Are people right to be angry with me?
Discussion
Is probably also about the manner in which the cars achieve it.
Trying a quick burst of acceleration in yours (your intention being to fit in smoothly) actually makes you look like a boy racer revving and flooring it to 'push in' whilst in teh Subaru its a smooth effortless maneouvre so appears exactly as intended, if that makes sense.
Trying a quick burst of acceleration in yours (your intention being to fit in smoothly) actually makes you look like a boy racer revving and flooring it to 'push in' whilst in teh Subaru its a smooth effortless maneouvre so appears exactly as intended, if that makes sense.
The marking up the road at the next lights where the right turn actually is, has TWO lanes marked to turn right only, so they obviously expect/have a lot of right tun traffic there. Beyond that junction, the road ahead is one lane only.
So,IMO, with local knowledge of this layout, I would probably keep the left lane on the first approach unless I was in a steaming hurry or feeling belligerent and didn't mind possibly carving up the left lane!
So,IMO, with local knowledge of this layout, I would probably keep the left lane on the first approach unless I was in a steaming hurry or feeling belligerent and didn't mind possibly carving up the left lane!
7db said:
Can you not rev up really loud, indicate, gesticulate and get the other driver to really belt it off the lights to race you?
And then pull casually away and slowly slot in behind him as number two is unlikely to do the same? :-)
HahahahahahahahahahahaAnd then pull casually away and slowly slot in behind him as number two is unlikely to do the same? :-)
- catch breath**
R0G said:
I would not be concerned about a driver doing this unless the 'cut in' is too close for safety
You might not, but it is clear that other drivers will be.There is a balance to be drawn between making progress and the 'confrontation' effect on other drivers. No man is an island.
If the action of a driver causes an adverse reaction in another there is a potential problem. Now if we are talking about an isolated incident, it might not be an issue, but the suggestion of the OP is that the reaction he gets is a regular one, this would make me think that at some time it might go wrong, leading me to re-evaluate my actions.
What is the purpose of the right-hand lane at that junction, if it's not for going straight on - as the OP does?
To me it seems perfectly obvious that the right-hand lane is for going straight ahead at that junction: it has no other purpose!
I agree that the overall design of the lanes is awkward, because it forces people who have gone straight on in that right-hand lane to merge into the left-most lane if they want to continue going straight on. But at the junction pictured it is not possible to know that (unless of course you've been along there before). There is certainly no reason for anyone to get irate just because someone is trying to merge in.
To me it seems perfectly obvious that the right-hand lane is for going straight ahead at that junction: it has no other purpose!
I agree that the overall design of the lanes is awkward, because it forces people who have gone straight on in that right-hand lane to merge into the left-most lane if they want to continue going straight on. But at the junction pictured it is not possible to know that (unless of course you've been along there before). There is certainly no reason for anyone to get irate just because someone is trying to merge in.
Dr Mike Oxgreen said:
What is the purpose of the right-hand lane at that junction, if it's not for going straight on - as the OP does?
To me it seems perfectly obvious that the right-hand lane is for going straight ahead at that junction: it has no other purpose!
I agree that the overall design of the lanes is awkward, because it forces people who have gone straight on in that right-hand lane to merge into the left-most lane if they want to continue going straight on. But at the junction pictured it is not possible to know that (unless of course you've been along there before). There is certainly no reason for anyone to get irate just because someone is trying to merge in.
I agree - if they did not want that to happen then signage should be put before the point where the single goes into two lanes prior to the lightsTo me it seems perfectly obvious that the right-hand lane is for going straight ahead at that junction: it has no other purpose!
I agree that the overall design of the lanes is awkward, because it forces people who have gone straight on in that right-hand lane to merge into the left-most lane if they want to continue going straight on. But at the junction pictured it is not possible to know that (unless of course you've been along there before). There is certainly no reason for anyone to get irate just because someone is trying to merge in.
Anti social driving is trying to block somebody who is perforimg a legitimate maneuver.From an AD point of view you can look to make progress by thoughtful use of lanes however a few points come to mind regarding what you are doing.
As mentioned above, if you are regularly annoying other road users by doing this it cannot be considered advanced. Winding other road users up and dismissing this with a self-righteous attitude shown in some of the answers here is not 'advanced'. Particularly as it encourages road-rage which compromises safety.
When you stop at the lights in lane 2 you can see the lights at the next junction. When yours turn green, if the others are still on red, particularly if there is queued traffic you do not want to be accelerating toward that hazard.
Are you out-accelerating the traffic in lane 1 'cutting-in' and then braking? If so then this, in my view should be avoided. In this case, I would move off slowly and indicate my intention to move left. People will bunch-up to stop you merging, eventually someone will let you in. The main benefit from what you say is getting through the lights, not getting a few places ahead in the queue and this can be achieved without causing conflict. It helps if your approach in lane 2 is slow rather than brisk with firm braking.
