re: A reminder that zipper merging is how your supposed to handle merging

The merge zipper is the correct way.

But, until everyone does it, it won't work. The majority of drivers has no clue how the zipper merge works.

You are blind if you believe that everyone racing up to the point of merge is doing it to "zipper merge." 90% are doing it because they don't want to wait in the line.

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There's a reason for a mile notice, which is to give drivers time to continue at normal speeds and find an appropriate sized gap to merge into.

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Exactly. But the majority of the people in the closure lane don’t do that! They drive faster in the closure lane until the fricking last couple hundred feet and cut people off in the open lane causing them to brake, thus causing a traffic jam.

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Typical zipperhead thinking and practice:

Sees road sign, “Right Lane Closed 2 Miles Ahead. Merge Left.” Zipperhead thinks, “Oh, I’ll just hang out here in the right lane until the lane closure and the people in the left lane will slow down to let me in.”

Normal, rational person, same scenario: “”Oh I’ve got 2 miles to get in the left lane. After this car in the left lane passes me, I’m gonna merge into the left lane and maintain the speed of traffic.”

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You're an idiot. You realize the scenario that you are claiming the normal rational person does, is zipper merging. That's the whole reason for a mile or more notice, it gives you time to pass or be passed and then merge, which may take the better part of a mile because of assholes that don't want to leave an opening for others to merge into.

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In Pennsylvania they had signs that said, "Stay in Lane until the merge point than alternate."

If only people would do it

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Also government, “Take your fricking vaccine, or else.”

Cool.

Now ask Indiana to tackle the dumbasses who block Siegen Lane daily because they feel they're entitled to cut across 5 lanes of traffic to head north on Airline.
30 yards from the intersection, of course.

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At least once a week it seems, I would see someone trying to block someone from going down to end.

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They would do the same thing back when I lived in Emerald Isle, NC going onto the bridge. Went from 2 lanes on to 1 lane and people would not zipper merge. This would cause a busy intersection to back up into the intersection blocking all traffic

In the past, we were all taught that in a merge situation there was a dominant lane and a feeder lane. Moving to the dominant lane early gave you the right to continue on unimpeded through the choke point. This created a long line of early compliers who felt they had purchased some ownership of the merge environment. However, this was causing long pileups and conflicts. It was not efficient. The legal situation is changing. In our parish, the dominant lane starts the merge and the feeder follows in continuing rotations. This is now legally required. What some of you Luddites fail to understand is that we live in the digital age and your failure to comply will catch up with you in short order. Don't want to zipper? Enjoy being listed as Driver 1 on that accident report. Enjoy the ticket. It is a new age. Adapt.

in moving traffic, fine. If one lane is stopped, frick letting people coast up in the other land and jump ahead.

Early merging is just zipper merging! Just at a point that leaves room for error (someone who has to brake, etc.). You zip at the last minute then a single driving f**k up causes both lanes to seize up. I drive Houston traffic every damn day. 95% of people will let every other car go. That one a-hole who tries to fit two in from his lane, wrecks everything.

Zipper merging is as useful as the people who implement it. And on a good day, maybe 20% of the population aren't morons.

At what point do you begin your outrage>>

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Right Lane closed: 1 mile

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Right lane closed: 1/2 mile

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Right lane closed: 1000 feet

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now - within a few car lengths = then OK (after sizing up the left hand drivers to ID idiots with a dumbass hard-on for those doing it the right way.)

Rushing to jump over into the left lane only lengthens the line for everyone - and wastes a LOT of everyone's time.

the entire traffic pattern is improved by waiting until the last moment before merging.

Otherwise you are letting all that usable roadway remain vacant when it is needed the most.

The warning signs are just informing you of upcoming conditions - so you can prepare to merge. It is not a command to 'get over quick' - and anyone who does that is the real dumbass.