Merging into 1 Lane
Author
Discussion

Sulli

Original Poster:

584 posts

239 months

Friday 9th March 2012
quotequote all
I am aware there is a 'zipper' method in America, but here we seem to use our traditional queue system.
Today I was on dual carriageway that has a section that goes into one lane for a few hundred yards. It is clearly signed from after a roundabout, and generally people get into the lane that will stay open fairly soon after the roundabout, around 600 yards from it going into one lane.
Some people decide not to do this and travel down the inside lane, bypassing those queueing, to try to get further on. Personally I think this is not on, but can understand why people do it to get further down and less delayed, or think that it should be a 'zipper' merge.
The last few days have been interesting. A few cars did this (undertook) whilst I was queueing around 200 yds from the cones blocking lane 1, so I, and I could see a car a few behing, parked half accross the lanes to discourage people 'queue jumping'. A bloke took umbridge to this, mounted the kerb to undertake the bloke a few behind me, and undertook me, though i wasn't too far accross - I thought that was pretty rude of him.
Last night, same situation, but there was a 530D behind me, and an S3 behind him, both of which I had blasted past a few hundred yards earlier. Almost in tandem we performed a synchronised blockage (not pre-arranged) and effectively stopped anyone sneaking past by covering both lanes between us.
I felt a great sense of camaradery with my fellow blockers, and I reckon they thought the same - all on the same wavelength.
That's it...... - cue the 'Cool Story Bro' comments biggrin

Edited by Sulli on Sunday 11th March 21:55

anonymous-user

74 months

Friday 9th March 2012
quotequote all
Sulli said:
I am aware there is a 'zipper' method in America, but here we seem to use our traditional queue system.
The A45 into Coventry at the moment (dual carriageway) has a section that goes into one lane for a few hundred yards. It is clearly signed from after a roundabout, and generally people get into the lane that will stay open fairly soon after the roundabout, around 600 yards from it going into one lane.
Some people decide not to do this and travel down the inside lane, bypassing those queueing, to try to get further on. Personally I think this is not on, but can understand why people do it to get further down and less delayed, or think that it should be a 'zipper' merge.
The last few days have been interesting. A few cars did this (undertook) whilst I was queueing around 200 yds from the cones blocking lane 1, so I, and I could see a car a few behing, parked half accross the lanes to discourage people 'queue jumping'. A bloke took umbridge to this, mounted the kerb to undertake the bloke a few behind me, and undertook me, though i wasn't too far accross - I thought that was pretty rude of him.
Last night, same situation, but there was a 530D behind me, and an S3 behind him, both of which I had blasted past a few hundred yards earlier. Almost in tandem we performed a synchronised blockage (not pre-arranged) and effectively stopped anyone sneaking past by covering both lanes between us.
I felt a great sense of camaradery with my fellow blockers, and I reckon they thought the same - all on the same wavelength.
That's it...... - cue the 'Cool Story Bro' comments biggrin
I guess the proper way to do it would be for 50% to 'undertake' then merge in turn. Less stressy for all concerned & nobody would feel hard done by..

cheadle hulme

2,499 posts

202 months

Friday 9th March 2012
quotequote all
PHers - release the hounds!

ewenm

28,506 posts

265 months

Friday 9th March 2012
quotequote all
Jimboka said:
I guess the proper way to do it would be for 50% to 'undertake' then merge in turn. Less stressy for all concerned & nobody would feel hard done by..
You'd think so but most people on the roads are too thick to do this, even when there are signs specifically telling you to merge in turn (sadly underused signs).

OP: the "queue" method means you effectively just move the lane closure further down the road, slowing everyone down.

Wafflesmk2

1,347 posts

174 months

Friday 9th March 2012
quotequote all
People are like sheep.

Last night on the M62, there were warning signs that two out of 3 lanes were closed for roadworks.

I slotted to the inside lane, along with everyone else. As far as the eye could see, lanes 2 and 3 were empty and lane 1 was moving at 40mph.

I then saw the roadwork sign confirming two lanes were closed 800yards ahead.

800 yards? fk that, that's 800 yards of less queuing with these sheep. I dropped it into the third lane and gave it a boot. Hard.

600 yards. still no traffic in lane 2 or 3. Lane 1 now down to 30 mph.

400 yards. likewise.

200 yards. wait a minute....

100 yards.... what the fk? there's one highways agency transit on the hard shoulder with orange lights on, no cones and no lanes closed.

Muwahahahahahaah.

