people who stop while merging onto interstate

[bagdropper]

My family continually scolded my Dad for being a stubborn LLD, but we did get him to admit that he did it because the white line at the left edge of the road helped him visually. (Scary thought).

I am firmly convinced this isn't solely an older driver issue. I believe it's an eyesight issue no matter what age the driver is. They can't see dashes. They can see a solid line.

I drive a school bus for a "living" so I get exposed to driving on all types of roadways. I also see the above with drivers with the right side of the road. They'll put the right side wheels of their vehicles more or less on the right lane solid lines for miles on end - and they'll meander back and forth across it into the shoulder every now and then.

I tend to believe that some drivers have single eye dominant eyesight which makes their depth perception terrible. They simply don't know how to center a vehicle in ANY lane.

It is quite scary to have to drive near them.

 

[General Tso]

Which is worse:

1. Stopping on the on ramp?

2. Left lane lounger?

3. The guy who passes you, moves back in front of you, then slows down forcing you to pass him, and then he does it again and again... so you end up passing each other several times?

I vote for the third.

Had that Moran do it several times on my drive up 61 to Iowa City last week.

1 could cause a horrific accident. 2 and 3 are mostly convenience issues

 

[General Tso]

I am firmly convinced this isn't solely an older driver issue. I believe it's an eyesight issue no matter what age the driver is. They can't see dashes. They can see a solid line.

I drive a school bus for a "living" so I get exposed to driving on all types of roadways. I also see the above with drivers with the right side of the road. They'll put the right side wheels of their vehicles more or less on the right lane solid lines for miles on end - and they'll meander back and forth across it into the shoulder every now and then.

I tend to believe that some drivers have single eye dominant eyesight which makes their depth perception terrible. They simply don't know how to center a vehicle in ANY lane.

It is quite scary to have to drive near them.

Self driving cars will solve everything

 

[bunsen82]

Sioux City had a terrible on-ramp, interstate traffic coming around a curve heading downhill, on ramp coming up beside it, minimal view point for either and extremely short area to allow to merge in. I have had to stop a couple times because of truckers. I would rather get rear ended by a car doing 40 than a Semi doing 70.

 

[torbee]

should have their license revoked immediately

/rant

We have a roundabout near our house - has been there at least a decade - and still, about half of drivers including ones from our neighborhood - come to a complete stop at the yield sign when there are zero cars coming. I want to skin these people alive and feed them their own faces.

Its 2020 - how can any driver in America who has lived in any city larger than 1,000 people not know how to navigate a dadgummed roundabout by now?

 

[ghost80]

I don't know, ask all the Iowa fans hsading east on I80 at 80-85 on Saturday mornings at 7. Or at 80 at 5pm for a basketball game.

And, the problem isn't a truck doing 60. The problem is a truck doing 60 and passing another truck doing 59.5 in a hilly area in high traffic and taking 3 miles to complete the pass. Stay behind the other truck and we don't have those issues.

Can't disagree. What I would like to see is different Minimum Speeds posted for the right and left lanes and in places with extensive hills and truck traffic (as you mention Newton) having that enforced. In that scenario I'd leave the right lane the same but the left would have a minimum speed of 65. If you get stuck behind slow traffic in the right lane and cannot drive faster than 65, it's your problem......not the majority of the traffic that can travel faster than that.

A big beef I have is passing a line of slower traffic in the right lane while driving 75ish in the left lane......only to have someone flyup out of nowhere doing 85 or more and getting miffed that they can only do 5-6 over. I've taken plates and made calls over that. A few times I've passed those cars as they have been pulled over down the road. Sometimes if you say the right things there will be more interest taken in stopping those drivers

 

[ghost80]

Sioux City had a terrible on-ramp, interstate traffic coming around a curve heading downhill, on ramp coming up beside it, minimal view point for either and extremely short area to allow to merge in. I have had to stop a couple times because of truckers. I would rather get rear ended by a car doing 40 than a Semi doing 70.

There is less of it every year as it gets replaced but sadly there is still some ramp/exist infrastructure that was built in the 70's when the interstate speed limit was 55 (yes folks that was a federal mandate during the fuel shortage). Classic example would be in Ames at the intersection of the Interstate and Hwy 30. That has been recently fixed but another example still exists at the West DM Mixer.

