Bill Seeks Fines For Drivers Who Cut In Line

Tampa Tribune ^ | March 19, 2007 | RICH SHOPES

[CharlesWayneCT]

I feel bad for the trucks. They know people should wait until the end to merge. But they know people merge miles in front.

And where does almost EVERY car merge? Into the space right in front of the truck, which opens when the cars move but it takes the truck a little while to get going.

And the truck would love to roll back up to the back of the car, but instead gets cut off by the merging cars.

So while it's annoying, I don't get mad at them for blocking the road sometimes. They are just trying to get a few stop-and-goes in where they don't get cut off by another car.

[Frapster]

Finally - some sanity. Great post.

[Ramius]

Ping

[rahbert]

Blowing by stopped traffic is a joy when on a motorcycle.

I pick my spots, always have an escape route when some
self righteous undocumented traffic cop decides to
"block".

Those middle fingers may make people feel better but
do absolutely no harm to me.

[ROLF of the HILL COUNTRY]

I say the the proper technique depends on the situation. If the lane constriction is thousands of feet ahead, then everyone moving into one lane at that point unnecessarily exacerbates the problem and is just plain stupid. The proper procedure (as taught by most good driver training courses) is to maintain traffic flow in ALL lanes up to the point of constriction and then merge, one after another (zipper-like), with courtesy being the rule. This minimizes the traffic backup, and gets everyone through the choke point the quickest.

[Condor51]

I realize this is a FL issue, but in Northern Climes, like IL, I think drivers who are too lazy to brush the snow off their tail light/brake lights and rear window - and then merrily go driving along on the expressways - should be shot on sight.

Oops, my bad, we can't pack heat in IL. So make that 'run off the road head on into a light pole'.

[MrJapan]

I just have for the 'instant lane changers'...

---

Sorry, was looking back over my post.. and I have NO idea what I was trying to say there...


BUT, since I am posting again, might as well tell you what happened in the second accident:

Midnight (almost exactly), I was driving from my nearest station,coming back from a date I had taken the train back to my nearest station and got on my bike (scooter). Not more than 2 minutes after I got on the bike and started to drive home I had a red light. I was the only driver there at the time (0012 hours if you want to get technical)..

I stopped @ the red light and waited (mt estimate was about 15-20 seconds)... then I had NO idea what happened. A TAXI driver had his eyes somewhere else and plowed into me @ about 40mph (according to police, and KPH-MPH estimates)... Right before the driver hit me, I remember the passenger said that he told the driver, 'kiyotsukete'(take care.. or in this situation, 'Watch out').

I heard all of this while I was on the ground with my head against his front left tire...

ANYWAY... to make a long story short... careful what you do on the roads/highway... it is possible that something bad could happen! (the only thing that saved my head from being crushed was the passenger telling the driver to watch out.. the driver swerved right and hit me.. but managed to only knock me about 20 feet forward, off the hood, and swerved to keep from running over me. The scooter was boosted avout 40 meters (50 yards?!?) in front. I asked the driver at the hospital if the scooter drove straight until it fell, or skidded sideways (I was a police officer before, so I know the difference)... he said it went in circles sliding sideways...).

When he told me that, I KNEW I was lucky to be alive.... I must have bounced off his hood to the left... not hit straight-on.


Sorry... a lot I have rambled about... but my point being... is that you should NEVER cut... and should NEVER have road rage!!!!!! can cost lives.... think of the kids that might be in the opposing care.

[Frapster]

What I find particularly laughable are teacher drivers. Those that are so self-righteous about their driving that they feel they have to correct everyone around them by blocking lanes, shoulders, what have you. I see them all the time and it's rediculous.

[MrJapan]

BTW, for all of you blocking the shoulders

---

I didn't finish my last post before you posted your message... but, in case you don't see it, there is an about 2-4 foot area reserved for scooters on the far left (would be on the right for most Euros and Americans since we drive on the 'right' side of the road...

[savedbygrace]

SubMareener is correct. This is a traffic flow issue, not a bruised ego issue. There is one exception, though, If the person pulls OUT of the stalled lane to get in the flowing lane, and creates a hazardous situation in doing do, that's a problem. But if th guy was in the moving lane all along, then s/he should keep moving until that lane stalls, or until s/he reaches the merge point.

That results in the best flow and the safest traffic situation.

What I can't understand is that on a conservative website, posters would advocate for the government to intervene just to keep his/her ego from getting bruised. "It's so unfair" is a liberal mantra.

[MrJapan]

I noted someone else said they drove a half mile on the shoulder to reach an exit. I think most of us wouldn't mind people getting on the shoulder in a traffic jam to work their way to an exit, we only get upset if they pull back in off the shoulder. But how do you tell?

---

I in NO way disagree with you... but, 1 time in my life in the US I was in that type of situation... Hurricane Andrew... The interstate was 2 lane, but we made it a 4 lane quickly...

[Gene Eric]

>> Move your car over just enough so that it will block the strip on the side of the road.

Which even blocks emergency vehicles too...

Not a good idea.

[bmwcyle]

I like to run them off the road. I don't care if they hit my old Jeep.

[gracesdad]

"What I hate is people who block a perfectly good lane a half-mile from it's end so they can squeeze into the next lane. It makes it terrible to be in the "merging into" lane, and throws off everything."

Absolutely right. There's no question at all that the fastest way to move traffic is to use both lanes right up to the point you have to merge. Yet I see idiot truckers blocking one lane or another and causing 1/2 mile gaps that do nothing but slow everybody down. Those gaps and the lumbering trucks also cause unnecessary backup once an accident is cleared. Just the other day on the interstate it was obvious that truckers had continued blocking lanes even after a wreck had been cleared.

[gracesdad]

"This certainly can't be about 2 lanes of traffic that merge at a specified point. Nobody would be so down-to-the-bone stupid as to suggest that both lanes shouldn't be used until the merge is required."

One would think not. But truckers do it all the time.

[Crawdad]

I notice from your profile you don't live in Atlanta. Please move here. Quickly.

[gracesdad]

There are times when folks using the breakdown lane have a reason other than trying to break line.

A few week ago I was within 1/2 mile of my exit when traffic came to a halt, backed up by an accident. This was NOT an exit any of the folks were using or could use to get around the accident and I knew that. I tried to slip by on the shoulder but was immediately blocked by three or four dolts. These folks could even see the exit.

[JimRed]

If you are in a position to block, NEVER EVER let them back in!

[JimRed]

Like cops are going to SIT at a long line of cars handing out tickets to buttinskis? Meanwhile, while they're doing that, fifty other drivers do the same thing!

One cop with a paintball gun could "mark" ALL the violators for pickoff beyond the choke point. Let them sit for hours awaiting their turn to be cited.

[az_illini]

I disagree. Scottsdale not withstanding, I think Phoenix drivers aren't any more obnoxious than those in most other major cities. You just have to stay alert as 25 mph+ over the limit on surface streets is the norm, as is tearing through an intersection two seconds after the light turns red. But I don't see those actions as intentionally hostile.

In Dallas, TX on the other hand, drives are psychotic. People will battle for a quarter mile in 5mph traffic over who will merge in front of whom.