All hail the zipper merge!

In my area, there is a lane on the expressway that serves as both entering lane and exit lane for two successive turnoffs. Far too many drivers treat it as their own personal passing lane, zipping past all the other drivers until they arrive at the painted partition between the exit lane and main traffic, and then make puppy-dog eyes to try and enter into the flow of traffic. I hasten to remind such folks that the passing lane is on the left, not the right.

But this is different than the so-called zipper merge, which pertains to the ending of a lane that might normally be in service (often accompanied on many highway by a big lit arrow sign). Circumstances vary, but as the driver of a lower-profile vehicle, with a much shorter horizon than folks sitting a foot and a half higher, one often finds oneself not being able to see the need for a lane merge until late in the game. In which case, zipper merging is sensible. On municipal expressways, where some drivers treat service lanes as their privileged pathway, zippering, rather than merging at the first available opportunity, is misbehaviour. I decline to allow them entry. Either you're entering the flow of traffic, or leaving it. You can't pretend like you're leaving and then decide to enter when it's advantageous for you.

Of course, one has to wonder what the future of self-driving vehicles holds for that sort of behaviour. Bit of a monkey wrench in the works, I would think.

Someone (a lot of someones) need to learn the difference between these situations and signs.

mhammer said:

In my area, there is a lane on the expressway that serves as both entering lane and exit lane for two successive turnoffs. Far too many drivers treat it as their own personal passing lane, zipping past all the other drivers until they arrive at the painted partition between the exit lane and main traffic, and then make puppy-dog eyes to try and enter into the flow of traffic. I hasten to remind such folks that the passing lane is on the left, not the right.<snip>

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If entering a highway on an on-ramp, and traffic is stopped or slow, I drive to the end of the ramp before merging which means I may pass cars before attempting to merge. Just like a lane-closed or lane-ending situation, it makes sense. If you're suggesting that drivers must merge into traffic as soon as possible after the road markings make it legal regardless of open ramp lane ahead of them then you're asserting (and causing) the problems described in the article I posted.

The distinction of the lane being both on- and off-ramp lanes does not change this. In fact it exacerbates it since drivers sharing your made-up rule of behavior by hanging back to merge early and line up politely with other traffic will be impeding the drivers trying to exit on that lane as well as others trying to enter the highway on it.

In both of these types of on-ramps drivers should travel down the ramp, merging before the end of it only when they can do so smoothly without braking and impeding anything behind them. Otherwise they should brake near the end of the ramp and drivers should let them in there, and by not doing so you are part of the problem.

As for the drivers who skip out of a clogged lane to zip down the on-ramp and then wedge back into traffic, we agree. There's a special place in hell for those drivers. In Ontario (at least) we have law against that which is occasionally very-satisfyingly enforced by the Ontario Provincial Police. As an example, in the Toronto area the long on-ramp onto Hwy 404 from Steeles Avenue evolves into the long off-ramp for Hwy 407, which presents a great opportunity for these selfish pricks to get ahead by a kilometer or so. They can create a noticeable slow-down there by increasing the number of vehicles entering (re-entering in their case) the traffic lane so, not often enough, the OPP is there waiting to pick them off which brings great pleasure. However if coming off of Steeles when traffic is not flowing well, driving to near the end of the on-lane before merging in is not only legal, but sensible.

boyscout said:

If entering a highway on an on-ramp, and traffic is stopped or slow, I drive to the end of the ramp before merging which means I may pass cars before attempting to merge. Just like a lane-closed or lane-ending situation, it makes sense. If you're suggesting that drivers must merge into traffic as soon as possible after the road markings make it legal regardless of open ramp lane ahead of them then you're asserting (and causing) the problems described in the article I posted.

The distinction of the lane being both on- and off-ramp lanes does not change this. In fact it exacerbates it since drivers sharing your made-up rule of behavior by hanging back to merge early and line up politely with other traffic will be impeding the drivers trying to exit on that lane as well as others trying to enter the highway on it.

In both of these types of on-ramps drivers should travel down the ramp, merging before the end of it only when they can do so smoothly without braking and impeding anything behind them. Otherwise they should brake near the end of the ramp and drivers should let them in there, and by not doing so you are part of the problem.

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My belligerence in this context only comes out when I see someone has zipped along the service lane, at 20+ clicks faster than the rest of the traffic, treating it as their personal passing lane. If they are moving at the speed of traffic, and no one has let them in, I'm merciful. But if their obvious goal is to treat all other drivers as suckers, f*** 'em. I don't owe them any favours.

As for the drivers who skip out of a clogged lane to zip down the on-ramp and then wedge back into traffic, we agree. There's a special place in hell for those drivers. In Ontario (at least) we have law against that which is occasionally very-satisfyingly enforced by the Ontario Provincial Police. As an example, in the Toronto area the long on-ramp onto Hwy 404 from Steeles Avenue evolves into the long off-ramp for Hwy 407, which presents a great opportunity for these selfish pricks to get ahead by a kilometer or so. They can create a noticeable slow-down there by increasing the number of vehicles entering (re-entering in their case) the traffic lane so, not often enough, the OPP is there waiting to pick them off which brings great pleasure. However if coming off of Steeles when traffic is not flowing well, driving to near the end of the on-lane before merging in is not only legal, but sensible.

Click to expand...

What I suggested hinges on existing drivers in the right-hand lane making room for earliest-possible lane merges, without the entering driver having to slow down. Ideally, one either eases up on the gas a smidgen to give the entering driver a fighting chance, or moves over to the left or centre lane on an expressway such that drivers entering from an off ramp can accelerate up to the speed of traffic easily and without impediment. Sadly, there are inconsiderate people in BOTH the service lane and right-hand lane. Unfortunately, both options tend not to be available during rush hour, when the congestion and rampant lane-switching increases. Which is one of several reasons why I prefer to take the bus to work...I like to see people at their best, rather than their worst. Keeps me in a much better mood.

Many many years back, I worked with hamsters, chopping off their little heads, and delicately removing their pineal glands. One of the annoying habits of those little tribbles-with-eyes was that if you pestered one of them and it shrieked, ALL the others (and I had 360 of them) would instantly and reflexively back into a corner, stand up on their hind legs, and begin shrieking. Over the Christmas break, we were driving home along the 401 between Whitby and Ottawa, and you'd hit these vast stretches where everybody's break lights would be on, for kilometers at a stretch. You'd think "Hmm, there must be an accident or a lane closure up ahead". You'd inch along, often at less than 30kmh, and then 20 minutes later, the traffic would magically open up. No accident, no lane closure, and no exit to siphon off traffic. It was simply a case of somebody at the front of the pack touching their brakes and, just like the hamsters, hundreds and hundreds of other drivers behind them (the majority of which were tailgating) would hit their brakes, and things would grind to a halt. Took us 8hrs to complete what is often a 5hr trip. Sadly, if you leave enough space between vehicles so that all you need to do is take your foot off the gas momentarily, rather than stepping on your brakes, some putz will assume it is their God-given right to fill that space. It's their greed for "position" that all too often prompts the slowdowns. I used to lament that I had not bought a car with cruise control, but in truth, for 98% of any highway driving I do, I simply can't use it any more. Too damn many interruptions.

Potentially, that might be one of the problems that self-driving cars solve...maybe.