Traffic challenge

[ECones]

We were headed into Memphis this week, pulling the TT in the right lane on I-55 with a semi next to us in the left lane. As we approached an entrance ramp at about 60 mph, I watched an SUV coming up the ramp pacing us. She could have speeded up a tad and gotten safely in front of us. Or she could have slowed down a tad and gotten safely behind us. But no. She continued to match our pace until we both arrived at the entrance ramp at the same time. She wound up driving in the entrance ramp right next to our pickup, looked over at us, and started honking. What the ..... ? :?

I guess we were supposed to get out of her way somehow, but running over the semi didn't seem a good option.

[dadmomh]

Totally agree on the DEFENSIVE driving, regardless. Moving along.....you could not have been in a worse place in this country, IMHO, than I-55 and I-40. We moved to Memphis in '89 and it was all under construction. 25 years later it's still torn up with no completion in sight. Would rather drive in Chi! And, so much for "gentile southerners"....Memphis has some of the worst drivers I've ever seen. They're rude, discourteous, are under the opinion that faster is better and will cut you off in a heartbeat. If there is any possible way to get from Point A to Point B without going through Memphis, we do it. For future info, if you can work it, get off I-55 at I-155 toward Dyersburg - this is north of the interchange from H***. South on Hwy 412 and either end up in Jackson or cut through on some county roads. Yes, it's out of the way, but lots easier on the nerves....and the vehicles.

In '89 Memphis was a different place....very, very glad to have moved east on I-40. Sorry for the jangled nerves, but you escaped unscathed. Hope not to have offended any Memphians, but you know I'm right.

**OP, just noticed you're from LR, sorry but you're out of luck avoiding that interchange unless you go zig zag to Helena, AR and across that bridge. The bad news is that there is/was construction just south of Memphis on I-55, so you have another opportunity to get slammed.

[Gdetrailer]

TucsonJim wrote:
One of my bestest friends is a long haul truck driver. He said he enounters this situation frequently. He does not brake, and he does not speed up. He said he'll simply run them out of room to merge and they will be forced to either merge properly or hit him. In 20 years of driving, he's never been hit. He said to keep your speed and sooner or later they will have to take action to properly enter the roadway.

I had this happen in multiple states this last summer, so it's not just Memphis.

Absolutely terrible advice.

As a driver YOU should be ALSO driving DEFENSIVELY.

Driving defensively is keeping an eye to ALL vehicles around you.

That means you know if someone is beside you (passing lane), someone is behind you, someone is in front of you and YES SOMEONE MERGING BESIDE YOU.

Driving defensive also means you ARE READY TO ADJUST YOUR SPEED AND OR POSITION AT ANY TIME IN ORDER TO PREVENT YOU OR ANY OTHER DRIVERS AROUND YOU FROM CAUSING AN ACCIDENT IF AT ALL POSSIBLE.

The rules of the road IS COURTESY TO ALL DRIVERS INCLUDING THE MINDLESS AND SELFISH IDIOTS.

There ARE times when you simply are not able to adjust speed or change lanes however YOU often have a hand in that by driving way to close to the vehicle IN FRONT OF YOU. That's right YOU have some control of the gap in front of you and it is YOUR responsibility to maintain some safe distance (remember the three second rule?).

I see way too many selfish drivers every day, I try to accommodate them as much as possible when it is safe for me to do so.

WE ALL MUST SHARE THE ROAD (and that includes the selfish ones to).

[pegdiver]

I just love the cars that match us for speed when they are coming up the ramp. They run out of room and think they will just duck in back of the motorhome. Then they realize, we are towing the car behind us.. No way they are going to sneak in between. I have taken to watch them in the side rear view mirror.
Most of the time, a speed adjustment on their part would have allowed them to merge without a problem.
As far as they are concerned, they are the only ones on the road and everyone else should get out of their way.
When we can, we move over but with semi trucks on your left, you just can't do that for every idiot. It's in every state.

[Lynnmor]

I agree that this condition will only get worse. I now use a dashcam because, sooner or later, one of these Kamikaze idiots will strike.

When I bought my new trailer, I didn't go 10 miles till a dive bomber forced her way in front of me and stood on the brakes. Maybe I should have hit the throttle instead of the brakes to prevent a collision?

[xteacher]

Through a busy part of any town, I try to stay in the second lane to avoid merging problems.

[atreis]

Since I drive 60 while towing, I'm always a bit baffled by the people that slow down and merge behind us rather than speeding up to get in front (when they have time to do either one). In there place, I'd be speeding up.

They don't stress me - their merge is their problem - it's just puzzling.

[spoon059]

WyoTraveler wrote:
Sorry, I brake for incompetent drivers. I would rather have her in front of me than behind and run into me later.

So you sold your RV and live in a sticks and bricks house now? If I braked for incompetent drivers, I would be parked on the side of the road. Idiots abound and don't realize they are the idiots. They tend to think they are such good drivers that they can multi task and drive, text, talk on phone, fiddle with radio, eat lunch, etc.

I try to avoid the far right lane simply because of this. Its not only the idiots who have no idea how to merge into the highway, its the guy yacking away on his phone in the left lane and suddenly realizing that this is his exit and whipping across 5 lanes of traffic, cutting me off, to get to the exit.

I try to drive defensively and never have another vehicle driving exactly next to me, but I am not in control of other vehicles. In this circumstance you did nothing wrong. Let the dummy figure it out on his own.

[Marauderer]

It happens, I hate it, ignorant self centered people really tend to bother me but, I have had to come to grips with it as the stress from thinking about it was starting to affect my health. It is like 3oaks said in his post about the me,me,me generations. Now when I am coming up on an on ramp I work over to the next left lane and leave the right lane open for the goofy person that could be coming on and protect my family and let it go.

It's not going to get better folks, it is going to get worse. Practice defensive driving, know the law but, it's not worth getting into a crash just to be right as far as my driving is concerned.

[valhalla360]

If you can't get over you are legally required to hold a steady speed, so merging traffic can find a gap and merge...so it sounds like you did the right thing.

Shrug and move on.

[sdianel_-acct_c]

I watch people entering the freeway from my passenger seat. Many are talking on their cell phones or texting and aren't even paying attention!! I warn DH that he better watch them since they aren't paying one bit of attention. When they finally get to the end of the ramp, if they turn their head, the look on their face is pure shock!! I think I'm going to start taking their pics with my phone!!

[B_O__Plenty]

Your first mistake was driving alongside a semi...or anybody else. If something happened, and it did, you had yourself boxed in with no place to move. One of the first rules of Defensive Driving is to leave yourself an out...

B.O.

[TucsonJim]

One of my bestest friends is a long haul truck driver. He said he enounters this situation frequently. He does not brake, and he does not speed up. He said he'll simply run them out of room to merge and they will be forced to either merge properly or hit him. In 20 years of driving, he's never been hit. He said to keep your speed and sooner or later they will have to take action to properly enter the roadway.

I had this happen in multiple states this last summer, so it's not just Memphis.

[korbe]

This sort of thing happens all the time......and all over the place. We just shake our heads and move on to the next situation - it doesn't seem to take too long.

[parcany]

x-2

[Old-Biscuit]

It ain't a Memphis thing..........

It is purely a ignorant driver thing.

People do not know how to merge.......nor do they understand/comprehend that THEY are the ones that have to yield to the traffic on the roadway.

It all has to do with the lack of personal responsibility and that everyone gets a ribbon/trophy/button/sticker.