I can't make someone read, understand, and apply "Basic Economics" by Thomas Sowell, but I can slowly place my Toyota sienna in front of them as a merge in from the ending lane. Bonus points if I can catch them raging in the mirror or they honk because they're too dumb to understand the concept.
Does anybody know how to zipper merge?
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Last: 15 hrs ago by Pahdz
Pahdz said:GAC06 said:
Agreed there need to be signs. Not that people read signs, but people think they're being proper and courteous by merging hundreds of yards early and those zipper merging are jerks.
Zipper merge is definitely a thing in Minnesota and highly encouraged. During construction season there is tons of messaging on electric signage about zipper merging, and MNDOT has social media campaigns about the benefits of the zipper.
Can the Somalians even read the signs?
In Colorado, nobody has a clue how to begin to even explain how this might, theoretically work.
Ag for Life said:Pahdz said:GAC06 said:
Agreed there need to be signs. Not that people read signs, but people think they're being proper and courteous by merging hundreds of yards early and those zipper merging are jerks.
Zipper merge is definitely a thing in Minnesota and highly encouraged. During construction season there is tons of messaging on electric signage about zipper merging, and MNDOT has social media campaigns about the benefits of the zipper.
Can the Somalians even read?
Fify
Let's try to get them to do basic driving right first before we introduce more advanced tactics
This thread is propaganda. Don't let people zipper merge. If you're dumb enough to not get in line to for on/off ramp - you must continue driving.
You understand that's not what this is about, right?
Another fun merge today.
Cars are getting over prematurely as is the usual. I proceed to continue as there is no evidence the lane is about to end. 18 wheeler says not so fast and proceeds to drive in both lanes the next 1/4 mile.
Cars are getting over prematurely as is the usual. I proceed to continue as there is no evidence the lane is about to end. 18 wheeler says not so fast and proceeds to drive in both lanes the next 1/4 mile.
NRH ag 10 said:
I can't make someone read, understand, and apply "Basic Economics" by Thomas Sowell, but I can slowly place my Toyota sienna in front of them as a merge in from the ending lane. Bonus points if I can catch them raging in the mirror or they honk because they're too dumb to understand the concept.
It's not Adam Smith, it's John Nash (Equilibrium Game Theory).
Wildmen03 said:Forward said:Wildmen03 said:
What boggles my mind is that people don't understand that when people are driving next to each other, the driver in the lane that doesn't end has the right of way. There's a 2 lane to 1 lane merge that I go through every day when I leave work. The left lane ends, and I'm always in the right lane. And I consistently get honked at by people in the left lane when I don't hit my brakes to let them in.
And this is why zipper merge doesn't work.
In order for it to work, drivers have to get off the "right of way" horse and be willing to make it work for the overall good of traffic flow. Not "letting them in" screws up the whole system.
It works fine. If the people in the lane that ends pay attention and adjust their speed to merge properly, it works. If I'm in the lane that doesn't end and I have to hit my brakes to keep the person next to me to keep from hitting me, how does that help the flow of traffic behind me?
If the person next to me is ahead of me, I let them in. I'm talking about if two cars are right next to each other, the person that has their lane ending has to yield right of way.
Zipper merge would work if drivers are logical and considerate.
That never happens when there is a meaningful amount of traffic.
It's like George Carlin said about speeders:
Everyone who merges before you want to merge yourself is an idiot, but anyone who then passes you to merge after you already merged is A-hole.
Everyone who merges before you want to merge yourself is an idiot, but anyone who then passes you to merge after you already merged is A-hole.
when all traffic is slowing to merge, merge. don't pass people that are merging or have already merged. That is just a d move to fly by stopped traffic all the way up to the traffic barrels. You are just gonna invite road rage doing that. You are not more important or in the right because "ZiPpEr mErge!!!"
I will absolutely block you d bags all day.
I will absolutely block you d bags all day.
If you merge a mile before the mesh point you are the dickbag and 100% deserve to be passed
So, please define the proper times to zipper merge because unfortunately, people zipper merge in all the wrong places and it causes nothing but rage.
Do you zipper merge from a feeder onto a freeway?
Do you zipper when the merge point is in sight and everyone else is getting over into slower traffic, or do you pass everyone at high speed right to the point?
Zipper merge is meant for an orderly system when merging, cars taking turns and giving space. it does not mean to you to go all the way to the merge point and then merge. If you are passing cars to get 10 more places ahead in line, you are a d bag. I've seen a ton of wrecks and near wrecks on I45 north when the HOV lane ends in conroe with HOV travelers trying to "zipper merge" at the last second. The signs give you warning because to safely merge, you need to do it before the merge point.
Zipper merging at chick fil a, absolutely. Zipper merging every time a laned goes away is just dumb and an internal excuse to drive like an ass.
Do you zipper merge from a feeder onto a freeway?
Do you zipper when the merge point is in sight and everyone else is getting over into slower traffic, or do you pass everyone at high speed right to the point?
