Winter Weather Begins This Week

[red sky]

I am so bitter already with the weather this year. My commute isn't impacted too much but the cold weather is just killing me. Maybe because we haven't had an opportunity to climatize to it or something but I am starting to think that I am just done with winter and ready to pick up my things and head to the west coast.

[Knut]

To merge at the the start of the lane or the end of the lane is a question that sparks great debate. Similar to atheism vs. creationism. You can not really change someones mind.

Basically you should merge when it is safe to do so. If there is a long merge lane and you are desperately trying to get over, at the start of it, that can cause traffic issues behind you. If you are rushing to the end and trying to sneak into a small gap that can cause problems too. The best option is to drive until there is a gap (or someone is willing to let you in) and merge then wether it is half way or near the end of the merge lane.

Of course, this only applies to merges... those D-bags that pull into the lane just to get ahead by a few cars can rot in hell.

[4X4]

Lol, fotze.

The merge lane should be used just as much as any other lane, IMO. When there is huge volume, go all the way so that the merge lane fills up too, and all is equal. The dumasses that try to get in immediately only make congestion worse because the people that actually know how to drive go to the end and get in front of them. Go to the end and criss cross during heavy volume!

[Knut]

I call that a good driving move... there is always a sucker willing to let you in.

[Eddie Bronze]

Originally Posted by fotze

What about the people going down crowchild coming down the hill from Macmahon just past kensington Road, when they wait until the last second to move from the far right lane, out of the memorial drive lane? Its not a merge lane but more of a cut around traffic lane. I watch them in the rear mirror and leave a gap that I close for kicks.

So your the ####### who won't back off when I come out of Uni Dr. and have my blinker on for the entire stretch?

[photon]

Drive to the end to merge, or merge early, the REAL pain is when the traffic is basically stopped and the merge lane is empty, and someone tries to merge early but there isn't room, so they stop completely, backing everyone else up when if they just went up to the end everyone could merge in.

55th onto Crowchild southbound is a perfect example.

[zamler]

Originally Posted by Hesla

I call that a good driving move... there is always a sucker willing to let you in.

I hope you smash into a pole. Twice.

[burn_this_city]

The problem with driving down the merge to the end, is all the people who box you out because they think you're jumping the cue.

[Knut]

Originally Posted by zamler

I hope you smash into a pole. Twice.

Wow... I didnt think i needed green text there.

[Regorium]

Originally Posted by Hesla

Wow... I didnt think i needed green text there.

Don't think it's a joke or sarcasm if it's 100% true.

I've tried my best to HELP the guy behind me screw people like that over by moving slow enough such that the guy trying to butt in never gets an inch of space to stick the front end of his car.

Yet the guy behind me always just stops and lets him in.

[4X4]

Originally Posted by fotze

What about the people going down crowchild coming down the hill from Macmahon just past kensington Road, when they wait until the last second to move from the far right lane, out of the memorial drive lane? Its not a merge lane but more of a cut around traffic lane. I watch them in the rear mirror and leave a gap that I close for kicks.

I witnessed a blue H2 do that yesterday at about 4pm. I was behind him from 13th until the uni drive third lane, then he busted into that lane, went allllll the way up to memorial, and cut back in. That pisses me off because the people that are legitimately trying to merge in from parkdale blvd, and the people trying to exit crowchild onto memorial are the ones that get screwed over.

The one that drives me the most insane is the ones that stay in the bow trail exit lane on crow NB and they wait until the flyover, then try to cut in. I saw an old man in a buick pull that stunt yesterday. The idiot in front of me let him in. Then he proceeded all the way up the right lane and went and cut in before the WB memorial turn. I was trying to exit onto WB memorial and had the pleasure of waiting for a couple of minutes until someone let him in.

[Vena]

I saw two girls running to catch the 101 this evening on 1st SW. The bus had started pulling out, but was stuck with the rest of traffic at a red light. The girls walked into the street and try to get the bus driver to open the door.

He was ignoring them, but then they started knocking on the glass. When the driver didn't respond, they finally took the hint. They were completely incredulous as to why the bus driver wouldn't open the doors while half way into traffic.

Their idiocy is likely not snow related, but you would think that they may take some extra caution and wait the 5-10 min for the next 101.