Hard to have safety when the speed limits and infrastructure are too far out of sync.

 

[QChawks]

You realize this chart will irritate the exact same people who have issues with the zipper method of merging at construction, right?

Don't even get me started about the fools that don't know how to zipper, the QC just recently figured out how to kinda to do.

But there is still that idiot that thinks its unfair and blocks the lane so people can't get to the front

 

[WisestIowan]

SOTE. All need to be shot in the temple.

1. What OP said.
2. People who come onto the interstate and don't look they just come on up. It's their responsibility to merge with oncoming traffic. Not come over at their leisure going 45 when everyone already on the interstate is going 60+.
3. People who don't pay attention (or maybe don't care) about the signs that say "left/right lane ends" and just go until the end and come over without looking.

 

[St. Louis Hawk]

I've taken plates and made calls over that. A few times I've passed those cars as they have been pulled over down the road. Sometimes if you say the right things there will be more interest taken in stopping those drivers

You must be a blast at parties!

 

[PoopandBoogers]

Which is worse:

1. Stopping on the on ramp?

2. Left lane lounger?

3. The guy who passes you, moves back in front of you, then slows down forcing you to pass him, and then he does it again and again... so you end up passing each other several times?

I vote for the third.

Had that Moran do it several times on my drive up 61 to Iowa City last week.

Number 3 without a doubt. Usually have their face down looking at phone as well, totally oblivious to their dumbfukery.

 

[ghost80]

Don't even get me started about the fools that don't know how to zipper, the QC just recently figured out how to kinda to do.

But there is still that idiot that thinks its unfair and blocks the lane so people can't get to the front

You are kind of going full circle on this one from your OP. The overwhelming majority of the time people who come to a stop merging are doing so because of their own failure but occasionally it does happened because of people ridding a bumper of someone in front of them and not allowing a person in as you illustrate above.

There needs to be more common sense and thought all the way around.

 

[cfbfan23]

Pretty much every pet peeve of mine that causes my anger issues to pop up have to do with driving, and most of those on the interstate.

1. People not knowing how to merge onto the interstate
2. Cruising in the left hand lane at or below the speed limit
3. Not passing troopers who are driving 5mph below the speed limit
4. Flying up in LH lane, then cutting me off to get on exit ramp
5. Trucks passing another truck at 60 while going up a hill

2. Not just "at or below" the speed limit. Use this lane as a passing lane. No matter how fast you're going, there's someone who wants to go faster. Move to the right (and stay there), so they can pass. Don't be selfish.

 

[ghost80]

You must be a blast at parties!

Guys who drive fast and aggressive have something in common with most guys who personally drive big pickups... they all have small peens.

I do have a blast at parties...do you?

 

[St. Louis Hawk]

Guys who drive fast and aggressive have something in common with most guys who personally drive big pickups... they all have small peens.

I do have a blast at parties...do you?

Always. That’s what’s Uber is for.

 

[Hendy hawk]

We have a roundabout near our house - has been there at least a decade - and still, about half of drivers including ones from our neighborhood - come to a complete stop at the yield sign when there are zero cars coming. I want to skin these people alive and feed them their own faces.

Its 2020 - how can any driver in America who has lived in any city larger than 1,000 people not know how to navigate a dadgummed roundabout by now?

Had a lady stop while she was in the round about to let me in.
I just about blew a gasket. The DOT puts this stuff in and there is
no instruction for many who have driven for years on how thees things are supposed to work.
Wife said go and I said she has the right of way and should never have stopped in the first place.

 

[Tom Paris]

Not saying you are wrong. But, what is your technique if you know you are going to have a tough merge? For reference, I think a tough merge was about 5 years ago southbound 35 merging onto 80 east. It was a very short strip you had to merge but now it has been lengthened. There is another spot in the Iowa City area involving 80 and 218, and another near Davenport again involving 80. I tend to go slow, maybe 45 mph until about 1/2 through the ramp while looking back over my left shoulder to see what the traffic situation is. If people are in the right lane I then time the gap moving toward me and gun it to hit the merge. I have seen others gun it and will just merge come hell or high water. People generally let those people in, I am just too risk averse thinking someone might be looking at their phone, radio station, what have you when I am making the move...

