Which Lane
- Thread starter TeamCaffee
- Start date
I started out staying in the right lane, but found maintaining a steady speed often impossible, too many drivers entering/exiting forcing me to speed up or slow down to accommodate them. I try to keep speed and lane changes to a minimum, so the middle lane works for me.
Forcing you to speed up or slow down? It is incumbent on the driver of the merging vehicle to match speed with the flow of traffic. This isn't always possible; clover leaf interchanges with short acceleration lanes, entering and exiting traffic, trucks etc. If you want to be nice, move over a lane. Don't do the speed up, slow down thing.
How and when did the concept of merging disappear? I see vehicles drive down the ramp, come to the merge point and stop. I see 4,5 or 6 cars, nose to tail attempt to merge as a single vehicle. I have witnessed trucks merge into 70 mph traffic doing 40 mph when there is still a ¼ mile of acceleration lane. Next time you pass through Walcott, Iowa or better yet, stop and watch. Both east and west entrance ramps are 1 mile long! Yet many trucks merge at 40 mph as soon as they are parallel to the big road.
In my opinion too many drivers don't look much beyond the end of their hood. They don't AIM HIGH IN STEERING or GET THE BIG PICTURE.
The worst ones are the ones that will stay right next to you in the long merge/acceleration lane, rather than speed up or slow down to merge. When they get to the end, they look at you like you're the bad guy. Quit #*%@ing with your phone AND MERGE!!!!!!!
It does not bother me if they pass on the right or left, as long as they pass. To try and ride in the right lane with all the gitonners/offers is tiresome. Trying to change from right to middle lanes and back to "accommodate" merging traffic is simply a foolish idea, putting YOU and your freight in peril everytime you do. ALL of my folks understood that in a 3 lane situation if they were cited for an incident while changing from right to middle lane while downtown it was an immediate awww s*hitsky. And, Moot is absolutely correct, it ain't your job to let the gitonners on the road....it's their job to git on.
Of course it's the 'job' of those entering to merge, but when they don't [or won't], I have to either accommodate them, or run over them. I think they probably deserve to be run over, but the delay in my schedule and the ridiculous paperwork involved makes it smarter to just run in the middle lane, and let someone else make that choice. 
That's one reason I don't want to have to move over a lane to allow them to enter - they're exactly the oblivious types who won't let you move back again! They hover just where you don't have enough room to get in front, so you have to slow down to get behind, or speed up & hope there's not a cruiser hanging around, because he won't ticket the jerk, of course.
I do this myself. I also try to keep an eye out if I have to make a quick lane change too.
dalejrroks
Active Expediter
LOL I am always saying "the gas is on the right" when I see someone on a ramp. I know they can't hear me but once in a while they actually listen. I do move over a lane if it is clear and do not have to alter my driving as stated before. Nothing wrong with being a little nice lol and plus I try to avoid stupid people as much as possible.
Keep right, pass left.
Hang up the cell phone and drive.
Never cause another driver to speed up or slow down because of you.
Set the cell phone down and quit texting.
Yield means yield.
Hang up the cell phone and drive.
Never cross double yellow lines.
Set the cell phone down and quit texting.
Use turn indicators - that's what they are there for.
Hang up the cell phone and drive.
Maintain assured clear distance.
Set the cell phone down and quit texting.
Be considerate of other drivers (be courteous).
Hang up the cell phone and drive.
Look twice - save a life! Watch out for motorcycles!
Keep right, pass left.
Hang up the cell phone and drive.
Please share with everyone you know that drives a car!
Hang up the cell phone and drive.
Never cause another driver to speed up or slow down because of you.
Set the cell phone down and quit texting.
Yield means yield.
Hang up the cell phone and drive.
Never cross double yellow lines.
Set the cell phone down and quit texting.
Use turn indicators - that's what they are there for.
Hang up the cell phone and drive.
Maintain assured clear distance.
Set the cell phone down and quit texting.
Be considerate of other drivers (be courteous).
Hang up the cell phone and drive.
Look twice - save a life! Watch out for motorcycles!
Keep right, pass left.
Hang up the cell phone and drive.
Please share with everyone you know that drives a car!
Tennesseahawk
Veteran Expediter
Funny you mention that, John... JB Hunt wants absolutely no cellphone use while driving, bluetooth or otherwise.
That's when you flip on your turn signal and start drifting their way. This method is more effective with a trailer and exponentially more effective with two trailers. It also works for cars passing on your left who for some reason decide to hang just off your left rear corner instead of passing.
