Declining driving etiquette (Pittsburgh, Erie, Wilkinsburg: living, car, rating)

[onepoint]

Originally Posted by ljhannah74

Really? I don't think so. I AM a very safe dirver. I do what I damn well please and don't care what others think of me. As long as I am NOT endangering others or breaking the law, that's what matters. If I feel like I have to stop at a yield sign because there is no opening in traffic (which, by the way, the manual does state that you should, look at page 10 Chapter 2 in the manual...I DO check my facts), then that's my choice..doesn't matter what anyone else thinks. And for those of you who say you should change lanes just because someone else wants to go faster, that doesn't matter to me. And when I'm travelling down 79 at 60-65 mph, I don't move over just because some other idiot WANTS to drive faster. If they decide to tailgate me, that's THEIR problem, not mine.

...speaking of "driving etiquette"

[airwair]

I was not aware that I was yielding when I merged onto the highway. With the exception of construction zones (in which case the signs are usually stop signs) I have never seen a yield sign on the on-ramp.

[ljhannah74]

airwair,

Yes, when you merge onto a highway, you are yielding to the other cars already on the highway. The yield sign is placed on the right side near the point where the on-ramp merges with the highway. Not sure how you have never seen one.

mjost7:

I see, the merge sign you are referring to is used to warn drivers already on the highway of merging traffic from the on-ramp. When you merge, you still have to yield to other drivers...you can't (or shouldn't) just cut into their path. That's why I was confused when you said "If an on-ramp has a yeild sign, then don't stop... yield, If an on-ramp has a merge sign, then don't yield... merge", because an on-ramp will never have a merge sign...at least not that I've seen.

[barneyg]

Originally Posted by ljhannah74

Really? How are they different? As far as I'm concerned, they are the same thing.

You think yield and merge mean the same thing? I guess you need to read back chapters 2 and 3. A yield is directed at entering traffic (slow down to get on), a merge is directed at everyone on the roadway (all share responsibility of continued traffic flow). Yields are typical of regular freeway on-ramps. Merge signs are often found where 2 freeways merge together (or when freeways go from 3 to 2 lanes).

[ljhannah74]

barneyg

Yes, I mentioned that in a previous post (#103).

[TechieTransplant]

Originally Posted by ljhannah74

Really? How are they different? As far as I'm concerned, they are the same thing.

LOL, as far as you are concerned. Now you are making your own rules.

Typical Pittsburgh driver. This is why traffic is the way it is.

[airwair]

I've never seen one because they're not there. Yielding and merging are two different things. When I learned to drive, I was taught to accelerate on the on-ramp (and decelerate on the off-ramp, naturally) and certainly not to slam on my brakes once I've done so. This is what I've done in the many years I've been driving and it's always worked out well for me (and not so well for the people who do try to stop or slow down).

This is also what I did when I took my driving test and I passed.

Just saying.

[ditchdigger]

Originally Posted by Mugatu

Maybe YOU should check YOUR facts. Here's a link to the manual - http://www.dmv.state.pa.us/pdotforms.../chapter_3.pdf

Scroll down to the chapter "Merging with traffic".

Word for word right from the manual it says:

1. Put your turn signal on, and look for an opening in traffic.
2. Accelerate up to the speed of traffic
3. Merge into the opening in traffic.

Accelerate up to the speed of traffic. Not, slow down and stop in the middle of the acceleration lane so someone can rear-end you.

...

With all due respect, Mugatu, you left out the paragraph immediately preceding what you quoted, and the heading for the three steps you quoted. They put things in quite a different context:

Entrance ramps for highways often have acceleration lanes. These lanes run beside main traffic lanes and should be long enough to allow you to accelerate to the speed of traffic before you enter the highway itself. (Bold and italics above are mine.) These lanes also allow drivers on the highway to see you before you enter the road. It is illegal to pass a vehicle ahead of you on an acceleration lane.



Follow These Three Steps to Merge with Traffic from an Acceleration Lane

"Often" and "should be" doesn't mean they (properly designed acceleration lanes), exist in the real world of Pittsburgh traffic. Mostly, they don't. They're conspicious by their absence.

[Heit]

Originally Posted by ljhannah74

Really? I don't think so. I AM a very safe dirver. I do what I damn well please and don't care what others think of me. As long as I am NOT endangering others or breaking the law, that's what matters. If I feel like I have to stop at a yield sign because there is no opening in traffic (which, by the way, the manual does state that you should, look at page 10 Chapter 2 in the manual...I DO check my facts), then that's my choice..doesn't matter what anyone else thinks. And for those of you who say you should change lanes just because someone else wants to go faster, that doesn't matter to me. And when I'm travelling down 79 at 60-65 mph, I don't move over just because some other idiot WANTS to drive faster. If they decide to tailgate me, that's THEIR problem, not mine.

HAH! That's the spirit! UNREAL!

[jimmyev]

The strangest thing about driving in Pittsburgh is that people are extremely courteous at some points on the freeways - the Ft. Pitt Bridge or merging east-bound from Squirrel Hill onto the Parkway - and at other points extremely rude - merging either way from the Swissvale/Edgewood ramps and going west-bound from Squirrel Hill onto the Parkway. Since they're the same drivers, it must have something to do with the design of the highways.