A23 tomorrow morning

[Simster]

This is what makes me laugh in this country. August 2014. I think the French built their high speed line from the Channel Tunnel to Paris in this time.

You're not really comparing like with like there. Northern France has far more space and nobody lives there - it's hardly a surprise they can get things done quickly in that part of their country. On the other hand, the M/A23 is the main trunk road between the capital city and a southern city of 300,000 people.

We're perfectly capable of building things on time here. Look at the Olympic park - built comfortably on time and under budget, and that's in central London!

 

[Since1982]

Very decent journey at 7.30 this morning. Didn't stop once which is unusual and everybody seemed to behave themselves. As for filtering in, use all available lanes and then go car by car. This makes best use of all available road space and even the dumbest driver can understand the protocol. On the A217 there are a few traffic lights where two lanes open to three at the lights and then immediately on the other side of the junction revert to two - everybody uses all the available lanes and drivers in the outside two know that they will take turns to filter in. Why it would make sense to join the back of a queue when there is an empty lane on my right is beyond me.

 

[pigbite]

There was a thread about filtering in a while ago and most people seemed to say that whacking down the fast lane to the front of the queue, slamming on your breaks and cutting in front of the poor bugger who's being nice and kind and polite by joining the line a mile or so back was perfectly all right, not to say highly desirable. In fact, people who join queues on roads (as against queues in post offices presumably) were seen as pathetic wimps.

There is sometimes a good case for the authorities putting up "filter in turn' signs where two lanes are filtering into one but in the absence of this, and certainly where it's three lanes into two, the quickest and most civilised way is for everyone to join the queue at the back, filtering naturally at that point and then proceeding in the order they arrived. It's what you tell your children to do at an ice cream van.

It's not the "fast" lane. It's an overtaking lane. My view is the opposite - I think the sensible thing to do is queue in all available lanes and zip filter in turn. At the very least it stops all the fat heads who fancy themselves as policemen blocking lanes because they think (a) their way is the only correct way and (b) they have the right to control the flow of traffic on the road.

I am 100% sure that the vast majority of these types are the same pillocks who cannot move their car to the left after the've overtaken on the motorway. Ohhhh the irony.

 

[leigull]

There was a thread about filtering in a while ago and most people seemed to say that whacking down the fast lane to the front of the queue, slamming on your breaks and cutting in front of the poor bugger who's being nice and kind and polite by joining the line a mile or so back was perfectly all right, not to say highly desirable. In fact, people who join queues on roads (as against queues in post offices presumably) were seen as pathetic wimps.

There is sometimes a good case for the authorities putting up "filter in turn' signs where two lanes are filtering into one but in the absence of this, and certainly where it's three lanes into two, the quickest and most civilised way is for everyone to join the queue at the back, filtering naturally at that point and then proceeding in the order they arrived. It's what you tell your children to do at an ice cream van.

Surely if everyone used both lanes and filtered in at the end, it was be impossible for people to "whack down the fast lane to the front of the queue"? It would also reduce the length of the queue and prevent it blocking other junctions. Everyone would be joining at the back of the queue too. Just common sense.

 

[Goring Gull]

There is alot to be said for living within walking distance of work

 

[Lincoln Imp]

It's not the "fast" lane. It's an overtaking lane. My view is the opposite - I think the sensible thing to do is queue in all available lanes and zip filter in turn. At the very least it stops all the fat heads who fancy themselves as policemen blocking lanes because they think (a) their way is the only correct way and (b) they have the right to control the flow of traffic on the road.

I am 100% sure that the vast majority of these types are the same pillocks who cannot move their car to the left after the've overtaken on the motorway. Ohhhh the irony.

One hundred percent agree with you about the Middle Lane Owners' Club.

As I said, official zip filtering can be sensible but it only really works when there are two lanes going down to one. Meanwhile, most people hammering down the "outside" (OK?) lane aren't doing it to be reasonable; they're doing it to jump the queue and bugger the rest (in exactly the same way that drivers coming down the A23, spotting that the lanes for the A27 are slow, leave it until the last moment and then ram their way in). I let them do it to me. I'm not a policeman and I'm not a perfect driver. But I actually think that they are selfish.

 

[MattBackHome]

Thought it was better than usual this morning actually.

Though the acid test will be when there are three or four drops of rain in the air and some numbskull decides to run out of petrol just as the road goes from 3 to 2...

 

[melias shoes]

Wasn't a problem this morning or driving back tonight. Got a feeling it won't always be like that though.