If there is plenty of space ahead and no chance of having to stop for lights, as possibly in this case, then your approach in lane 2 would be more appropriate.
As mentioned above, if you are regularly annoying other road users by doing this it cannot be considered advanced. Winding other road users up and dismissing this with a self-righteous attitude shown in some of the answers here is not 'advanced'. Particularly as it encourages road-rage which compromises safety.
When you stop at the lights in lane 2 you can see the lights at the next junction. When yours turn green, if the others are still on red, particularly if there is queued traffic you do not want to be accelerating toward that hazard.
Are you out-accelerating the traffic in lane 1 'cutting-in' and then braking? If so then this, in my view should be avoided. In this case, I would move off slowly and indicate my intention to move left. People will bunch-up to stop you merging, eventually someone will let you in. The main benefit from what you say is getting through the lights, not getting a few places ahead in the queue and this can be achieved without causing conflict. It helps if your approach in lane 2 is slow rather than brisk with firm braking.
If there is plenty of space ahead and no chance of having to stop for lights, as possibly in this case, then your approach in lane 2 would be more appropriate.
Edited by Zeeky on Thursday 17th May 12:55
7db said:
Can you not rev up really loud, indicate, gesticulate and get the other driver to really belt it off the lights to race you?
And then pull casually away and slowly slot in behind him as number two is unlikely to do the same? :-)
I used to do this all the time when I owned a Peugeot 406 TD which simply couldn't out-accelerate a lot of cars. The person at the front of the queue would usually be so indignant that I'd have the temerity to try and race them in a rattly old diesel that they'd always hammer it away, allowing me to slot in neatly behind them. It was hilarious and very, very effective.And then pull casually away and slowly slot in behind him as number two is unlikely to do the same? :-)
R0G said:
BertBert said:
R0G said:
Then its a social issue and not a driving issue
I can't contemplate that driving is in any way not a social activity!R0G said:
kaf said:
R0G said:
I would not be concerned about a driver doing this unless the 'cut in' is too close for safety
You might not, but it is clear that other drivers will be.Not many seem to mind when a motorbike does it..............
!!! Not technically incorrect. How socially acceptable it is depends on how busy it is. If it's not busy and the whole queue at the lights clears every change you're helping nobody but yourself and, as you'll all likely have to stop for the lights up the road, it's at the expense of those in the left lane so I could see why people would see it as "jumping the queue". If it is busy you're actually helping throughput at the junction by making full use of the road - of course that's not how many people see it.
There's a horrific roundabout near me where the vast majority use the right lane to go straight across because there's a bus lane before and after. I use the left lane, which occasionally annoys people, but by doing that two cars can get across at a time. The other side of the roundabout is much more free-flowing so merging back to one lane is rarely a problem. If everybody (well, half the people) did what I did maybe there wouldn't be a 1/2 mile queue before the roundabout. Clearly I benefit from this manoeuvre as I scoot past a dozen cars on the inside after the bus lane ends, but it also means literally hundreds of cars will be one car further up the queue because I briefly doubled the throughput of the junction. However, when there's minimal traffic I just queue with the sheep - there's little for me to gain and nothing for anybody else to gain so it's just not worth it.
There's a horrific roundabout near me where the vast majority use the right lane to go straight across because there's a bus lane before and after. I use the left lane, which occasionally annoys people, but by doing that two cars can get across at a time. The other side of the roundabout is much more free-flowing so merging back to one lane is rarely a problem. If everybody (well, half the people) did what I did maybe there wouldn't be a 1/2 mile queue before the roundabout. Clearly I benefit from this manoeuvre as I scoot past a dozen cars on the inside after the bus lane ends, but it also means literally hundreds of cars will be one car further up the queue because I briefly doubled the throughput of the junction. However, when there's minimal traffic I just queue with the sheep - there's little for me to gain and nothing for anybody else to gain so it's just not worth it.
Zeeky said:
When you stop at the lights in lane 2 you can see the lights at the next junction.
Those lights are by the Marriott Hotel in Bexleyheath. Trust me, you can't always see next lot if there is any high sided vehicle in between. Also, have another look at the picture posted by the OP. If you can see though a right turning bus you have amazing powers that most of us don't possess.I know that junction very well and often use the right hand lane if I'm certain to be first in line. I have never had the reaction that the OP has experienced when moving over to go straight on at the next one. However it may be to do with the fact that I get a wriggle on and don't dawdle.
It's not possible to do it during the peak periods though. The traffic volume and phasing of the two sets of lights make it just too risky.
Edited by Red Devil on Saturday 19th May 16:21
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