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ThatBoyAiintRight t1_ivf5hqx wrote

Nonono you got to suddenly stop and force your way over as early as possible to get the most destruction points.

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10000Didgeridoos t1_ivg0bs2 wrote

And if you're in the other lane, you road rage at everyone doing the merge at the end of the line the correct way because in your stupid mind "they cut the line bro"

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zensucht0 t1_ivgm5wr wrote

For maximum destruction points race down the right hand shoulder and merge across two lanes, raging the entire way. Also throwing drinks at the guys working on the side of the road gives extra credit. They're thirsty and appreciate your rage.

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ConstantRunnerVA t1_ivfzxhr wrote

This technique assumes everyone isn't drafting off of everyone else likes its Nascar.

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Hiltson87 t1_ivfm6ah wrote

Thank god you posted this blurry picture, I'm sure it will teach everyone in the area how to merge.

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Greencare_gardens t1_ivh0r9u wrote

Lol you just have to click on the photo and it will come into focus

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parrisjd t1_ivjpvqc wrote

Not sure why your true and helpful comment got downvoted, but here's an up.

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zorak_robert t1_ivfd33r wrote

If you're in a truck you should just match speed with someone next to you in the right lane and let a huge gap form for about a mile.

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Tylerjb4 t1_ivfsgvq wrote

I love when people do that, especially when people are trying to race down the shoulder or exit.

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Freseper t1_ivhhlh0 wrote

I just came to point out the Downtown Expressway never touches I64

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Big_Al56 t1_ivi4zx5 wrote

Came here looking for this comment, disappointed in how far I had to scroll. I honestly think most people have lost the rough map of the city people used to keep in their head, and just rely on the GPS

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Gh0st_Pirate_LeChuck t1_ivfljzp wrote

Virginia doesn't know how to zipper. After living in Michigan that became even more clear. They know how to drive on an interstate. They still suck at U-turns, but I'll take that over not knowing how to drive in traffic. Virginia sucks at driving.

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Ditovontease t1_ivgef9y wrote

we do in northern virginia just not anywhere else

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aznpanda696 t1_ivghvfd wrote

Northern Virginia has probably the worst drivers I’ve ever seen.

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Ditovontease t1_ivgqdvr wrote

They know how to zipper merge, though. Where do you think I learned it

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aznpanda696 t1_ivgqjgu wrote

That I can agree with. People in the 804 do not know how to merge in general lol

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ZephyrInfernum t1_ivgzxct wrote

Nor use a roundabout, or what a stop bar is, or even what red lights are (though this is a newer trend)

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pomaj46809 t1_ivf5uz0 wrote

How is this safer than merging earlier when there is room?

Really all anyone needs to do it make traffic better is:

  • Don't weave back and forth between lanes.
  • Drive leaving enough room in front of you at all times so that if someone needs to get in your lane they can.

The more people who do it, the better traffic gets. It's also compatible with "zipper merge" because everyone is leaving room, making a merge a lot easier.

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[deleted] t1_ivfo4w9 wrote

[deleted]

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JVorhees t1_ivg9ats wrote

It's literally on the page OP pulled this from but I'm guessing they didn't read it:

>In situations where traffic is flowing at highway speeds with no or minimal back-ups, drivers should merge early to the open lane when it is safe to do so.

https://www.in.gov/indot/safety/zipper-merge/

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cr4zy-cat-lady t1_ivfsbch wrote

this! if you try and zipper merge when traffic is at full speed and you're going 10 below, you're an asshole

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Greencare_gardens t1_ivh15zd wrote

I mean that's not technically zipper merging - zipper merging means you're going with the flow of traffic not creating more

1

cr4zy-cat-lady t1_ivhd4xo wrote

It technically is, as a zipper merge is “where drivers use both lanes of the highway until the point where one lane ends, and then take turns merging into the single lane”.

1

ChiliTrees t1_ivf6isx wrote

Yeah. I merge early when there’s plenty of open space because why would I not? Problem is like another commenter said when ppl think they HAVE to merge early and fucking stop in the merge lane because merging from a full stop into 80mph traffic is somehow safer than the zipper /s

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Drict t1_ivfj2t0 wrote

The real problem is that people leave the space, then there is that random asshole drives 80 up until the merge point, then cuts someone off causing them and and everyone else to break and closes the space behind.

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ttd_76 t1_ivfrapz wrote

That's not how the zipper merge works though. Even though it is extremely annoying sometimes to let someone in, you have to do it. Otherwise they are blocking a lane.

If someone can drive right past a mile long lane of cars right to the merge point, the zipper merge is already fucked. That shouldn't happen, and the problem is actually with too many early mergers.

What holds up traffic the most is everyone jumping to one lane early and then not letting anyone else in. The only fix is to let anyone who wants to merge in, as quickly and as easily as possible even if they are dickheads who are trying to cut in line.

