Merge in Turn

[Mr Gear]

strudel said:

The simple solution is to close the third lane entirely, then there won't be any merging issues.

Or remove the signs. The fist thing you know about the merge is 50 yards from it

Regardless of what the "right" hing to do is, these merge points cause a lot of frustration and bad behavior.

[All that jazz]

Not this st again...

[saaby93]

Mr Gear said:

Or remove the signs. The first thing you know about the merge is 50 yards from it

why did no-one else think of that?

[andituk]

Looks to me like the police officer in the picture isn't doing what the OP thinks he is.

In fact, it looks more like he's using the third lane, and intending to merge at the lane closure, correctly.

[Countdown]

andituk said:

Looks to me like the police officer in the picture isn't doing what the OP thinks he is.

In fact, it looks more like he's using the third lane, and intending to merge at the lane closure, correctly.

Do you mean matching speed with the inside lane and merging at the point where his lane closes (i.e. zip merging)?

Or overtaking as many cars as possible and hoping there's enough space at the point where his lane closes?

[curlyks2]

DrTre said:

I wonder if there are any other three word instructions that baffle so, so many people.

• Pay at pump
• No right turn
• Don't drive tired
• Do not open
• Do not close

[R0G]

If the police wanted to ensure those merging in turn did it correctly then why not position at the merge point and sit in the back of the van watching the traffic ?

[Don]

tyranical said:

Down with merge in turn!

It's the law.

I merge in turn like the Highway Code says to do.

Oddly enough I find following the Highway Code is generally what people expect you to do and so one makes unobtrusive progress...

[Nemo Sum]

If the police driver is actually doing what the OP says, what happens when the police officer gets to the merge point and attempts to mer *cough* sorry I meant "barge" in front of everyone? Does everyone block them off for trying to jump the non-existent queue?

[Wills2]

Face for Radio said:

Wills2 said:

Potatoes said:

Wills2 said:

Looking at the photo the police just seem to be leaving a larger than "normal gap" (to reference normal see how close a thrusting rep gets to you in dense stop start traffic) to the slowing traffic in front, everyone appears to have their brake lights on so he is just creating a defensive gap.

Nothing in that picture suggests he is blocking the right hand lane the car in front is only 5 lengths from him.

Not sure what the OP saw is what he hoped it would be.

Well, I'll take back my comment if that's the case

That's what it looks like to me.

The gap was previously a lot larger, by the time my passenger thought it would be a good picture, got their phone out and took a snap, it had shortened a fair bit.

Exactly to my point then, he was just slowing down and leaving a good gap as any sensible person would faced with 3 lanes of bunched up stationary traffic and not doing a HGV style "stop and straddle"

Nothing to see here folks move along.

[Sushifiend]

Waking this thread up to vent my frustration at the number of idiots who try to block you when you are proceeding to the merge point without merging. My daily commute involves me getting off the M4 eastbound at J10 to join the A329(M) towards Bracknell. For the last 6 months (with apparently no actual works going on) there has been a closure of lane one of the long two-lane slip road about quarter of a mile after leaving the M4. At busy times the queue of cars backs up onto the M4 itself, which is clearly a danger to those cars finding themselves having to come to a complete stop in lane one of the M4.

My beef is that very often, the vast majority of lane one of the slip road is empty, caused by numpties trying to merge into lane two long before the actual pinch point, or else there is an LGV or other idiot "parked" in lane one moving at the same speed as the traffic in lane two, so that nobody can get past to use them empty road space in lane one up to the pinch point. That road space could contain about 100 cars, and would prevent traffic backing up onto the M4 itself. So who are these self appointed guardians of the queue who mistakenly think that just because lane one is closed a quarter of a mile ahead, the lane should be unavailable to traffic behind that point? What a bunch of Wayne Kerrs.

Also in Bracknell on the A329 heading towards Reading is a two-to-one permanent merge just before you get to the fire and ambulance stations. The merge point used to be right next to the roundabout, causing tailbacks to block the roundabout itself. The council spent a considerable amount of money extending the two-lane section for 200 yards or so before the merge point to allow road capacity for cars which have not yet merged so that the roundabout stays clear. The "merge in turn" sign was moved right the way down to the merge point, yet the majority of drivers stay in lane one leaving lane two empty. When I use lane two to drive right to the merge point, I get dirty looks as if I had just emptied my bowels in a childrens' sandpit. More often than not, one or two drivers in lane one will try to prevent me merging at all. Makes me want to get out and slap them. Twice. How do all these idiots get driving licenses in the first place?

[R0G]

If LGVs or other vehicles are acting as SARP - self appointed road police - blocking the free flow of traffic in an open lane then report them to the cops because doing that is illegal