The pet peeve thread

[gehringer_2]

53 minutes ago, chasfh said:

I would guess copy editors don't look for this at all.

 

51 minutes ago, CMRivdogs said:

Copy editors, the first round of cuts in a newsroom

LOL - exactly. I would guess that any grammar MS Word can't catch, isn't caught.

 

[Crazy Cat Gentleman]

5 hours ago, chasfh said:

In this morning’s paper, Clarance Page wrote of Biden’s speech this week: “Like Biden I know that all Republicans are not MAGA-red-to-the-bone Trump loyalists.”

So, are you saying no Republicans are that? That all, meaning 100%, of Republicans are definitely not that?

Oh, yeah, major peeve for me. I don't seem to come across that as much as I used to, but it's a total teeth-gnasher when I do.

Edited September 4, 2022 by Crazy Cat Gentleman

[chasfh]

On 8/2/2022 at 8:31 AM, chasfh said:

Zipper merge works great if everyone accepts the concept of late merging. But not only is that not the case, many early mergers are religiously fervent about everyone has to get over out of the lane that’s closing at the first sign, usually a mile or mile and a half away, because it’s only fair. My younger brother is that guy and he’s very adamant about it. Plus, every once in a while, you will see someone playing Corporal Lapdog, using their car to block the lane that’s closing so that no one can drive all the way to the end and late merge because, I guess, they think they’re helping maintain societal law and order or something. 

So, I’ll tell you why I am resurrecting this today …

After watching the Tigers get shut out at Comerica last night and still managing a good night’s sleep at the Greenfield, I was on my way back to Broad Shoulders this morning. On 94, just west of AA, I’m driving among a fast-moving bunch of cars when I see a “left lane closed ahead one mile” sign, and most people start moving over right away.

You know I’m a late merger, so as soon as the guy ahead of me moved over, there was a lot of daylight for maybe half a mile up to where we couldn’t see any more road because it was the top of a low grade hill. Know what I mean? Point is, we drivers could not see the closure yet—presumably it was beyond the low grade hill we were approaching. But since there was daylight in my lane, I planned on driving ahead to where the closure is and merging in there.

Just as I was starting out, a guy a few cars ahead of me started edging back into my lane. I thought maybe he was going to late merge with me, so I hung back to let him get ahead of me and lead me there. But instead, he started  driving half in his lane and half in mine. I understood what he was trying to do here.

There was still plenty enough daylight to his left so I could still pass him, and as I did, he laid on his horn, and when I could see him in the rear view, he was gesticulating and yelling in my direction. Corporal Lapdog was definitely unhappy with me.

Here’s the best part: once we got to the top of the low grade hill and could see the rest of the road, turns out there was no lane closure after all. Maybe it was an old one where they hadn’t taken down the “lane close ahead” sign. Or maybe they were going to close it soon. All I know is, the left lane wasn’t closed for us. So all these people early-merged and slowed everything down for what they thought was a closed lane a mile away that no one could see, but that wasn’t even there.

Early merging culture sucks. 

Edited September 13, 2022 by chasfh

[John_Brian_K]

17 hours ago, chasfh said:

So, I’ll tell you why I am resurrecting this today …

After watching the Tigers get shut out at Comerica last night and still managing a good night’s sleep at the Greenfield, I was on my way back to Broad Shoulders this morning. On 94, just west of AA, I’m driving among a fast-moving bunch of cars when I see a “left lane closed ahead one mile” sign, and most people start moving over right away.

You know I’m a late merger, so as soon as the guy ahead of me moved over, there was a lot of daylight for maybe half a mile up to where we couldn’t see any more road because it was the top of a low grade hill. Know what I mean? Point is, we drivers could not see the closure yet—presumably it was beyond the low grade hill we were approaching. But since there was daylight in my lane, I planned on driving ahead to where the closure is and merging in there.

Just as I was starting out, a guy a few cars ahead of me started edging back into my lane. I thought maybe he was going to late merge with me, so I hung back to let him get ahead of me and lead me there. But instead, he started  driving half in his lane and half in mine. I understood what he was trying to do here.

There was still plenty enough daylight to his left so I could still pass him, and as I did, he laid on his horn, and when I could see him in the rear view, he was gesticulating and yelling in my direction. Corporal Lapdog was definitely unhappy with me.