I look over my left shoulder, find the gap, and that's where I go. I hate when people can't get their car up to speed entering an interstate because they are too cautious. As long as nobody is in front of me, I am generally up to speed when I hit the interstate.

 

[ghost80]

As a guy who stays in right lane as much as possible here is the one that kills me.

I'm in the right hand lane and can see someone is going to enter the interstate (I'll avoid the word merge since they don't do it). I look in the side mirror and/or over my shoulder and can see people in the left lane so I am not going to get over. Next I look in the rearview mirror and see there is no one behind me for a half mile so I do as I am supposed to...….maintain my speed, stay in my lane, and let them either try to speed up and go in front of me or fall in behind me.

On a daily basis I have people fail to do this and completely ignore the right hand lane just plowing on at their leisure and make me slow down/brake. That actually is a violation (failure to yield) on their part. If there are a steady stream of people behind me I don't get upset about it but more times than not......the next vehicle behind me is way back.

 

[Obviously Oblivious]

My biggest issues:

Had a driver in front of me on the interstate lock up her brakes to let mergers in. I dam near rear ended her. Idiot.

Twice on my drive down to Austin I had people cut me off at high speed as they weaved from lane to lane trying to pick their way through dense traffic. Both times from my right side, one of them using an off ramp to squeeze by. Those MFers are the absolute worst of all and if they ever collect my car in an accident like that I will pull them from their vehicles and murder them.

 

[TheCainer]

4. When you're in the left lane passing a car, but the guy behind you thinks you're not doing it fast enough, so he tries to get around you, only to slam on the breaks because yeah, there's a slower-driving car in the right lane.

5. That car on the ramp who expects you to yield so he can get on when there are clearly cars to your left and there's no place to go.

I don't necessarily object to #1 if there's heavy traffic.

I saw some idiot the other day who was in such a big hurry that he passed on the right shoulder, all while going about 80 mph.

 

[H4wkfan4life]

should have their license revoked immediately

/rant

What about the jackasses that think their only option is to cut you off, and that getting behind you is unfathomable to them....

 

[Bro D]

The amount of people that do that entering 74 from State street is incredible

 

[ft254]

I don’t know the laws in your state but in mine merging vehicles must yield to vehicles already established on the freeway.

It’s annoying that merging vehicles don’t accelerate to merge in the gaps but they must yield.

It’s also annoying that stand on vehicles don’t merge left to allow vehicles to smoothly enter the freeway. But keep in mind, not all states are Iowa...some states move more traffic and freeways can be congested. There are things called metering lights that force everyone on the on-ramp to stop.

The responsibility for merging traffic is placed on merger and not the moving traffic lanes. Otherwise the moving traffic lane is affected for speed and lateral position. The merge lane(s) then could effect the entire grid, which in heavy traffic areas, generally do.

The major problems are the failures of the merging traffic to adjust their speed to permit smooth flow, insisting on using the total length of the lane before merging, and failure of the moving traffic lane to provide the space for the merge. It is a courtesy, and a legal issue.

Millennials are grossly unaware of these "rules of the roads", like left lane dwaddling, but all age groups are in on it.

 

[H4wkfan4life]

The responsibility for merging traffic is placed on merger and not the moving traffic lanes. Otherwise the moving traffic lane is affected for speed and lateral position. The merge lane(s) then could effect the entire grid, which in heavy traffic areas, generally do.

The major problems are the failures of the merging traffic to adjust their speed to permit smooth flow, insisting on using the total length of the lane before merging, and failure of the moving traffic lane to provide the space for the merge. It is a courtesy, and a legal issue.

Millennials are grossly unaware of these "rules of the roads", like left lane dwaddling, but all age groups are in on it.

My failure to provide space I assume you mean the jackasses that stay in a train in the right lane while the middle lanes are all empty? Love those folks lol. Being considerate and respectful is so 20th century though

 

[ft254]

Then for your own sanity, don't come to Florida.
I readily confirm that I am a senior citizen, but the left lane drivers here are almost universally old men. And they're everywhere.
My family continually scolded my Dad for being a stubborn LLD, but we did get him to admit that he did it because the white line at the left edge of the road helped him visually. (Scary thought). After his cataract surgery he did a little better, but not much. He finally turned over the keys to my Mom.

