Those OTHER left lane banditos...

[Gil]

So, basically everyone in the Kansas City metro knows that this is "orange barrel season." Many roads narrow because they are working on a portion of them.
So, why is it that the warning signs "Left (or Right) lane Closed ahead" prompt people to speed up to cut you off, even if you're 7-10 OVER the posted speed limit.
Even if the lane is crawling along it's downright rude to expect people to reward your stupidity by letting you in as the lane is narrowing.
Perhaps you should actually read those orange signs and act accordingly.
Wait your turn just like the aware drivers did. Start merging right, or left, as the case may be, out of the lane that is going to close.
The ass-hattery of running up and cutting folks off is what is causing the slowdowns in the traffic pattern, and upping the accident rate, and REALLY slowing things down.
And don't get pissed if as you get closer to the narrowing of the lane if your fellow motorists straddle the line so you can't get by. Take the ****ing hint, and move your dumb *** over.

Here endeth the rant.

 

[Roo]

Do what we do in Britain to people who dare to try and queue jump: bunch up, and keep the evil queue-jumper out! It still astonishes me that complete strangers in a queue of traffic can come together with one common goal - to force the idiot back into his place.

 

[Gil]

Do what we do in Britain to people who dare to try and queue jump: bunch up, and keep the evil queue-jumper out! It still astonishes me that complete strangers in a queue of traffic can come together with one common goal - to force the idiot back into his place.

Actually, I do that all the time.
But yesterday, I actually saw someone else in a big land yacht Impala, straddling the closed lane so the "bogarts" couldn't pass.
I was so moved that I joined him. I was able to block out a Chevy truck (who should have been up high enough to see the arrows denoting the lane closing ahead), and several smaller cars.

 

[Der Alta]

Wow... Gil, you'd be approaching Heart Attack Country if you drove around the Greater Boston Area. That approach to construction lanes is the status quo.

As an example, I'll reference the reconstruction of lanes on 495. There were two stretches being redone. Both about 2 miles in length, and about 3 miles apart. For a total of 7 miles. Everyone squeezed from 3 lanes into 2 lanes at the first one, and instead of everyone simply staying in that formation through the entire construction zone, they expanded back to 3 and then squeezed down to 2 again. This in essence caused a back-up for the entire construction zone.

Finally, 3 weeks later, the road crew decided to lay the barrels out so that it was 2 lanes for 7 miles and we only had to endure one squeeze.

But in all seriousness, the squeeze at construction zones is a way of life up here.

My sig once read

NASCAR = bumper to bumper, 200 mph, 40 professionals.
BOSTON = bumper to bumper, 70 mph, 400,000 amateurs.

Which is just about true.

 

[Dave A]

Do what we do in Britain to people who dare to try and queue jump: bunch up, and keep the evil queue-jumper out! It still astonishes me that complete strangers in a queue of traffic can come together with one common goal - to force the idiot back into his place.

👍 Absolutey, I never let people in who try and jump the que.

 

[Duke]

Do what we do in Britain to people who dare to try and queue jump: bunch up, and keep the evil queue-jumper out! It still astonishes me that complete strangers in a queue of traffic can come together with one common goal - to force the idiot back into his place.

I try that, because it's a great idea and I will patiently wait through the whole line myself. Unfortunately what usually happens is the guy just laughs, drives up 10 more cars, and then shoves in front of some softy or some guy who isn't keeping the door closed tightly enough. Then I'm left with nothing but my bitter holier-than-thou attitude to comfort me.

I recently experienced this situation not once but twice with the same car in the space of about 3 minutes. I managed to find myself next to her at the following red light at which point I told her in very simple and clear terms what I thought of both her discourteous driving and her inflated sense of self-worth.

 

[toyomatt84]

Well, there's actually a lovely highway here in Wisconsin, called Highway 94. It's basically a constant burden on the less than talented drivers we have here in Wisconsin to manage. What happens is theres 3 lanes of traffic heading eastbound, and after going underneath an overpass, an onramp (next to the slow lane) is introduced into the situation, but instead of having the onramp's lane end eventually... they make the fastline end instead. So, instead of making driving simple for the common ID-10T drivers and having one lane that was introduced for a short period end, they basically make the large lines of traffic shimmy one lane to the right. Best believe that it's almost always jammed at rush hour. Worst road design ever. They'd probably be better off putting in a roundabout.

 

[3-Wheel Drive]

Here in Houston, it's almost considered illegal to merge more further than two car lengths from a "lane closed" sign. When you see one of those signs, 'ya gotta watch out, because almost all drivers around here wait until the absolute last second to switch over. It's truly rediculous.

I swear, Houston drivers are among the worst in the country,

 

[skip0110]

But in all seriousness, the squeeze at construction zones is a way of life up here.

So true, and the weather means that there is construction every summer.

 

[=V8 Power=]

Ya theres this 2 lane bridge thats about a 1/2 mile long and traffic always backs up around rush-hour because after the bridge the road narrows to 1 lane. All the traffic backs up in the left lane of the bridge, I usually just shoot down the right and then merge at the end of the bridge where it becomes 1 lane again. I'm not waiting in some line all night long.

 

[Boz Mon]

This thread reminds me of a song from the Bob and Tom radio show, its called Orange Barrels. Its pretty funny if you listen to it.

