Drivers!! What does this road sign mean?

[photon]

No, imagine someone on the main road, traffic in the right lane is backed up, the lane with "Adjust to highway" is clear, so someone way at the back on the main road moves into the clear lane, drives all the way up, and then merges back into the main road.

Because they're a special snowflake

[Bertuzzied]

Originally Posted by photon

The only problem with that free flow sign is in the case of eastbound Glenmore onto southbound Macleod.. Sure it's free flow, except your lane ends in 2 car lengths, and if no one leaves a space for you to get in (as they almost never do), you either have to turn or slam on your brakes.

Well then thats the wrong sign they have up for that. Shouldn't they have merge sign instead? or a yield sign.

[REDVAN]

Originally Posted by photon

Because REDVAN is a special snowflake

Yeah that is what I mean, I am talking south on Crowchild, right after 53rd. Where the 53rd people zoom up all the way to the bus stop and sneak in. I am a south bound Crowchild guy, and I get into that lane and zoom up. No one at the front knows I was way at the back, they just assume I came from 53rd and it's correct driving procedure.

[yyc]

Originally Posted by Russic

In the same vein, I hate it when people won't let you merge in. If I'm going 80 in a merge lane, please show some very basic courtesy and let me the hell in. I realize I don't have the right of way, but we have to share the bloody road.

Actually you do, merge lanes are alternate right of way, the cars on your left are required to move out of your way. Too bad not enough people know this.

[4X4]

Oh man... I missed a driving thread?

The OP is a major pet peeve of mine. The one that come to mind is from WB Heritage to NB Mcleod. Always some ###### stopped there even though the lane is a good 100 meters long. I firmly plant my hand on the horn and do not remove it until the car is out of my way. Furthermore, if the car gets out of my way by getting into traffic instead of putting the long glorious empty lane to use, I make a point of overtaking and merging in front of them.


As for the oft-debated 'driving to the end of the lane and cutting in on stopped traffic', I'm an end-of-the-lane'r. The way I've got it figured is that if the empty lane fills up with traffic waiting to merge in, it'll be fair to both lanes.
Besides, we paid to pave that lane all the way to the end. Friggin use it.

edit to add that I'm also a rewarder of people that drive to the end of the lane. I always let someone in that does that. And people always let me in. Whether they like it or not.

Of course, there are situations where I do not condone this act. Coming from 17th ave onto crowchild north where the right lane is for exiting to Bow Trail. People that try to cut in on me at the end of that lane get dissed. It's not fair to hold up people trying to exit so that you can cut in front of a few doxen cars.
And no, it's not the same thing.

[REDVAN]

Originally Posted by 4X4

edit to add that I'm also a rewarder of people that drive to the end of the lane. I always let someone in that does that. And people always let me in. Whether they like it or not.

I do this as well. On both counts. It always seems to work out just fine.

[4X4]

Originally Posted by REDVAN

I do this as well. On both counts. It always seems to work out just fine.

I used to be a stick-up-butt guy that got bent out of shape about people doing this until I discovered the joy of driving in Italy. You stop at the front of a merge lane and people will pop up on the sidewalk and go around you. Italians also have the uncanny ability to suddenly become octopusses at this point. They can swerve around you, downshift to really blast by, maintain a solid honk with the horn, and give you the two handed WTF gesture (slammimg the forearm of one arm downward into the elbow of the other arm to make it pop up sporting a fist).

[FlamesAddiction]

On the opposite side of the spectrum and equally as frustrating, I hate it when drivers treat yield signs like a merge sign.

They drive through the yield and expect all the cars to slow down and let them in. Anyone who took their drivers test should know that yield means you let the other cars go and to even STOP if you have to. I've almost nailed a few people who pull into intersections and refuse to stop because they don't think they have to at a yield sign.

[TurnedTheCorner]

Sounds like we should all aspire to drive more like Italians.

[4X4]

Originally Posted by TurnedTheCorner

Sounds like we should all aspire to drive more like Italians.

Definitely.

[photon]

Originally Posted by REDVAN

Yeah that is what I mean, I am talking south on Crowchild, right after 53rd. Where the 53rd people zoom up all the way to the bus stop and sneak in. I am a south bound Crowchild guy, and I get into that lane and zoom up. No one at the front knows I was way at the back, they just assume I came from 53rd and it's correct driving procedure.

I know, I watch you do it in my right mirror!

Otherwise I agree, end of the lane guy, but only if you came into that lane honestly

[disco_inferno]

i love the free flow lane. during the fall/winter when im in edmonton for school i see them all the time, they are great, i wish other city's had them, it makes merging much safer, and easier.

Originally Posted by Russic

In the same vein, I hate it when people won't let you merge in. If I'm going 80 in a merge lane, please show some very basic courtesy and let me the hell in. I realize I don't have the right of way, but we have to share the bloody road.

at my home (in the country) i have to pull onto the highway quite often. i come off a gravel road onto a 4 lane divided highway (turning right, onto the highway). when there is traffic sometimes there is too much traffic for people to move over, and i can understand that, but if your the only vehicle for 2 or 300 meters, seriously, move into the left lane...im there, i have a signal on, you can see me...i hate those people

for the record i DO move over whenever possible, even in the city.

[alltherage]

I've never understood why they have two signs that mean the same thing:

[Thor]

Try living in Mckenzie town and having to daily watch people mess up a traffic circle and all the near accidents we have to deal with for people who don't understand a simple concept.

[Dan02]

Originally Posted by Thor

Try living in Mckenzie town and having to daily watch people mess up a traffic circle and all the near accidents we have to deal with for people who don't understand a simple concept.

lol i go through that traffic circle quite often as well, if a smart cop wanted to fill his yearly quota in one day that would be the spot.

[Resolute 14]

Originally Posted by Kobatuzzied

Well then thats the wrong sign they have up for that. Shouldn't they have merge sign instead? or a yield sign.

I thought it was a yield sign there. Did they change it?

[pope04]

Jeez, my last accident was back in April '89, and I learned a valuable lesson. I was merging off Shaganappi onto 16th Ave, and I looked ahead, saw a vehicle merging ahead of me, looked over my left shoulder to see absolutely no traffic - I mean there wasn't a vehicle in sight - coming along 16th, punched it a bit and promptly bashed in the vehicle that came to a complete stop in front of me.

Clearly my fault, yup, no doubt. But I discovered as a relatively green driver that you have to be vigilant for poor drivers.

[McMack]

My pet peeve is people who make U-turns at traffic lights. The physics of it are almost like slamming on your breaks mid-turn, except there are no brake lights lighting up to let the person behind you know what is going on. Just today I saw a near collision between a U-turner and someone making a legitimate right-turn on red.

[SebC]

Originally Posted by Boblobla

If everyone merged at the same point in the lane traffic would flow smoother.

Not really. It's a bottleneck either way.

If you try to move early and someone cuts you off, you can try again, stop, etc. If you plan on merging at the last possible moment, and the guy beside you doesn't let you in, you're forced off the road. And then you're really backing up traffic when the tow truck has to pull you back up, if not worse.

No thanks. I'd rather drive safely.

[photon]

Originally Posted by Resolute 14

I thought it was a yield sign there. Did they change it?

Hm, maybe I'm just remembering it wrong, I'll have to watch closer next time I'm there.