Zipper merge is meant for an orderly system when merging, cars taking turns and giving space. it does not mean to you to go all the way to the merge point and then merge. If you are passing cars to get 10 more places ahead in line, you are a d bag. I've seen a ton of wrecks and near wrecks on I45 north when the HOV lane ends in conroe with HOV travelers trying to "zipper merge" at the last second. The signs give you warning because to safely merge, you need to do it before the merge point.
Zipper merging at chick fil a, absolutely. Zipper merging every time a laned goes away is just dumb and an internal excuse to drive like an ass.
TexAgBolter said:
So, please define the proper times to zipper merge because unfortunately, people zipper merge in all the wrong places and it causes nothing but rage.
Do you zipper merge from a feeder onto a freeway?
Do you zipper when the merge point is in sight and everyone else is getting over into slower traffic, or do you pass everyone at high speed right to the point?
Zipper merge is meant for an orderly system when merging, cars taking turns and giving space. it does not mean to you to go all the way to the merge point and then merge. If you are passing cars to get 10 more places ahead in line, you are a d bag. I've seen a ton of wrecks and near wrecks on I45 north when the HOV lane ends in conroe with HOV travelers trying to "zipper merge" at the last second. The signs give you warning because to safely merge, you need to do it before the merge point.
Zipper merging at chick fil a, absolutely. Zipper merging every time a laned goes away is just dumb and an internal excuse to drive like an ass.
your premise is wrong. Because that IS A zipper merge. that's the whole point. Use all available lanes until they are gone. If the lanes are clear and uncongested then merge early, but there is nothing wrong with merging at the end.
https://www.acg.aaa.com/connect/blogs/4c/auto/zipper-merge-keeps-traffic-moving
here's Utah's defintion for you. Texas does not define but TXDOT encourages it.
Effective 5/4/2022
41-6a-903.1. Right-of-way -- Zipper merge.
(1) As used in this section:
(a) "Merge point" means the point at which two traffic lanes merge into one traffic lane.
(b) "Zipper method" means a method of merging vehicles at a merge point that involves the operators of the merging vehicles:
(i) using both lanes of traffic until the vehicles reach the merge point; and
(ii) once the vehicles reach the merge point, alternating yielding the right-of-way into the single traffic lane.
(2) An operator of a vehicle shall use the zipper method when merging at a congested merge point.
(3) A violation of this section is an infraction.
"Use Both Lanes in a Backup" are the signs I see most often. Pretty cut dry. Use all lanes til you can't, then be courteous and take turns. It's not that hard.
All I'm saying is your definition of zipper merge is fine, as long as it's orderly. My problem is when people "zipper merge" at the last second to get ahead in traffic.
People trying to "zipper merge" at the last second when the highway is congested, but moving at a good pace is dangerous and causes backups when they could have orderly merged at any time when the signs started warning you a 1/2 mile before the merge. Not saying you need to merge at the first sign, but don't wait until the lines are literally closing the lane and expect the existing lane to give you the right of way. Like an HOV lane going away. Plus 99% of the people in the HOV lane are not supposed to be there anyways as they are by themselves, but that's a different topic as I'm convinced HOV lanes that are not access-limited are completely useless.
My biggest beef is people that justify zipper merging in every situation. Example: Feeder is 4 lanes wide, only the left lane enters the ramp to the freeway. People line up during rush hour for almost a mile in the left lane with heavy traffic on the freeway. The 3 right lanes of the feeder are moving at normal speed. Seeing that line and driving past hundreds of cars to try and merge onto the ramp at the last second is crap.
Anyways, my commuting days are over and I'm glad to not be doing the daily rat race with the other idiots on the road in Houston. Being in a car is like the internet, people act tough and extremely rude and would never act like that face to face with someone.
People trying to "zipper merge" at the last second when the highway is congested, but moving at a good pace is dangerous and causes backups when they could have orderly merged at any time when the signs started warning you a 1/2 mile before the merge. Not saying you need to merge at the first sign, but don't wait until the lines are literally closing the lane and expect the existing lane to give you the right of way. Like an HOV lane going away. Plus 99% of the people in the HOV lane are not supposed to be there anyways as they are by themselves, but that's a different topic as I'm convinced HOV lanes that are not access-limited are completely useless.
My biggest beef is people that justify zipper merging in every situation. Example: Feeder is 4 lanes wide, only the left lane enters the ramp to the freeway. People line up during rush hour for almost a mile in the left lane with heavy traffic on the freeway. The 3 right lanes of the feeder are moving at normal speed. Seeing that line and driving past hundreds of cars to try and merge onto the ramp at the last second is crap.
Anyways, my commuting days are over and I'm glad to not be doing the daily rat race with the other idiots on the road in Houston. Being in a car is like the internet, people act tough and extremely rude and would never act like that face to face with someone.
Yeah what you're describing there is not zipper merging and I agree is counter productive.
I'm talking construction related lane closures and just normal 4 lanes down to 3 type areas.
I'm talking construction related lane closures and just normal 4 lanes down to 3 type areas.
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