On merging from an on ramp onto the highway

"Bad Idea Hat" (taoistlumberjack) 11/20/2014 at 12:49 • Filed to: None

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A while back, I mentioned in someone's post that, while having a dash cam is useful, the real need is for a rear-facing camera. I came to realize, thanks to three two and a half fun incidents this past week, how true that is.

1) Merging, and I'm 500 feet from the merge. There's a semi about two semi and trailer lengths back. He was moving up, but I was clearly far ahead. As I merged, I watch him not only maintain speed, but apparently accelerate, as he was now 5 feet from my bumper. I thought, and maybe this is just me, but someone merging with many car lengths of lead would be considered to be in the right of way. Is this wrong?

2) Merging on to the highway, and as I merge, a Volvo SUV about 2 car lengths back not only merges into my lane, but accelerates until they're directly in my blind spot. I had my signal on, and had already committed to the merge as this happens.

2.5) Not merging, but driving down a multi-lane street, and the guy behind me is straddling the line for well over a mile. No clue. I wish I had my camera rear facing for that.

I bring these up because I really do wonder what the proper merge etiqutte is. I typically try to "zipper" as much as possible when in heavier traffic, or at least let any cars that are ahead of me merge ahead of me. It seems like there are a ton of people not only give no leeway, but actively try to remove leeway.

Party-vi > Bad Idea Hat 11/20/2014 at 12:55

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Zipper merge is best merge. Cuts down on traffic delays.

Also, if people would actually use the accelerator as intended instead of as a footrest while merging that would help too. Merging lane = get your ass up to speed with everyone else.

MarquetteLa > Party-vi 11/20/2014 at 12:57

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Yes, absolutely. Your speed should already match the flow of traffic before you even attempt to merge.

Rico > Party-vi 11/20/2014 at 13:00

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Okay can someone actually explain this to me, when I merge I never jump on the highway at high speed instead I slowly get into the lane because in the "merging lane" there is a shit ton of cars and someone has to let you in, if you just go from the ramp onto the highway you're going to get rear ended. If there's no traffic by all means use the ramp to get to 50 mph.

Also I've learned that people just don't give a fuck like when a lane is going from 2 lanes into 1 they will do whatever they can to jump in front of you even if it means nearly sideswiping your car, so instead I keep my car in the middle and block anyone on the left and right.

Funktheduck > Bad Idea Hat 11/20/2014 at 13:03

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I've thought about getting a second cam to face the rear. The problem for me would be powering it

Sir_Stig: and toxic masculinity ruins the party again. > Rico 11/20/2014 at 13:09

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You sir are a horrible driver. You should do everything in your power to merge at the same speed as the traffic in the lane you are entering. Also cars have the right to use all the lane there is, if it allows them to make a smoother merge.

Party-vi > Rico 11/20/2014 at 13:24

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It can't be helped if people slow in front of you while you're on the ramp trying to merge onto the highway, but you are supposed to come out of the ramp, use the lane to mash the skinny pedal and then merge while/as you hit highway speeds. You should be using your eyes and finding a gap in traffic while you come out of the bend in the ramp. Sometimes this isn't practical (traffic) but this is how it should work.

BigBlock440 > Bad Idea Hat 11/20/2014 at 13:28

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There's a semi about two semi and trailer lengths back. He was moving up, but I was clearly far ahead. As I merged, I watch him not only maintain speed, but apparently accelerate, as he was now 5 feet from my bumper. I thought, and maybe this is just me, but someone merging with many car lengths of lead would be considered to be in the right of way. Is this wrong?

Yes. 150' (2-3 semi lengths) isn't that far at highway speeds, and if a semi is "accelerating" to the point where you can't merge safely, you need to put that right foot down a little harder. The vehicles on the highway have no obligation to alter their speeds or lanes for you to merge. Is it courteous, yes, is it required, no.

SidewaysOnDirt still misses Bowie > Bad Idea Hat 11/20/2014 at 13:28

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People only use the gas if there's a threat of a car getting in front of them. Everyone knows this.

Rico > Sir_Stig: and toxic masculinity ruins the party again. 11/20/2014 at 13:33

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Lol how am I a horrible driver? Have you driven on a NYC highway? If you merge into the lane at the same speed as traffic you are going to get rear ended (as people in the "merging lane" are constantly speeding up to box you out from merging), or force the person behind you to slam on their brakes. If you come off the ramp at highway speeds you are going to rear end the car in front of you. If there is no traffic obviously you get on at appropriate speeds but that's like 1/10 cases.

Also I'm talking about zipper merging on a 2 lane road that is turning into a single lane, people will speed up on either your left or right depending on how far you are and attempt to cut you off if you are letting someone in front of them merge, even if it means coming within 6 inches of your car.

If that makes me a horrible driver because I won't let some dick in a 1999 Ford Explorer sideswipe me to make it to his destination 5 seconds sooner, sue me.

Rico > Party-vi 11/20/2014 at 13:38

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I think this is a location thing. On almost every NYC highway, if it's not after midnight, the merging lane is just a normal lane for drivers so they are actively trying to box you out from merging, meaning you HAVE to slow down to find a gap in traffic because if you speed into what you think is a "gap in traffic" you better have your body shop of speed dial. Now if there isn't any traffic then yeah I jump right in at 50-60 mph and find my way over to the left lane as soon as I am clear to go.

