Crazy driving
On our way back today from our trip from the U.P. of Michigan, the highway was filled with rv's of all types going home I presume. We were traveling with my wife's parents ahead of us with their truc...
Forum Discussion
valhalla360 wrote:SpeakEasy wrote:
How about the increasing number of people who have NO IDEA of how to merge into a highway from an entry ramp?
I pretty much always stay in the right lane when I'm towing, because as others have noted, I'm the slow guy at 60 to 63 MPH. Well all bets are off when a group of cars is entering from a ramp. I used to try to slow down a bit to give an entering guy a bit of a break. But I've discovered that this is more confusing to some people, and they slow down too. It doesn't do any good to signal (with hands or light flashes) to let them know to enter. But then I've had people give me the finger and the evil eye if I DON'T slow down to let them in. They have complete control over their own speed. They can get in front of me or drop back to go in behind me. But they're on the verge of road rage because I won't let them in????
I attribute it to the fact that the skill of entering a highway is not part of the road test for getting a license. I wish it were.
-Speak
On the one hand, I agree there are a lot of idiots who don't know how to merge but what you describe is thick with irony.
Legally, you are supposed to maintain a consistent speed in the situation you describe. That allows the merging traffic to speed up or slow down to get into a gap. By slowing down, you mess up the guy merging when he tries to slow down to get in behind you. You are the one causing the problem in the scenario you describe.
If you can shift a lane to the left that is acceptable (and in light traffic polite) but not required.
I understand this, and that's why I've stopped doing it. Most of the time people took advantage of it, but when they didn't "get it" it got complicated. I still don't appreciate the looks and gestures from the folks who don't know how to speed up or slow down to merge.
Here's another clunker. On one highway I was entering recently there was a sign on the ramp, readable only by those entering, that said something to the effect of "Take turns - alternate the right of way." What? What's up with that???
-Speak
