My Rant for The Morning- On-ramps (school, live, floor)

[tallguylehigh]

Alright, I'm gonna rant- listen if you want to...

Has the concept of an on ramp been completely lost on a majority of the population? Has merging become so complicated that only of handful of licensed drivers are capable of handling this rather basic maneuver?

If you drive where I drive, your answer would be an emphatic "Yes."

I don't know what it is, but noone knows what they are doing on these innocent little roads that take you from "small roads" to "big roads." They are designed not only to get you on the big road, but get you up to speed so that you can merge with traffic on the big road. Pretty basic stuff. I am sure most of us on here, get on a merge ramp, then by the time they are at the end of the ramp or have merged on the highway, they are going at least 60 mph (65 mph speed limit) traffic permitting. I'm sure you're all looking at my post saying "Duh." Well hold your horses, because it isnt that easy for some people.

Over and over again I see cars on merge lanes going way too slow, or even worse, moving into the far right lane at the same, sloth-like speed of 40 or even 30 mph. They then proceed to use the far right lane to accelerate to the speed limit (if we're lucky) over the next two miles. While that might be just dapper on a Sunday stroll with no one on the road, when you have a high-speed mass of traffic moving along, its like throwing a stick in a bicycle wheel- it f*cks everything up.

So please, those idiots who think their car is more freight train than automotible, more CSX than CRX, use the RAMP to get up to speed before getting on the highway, not the right hand lane of the highway. A merge is more than just getting on the road, its getting on the road at the appropriate speed. If this task is too daunting, then there is an entire network of secondary roads with traffic lights and speed limits of 45 mph that you would feel much more comfortable on.

Looking at this idiocy in the other direction, this would be like coming down an off-ramp to a 25 mph road going 65 mph, and then using the next 2 miles to slow down. I am sure if you presented this scenario with those offenders mentioned above, they would be aghast as the notion. Not to mention that you would become the new favorite person for the local police department.


/rant

Like I said, this was a rant- loosely or poorly structured ramblings of something that irked me today.

[Calico696]

I have always said that all traffic is caused by people who do not know how to merge.

[86Sebring]

I love on-ramps, best place to really floor it
If the on-ramp has concrete walls on each side, even better

[Kracer]

Agreed the art of "yielding" appears to be lost.

Rules of the road determine the car on the main road has the right of way while the car attempting to merge must adjust its speed to seamlessly merge into the main flow of traffic.

Additional problems with the merger people. Often the first car's speed, in a tight herd of eager rampers, is unrelated to the speed of the main traffic flow.

Too slow and the cars behind end up stopping. Too fast a merge without prejudging the main traffic flow, the first car suddenly realizes they can't merge safely and hits the brakes while the idiot in the car behind tends to slam into the first car. The Rt 202/206N ramp onto 22 east is notorious for accidents.

Yield now means, "don't worry they'll let you in, keep going....speed doesn't matter".

Stop signs have morphed into the old Yield signs. Stop, now means, "don't really come to a complete stop, just slow down a bit and and then go for it!"

[Jerseyt719]

Originally Posted by tallguylehigh

Alright, I'm gonna rant- listen if you want to...

Has the concept of an on ramp been completely lost on a majority of the population? Has merging become so complicated that only of handful of licensed drivers are capable of handling this rather basic maneuver?

If you drive where I drive, your answer would be an emphatic "Yes."

I don't know what it is, but noone knows what they are doing on these innocent little roads that take you from "small roads" to "big roads." They are designed not only to get you on the big road, but get you up to speed so that you can merge with traffic on the big road. Pretty basic stuff. I am sure most of us on here, get on a merge ramp, then by the time they are at the end of the ramp or have merged on the highway, they are going at least 60 mph (65 mph speed limit) traffic permitting. I'm sure you're all looking at my post saying "Duh." Well hold your horses, because it isnt that easy for some people.

Over and over again I see cars on merge lanes going way too slow, or even worse, moving into the far right lane at the same, sloth-like speed of 40 or even 30 mph. They then proceed to use the far right lane to accelerate to the speed limit (if we're lucky) over the next two miles. While that might be just dapper on a Sunday stroll with no one on the road, when you have a high-speed mass of traffic moving along, its like throwing a stick in a bicycle wheel- it f*cks everything up.

So please, those idiots who think their car is more freight train than automotible, more CSX than CRX, use the RAMP to get up to speed before getting on the highway, not the right hand lane of the highway. A merge is more than just getting on the road, its getting on the road at the appropriate speed. If this task is too daunting, then there is an entire network of secondary roads with traffic lights and speed limits of 45 mph that you would feel much more comfortable on.

Looking at this idiocy in the other direction, this would be like coming down an off-ramp to a 25 mph road going 65 mph, and then using the next 2 miles to slow down. I am sure if you presented this scenario with those offenders mentioned above, they would be aghast as the notion. Not to mention that you would become the new favorite person for the local police department.


/rant

Like I said, this was a rant- loosely or poorly structured ramblings of something that irked me today.

Tallguylehigh,

Are you in PA? If so, I get SOOOOOO irritated when I go there and try to use the on ramps. They STOP rather than use the acceleration lane as what it is named for!!

It's not a useless rant. I understand exactly what you mean.

[wileynj]

It's all the sotherners moving up this way - "I yield and I yield, but they just kept comin'": )

[regarese]

Originally Posted by Jerseyt719

Tallguylehigh,

Are you in PA? If so, I get SOOOOOO irritated when I go there and try to use the on ramps. They STOP rather than use the acceleration lane as what it is named for!!

It's not a useless rant. I understand exactly what you mean.

No-he must have been on the Jersey Turnpike with me this morning !!! It is truly remarkable. Thank you for ranting my rant as well.

[BobKovacs]

Originally Posted by wileynj

It's all the sotherners moving up this way - "I yield and I yield, but they just kept comin'": )

Is there some new northern migration into NJ that I missed? The only "southerners" moving into NJ that I recall coming en masse were coming from "south of the border"......

[pbergen]

tallguy needs to get his own segment on the local news where he talks about things that "grind his gears" a la peter griffin from family guy. that way, more people can hear his rants.

but for the record, i totally agree with him.

[tallguylehigh]

Originally Posted by Jerseyt719

Tallguylehigh,

Are you in PA? If so, I get SOOOOOO irritated when I go there and try to use the on ramps. They STOP rather than use the acceleration lane as what it is named for!!

It's not a useless rant. I understand exactly what you mean.

I have lived in PA, actually went to school there, hence my ID. They are bad there, but the on ramps are terrible there too. They are too short with stop signs at the end, flashing lights telling you when to go, what a mess!!!