one thing i dont understand... (Westborough: gated, live, moving) - Massachusetts (MA) - City-Data Forum

here_in_mass · 01-10-2011, 08:53 AM

OK, I just need to preface this by saying I am new to Central MA and I LOVE it. Almost all of my neighbors have come by to introduce themselves, people in general have been very friendly, and I've felt more welcome here than in other places I've lived (southeast PA, upstate NY). But... is there some sort of issue with letting people merge around here? I work in an office park that merges onto Route 9 in Westborough. There is (obviously) no way to get onto Route 9 except to merge. Traffic on Route 9 at 5 o'clock is usually packed, cars moving slowly. So, I put my blinker on and try to get in line. The car behind me was not too happy about this. Honked the entire time. This happened to me again this morning. I needed to merge to take the exit to the Pike. Again, there was a long line. So I put my blinker on an attempted to merge. The person behind me honked, then tailgated me to the Pike entrance, swerved to get in front of me, then gave me a very angry finger as they sped ahead. I've honestly never had this problem before. Is it me???? Or it there some sort of hostility against mergers around here??? (only half joking.) I honestly need to know if there's an ettiquete factor I'm missing. I've never had this issue before and it's starting to bug me.

mmyk72 · 01-10-2011, 11:15 AM

Blinkers meant NOTHING here. Just pick the car you'll merge behind and make it happen, as in squeeze in as close as possible so the car behind your target have no choice but to let you in. If you can't merge, then cars held up behind you will think you're an idiot.

here_in_mass · 01-10-2011, 12:07 PM

Thanks for the insight on the blinkers, mmyk72. I thought I was being curteous. I just can't figure out why people get upset about letting others merge. Sigh. I guess I'll get used to it eventually.

Bamtown · 01-10-2011, 12:24 PM

mmyk72 pretty much nailed it. Unfortunately, you have to be somewhat intimidating when you drive here. No one will let you merge or cut in front of them unless they think there's a chance that you might hit their car. This is why you have to pull up nice and close, giving them no other option. You'll get used to it after a while.

People will run pedestrians over and cut other cars off just to get to a red light here. It's just the way it is.

miu · 01-10-2011, 12:58 PM

Make sure that when your merge, get up to speed fast. Don't make that car that is now in back of you have to slow down. Otherwise, why would he have to pass you and be able to speed ahead?

One pet peeve of mine is having someone cut in front of me and then go slower and leave enough space in front of them for others to cut in front of us.

Otherwise, the traffic trying to enter the main road does not have equall rights to me already traveling on the main road. The merging traffic has signs saying that it's them that need to yield, but they act like I have to yield to them... so don't act like I have to yield and let you in, because I don't have to. I have the right of way, you don't. If it's bumper to bumper traffic on the main road, you just have to be patient and someone will eventually let you in. But don't force your way in.

here_in_mass · 01-10-2011, 01:15 PM

Bamtown, thanks, I'll try. I'm probably one of the least intimidating people on the planet though...

Miu - Good point, but eventually the road stops and you have no choice but to merge. That's where I was. So I was supposed to just sit there until the mile of traffic either cleared or someone was going to let me in (I'm not holding my breath)? Maybe that is why they got mad. I still don't see what the huge bother is, the traffic is crawling and why not be curteous and let someone in? Guess not everyone sees it that way though. I appreciate the feedback.

I've driven in crazy traffic outside of Philly and never had this issue before. Interesting...

tuteishungry · 01-10-2011, 01:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by here_in_mass

OK, I just need to preface this by saying I am new to Central MA and I LOVE it. Almost all of my neighbors have come by to introduce themselves, people in general have been very friendly, and I've felt more welcome here than in other places I've lived (southeast PA, upstate NY). But... is there some sort of issue with letting people merge around here? I work in an office park that merges onto Route 9 in Westborough. There is (obviously) no way to get onto Route 9 except to merge. Traffic on Route 9 at 5 o'clock is usually packed, cars moving slowly. So, I put my blinker on and try to get in line. The car behind me was not too happy about this. Honked the entire time. This happened to me again this morning. I needed to merge to take the exit to the Pike. Again, there was a long line. So I put my blinker on an attempted to merge. The person behind me honked, then tailgated me to the Pike entrance, swerved to get in front of me, then gave me a very angry finger as they sped ahead. I've honestly never had this problem before. Is it me???? Or it there some sort of hostility against mergers around here??? (only half joking.) I honestly need to know if there's an ettiquete factor I'm missing. I've never had this issue before and it's starting to bug me.

You need to drive like a total d-bag to get where you want on the road, especially on route 9 and the pike. I felt the same way as you one time or another, but you really become conditioned to drive aggressively too. You might even be the guy honking and blasting the middle finger after some time. All you have to remember is this: cabbies own the road. They are the worst drivers out there.

Good luck.

lrfox · 01-10-2011, 01:55 PM

I think one thing that needs to happen for people to be happy (or at least survive) in MA is to just accept the fact that most drivers are aggressive and, at times, obnoxious. It's not a reflection of personality (not all the time, anyway) so much as it's a reflection of the region. Driving in MA, particularly for outsiders, sucks.

I think I see your situation differently than the others. I'm assuming it's a typical merge situation where you have a temporary lane to help you squeeze into the flow of traffic. That lane ends after a short distance. You mentioned that you were at the point where the lane "just ends" when you tried to squeeze in. The drivers that honked at you probably interpreted what you were doing as an obnoxious move. You see, a BIG pet peeve for many drivers here is the people who try to "cut" in line when they know their lane is going to end. These people speed along the doomed lane until the VERY last moment (sort of like you being at the end of the merge) and then force themselves into the functioning lanes (ahead of the cars who merged earlier) effectively "cutting" people in line. Those folks really strike a nerve with many drivers.

Now, that's not what you were TRYING to do; but by waiting until you reached the end of the merge lane to cut in that's what it appeared like you were trying to do, thus annoying the driver you were pulling in front of (blinker or no blinker).

A better approach would be to signal, and try to ease your way in much earlier. Be a little aggressive, but not forceful and don't wait until the last moment. It looks obnoxious when you do that. Picking the car you'll merge behind helps, but I generally pick the car I'm going to merge in front of. The reason I do this is because it's easy to look at a line of cars on the road (especially in traffic) and get an idea of who's leaving more space between them and the car in front. In addition, in REAL slow traffic, many cars hesitate before pulling up to the car in front of them. Pick a car that's leaving a little extra room (doesn't have to be a full car-length, just enough to get the process started), signal, and begin your merge. This should help quiet the horns a bit. Though the point about not creeping (even if traffic) is a good one. No one wants to let someone in (or be cut off) and then have that car go slow.

here_in_mass · 01-10-2011, 02:13 PM

tuteishungry - thank you

lrfox-Thank you for your suggestion, I will definitely try to be more aware of when I merge and also the car behind me. Hopefully that will help, because staring out the day like I did today was just a bummer.

MassTwingles · 01-10-2011, 03:04 PM

Driving in MA is not for the faint of heart. At first, it's a little shocking the way people drive around here but you will be driving like a native in no time.

This thread is pretty educational and funny (check out South Valley Gal's last post, funny and true!)

driving tips in Boston