Lorry drivers who think the are the Police

[Swervin_Mervin]

They're yellow. Like the ones that warn you of anything in temporary highway works. Such as the lane closure ones. Would you ignore those as well?

[mickmcpaddy]

Swervin_Mervin said:

They're yellow. Like the ones that warn you of anything in temporary highway works. Such as the lane closure ones. Would you ignore those as well?

So not enforceable then.

[Swervin_Mervin]

You can be done for not adhering to them, AFAIK. Driving without due care AFAIK, if you're caught.

You'd be a bit of a d1ck to ignore them though wouldn't you?

[Boosted LS1]

^^ fk me, there are twunts and there are twunts. I can barely believe it.

[James_B]

Centurion07 said:

It doesn't matter. The overall length of the queue would still be shorter which is THE ENTIRE POINT of merging at the designated merge

You’ve been remarkably patient, considering how hard people seem to be finding it to understand this simple point.

I wonder if things have changed in the last couple of decades. When I left school it was the brightest and the best who went off to drive lorries. Really switched-on characters, the sort who could have been top engineers if they wanted, or flown fast jets for the military.

I don’t understand how a career with the pick of the nation’s greatest minds has ended up with so many of its senior members so ignorant of how to drive well.

[Red Devil]

Chrisgr31 said:

Red Devil said:

on a
I find it thoroughly ironic that some posters talk about people 'zipping past' the queue. If people were educated in the art of zip merging there wouldn't be any empty lane for them to 'zip down'!
I always merge as near the pinch point as practicable. I seldom get any grief because I don't drive along the unoccupied lane as if my pants are on fire. It's all about observation/anticipation.

I therefore assume that you are always in the outside lane?

Always? Of course not: are you being deliberately obtuse or hoping I will rise to the bait so that you can label me according to some preconception you may have?
The lane which is about to end can be either of them btw. Have you ever encountered a bus lane? Temporary roadworks can be on either side.
I'm sure you're aware of that well known saying about assume...

Chrisgr31 said:

The issue is that in the vast majority of cases true zip merging will never work in the UK.

This is typical of the defeatist attitude so prevalent in this country. As long as people are reluctant/refuse to change their way of thinking or actions then, yes, it will be an uphill task.
That's not a valid reason for deciding not to make the effort though.

Chrisgr31 said:

I don't know about you but my zips have an equal number of teeth on each side. The highway is not like that. Invariably the inside lane will have more traffic in it than the outside lane, and equally by definition those in the outside lane must be there because they are overtaking.

When people start using qualitative expressions like 'invariably' and 'by definition'......'must' it is an indication of an entrenched mindset which is difficult to overcome.
I don't live in a black and white world. The real one has several shades of grey.

Chrisgr31 said:

Where traffic is light the problem doesnt arise because people slow down and generally do merge sensibly and in reality they probably merge 30, 40 or 50 metres away from the cone. The problem only arises at the point where traffic volume becomes too great for the traffic to flow through the merge point seamlessly.

Yet again you miss the point. In the latter case it's about using all the available road capacity to minimise/prevent preceding junctions/roundabouts being blocked.
It's similar to those thoughtless folk who persist in hogging the middle lane thereby effectively reducing the capacity of a 3 lane motoway by up to one third.
When one then gets widened to 4 they still do it, so up to a quarter of that expensive undertaking is underutilised/wasted.

I can still remember a pre bank holiday Friday afternoon many years ago when I drove from London to Yorkshire without ever leaving lane 1.
I reached our destination 20 minutes before my friend who zoomed past me at the beginning of the M1 and promptly joined the 'lane 3 express'.
The baffled look on his face when mentioned I was on my second cup of coffee and asked what had taken him so long was priceless.

Chrisgr31 said:

It would be interesting to know if the traffic volumes in the US in each lane are more similar because they allow overtaking either side, of course more equal traffic volumes leads to zip merging working better.

Pass. Next time I'm in touch with a friend of mine who is currently living in CA I'll ask him about that specific point.

However zip merging over there is facilitated by many (most?) states making tailgating a specific offence for which a cop can, and will, issue a citation.
The difference between them and us is that they take it seriously too. In NJ, for example, it carries a 5 point penalty on your D/L.

They also have a lot more cops out patrolling their roads than we do. They don't take kindly to those who argue the toss either.
There is no way I would choose to get on the wrong side of a law enforcement officer armed with a canister of mace and a gun.

[ghost83]

I suppose if you ignore the signs a copper could do you for due care

[anonymous-user]

In my own vehicle I go to the end of the lane as directed by signage and merge in. Sometimes I merge in and sometimes someone tries to prevent this. Usually when I get in the person who tried to prevent me ends up having some form of heart attack at a perceived advantage gained by me.

Now, I do the exact same while at work in a police vehicle. People follow me to the end of the lane and weirdly people allow us to merge in no issue. Every time.

I’ve stopped numerous hgv and cars for blocking or straddling the lane and not one has been able to offer an explanation other than to apologise.