[Hemi-Cuda]

Originally Posted by fotze

4X4 has changed my opinion of the people who go to the end of the merge lane. The people who tend to do that are speeders and people in a hurry, exactly the type of people you want in front of you.

this is related to one of my biggest anger issues when driving, specifically related to highways. i'm in the left lane passing a string of traffic, doing 15-20 above the limit. the lane in front of me is completely clear, and i see a truck or other slow moving vehicle in the right lane well in front of me. why does the a$$hole in the car right behind that truck have to wait until i'm ready to pass to suddenly swerve to the left lane, causing me to slam on my brakes and wait the minute or two it takes him to pass the one vehicle in front of him. you can see me in your left mirror you prick, you know i'm going much faster than you and if you had simply waited the 2 seconds it would have took for me to go by you wouldn't have me riding your ass giving you the stare of death

i always have to laugh though at the dumbasses i pass after every snow storm on my way from Chestermere to Calgary, spun out on the shoulder or meridian. that highway is a straight line with no hills, how do you screw that up?

[Joborule]

Originally Posted by Hemi-Cuda

this is related to one of my biggest anger issues when driving, specifically related to highways. i'm in the left lane passing a string of traffic, doing 15-20 above the limit. the lane in front of me is completely clear, and i see a truck or other slow moving vehicle in the right lane well in front of me. why does the a$$hole in the car right behind that truck have to wait until i'm ready to pass to suddenly swerve to the left lane, causing me to slam on my brakes and wait the minute or two it takes him to pass the one vehicle in front of him. you can see me in your left mirror you prick, you know i'm going much faster than you and if you had simply waited the 2 seconds it would have took for me to go by you wouldn't have me riding your ass giving you the stare of death

i always have to laugh though at the dumbasses i pass after every snow storm on my way from Chestermere to Calgary, spun out on the shoulder or meridian. that highway is a straight line with no hills, how do you screw that up?

Swerving their cars like they do in Nascar warm up laps?

[puckluck]

Originally Posted by Hemi-Cuda

i always have to laugh though at the dumbasses i pass after every snow storm on my way from Chestermere to Calgary, spun out on the shoulder or meridian. that highway is a straight line with no hills, how do you screw that up?

Pretty easily when you don't have winter tires. I've watched ppl spin out while going perfectly straight on that road. It's amazing there isn't more deaths in the winter there with no divider.

[SebC]

Originally Posted by burn_this_city

Absolutely, its important in a front wheel drive to get as much downforce as possible on the rear wheels.

Nothing wrong with being able to stop.

[The Yen Man]

Originally Posted by 4X4

Lol, fotze.

The merge lane should be used just as much as any other lane, IMO. When there is huge volume, go all the way so that the merge lane fills up too, and all is equal. The dumasses that try to get in immediately only make congestion worse because the people that actually know how to drive go to the end and get in front of them. Go to the end and criss cross during heavy volume!

My rule of thumb (and I wish everyone would practice this) is, you let ONE car in and then you go. Not zero, not two, not freaking three, ONE. That way everyone has equal time in the lane. If some dbag cuts in early, that's it. I'm not let another person in.

[Rathji]

If I can merge without causing the car behind me to brake, then I do so. If I cannot, then I try and find a gap that I can make this happen.

As far as I am concerned, the number one cause of traffic slowdowns is shockwaves. That is when one person put on their brakes to slow down a small amount, and everyone behind them applies their brakes as well, each one slowing down more than the first until finally you have a car doing 0-10km/h on a 80km/h+ road. Then every car behind them is pretty much stopped. All because some person who wasn't thinking either merged incorrectly, cut someone off when changing lanes, or simply wasn't paying attention to traffic flow and was forced to brake severely after coming up on someone who was going slower than them.

They might seem minor, but if everyone drove with this in mind, we would have a lot less traffic issues, because it takes a long time to recover from a shockwave during rush hour.

[4X4]

So you got screwed for a light? Relax, man. Just chill out. It's no different than being stuck behind some jackass going 40 in a 50. If I'm not allowed to whine about that, you're not allowed to whine about this.

[KelVarnsen]

Funny, I must have missed the Playground Zone sign on the Deerfoot today.