Here’s the best part: once we got to the top of the low grade hill and could see the rest of the road, turns out there was no lane closure after all. Maybe it was an old one where they hadn’t taken down the “lane close ahead” sign. Or maybe they were going to close it soon. All I know is, the left lane wasn’t closed for us. So all these people early-merged and slowed everything down for what they thought was a closed lane a mile away that no one could see, but that wasn’t even there.

Early merging culture sucks. 

Our differences of opinion on this probably explains why we have butted heads in this forum...moreso even then our political differences I think.  Speeding to get to the front of a lane closure is the definition of selfishness and disregard for those around you.  I hate it, but you do you.

[Biff Mayhem]

And you’d be wrong JBK. 

[casimir]

Zipper merge might as well be political fodder.

[chasfh]

20 minutes ago, John_Brian_K said:

Our differences of opinion on this probably explains why we have butted heads in this forum...moreso even then our political differences I think.  Speeding to get to the front of a lane closure is the definition of selfishness and disregard for those around you.  I hate it, but you do you.

I'm not speeding.

And I would appreciate it if you wouldn't lay on the horn the next time I pass you. 😉

Edited September 14, 2022 by chasfh

[Tigeraholic1]

Nothing gives me more pleasure than NOT allowing that driver who had plenty of time to get over but tries to merge at the last second. Those guys cause bottlenecks and accidents. It's like why would I merge with everyone else? You know my time is more important than yours.

[oblong]

The bottleneck is caused by everyone getting over too early. 

[Biff Mayhem]

12 minutes ago, Tigeraholic1 said:

Nothing gives me more pleasure than NOT allowing that driver who had plenty of time to get over but tries to merge at the last second. Those guys cause bottlenecks and accidents. It's like why would I merge with everyone else? You know my time is more important than yours.

That's a big gamble to take since your insurance company wouldn't pay for damages for this course of action.

[gehringer_2]

12 minutes ago, oblong said:

The bottleneck is caused by everyone getting over too early. 

it's actually the combination of having people doing two different things. When half the people are trying to zipper merge and half hate zipper merge, what you get it people trying to cut each other or denying them merge opportunity - It's then those bad behaviors that causes the bottlenecks. If everyone would do one of the other it would always go better. The MSP say zipper merge and that's good enough for me.

Edited September 14, 2022 by gehringer_2

[Tigeraholic1]

22 minutes ago, Biff Mayhem said:

That's a big gamble to take since your insurance company wouldn't pay for damages for this course of action.

I am maintaining my lane, no worries for me. The best is when the semi hops out and stops the saps from flying by, they get it.

[oblong]

13 minutes ago, Tigeraholic1 said:

I am maintaining my lane, no worries for me. The best is when the semi hops out and stops the saps from flying by, they get it.

Somebody doing that 5 minutes before you got there just made you wait longer. In some states that's illegal.  You can't impede traffic just because you feel like it.  The lane is open until it's closed.

 

Everyone is just too damn impatient and inconsiderate.  The same people who do that probably don't obey school drop off procedures, they just stop on the main road and let their kids run out into traffic.  Rules are for everybody else to follow.  Saps.  "Oh no, that person might get in front of me!  The horror!  No!  Can't happen".

It's not "cutting"  It's "taking turns"  Like we were taught in 2nd grade but many people forgot.

 

[Shades of Deivi Cruz]

10 minutes ago, oblong said:

The lane is open until it's closed.

I mean, this is really it. If they wanted people merging a mile earlier, they would have closed it a mile earlier. Sitting in traffic with an empty (still open) lane next to you is a bad idea.

[Tigeraholic1]

13 minutes ago, oblong said:

Somebody doing that 5 minutes before you got there just made you wait longer. In some states that's illegal.  You can't impede traffic just because you feel like it.  The lane is open until it's closed.

 

Everyone is just too damn impatient and inconsiderate.  The same people who do that probably don't obey school drop off procedures, they just stop on the main road and let their kids run out into traffic.  Rules are for everybody else to follow.  Saps.  "Oh no, that person might get in front of me!  The horror!  No!  Can't happen".

It's not "cutting"  It's "taking turns"  Like we were taught in 2nd grade but many people forgot.