I’ve never given any of them anything but advice to use all the lane as directed as I don’t believe in crucifying drivers. I’m one myself. I believe in educating people. I rarely give out tickets for on the spot driving offences and prefer to speak to people. The issue I have after reading this thread is that it looks like some people either can’t be educated or simply block lanes on purpose for no good reason. I should get the book out more often.

[anonymous-user]

Faz50 said:

I should get the book out more often.

[IroningMan]

Faz50 said:

In my own vehicle I go to the end of the lane as directed by signage and merge in. Sometimes I merge in and sometimes someone tries to prevent this. Usually when I get in the person who tried to prevent me ends up having some form of heart attack at a perceived advantage gained by me.

Now, I do the exact same while at work in a police vehicle. People follow me to the end of the lane and weirdly people allow us to merge in no issue. Every time.

I’ve stopped numerous hgv and cars for blocking or straddling the lane and not one has been able to offer an explanation other than to apologise.

I’ve never given any of them anything but advice to use all the lane as directed as I don’t believe in crucifying drivers. I’m one myself. I believe in educating people. I rarely give out tickets for on the spot driving offences and prefer to speak to people. The issue I have after reading this thread is that it looks like some people either can’t be educated or simply block lanes on purpose for no good reason. I should get the book out more often.

Yes please. And bring it to the A303.

[Swervin_Mervin]

Faz50 said:

In my own vehicle I go to the end of the lane as directed by signage and merge in. Sometimes I merge in and sometimes someone tries to prevent this. Usually when I get in the person who tried to prevent me ends up having some form of heart attack at a perceived advantage gained by me.

Now, I do the exact same while at work in a police vehicle. People follow me to the end of the lane and weirdly people allow us to merge in no issue. Every time.

I’ve stopped numerous hgv and cars for blocking or straddling the lane and not one has been able to offer an explanation other than to apologise.

I’ve never given any of them anything but advice to use all the lane as directed as I don’t believe in crucifying drivers. I’m one myself. I believe in educating people. I rarely give out tickets for on the spot driving offences and prefer to speak to people. The issue I have after reading this thread is that it looks like some people either can’t be educated or simply block lanes on purpose for no good reason. I should get the book out more often.

Thank you! I'd love to see more of this but sadly understand that the Police are fairly strained and don't necessarily have the time to be educating morons on the road for such actions all the time. It's nice to know that someone does though

[Centurion07]

mickmcpaddy said:

When all said and done the person in the closing lane has to change lanes and cross a white line, they do not have any priority to do this, the car already in the through lane has priority.

Except...that's bobbins.

If you want to try and be pedantic to justify your illogical position on this, then it will depend entirely on which lane is closing.

The HC says if you're being overtaken you should make space for the other car to drop in in front of you, not box them out! So if it's the R/H lane/s that are closing then you should be making space.

I won't even bother to mention the fact that there's no such thing as undertaking and that you are in fact permitted to pass on the left if traffic on the right is moving slower.

Just for clarity's sake...you are 100% in the wrong. No grey area, no ifs or buts, just wrong. It really is that black and white.

[andrewrob]

The most satisfying merge moment I had was on a two lane local road where the right lane merges into the left. I was in the right lane, kept my speed and distance correct from the car ahead to the left of me and then someone in the left lane from further back rocketed up behind him and tailgated him to block my merging path.

I was just about to drop back behind him instead when I noticed there were road works that night and the left lane was actually merging right this time. I left a gap for the chap in front and to the left of me, and angry man
next to me braked and merged behind perfectly.

[OddCat]

At risk of sounding like a broken record, merging ONLY WORKS WHEN THE TRAFFIC IS FLOWING THROUGH THE MERGE POINT.

Every day I travel down a fast ‘A’ road which used to be a full dual carriageway end to end and which was fine. Then, one day, the idiot road planners decided that, at various points, they would make it single carriageway. So there are various “merge” points where lane 2 fizzles out with the usual signs etc warning lane 2 users that they will need to move to lane 1. This is all fine and dandy at each merge point where the traffic simply flows from both lanes and blends into one lane. Exactly as all of the ‘PH police’ people on here think it should. It does that because the traffic is ALL moving relatively quickly. Most vehicles use lane 1 and maybe 20% of cars use lane 2. Mainly because there are so many merge points that people feel more comfortable sticking in the lane that never ends. And there are speed cameras abound (fixed and vans) so the traffic in lane one is at the limit there is little opportunity to use lane 2 to overtake without risk of a ticket.

But one of the merge points is an issue because, around 200 yards after it, and still a single lane section as it hasn’t become two lanes again yet, there is another road running parallel which joins. It used to have a proper ‘slip road’ where traffic could join nicely to lane 1 (of what was previously a dual carriageway). But, when the idiot planners made that section a single lane, they did away with the slip road and, instead, created a ‘T’ junction at a virtual 90% angle. So the cars coming along the parallel road have to stop and look for a gap in the traffic to join. What then happens then is people on the main road (which is now a single lane) slow down, or even stop, to let the people out of what is now effectively a side road. This causes instant ‘back up’ along the A road - back through the merge point and beyond.