 

[High-Test]

So, basically everyone in the Kansas City metro knows that this is "orange barrel season." Many roads narrow because they are working on a portion of them.
So, why is it that the warning signs "Left (or Right) lane Closed ahead" prompt people to speed up to cut you off, even if you're 7-10 OVER the posted speed limit.
Even if the lane is crawling along it's downright rude to expect people to reward your stupidity by letting you in as the lane is narrowing.
Perhaps you should actually read those orange signs and act accordingly.
Wait your turn just like the aware drivers did. Start merging right, or left, as the case may be, out of the lane that is going to close.
The ass-hattery of running up and cutting folks off is what is causing the slowdowns in the traffic pattern, and upping the accident rate, and REALLY slowing things down.
And don't get pissed if as you get closer to the narrowing of the lane if your fellow motorists straddle the line so you can't get by. Take the ****ing hint, and move your dumb *** over.

Here endeth the rant.

It amazes me as well. It's quite fun trying to get to Parkville Missouri from OP, KS via 635 in rush hour. especially because most people can't seem to read. I've seen somebody actually hit a cone on 135th street because he or she wasn't paying attention. It's sure fun on 635 now that parts of it are one lane..

 

[Taurine]

I try to stop queue jumpers but I generally fear for my safety when it comes to some of the people in this low economic zone I live in.

 

[Keef]

I used to get so frustrated when people would run up the lane and get way in front of me and others on the highway or whereever. And they almost always win--some "nice" person always lets them in way up there. "Aww, look at that person stuck out in the lane..." Nowadays I'm too lazy to care. I just mutter "that's bull****," then I just wait my turn.

 

[daan]

Ya theres this 2 lane bridge thats about a 1/2 mile long and traffic always backs up around rush-hour because after the bridge the road narrows to 1 lane. All the traffic backs up in the left lane of the bridge, I usually just shoot down the right and then merge at the end of the bridge where it becomes 1 lane again. I'm not waiting in some line all night long.

So when you go into the supermarket or post office etc., do you just walk straight up to the front of the queue?

 

[Kylehnat]

So when you go into the supermarket or post office etc., do you just walk straight up to the front of the queue?

Game, set, and match point to daan.

 

[FoolKiller]

I honestly believe that this mentality of people not getting over ahead of time is what causes the back up in teh first place. I mean, onmcve you get past the point where the narrowing is complete the traffic tends to speed back up, unless there is something to rubberneck at and then everyone slams on their brakes to makes sure they get a good look.

I never let people in for these situations. One time my wife and I were going to the state fair and the traffic going in was backed up for miles. It was a two-lane highway and every sign said to be in the right lane for the fair. We sat in a line of traffic for over a half hour waiting in the right-hand lane. At one point nearly 20 yards from the entrance this huge 4X4 pickup truck comes flying up, turns on their signal, and tries to stick his nose in front of me. I scoot up and close the gap before he can do it. We both had our windows down and the wife in the passenger seat starts yelling about how I don't have to be an *** because one car wouldn't hurt. I tell her that they shouldn't be an *** and wait for a half hour like all the rest of us did. So they turn on their signal and wait and when I look in my rear-view mirror to see where they get in I see the two cars behind me both pull in closer together. Everyone else must have followed suit because by the time I finally turned off the road they were still sitting with their turn signal on.

I also do this kind of thing at a shopping complex by my house where two lanes turn in from the road, but the right lane must turn right into the Lowe's parking lot and the left lane forms the main drive-through that eventually becomes a road after it passes Wal*Mart. People try coming in from the right lane all the time to keep going on and nearly cause accidents as the person in the left lane has to slam on their brakes. I always speed up so that if they hit me it will be behind my front bumper, making the accident their fault as they were technically behind me. It hasn't happened yet and I hope it doesn't, but if it does I can't wait to hear them try and tell the cop how I didn't let them over and it's my fault because of it. I'll just point at the "right lane must turn" sign and ask them to explain that again.

 

[Duke]

Ya theres this 2 lane bridge thats about a 1/2 mile long and traffic always backs up around rush-hour because after the bridge the road narrows to 1 lane. All the traffic backs up in the left lane of the bridge, I usually just shoot down the right and then merge at the end of the bridge where it becomes 1 lane again. I'm not waiting in some line all night long.

Ahh, so you're one of those jackasses that's causing the backup in the first place. If you ever come to my town, expect to be confronted by a very angry middle-aged guy explaining in no uncertain terms how he feels about your arrogance and your parentage.

Please do tell us why you feel you are superior enough to deserve a place without waiting in line with the rest of us 'little people'. I'm waiting to hear it.

 

[Pupik]

Actually, I do that all the time.
But yesterday, I actually saw someone else in a big land yacht Impala, straddling the closed lane so the "bogarts" couldn't pass.

I've done that before, there's nothing wrong with playing "double coverage" in that case. Otherwise, it's a lane violation.

I've been listening to too much sports radio lately.

 

[Gil]

I've done that before, there's nothing wrong with playing "double coverage" in that case. Otherwise, it's a lane violation.

I've been listening to too much sports radio lately.

As I'm usually in my Toyota, I only cut off the left lane some of the time.
When I have the Excursion out for some reason or another, NOBODY BOGARTS!!!
A. I can much more effectively block with it.
B. Being a Turbo-deisel, I've found that if I stomp on it, as it spools up, it dumps a bunch of unburned fuel into the exhaust causing a lovely plume of rich, black smoke. If I time it just right, I can get it in the open window of the offender.

I may get no respect at all, If I can convince the wife that it's time to trade the Toyota on a Cooper-S. Small cars get "dogged" all the time.

 

[Gil]

Update time:
Thank God they've finished work on the entry portion of Westbound I-670.
Some foolishness still abounds, but thankfully, it isn't too bad.
It seems, for the moment, that driving ass-hattery is down in the KC metro. At least in the places that I drive.