 

[Timbo]

Drove up there this morning and it was all fine, however, I did have to wonder after five(?) night closures so far, what exactly have they done so far? Put a few cones out?

 

[trueblue]

As I said, official zip filtering can be sensible but it only really works when there are two lanes going down to one. Meanwhile, most people hammering down the "outside" (OK?) lane aren't doing it to be reasonable; they're doing it to jump the queue and bugger the rest.

Sorry but I can never, ever see the logic in people who think that everyone should get into one queue well before any roadworks. That is effectively extending the road closure and making the works longer...

Unless I'm missing something, surely traffic flows quicker if everyone uses every inch of every available lane, then merges without people closing the gap to be awkward, or any other similar shenanigans. This seems to be something that outrages some people. If someone does it to me, I just let them in... what's the problem?

 

[Fef]

Sorry but I can never, ever see the logic in people who think that everyone should get into one queue well before any roadworks. That is effectively extending the road closure and making the works longer...

Unless I'm missing something, surely traffic flows quicker if everyone uses every inch of every available lane, then merges without people closing the gap to be awkward, or any other similar shenanigans. This seems to be something that outrages some people. If someone does it to me, I just let them in... what's the problem?

Very much this. A big sign which says 'Merge in Turn Here' at the merge point might help. There's little point all the traffic being in one lane with several hundred yards of perfectly usable road being empty.

And then you get the bugger who deliberately straddles across two lanes stopping anything from getting by in either lane. Grrrr.

 

[JCL666]

Oddly with the speed limit, big signs and stuff it was a lot easier at rush hour this morning and this evening.

 

[Timbo]

Sorry but I can never, ever see the logic in people who think that everyone should get into one queue well before any roadworks. That is effectively extending the road closure and making the works longer...

Unless I'm missing something, surely traffic flows quicker if everyone uses every inch of every available lane, then merges without people closing the gap to be awkward, or any other similar shenanigans. This seems to be something that outrages some people. If someone does it to me, I just let them in... what's the problem?

Nope, if someone tries to dip in at the last moment, a car has to brake a little bit, the car behind a bit more, then by 5 cars back cars are stopping, then you've had it. If cars just ease into the right lanes further back, there wouldn't be a hold up. Saw a programme on it once believe it or not!

 

[Barrel of Fun]

It is pricks who don't know how to drive properly that ensure we have many months of misery.

And pricks in charge of running a shoddy railway service.

 

[Barrel of Fun]

Nope, if someone tries to dip in at the last moment, a car has to brake a little bit, the car behind a bit more, then by 5 cars back cars are stopping, then you've had it. If cars just ease into the right lanes further back, there wouldn't be a hold up. Saw a programme on it once believe it or not!

Indeed. Phantom traffic jams.

 

[Djmiles]

Sorry but I can never, ever see the logic in people who think that everyone should get into one queue well before any roadworks. That is effectively extending the road closure and making the works longer...

Unless I'm missing something, surely traffic flows quicker if everyone uses every inch of every available lane, then merges without people closing the gap to be awkward, or any other similar shenanigans. This seems to be something that outrages some people. If someone does it to me, I just let them in... what's the problem?

If everyone just merged at the same time, then surely the rest of the journey should be smooth as you haven't got anyone having to stop to let BMW drivers cut in who think they own the road. 95% of drivers merge when they should (Merge point 1), but the other 5% of drivers decide to cut in when it suits them (Merge point 2). This extra merge causes the already merged traffic to slow down, and slow traffic leads to, you guessed it, traffic jams.

 

[Beach Hut]

And pricks in charge of running a shoddy railway service.

 

[Uncle Buck]

Was slow heading north this morning.

 

[Everest]

We're perfectly capable of building things on time here. Look at the Olympic park - built comfortably on time and under budget, and that's in central London!

Also the Amex

Oh

 

[Lincoln Imp]

Nope, if someone tries to dip in at the last moment, a car has to brake a little bit, the car behind a bit more, then by 5 cars back cars are stopping, then you've had it. If cars just ease into the right lanes further back, there wouldn't be a hold up. Saw a programme on it once believe it or not!

This is absolutely right. If cars naturally merge further back down the line when travelling at a steady speed then no vehicle ever has to stop. A formal 'filter in turn' system can be almost as good (if it's going down to one lane) but nothing comes simple good manners and taking your turn. The stop-starting you get when queue-leapers squeeze in at the last moment is well documented. Everyone loses except perhaps them, which is probably the reason for them liking it.