 

I am talking about the folks that come flying down the lane getting ready to end. Everyone else has been waiting patiently while the traffic moves slowly. Then the guy who you can see coming from 1/4 mile back flys passed everyone and THEN turns on his blinker 4-5 cars back from the end of the merge. Those guys can pound sand.

[gehringer_2]

25 minutes ago, Tigeraholic1 said:

I am talking about the folks that come flying down the lane getting ready to end.

but that is exactly what zipper merging does away with. That person trying to jump everyone has no way to do that if both lanes run full right to the merge. I think that is one of the main reasons authorities recommend its use.

[Tigeraholic1]

6 minutes ago, gehringer_2 said:

but that is exactly what zipper merging does away with. That person trying to jump everyone has no way to do that if both lanes run full right to the merge. I think that is one of the main reasons authorities recommend its use.

I see the advantage with that. Good luck getting everyone in traffic to buy into the zipper merge. Sounds like the perfect fuel for road rage situations.

[oblong]

36 minutes ago, Tigeraholic1 said:

I am talking about the folks that come flying down the lane getting ready to end. Everyone else has been waiting patiently while the traffic moves slowly. Then the guy who you can see coming from 1/4 mile back flys passed everyone and THEN turns on his blinker 4-5 cars back from the end of the merge. Those guys can pound sand.

those folks are making things easier for people behind them by making the clogged up lane less cloggy.  It's the people "waiting patiently" that caused the problem.  If they had stayed in the closing lane they would be 1/2 mile up the road past the closure and moving along at a decent clip... but I guess they get satisfaction that everybody behind them is not in front of them.  That'll show them.

 

 

[gehringer_2]

4 minutes ago, Tigeraholic1 said:

I see the advantage with that. Good luck getting everyone in traffic to buy into the zipper merge. Sounds like the perfect fuel for road rage situations.

What would make it a lot more likely to succeed would be if MDOT put "Use Zipper Merge" signs up at the sites, but if they ever do I can't remember the last time I saw one.

[Tigeraholic1]

3 minutes ago, gehringer_2 said:

What would make it a lot more likely to succeed would be if MDOT put "Use Zipper Merge" signs up at the sites, but if they ever do I can't remember the last time I saw one.

Sounds about as backwards as a Michigan left! 

[gehringer_2]

3 minutes ago, Tigeraholic1 said:

Sounds about as backwards as a Michigan left! 

If I recall anything I learned in a couple of driving classes I had to take when I had a company car, the big risk factor on the freeway after tailgaiting is differential speed and when people merge early and leave the other lane open for people to  blast down  - you get a lot of differential speed between the lanes and that increases hazard. If both lanes slow down together that is largely eliminated and I believe that is part of the analysis for zipper merge.

But for sure it only works if the state makes the effort to educate the driving public.

[Biff Mayhem]

1 hour ago, gehringer_2 said:

What would make it a lot more likely to succeed would be if MDOT put "Use Zipper Merge" signs up at the sites, but if they ever do I can't remember the last time I saw one.

I've seen it occasionally. I've also seen "take turns" but, because it's not the law (that I know of) I don't think MDOT is going to put those signs on every construction merge.

[John_Brian_K]

3 hours ago, gehringer_2 said:

If I recall anything I learned in a couple of driving classes I had to take when I had a company car, the big risk factor on the freeway after tailgaiting is differential speed and when people merge early and leave the other lane open for people to  blast down  - you get a lot of differential speed between the lanes and that increases hazard. If both lanes slow down together that is largely eliminated and I believe that is part of the analysis for zipper merge.

But for sure it only works if the state makes the effort to educate the driving public.

Yeah that is the problem right....trying to blast down to get ahead of everyone else because they are in "more of a hurry" or think they should be in front or something?  I have no idea.  You see the signs miles ahead 90% of the time, if everyone just merged casually after they saw the sign there would be very little slow down at all.  

Do not get me started on those who drive like a mile when the entire lane is barely moving.

[John_Brian_K]

I cannot wrap my head around the idea that people think it is fine to just speed up to the front of a closed lane and cut people off to get in.  This is normalized now?  When did this happen?

[gehringer_2]

31 minutes ago, John_Brian_K said:

I cannot wrap my head around the idea that people think it is fine to just speed up to the front of a closed lane and cut people off to get in.  This is normalized now?  When did this happen?

the fact that some people are so doctrinaire about how other people drive is why zipper merge is the right answer. It removes the choice from the situation.