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| WHY I TAILGATE |
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Date: Sun, 24 Nov 1996 04:58:50 GMT Newsgroups: rec.autos.driving Leon James (dyc@drdriving.org) writes: Hmmm. I really can't see that there's any need to wait until I reach the cones and then change lanes parallel to them. In fact, I find that slowdowns are caused by drivers who, instead of changing lanes right away while it's easy, will shoot ahead in the soon-to-be-closed lane and then try to wedge themselves in at the last possible moment.
I see this quite a bit on Bay Area freeways, in areas where the right lane ends and traffic must merge to the left. In fact, there's a notorious stretch of Interstate 880 between San Jose and Milpitas that contracts from three lanes per side to two for several miles. There's always a big slowdown there because people won't change lanes when it's easy to do so, but instead will wait until they have no choice. Thankfully, a bond measure for widening this stretch of road to four lanes each way passed earlier this month, so the problem's days are numbered.
Quoting Leon James again: I'll have to side with your students on this one as far as the bottom line is concerned, but I differ with their reasoning.
Quoting Leon James again: Oh, I don't know. Right or wrong, it's a fact of life that merging _is_ difficult if you wait until reaching the cones. Not necessarily because of any malice on the part of your fellow drivers, but because traffic will have slowed (and therefore contracted) by that point, presenting far fewer openings of sufficient size in which to merge.
The reason for this slowdown is that many drivers do exactly what you recommend and stay in the ending lane and merge at the last possible moment. If they wait until they're up against the cones, they're forced to merge in a "ready or not, here I come" fashion instead of merging when it's easy and comfortable. And those in the adjacent lane have to slow down to accommodate them.
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| Coned Lane: When to Merge |
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Date: 24 Nov 1996 04:43 CST Newsgroups: rec.autos.driving Followup-To: rec.autos.driving
I also instinctively change lanes whenever I come up to a red light and there's a car stopped ahead of me in my lane, with one or more vacant lanes available. The odds are pretty high than when the light turns green, that person will accelerate way too slowly for my tastes. So you're the guy who keeps cutting me off to be first, but doesn't accelerate any faster than the guy next to him. I hate the people who have been following the person infront of them for a while and know that they go the speed they want to go, but the follower will take up another lane at the light and then drive next to the person they were behind for the next 20 miles. I also hate the people that see me in the right lane with me right turn signal on, but pull in the right lane anyway keeping me from turning right on red.
Date: Sat, 23 Nov 1996 17:54:18 -0600
Quoting Leon James:
Yes but they are wrong. Not only is it irresponsible, very inefficient for the traffic flow, and unsafe, it is also illegal. Whether I get angry at them or not, I have no respect for them and cannot have any respect for them because they are being morons. |
| Social Responsibility |
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Date: Sun, 24 Nov 1996 12:57:51 -0500 Newsgroups: rec.autos.4x4,rec.autos.driving,bc.general,ne.motorcycles,ubc.general,edm.general,van.general Leon James (dyc@drdriving.org) wrote in article 32949870.4A53@aloha.net
Well, Leon, while you are contemplating the "moral and spiritual crisis".. about our driving habits, keep in the right lane so the rest of us can pass you. It's the idiots who think they own the left lane who are the direct cause of a multitude of dangerous situations on the road.
Newsgrps: rec.autos.driving
Referring to Glenn St-Germain's message about breaking the law: No, you don't have to join them, though please try to go at least the speed limit. Any slower and I don't care what the law says, you are being dangerous and if you feel uncompetent on the highway at a lower speed than the limit you should find other roads to drive on, or maybe learn to drive better. But you should stay in the right lane at least.
Quoting Leon James: This may sound a little harsh to some but I do agree with you. In fact, I think all drivers need to be more alert to our social responsibility towards other drivers. It's not enough to be a defensive driver, though this is of course necessary. I tell my students to be "FACILITATIVE DRIVERS" which goes along with the philosophy that I need to let drivers do whatever they want. If they want to cut into my lane, make room for them. If they want to pass me, let them, even if I'm going way above the speed limit myself. Whatever other drivers want to do, as soon as you see what it is, make it easy for them -- be a facilitator.
This gets us away from the anger and the desire to retaliate, or to punish, or to teach them a lesson, etc. -- all of which is futile.
Date: 1997/09/01 I've heard that there are courses that help frustrated drivers to deal with traffic in better ways, and 90% of them say that it really works. Some go to this course admitting that they are a danger to themselves and others in heavy traffic. Anyone heard of this program? Yeah, it's called AA. Seriously though, road rage is a REAL problem today. I about went ballistic the other day at a woman in a black Quest when she decided to drive at walking speed thru a construction area to show her displeasure with me for tooting my F150's horn at her for pulling in front of me (I had the light...) at an intersection. ---spoken like a true 4-wheeler I guess. Since then I've made an effort to calm down. I didn't really go apeshit because I remembered this... Late last year in Cincinnati one woman decided she didn't like the way another lady in a VW merged onto I-71, so the first woman cut in front of VW and brake-tested her. The VW cut onto the shoulder to try and avoid the psycho bitch, but rear-ended a parked semi. She lost her baby, but survived the rest of her injuries. Other drivers followed the first one to her place of employment and got her license number. The first driver was sentenced to about 18 months in jail. They already tried to get a shock probation release after 2 weeks in the can! Fortunately it was denied. I'm surprised I haven't had a gun waved at me sometimes the way things are now. The women are now as crazy as the men are out there. |
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