Merging lanes

[Jonny Two Shoes]

So this morning I'm driving along Hendrik Potgieter heading from Little Falls to Constantia Kloof and I take the turn off left into Christiaan de Wet to go around and save from being caught in traffic. Now if you know that piece a little further on it is a sharp turn in where it merges and there is a short broken line area and the lane merges into Christiaan de Wet. So it's not as if there is a long stretch to give you time to merge.

To ensure I do the right thing from now on let me ask. I approach the broken line but the main traffic-lights about 50 meters before on Christiaan de Wet is green so there is a string of traffic not really allowing me to merge into the lane (selfish drivers). Coupled with taxi's who don't even use the lanes and just drive right through the yellow line/emergency lane.

So instead of driving down through the yellow line and then turning in like a lot of people do I come to a stop before the broken line quite patiently waiting for a gap or for that traffic-light to go red which doesn't take long and then I drive in behind the string of cars. I have this person two cars behind me however hooting like crazy and I can see the hand telling me to just drive in and he/she is going a bit overbored. Couldn't see if it was a woman or man though.

So from now on do I just force my way in (Perhaps I'm just too nervous a driver?), do I carry on being patient like I always do and not jump in front of cars?, or do I climb out my car with a wheel spanner in hand next time someone goes overbored?

 

[Kloofvreter]

Get out with a wheelspanner AND a pick-axe. :twisted:

 

[theratman]

I hate merging lanes,when I'm in the main lane and there are no cars behind me people wait til the last second and try pull in front of me,and when there are road works and people KNOW its coming from the 10 signs they just drove past they still dont pull into the single lane early on when they have the chance,they wait till the lane comes to a dead end and then try and pull in causing a traffic jam.I seem to have the opposite problem that you have!

 

[stevovo]

If I'm in the 'main' lane and someone merges in front of me at the last minute then so be it, as long as he doesn't half shove me off the road. But god help me if I see someone behind me leaving the lane, then going into the merging lane, and then merging back in front of me in the 'main' lane again - that is just !#!(*$&!$ a$$holic!

 

[theratman]

If I'm in the 'main' lane and someone merges in front of me at the last minute then so be it, as long as he doesn't half shove me off the road. But god help me if I see someone behind me leaving the lane, then going into the merging lane, and then merging back in front of me in the 'main' lane again - that is just !#!(*$&!$ a$$holic!

And people say taxis are bad,people with fancy cars are worse imo.

 

[stevovo]

And people say taxis are bad,people with fancy cars are worse imo.

Huh I don't have a fancy car?

 

[Jonny Two Shoes]

Well one thing I do know is whether I'm right or wrong I can't stand people who insist on being blatantly arrogant on the roads. I do not hoot at someone being cautious without doing any harm and I expect the same.

It's like later on in my drive this morning I approach a traffic circle and observe. Looking at which lane was to go next it was this very elderly man's turn who was opposite me because he had yielded to the lane before him (but also the guy just in front of me made a right turn out of turn behind the car of that lane which the old man was forced to yield to as well). However the lane to his left goes again because everyone has this two way traffic mentality at circles which only works sometimes but this next woman on the lane before him (to his right) got impatient and tried to go and then stops just before him and then starts to hoot furiously at him.

Firstly it's an elderly man. Secondly how is she so arrogant that after all those events she was 100% certain she was justified at forcing the old man and applying breaks on and off like a lunatic and hooting?

I just can't stand it :/

(EDIT hey theres a bug, arrogant right at the top is repeated twice but in my edit it is there only once )

 

[theratman]

I'm not blaming you at all,just talking about the people that do only to get ahead of you or at the last minute when they had plenty earlier chances to get it

 

[stevovo]

I'm not blaming you at all,just talking about the people that do only to get ahead of you or at the last minute when they had plenty earlier chances to get it

Oh , in that case: +1

 

[theratman]

Oh , in that case: +1

I have the same problem as you and in my exp is usually guys with big/fancy/fast cars.The next thing is that they stop with half of their car over the last white line at a robot and keep edging forward.

It's like later on in my drive this morning I approach a traffic circle and observe

South africans and circles = fail.I have one right near my house and afaik you yeild to your right,never happens.When im in that circle cars come flying in from my left infront of me and I almost rear end them once a week or so.

 

[Gnome]

Honestly I feel that being polite on the roads is detrimental to yourself and other people. You don't ask for a gap, if you see one put your flicker on as you start turning. The man/woman you drove in front may have to slow down a tiny bit but overall traffic is flowing whereas stopping causes mayor slowdowns. If you put your flicker on and then wait they'll close the gap, I've even done it sometimes and thought afterward, WTF, why did I do that but the truth is people who wait are usually people who hold up traffic.

If roads merge or if there is a holdup (like car accident, vehicle with hazards on) and someone moves into my lane the way I described I honestly don't feel indifferent towards that person, they don't want to be held up, they aren't holding anyone up (people behind them don't get stuck wonder WTF is wrong). I don't ever get hooted at or people cursing me for doing that so I don't really think other people see it as much of a problem either.

You get the occasional douche bag with very little following distance but I usually just push the front of my car in (once your nose is in there is nothing they can do, you are already there).

I don't ever get hooted at or zapped or anything but then again the only time I push my cars nose in is if I really have to and then hold up my hand (to apologize). Afterward I move back into the lane I was before whatever interruption occurred. In case of merging roads the rule of the road is 1 car from the left then 1 car from the right, therefore if I always force myself in if it's some kind of douche that has to be 1 person ahead, they are breaking the rules, they are being aholes so f##k them (and those guys usually just drive on your ass after that which I don't mind anyway, they are just inconveniencing themselves).

 

[Lupus]

Merging lanes are annoying, especially when you are in the one that merges and people will constantly fly past without any consideration of actually allowing you in. What also gets on my goat is by Clearwater mall by the bridge, trying to go from the middle lane to the left lane to actually go to the shopping centre can be a nightmare as you can actually drive up that road with your indicator on waiting for someone to actually give you a gap to merge. This all happens to my fiance, me on the other hand I just force my way in now.

 

[spiff]

I agree merging lanes r STUPID special if it's the right hand lane merging into the slower left lane like on the N1 Bellville turn off!! :wtf:

 

[Bismuth]

OMG, I hate merging lanes, people have NO idea how to use them. On the R21 N at Pomona Rd, that is the only reason that there is slow traffic, is because most people do not know how to handle merging lanes, and it causes a big stuff up.

You usually have a choice, get into the main left lane, and have trucks driving over you because the absolutely HAVE to merge in front of everyone, or get in the main right lane, and have idiots in their fancy cars (more often than not), that also HAVE to merge in front of everyone, and just about drive over the plastic chevron signs to do it.

I usually take the approach of if the car is in front of my nose, I will happily let them go, but if you are behind me, it's not my problem. Still, with this approach you have to be careful, as you often will get the idiot who HAS to get in front of you, even though he's behind you coming from in the merging lane, or sometimes the car behind you doesn't want to let him in. All in all, makes for exciting driving.

B