heard of the term "zipper merge" I looked it up

I found this amazing as I thought this was taught in Driver's Training and was even in the Driver's Testing booklet...although I have to admit that the official term is Alternate Merge

It this not taught or is it a regional shortfall?

quote:

Originally posted by 9mmepiphany:

quote:

Originally posted by bald1:
Not ever having heard of the term "zipper merge" I looked it up

I found this amazing as I thought this was taught in Driver's Training and was even in the Driver's Testing booklet...although I have to admit that the official term is Alternate Merge

It this not taught or is it a regional shortfall?

Uh...it might be an age thing. I never heard of the zipper merge until a few years ago here in the IA/IL Quad Cities. Bald1 is about my age; I'm reluctant to reveal my precise age, but I started Medicare three years ago.

quote:

Originally posted by Sigmund:

quote:

Originally posted by 9mmepiphany:

quote:

Originally posted by bald1:
Not ever having heard of the term "zipper merge" I looked it up

I found this amazing as I thought this was taught in Driver's Training and was even in the Driver's Testing booklet...although I have to admit that the official term is Alternate Merge

It this not taught or is it a regional shortfall?

Uh...it might be an age thing. I never heard of the zipper merge until a few years ago here in the IA/IL Quad Cities. Bald1 is about my age; I'm reluctant to reveal my precise age, but I started Medicare three years ago.

Hell I'm older than that. hahahahahaha

And no, my driver's ed was in the early '60s which included familiarization with icy conditions on a frozen lake. Any "booklet" that the State may have used back in those days has been long retired! LOL

I see that all the time. If I see one coming (asshat), I will close up the hole in front of me to deny them an opening.

quote:

Originally posted by bald1:

quote:

Originally posted by Sigmund:

quote:

Originally posted by 9mmepiphany:

quote:

Originally posted by bald1:
Not ever having heard of the term "zipper merge" I looked it up

I found this amazing as I thought this was taught in Driver's Training and was even in the Driver's Testing booklet...although I have to admit that the official term is Alternate Merge

It this not taught or is it a regional shortfall?

Uh...it might be an age thing. I never heard of the zipper merge until a few years ago here in the IA/IL Quad Cities. Bald1 is about my age; I'm reluctant to reveal my precise age, but I started Medicare three years ago.

Hell I'm older than that. hahahahahaha

And no, my driver's ed was in the early '60s which included familiarization with icy conditions on a frozen lake. Any "booklet" that the State may have used back in those days has been long retired! LOL

I took my driver's ed in high school in the late 60s and we covered it.

I doubt it's an age thing, I start Medicare this year

quote:

Originally posted by 9mmepiphany:

I took my driver's ed in high school in the late 60s and we covered it.

I doubt it's an age thing, I start Medicare this year

In that case we can blame the mid 1960s driver's ed teachers in upstate NY! Bald1 and I grew up about 45 minutes apart, our high schools played each other in football. No, I was not on the team.

I thought it might be a East Coast thing

quote:

Originally posted by GaryBF:
I see that all the time. If I see one coming (asshat), I will close up the hole in front of me to deny them an opening.

It is even better if you don't quite close the hole, but make it just small enough that they won't fit...never honk your horn, never make eye contact; just carry on as if they don't exist

As I understand konata88’s bitch, any discussion of the zipper merge is irrelevant here since the left lane asshats are using a left through lane to jump ahead of the traffic stacked to make a right turn. This is entirely different from a merge point, in which case the zipper merge is the most effective way to clear traffic, except for the fact that our driver training is woefully inadequate and too many people with zero situational awareness are able to obtain driver’s licenses.

-Rob

quote:

As I understand konata88’s bitch, any discussion of the zipper merge is irrelevant here since the left lane asshats are using a left through lane to jump ahead of the traffic stacked to make a right turn. This is entirely different from a merge point, in which case the zipper merge is the most effective way to clear traffic

I get what you're saying, but I disagree. You have two lanes of traffic that want to end up at a single available lane. Those running up the left lane to turn right are simply merging.

So you say it's not the same because the left lane goes straight, and those in the turn lane were waiting patiently to make their turn. I say it's the exact same because in both cases lanes are not available for travel, and in both cases people are traveling up those unavailable lanes to the end and forcing their way in.

That's why I made the joke that even included drivers coming up the shoulder. Everybody is just using the available asphalt to "speed things up".

Except in this case, the people merging are crossing over a solid white line. When I learned the rules, you were not supposed to cross over solid lines.

Sorry I wasn’t clear in the OP. The lane going straight has a solid white line separating it from the lane making the turn.

So the behavior is twofold when cars back up ahead of the turn lane.
1) Cars will leave the right lane and then merge back in ahead of the solid line. Assholes but within the rules.
2) cars will leave the right land and merge crossing over the solid white line. Assholes and against the rules.

In any case, the guys who were in the lane behind me who move into the left lane and merge back in again to make the turn - assholes.