The merge thing is maddening, but highway engineers should never have built short on-ramps. Those are all too common, especially on older stretches of interstates. They know this too. When interchanges are now rebuilt or added, look at the difference in those on-ramps.

The speed up and slow down passers are useless members of society and should be followed until they exit at a rest stop and beaten unconscious. I hope I've made myself clear on that.

The I 95 drivers. But it is typical everywhere. It is laziness. Get in the left lane and they don't have to do anything. Nobody exiting (exceptions), nobody passing you on the left. Mindless operation.

 

[ft254]

My failure to provide space I assume you mean the jackasses that stay in a train in the right lane while the middle lanes are all empty? Love those folks lol. Being considerate and respectful is so 20th century though

Intelligence isn't a requirement for a drivers license. Neither is common sense. Decency went out the window a long time ago. Being pleasant....forget about it.

 

[billanole]

I hate people who stay in the merge lane all the way to the end (and no turn signal) despite the fact I give them plenty of room to merge, then they just move over when they run out of room.

That, and imbeciles who put their registration stickers all over their license plate. If I were a policeman I would give every single one of them a ticket. Nothing says “Look how stupid I am!” than to have 6-7 stickers scattered around the plate.

The entire merge lane should be typically used. It allows highway speed to be reached. Entering the highway early from the merge lane almost always means highway speed has not been reached.

 

[H4wkfan4life]

Intelligence isn't a requirement for a drivers license. Neither is common sense. Decency went out the window a long time ago. Being pleasant....forget about it.

Is it like school?? "No driver left behind"?

 

[H4wkfan4life]

The entire merge lane should be typically used. It allows highway speed to be reached. Entering the highway early from the merge lane almost always means highway speed has not been reached.

Pedal to the metal!

 

[Hendy hawk]

My biggest issues:

Had a driver in front of me on the interstate lock up her brakes to let mergers in. I dam near rear ended her. Idiot.

Twice on my drive down to Austin I had people cut me off at high speed as they weaved from lane to lane trying to pick their way through dense traffic. Both times from my right side, one of them using an off ramp to squeeze by. Those MFers are the absolute worst of all and if they ever collect my car in an accident like that I will pull them from their vehicles and murder them.

Same thing on I-4 from Tampa to Orlando.
Guy came off a on ramp by me cut me off to the point i slammed my brakes and swerved onto the side. Guy behind me almost ran into me. By the time we had gone 10 miles he was still 4 car lengths ahead as the traffic was so thick.
Edit:
Thanks to billanole for the correction.

 

[billanole]

Same thing on I 10 from Tampa to Orlando.
Guy came off a on ramp by me cut me off to the point i slammed my brakes and swerved onto the side. Guy behind me almost ran into me. By the time we had gone 10 miles he was still 4 car lengths ahead as the traffic was so thick.

I-4.

 

[WestIAHawk]

Which is worse:

1. Stopping on the on ramp?

2. Left lane lounger?

3. The guy who passes you, moves back in front of you, then slows down forcing you to pass him, and then he does it again and again... so you end up passing each other several times?

I vote for the third.

Had that Moran do it several times on my drive up 61 to Iowa City last week.

#2. I cant stand them.

 

[ICWestfan]

I'll bet there isn't a one of you that ever dealt with mousetrap in Denver, Co. That was tough.

 

[Joes Place]

I'll bet there isn't a one of you that ever dealt with mousetrap in Denver, Co. That was tough.

Que?

 

[Nipigu]

A big beef I have is passing a line of slower traffic in the right lane while driving 75ish in the left lane......only to have someone flyup out of nowhere doing 85 or more and getting miffed that they can only do 5-6 over.

I’m with you! There I was doing a safe 10 mph over the speed limit when some guy flies up from behind me doing 15 over and I think to myself, “That guy is going entirely too fast!”

 

[Nipigu]

What about the jackasses that think their only option is to cut you off, and that getting behind you is unfathomable to them....

So you recognized me.

 

[Nipigu]

Entering the highway early from the merge lane almost always means highway speed has not been reached.

I don’t have that problem except when there’s an Iowa or Wisconsin plate in front of me.

 

[billanole]

I don’t have that problem except when there’s an Iowa or Wisconsin plate in front of me.

Them is gonna do them. You or life will not change it.