I imagine half of the queue in lane 1 are still sat there now.

It's idiocy like this that causes crashes.

mmm-five

11,973 posts

304 months

Friday 9th March 2012
quotequote all
Not again rolleyes

Highway Code Rule 134 said:
You should follow the signs and road markings and get into the lane as directed. In congested road conditions do not change lanes unnecessarily. Merging in turn is recommended but only if safe and appropriate when vehicles are travelling at a very low speed, e.g. when approaching road works or a road traffic incident. It is not recommended at high speed.

TheHeretic

73,668 posts

275 months

Friday 9th March 2012
quotequote all
The zipper method works. I use it. If someone wants to join the queue 4 miles from the lane closure with an empty lane then more fool them.

lyonspride

2,978 posts

175 months

Friday 9th March 2012
quotequote all
Sulli said:
I am aware there is a 'zipper' method in America, but here we seem to use our traditional queue system.
The A45 into Coventry at the moment (dual carriageway) has a section that goes into one lane for a few hundred yards. It is clearly signed from after a roundabout, and generally people get into the lane that will stay open fairly soon after the roundabout, around 600 yards from it going into one lane.
Some people decide not to do this and travel down the inside lane, bypassing those queueing, to try to get further on. Personally I think this is not on, but can understand why people do it to get further down and less delayed, or think that it should be a 'zipper' merge.
The last few days have been interesting. A few cars did this (undertook) whilst I was queueing around 200 yds from the cones blocking lane 1, so I, and I could see a car a few behing, parked half accross the lanes to discourage people 'queue jumping'. A bloke took umbridge to this, mounted the kerb to undertake the bloke a few behind me, and undertook me, though i wasn't too far accross - I thought that was pretty rude of him.
Last night, same situation, but there was a 530D behind me, and an S3 behind him, both of which I had blasted past a few hundred yards earlier. Almost in tandem we performed a synchronised blockage (not pre-arranged) and effectively stopped anyone sneaking past by covering both lanes between us.
I felt a great sense of camaradery with my fellow blockers, and I reckon they thought the same - all on the same wavelength.
That's it...... - cue the 'Cool Story Bro' comments biggrin
If you want to Police the roads, join the Police.....

There is NO queue, it's a 2 lane road you moron!

Sulli

Original Poster:

584 posts

239 months

Friday 9th March 2012
quotequote all
I think the thing with this particular place is that lane 1 is closed, and lane 2 becomes virtually stationery at least 600 yards from the closure. Due to where this is, you can see this from a distance and get into lane 2 to queue. Getting or staying in lane 1 means it will take everyone else longer. I think the merge/zip approach only works where there is a long lead in and several lanes still moving.

mnkiboy

4,409 posts

186 months

Friday 9th March 2012
quotequote all
Why block the lane? All you're doing is pushing the queue further back up the road and inconveniencing more people.
The highway code (and common sense) state that you should merge in turn when you reach the closed lane.
The people driving past the queue are trying to merge in turn. It's not their fault if the rest of the sheep have decided to join the back of the queue!

matrignano

4,669 posts

230 months

Friday 9th March 2012
quotequote all
Sulli said:
generally people get into the lane that will stay open fairly soon after the roundabout, around 600 yards from it going into one lane.
I find this an incredibly stupid way of dealing with the situation, as you are effectively only using half of the available road space (even if it's just for 600 yards). As a Continental European, I still fail to understand why this is the preferred method in the UK...To do with your polite/queuing-prone quaint demeanour, I guess.

And what winds me up most, is those motorway vigilantes who will block the empty lane because they can't stand that some people actually make use of it... I find that these people are often related to the middle lane hogger bar stewards.

Despicable people

Sulli

Original Poster:

584 posts

239 months

Friday 9th March 2012
quotequote all
lyonspride said:
If you want to Police the roads, join the Police.....

There is NO queue, it's a 2 lane road you moron!
Ahh thanks, love you too wink

cocopop

1,300 posts

225 months

Friday 9th March 2012
quotequote all
What's a zipper method? Isn't it called 'merging in turn'?

DrTre

12,957 posts

252 months

Friday 9th March 2012
quotequote all
MIT works perfectly well except when people baulk other drivers joining the queue
(and I am including dipsts that pound down a slip road hard shoulder to avoid queues onto the main carriageway, they should be shot)

It's a perfect example of where giving ground helps all involved, and sadly often a perfect example of how humans look after number one without realising if everyone worked together then everyone would benefit.