Lane 1 then becomes an often virtually stationary and very long queue leading up to the merge point. It can be hundreds of yards long. By this point everyone has been through at least two merge points, and knows there is another coming, and it is generally accepted that queueing in lane one is the only fair way to handle this (there are no space issues – the lane one queue is never so long as to cause obstruction issues further back). The only thing to be gained by zipping down lane 2 past everyone and expecting to be let in at the end is for that individual to gain advantage over all of the drivers in lane 1. There is no other reason. There is no other need to do that. There is nothing else to be gained.

[anonymous-user]

OddCat said:

At risk of sounding like a broken record, merging ONLY WORKS WHEN THE TRAFFIC IS FLOWING THROUGH THE MERGE POINT.

Every day I travel down a fast ‘A’ road which used to be a full dual carriageway end to end and which was fine. Then, one day, the idiot road planners ...

Aaaaaand that's where your post runs out of class/reading merit.

You sound worse than a broken record. You sound like an armchair expert, self-educated (which, actually, isnt the same as being "educated") type that think you are always right regardless.

The idiots aren't the road planners. (And no, I'm not a planner)

As I mentioned before, YOU may not be aware of the reasons, but the reasons will be valid. You are just ignorant of anythinig that doesn't fit your blinkered little mind. If you are willing to, then put up a streetview link of this road, and I'll have a look at the historical records and may be able to give you a little insight. Not that you'll listen to it, lets face it, you've not listened to people far more clued up than you so far on this thread. That you are not prepared to listen marks you out as one of life's special little victims.

You are 100% wrong, and your insistence that you are right makes you sound more than a little "on the spectrum".

You have had engineers, traffic management experts, and the Police tell you why you are wrong.

You carry on trying to justify to yourself that you are right to be in Lane 1. However, block the merge and you may find yourself being dragged out of your car at some point by someone who is in a hurry, or is as intolerant as you are.

tl;dr - You are a special fking idiot who has proven that he is not going to listen to anything, therefore is not going to participate in a constructive way, and as such should no longer be interacted with.

[OddCat]

OpulentBob said:

As I mentioned before, YOU may not be aware of the reasons, but the reasons will be valid. You are just ignorant of anythinig that doesn't fit your blinkered little mind. If you are willing to, then put up a streetview link of this road, and I'll have a look at the historical records and may be able to give you a little insight.

Road was fine for years. Is now a fing disaster. What more do I need to know ?

OpulentBob said:

You have had engineers, traffic management experts, and the Police tell you why you are wrong.

...and on which planet are these people are well known for getting things right ?

OpulentBob said:

tl;dr - You are a special fking idiot who has proven that he is not going to listen to anything, therefore is not going to participate in a constructive way, and as such should no longer be interacted with.

...and you are obviously not in any way a complete and utter mentalist !

Maybe ModestmeansBob would be more pleasant ?

[Centurion07]

OddCat said:

At risk of sounding like a broken record, merging ONLY WORKS WHEN THE TRAFFIC IS FLOWING THROUGH THE MERGE POINT.

Can you please point me to the manual that says merge in turn has to be done when traffic is flowing?

Merge in turn LITERALLY MEANS TAKE IT IN TURNS TO MERGE!!!! It doesn't say anything about moving traffic, minimum speeds or distances.

TRAFFIC DOES NOT NEED TO BE MOVING TO MERGE IN TURN! When a space opens up in front of you, you allow the car next to you to move over, then you continue moving forwards and the next car merges behind you. It's not fking rocket science!

Would it help if we refer to it as "ZIP-MERGING" from now on? As in, one tooth merges with the next and so on.

Maybe we need some sort of diagram. Drawn in crayon.

[blueg33]

Another version of the weekly thread where PH retards demonstrate that they shouldn't be on the roads.

FFs a junction designer was on the first page explaining how and why merge works, but the high and mighty queuing lemmings insist that merging at the merge point is wrong.

[IroningMan]

Queue early, queue often.

[OddCat]

Centurion07 said:

OddCat said:

At risk of sounding like a broken record, merging ONLY WORKS WHEN THE TRAFFIC IS FLOWING THROUGH THE MERGE POINT.

Can you please point me to the manual that says merge in turn has to be done when traffic is flowing?

I didn't say "it can only be done". I said "it only works". As in "people only do it". Once you have a solid virtually stationary queue of people who feel they got across into lane one in good time (for a merge that has been there for years not some sudden traffic cone / road works malarkey) simply don't feel kindly pre-disposed to folks bombing up the outside (closing) lane and expecting to "merge".

The manual can say what it likes. I'm just saying what happens. In the real world. Every day. And once sufficient people do it then that becomes the protocol. People power.

I still maintain that a single uninterrupted line of cars will get through a 2 into 1 arrangement better than two rows braking and faffing about trying to zip. This is what the people "breaking the rule" are effectively achieving. If I'm in lane one and an HGV warrior blocks off lane 2 behind me, I see an immediate multi fold improvement in the speed I'm doing once one simple line of cars is moving through the pinch point. As soon as a single car comes down the outside and 'merges' then 20+ cars on the inside end up braking and the last one grinds to a halt. I'm sorry to upset all the Highway Code and and road planners but it is simply the case.