Party-vi > Sir_Stig: and toxic masculinity ruins the party again. 11/20/2014 at 13:42

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Hey now. Play nice.

Sir_Stig: and toxic masculinity ruins the party again. > Rico 11/20/2014 at 13:42

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You complain that merging is hard, then proceed to explain how you make merging hard for others. A+

Sir_Stig: and toxic masculinity ruins the party again. > Rico 11/20/2014 at 13:44

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Solution: get a dashcam so you can prove they are at fault. If enough people used dashcams the bad drivers would have such high insurance premiums that they would have to stop driving.

Rico > Sir_Stig: and toxic masculinity ruins the party again. 11/20/2014 at 13:50

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Lmao merging isn't hard. Merging is hard when people on the highway are boxing you out of the merging lane. If a 2 lane road is turning into 1 lane and everyone is taking turns going 1 by 1 why would it make sense for someone to speed up to cut you off since the whole thing is turning into 1 lane? Then it turns into this stupid game of chicken of how close the 2 cars are going to get before one person finally lets the other go through.

I hope you aren't that guy that is almost sideswiping someone's car just to get 1 car ahead of them.

Sir_Stig: and toxic masculinity ruins the party again. > Party-vi 11/20/2014 at 13:51

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Party-vi > Sir_Stig: and toxic masculinity ruins the party again. 11/20/2014 at 13:55

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*pats on head*

Sir_Stig: and toxic masculinity ruins the party again. > Rico 11/20/2014 at 13:58

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I try and do this , although people driving on the shoulder are shown no mercy.

Sorry I was a bit of a dick.

Sir_Stig: and toxic masculinity ruins the party again. > Party-vi 11/20/2014 at 14:01

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GhostZ > Sir_Stig: and toxic masculinity ruins the party again. 11/20/2014 at 14:06

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Rico > Sir_Stig: and toxic masculinity ruins the party again. 11/20/2014 at 14:06

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I felt like I wasn't explaining it correctly so I MS Paint edited this image to kind of explain why I just go to the middle and don't let anyone pass.

In this picture ignore the fact that the blue car says YOU instead the red car is your FIST, the white square I added represents where you are in the lane currently at that moment, and the blue car is the 1999 Ford with enough rust you can see into the drivers feet through the rust hole. The green arrow represents what they are doing after you are already in the lane (the white square).

To me this is dickish and after having several near misses with these idiots I've decided to move into the middle of the lane where the white stripe end so stop Mr. Rustmobile from doing his dickish deeds.

itschrome > Sir_Stig: and toxic masculinity ruins the party again. 11/20/2014 at 14:07

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I think there's something wrong with your wookie man..

Sir_Stig: and toxic masculinity ruins the party again. > Rico 11/20/2014 at 14:17

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Oh they are trying to get past you when you are already in front of them and have started moving into the lane? So are you saying you try and move over as soon as the dotted line starts? I like to position myself alongside the gap and then slowly start to move over (assuming they don't immediately try and close the gap). If they refuse I accelerate farther up the lane and usually the car in front will allow me in.

If you want to troll hard when you are already in the lane being merged into and a dbag is riding your bumper blocking people, slow down until someone who is merging sees what you are doing and then floor it so the gap opens behind you (assuming you have already let someone go in front of you). Proceed to give yourself a mental high five.

Sir_Stig: and toxic masculinity ruins the party again. > itschrome 11/20/2014 at 14:18

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I just think he is super high.

Rico > Sir_Stig: and toxic masculinity ruins the party again. 11/20/2014 at 14:34

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Exactly, you are already in front of them. And not as soon as the dotted line starts but by the 3rd dotted line I already try to get my car in the middle. I don't want to risk my car so I don't play chicken and just stop my car completely and let them go ahead of me in their shitmobile.

I usually let people go ahead of me in many situations but I put people like the blue car trying to jump ahead of me in the same category as shoulder drivers thinking they've found a loophole to skip all the traffic.

See I had I feeling you thought I was just riding the middle of the white stripes the entire lane like a dick but I jump in the middle around the middle of the dotted lines.

Sir_Stig: and toxic masculinity ruins the party again. > Rico 11/20/2014 at 14:35

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I was thinking you were the blue car, and that you were riding the lane to stop people from passing you.

Rico > Sir_Stig: and toxic masculinity ruins the party again. 11/20/2014 at 14:37

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Nah never man that's just stupid all around, anyone doing that should be pulled over immediately. I had a feeling once I saw you getting annoyed that I wasn't explaining it correctly, no hard feelings?

Sir_Stig: and toxic masculinity ruins the party again. > Rico 11/20/2014 at 14:47

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None at all buddy, just me being easily irritated.

dr861 > Rico 11/20/2014 at 16:30

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Don't let Sir Stig get to you, he's obviously acting like a D, of which there are plenty on Oppo. Many from elsewhere don't understand the finer points of NYC driving, it's a different beast than most.

P.S. Any D who starts their post with a direct insult cannot be reasoned with.

Rico > dr861 11/20/2014 at 17:45

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It's cool we settled it, chalk it up to a case of Not-Friday's, no hard feelings between us.

dr861 > Rico 11/20/2014 at 20:43

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Surprising result. Bueno to you sir.

Rico > dr861 11/20/2014 at 21:57

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It's Oppo man we're all in this brown, diesel, manual wagon together, no point in getting into grudge keeping or heated arguments. What I said was difficult to describe so once I got the pic up it cleared it all up.