Doshy

853 posts

237 months

Friday 9th March 2012
quotequote all
ewenm said:
OP: the "queue" method means you effectively just move the lane closure further down the road, slowing everyone down.
....and possibly as far back as motorway slip roads etc. We had a similar situation on my daily drive and it was always truckers doing the 'policing' and blocking the merge lane. I rang the highways agency and said that I'd seen some close shaves with these idiot truck drivers and the next day there was a zipper sign to remind everyone to use ALL the road.......

Once I saw one of them pull out to block a white van, big mistake. The van eventually got alongside at which point the door opened and a size 12 steel toe capped boot appeared and preceded to repeatedly kick in the drivers door of the truck. Even my kids laughed at that one.

oyster

13,340 posts

268 months

Friday 9th March 2012
quotequote all
mmm-five said:
Not again rolleyes

Highway Code Rule 134 said:
You should follow the signs and road markings and get into the lane as directed. In congested road conditions do not change lanes unnecessarily. Merging in turn is recommended but only if safe and appropriate when vehicles are travelling at a very low speed, e.g. when approaching road works or a road traffic incident. It is not recommended at high speed.
Except this is never signposted.

On the continent you often see merge-in-turn signs and people follow them.

lyonspride

2,978 posts

175 months

Friday 9th March 2012
quotequote all
I actually take a B road home from to avoid a dual carriageway because of these idiots..... I won't change lane to join a "queue"(which is against the highway code) when there's a perfectly clear lane. I would rather take a longer route home, than have to deal with idiots who block the road. Because I would seriously lamp someone!


If you think about a town centre ring road, a 1 mile stretch of road with stationary traffic in both lanes = the rest of the ring road is fine.... But when some d1ck starts lane blocking, then suddenly that "queue" has gone right back and blocked the next roundabout, the roundabout that holds the main exit for the town centre, now the town centre jams up, nobody can move, pretty soon it runs right through to the entrance to the town centre, which now increases the problem that started the "queue" in the first place...... Now you've got an entire town ground to a halt because some twunt thought the intelligent drivers were "queue jumpers".

The fact is, these idiots cannot see past their own ego, "im not letting anyone get past me"..... They don't give a f**k about the havock they're causing to everyone else!

ArsE92

21,131 posts

207 months

Friday 9th March 2012
quotequote all
Wafflesmk2 said:
People are like sheep.

Last night on the M62, there were warning signs that two out of 3 lanes were closed for roadworks.

I slotted to the inside lane, along with everyone else. As far as the eye could see, lanes 2 and 3 were empty and lane 1 was moving at 40mph.

I then saw the roadwork sign confirming two lanes were closed 800yards ahead.

800 yards? fk that, that's 800 yards of less queuing with these sheep. I dropped it into the third lane and gave it a boot. Hard.

600 yards. still no traffic in lane 2 or 3. Lane 1 now down to 30 mph.

400 yards. likewise.

200 yards. wait a minute....

100 yards.... what the fk? there's one highways agency transit on the hard shoulder with orange lights on, no cones and no lanes closed.

Muwahahahahahaah.

I imagine half of the queue in lane 1 are still sat there now.

It's idiocy like this that causes crashes.
Seriously? I can't tell if you're trolling or just a mong.

SSBB

698 posts

176 months

Friday 9th March 2012
quotequote all
You are driving like a tt. Please follow the highway code in future.

Doshy

853 posts

237 months

Friday 9th March 2012
quotequote all
lyonspride said:
I actually take a B road home from to avoid a dual carriageway because of these idiots..... I won't change lane to join a "queue"(which is against the highway code) when there's a perfectly clear lane. I would rather take a longer route home, than have to deal with idiots who block the road. Because I would seriously lamp someone!


If you think about a town centre ring road, a 1 mile stretch of road with stationary traffic in both lanes = the rest of the ring road is fine.... But when some d1ck starts lane blocking, then suddenly that "queue" has gone right back and blocked the next roundabout, the roundabout that holds the main exit for the town centre, now the town centre jams up, nobody can move, pretty soon it runs right through to the entrance to the town centre, which now increases the problem that started the "queue" in the first place...... Now you've got an entire town ground to a halt because some twunt thought the intelligent drivers were "queue jumpers".

The fact is, these idiots cannot see past their own ego, "im not letting anyone get past me"..... They don't give a f**k about the havock they're causing to everyone else!
Totally agree as I said above. I also try to take a different route home for the same reasons.