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Drict t1_ivfxj3i wrote

Actually no, it is a zipper merge. If people merge over 200 yards early because it is safe to do so, and then some jackass sees that the lane is open and guns it, then cuts into a space that is the safe following distance and makes it so that driver is now no longer safe and is cut off (2-3 car lengths on the SHORTEST; seen it done in less) and they gunned it to 80 to pass the 'line' of people going 50. They just fucked the line and crunched up ALL of the merging space for EVERY car behind them, since the 1 person had to brake. It actually has been proven that it takes almost a whole mile of clear driving for that 1 fuckers impatience to be resolved.

source

source 2

try it yourself

EDIT: Break is wrong... lol brake

7

ttd_76 t1_ivgd32s wrote

You have to look at the total traffic flow, not just the impact on one lane.

The more cars that can flow through a given chokepoint as quickly as possible, the better.

If we drew a merge as a Y with two separate one lane roads merging into one and asked people how to handle it, they would instinctively say "Stagger it. One car from one of the roads, the next car from the other road."

The problem with most merges is one of the two lanes is perceived to have priority. Therefore everyone needs to get into the "correct" lane and line up. But from a traffic flow viewpoint, neither lane has priority. All that matters is getting as any cars through that chokepoint as quickly as possible.

2

Drict t1_ivgzbe2 wrote

You quite literally are proving my point. The line that has 'priority' is the lane that isn't being closed. People are merging over when it is SAFE to do so and they are traveling at speed that is safe and keeps traffic moving. The problem is the person that guns it, (not finding a safe spot to move over at close to the same speed as the rest of traffic) and cuts someone off (disrupts the speed in which the rest of traffic is moving; specifically by making the other person hit their brakes to avoid an accident due to the person that gunned it and cut them off)

You think in the ideal world, not the real world. If I am in the right lane, I have a safe space to merge to the left and I move with traffic and merge over at the time that is the merge point, I AM DOING WHAT YOU ARE ASKING, and by 'blocking' the right lane I am allowing for the merge point to 'loosen' as they no longer have to worry about merging people. The only way this method DOESN'T WORK is if once people have merged they don't accelerate (due to an obstruction/choke up ahead) OR they don't know how to get back up to speed effectively, once that occurs, then finding your spot and merging as you desire is the correct play since traffic is flowing.

When it isn't flowing is due to that jerk-off cutting off people. It is why the whole issue arises, period. People then have figured out if you block the other lane, traffic actually starts moving again, because people aren't freaking out about the merging person and the flow (basically movement before the merge) can pick up again...

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Tylerjb4 t1_ivfs8b4 wrote

I’ve never seen that, unless the lane being merged into comes to a stop and isn’t letting people in.

0

saltyyellowcracker t1_ivg3ge2 wrote

No obviously you’re supposed to speed up and then flip off the people trying to merge! /s

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the_facts_please t1_ivg14i2 wrote

I'm going to need help with this. How is merging later safer than merging earlier?

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ttd_76 t1_ivga3mm wrote

It assumes drivers are not going to be assholes. But that is a big assumption.

But the idea is that it neutralizes speed disparities between lanes and allows for an organized pattern that people can anticipate. This makes it both faster and safer.

If you have two lines of people approaching a choke point, you just all agree to alternate where one person from one line goes through, then the person from the other line, and back and forth.

Without that, it's a mess because five people in a row from one line might try to shove into the space, or two people from two lines go at the same time, and then it rapidly devolves into every person for themselves because you can't anticipate what others will so.

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Ditovontease t1_ivgety2 wrote

Merging at one point rather than any random point causes less brake checking

also if you are trying to merge on to the highway, the on ramp lane is that long so that you have enough time to pick up speed to keep up with traffic before you merge, rather than merging at a slow ass speed, causing the people behind you to brake suddenly.

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Jigg718 t1_ivgtyj4 wrote

Assholes, 🤔 oh wait I be doing that

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Lucerna1 t1_ivh0xp4 wrote

This is the way

2

lordpuddingcup t1_ivh3sit wrote

I’m sorry in what fucking fancy world is this suit safer? Ppl doing 90 in that right lane to skip traffic and get over at the very last second is the exact reason I’ve seen accidents happen wtf would a change into the left lane early when it’s not last second and rushed be less safe somehow?????

Saying that’s saying getting into the left lane ever is unsafe

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g00dm0rNiNgCaPTain t1_ivk9wen wrote

my merge mantra - "every! othah! motha! fuckah!".

you can hear me chanting it at top volume around town, but no one listens :/

2

ryanrmp804 t1_ivggk8s wrote

Bro, FUCK y’all 64 drivers goin southbound in the morning. Y’all mergin from the left (read:SLOW AS FUCK) holdin up traffic and then cuttin over 4 fuckin lanes to get on. Y’all are some special Ed bitches

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