Official "Let's ***** about Pittsburgh drivers!" thread (Erie, Washington: 2015, lease)

[TechieTransplant]

Originally Posted by h_curtis

So, you don't feel the signs that say, "use both lanes to merge point" mean anything and you do your own thing? If everyone just used both lanes to merge point and took their turn, there would be no thinking required. It is the idiots that slow down and merge early that cause the confusion instead of following the signs. I don't speed up to the merge point, I just go to the merge point and take my turn as clearly posted by the huge orange signs. Uggh, I hate when people merge right away in a panic and then don't follow the clearly posted signs of TAKE YOUR TURN!

I don't slow down at all, and I'm nowhere near panic mode.

I drive the Veterans Bridge every day like lots of other people. I know from driving it literally hundreds of times that the on ramp on to 279 that there is a huge glaring sing that says "Right Lane Ends In 1000 Feet". So like a lot of other people, I fall in line in the left lane well before that sign, and sure enough, there is someone who either isn't paying attention, or feels they have to push it to the last minute, and THAT is what slows people down. Making people unnecessarily brake because you have to merge at the last minute is what brings people to a stop

And just because the PENNDOT signs say to use both lanes to merge, it doesn't mean you have to wait to do so.

[Copanut]

Tend to agree with Mr. P on this one, I drive that route quite a bit and am always amazed how many people don't use a turn signal to move left. They just assume that the right lane will continue on.

[gg]

Originally Posted by scottrpriester

I don't slow down at all, and I'm nowhere near panic mode.

I drive the Veterans Bridge every day like lots of other people. I know from driving it literally hundreds of times that the on ramp on to 279 that there is a huge glaring sing that says "Right Lane Ends In 1000 Feet". So like a lot of other people, I fall in line in the left lane well before that sign, and sure enough, there is someone who either isn't paying attention, or feels they have to push it to the last minute, and THAT is what slows people down. Making people unnecessarily brake because you have to merge at the last minute is what brings people to a stop

That isn't the situation I am talking about. I am talking about driving north on Rt. 28 past Heinz and the merge point before the 31st Street Bridge. There is a big sign that says "merge point". If everyone used both lanes it would work fine. There are too many people entering that road down by Heinz and people need to move forward. One of my favorite moves is when I am trying to merge at the merge point and some idiot in a pickup doesn't want to let me in. There is room in front of the car ahead of him, so I speed up and take that spot. Man does that **** off the idiot in the pickup. Of course I had to cut someone off, but oh well such is life. If the pickup driver wants to make some statement, I guess others have to pay for him not reading the huge sign that says, TAKE YOUR TURN, MERGE POINT. Maybe he can't read? Don't know?

[TechieTransplant]

Originally Posted by h_curtis

That isn't the situation I am talking about. I am talking about driving north on Rt. 28 past Heinz and the merge point before the 31st Street Bridge. There is a big sign that says "merge point". If everyone used both lanes it would work fine. There are too many people entering that road down by Heinz and people need to move forward. One of my favorite moves is when I am trying to merge at the merge point and some idiot in a pickup doesn't want to let me in. There is room in front of the car ahead of him, so I speed up and take that spot. Man does that **** off the idiot in the pickup. Of course I had to cut someone off, but oh well such is life. If the pickup driver wants to make some statement, I guess others have to pay for him not reading the huge sign that says, TAKE YOUR TURN, MERGE POINT. Maybe he can't read? Don't know?

Or, he may feel like I do. You must drive that route on a regular basis. You know you'll have to merge. Why not just get over early? Oh that's right, it's important to get an extra two to three spots ahead of everyone in a single lane with bumper to bumper traffic.

[TechieTransplant]

Originally Posted by Copanut

Tend to agree with Mr. P on this one, I drive that route quite a bit and am always amazed how many people don't use a turn signal to move left. They just assume that the right lane will continue on.

I'm not amazed that people don't use their turning signal, but it kills me that people drive the same routes every day, and either chose to merge at the last minute, when they know they have to be over, or even better, they're heading down 376 headed towards the Fort Pitt Bridge and then WAIT, I should be going north towards 279.

[greg42]

You can argue that one forever.

You won't get people like Scott to believe that the best flow would be if everyone used both lanes and merged at the last minute, and you won't get me or h_curtis to believe that the best flow would be if everyone moved over 2 miles beforehand (or however much beforehand makes sense in the given scenario).

In many cases the slowing isn't necessarily because of the merge but because of the construction and people suddenly slowing down to look or because of sudden realization of the construction workers there--rubbernecking! The results of this happening at some point last a long time if there is continuous traffic, just as with accident rubbernecking.

The rest of the time, it's quite probably because the two camps as described above can't agree. I will admit it's possible that if everyone chose one or the other, perhaps either would work. From what I can tell, though, the traffic engineers believe in the merge at last minute model for best flow.

[Copanut]

On the merge point we are talking about, Veterans bridge, for some reason people stay in that right hand lane even though it ends. I guess they were absent that day in driver's ed.

[TechieTransplant]

Originally Posted by greg42

In many cases the slowing isn't necessarily because of the merge

It is. If you follow this strategy, the people in the lane that ends come to a complete stop, wait for someone to let them in to the open lane, which makes those people come to a stop. So it's stop, let someone in, move three inches. I know you approve of this Greg, but it makes no sense. There is no way you can state it is a smooth process when people are coming to a complete stop on a highway to do this.

[TechieTransplant]

Originally Posted by Copanut

On the merge point we are talking about, Veterans bridge, for some reason people stay in that right hand lane even though it ends. I guess they were absent that day in driver's ed.

You bring up a good point. From what I read, it appears that Drivers Ed isn't required in a lot of curriculums these days, is this correct?

[gg]

Originally Posted by greg42

You can argue that one forever.

You won't get people like Scott to believe that the best flow would be if everyone used both lanes and merged at the last minute, and you won't get me or h_curtis to believe that the best flow would be if everyone moved over 2 miles beforehand (or however much beforehand makes sense in the given scenario).

One of my favorites was when the merge point was AFTER the traffic light at the 31st bridge heading north. The merge point was about 1/8 mile from that intersection and idiots were merging before the merge point. You know what happened?????? There was NO traffic moving because the light would change and we would all sit there until the 31st bridge let out and guess what happened when the light changed AGAIN???? People would try and merge before the merge point again and wouldn't fill both lanes. Hello? Can people be that stupid? One of my favorites is when two trucks drive side by side and stop flow of traffic because there is a merge point 2 miles up the road. I allegedly passed one of those idiot truck drivers on the berm in my Jag once. It was one of the greatest feelings ever to cut that idiot off in such a car. You know he was one pissed off truck driver, but he deserved it. He radioed ahead to his fellow truck drivers, but I was traveling too fast for them to react in time. I then cut in two miles ahead and carried on my way never to be seen by the idiot truck drivers. Ah, great times, but that was when I was younger. These days I wouldn't bother. I will never educate other drivers by my actions. Too many dim ones out there.