O/T ok so I was probably in the wrong, but bl**dy hell

[Acker79]

Those highway code extracts are completely out of context and irrelevant.

Someone's going to quote from the Bible in a minute.

The highway code extracts that cover which lane you should be driving in, when it is acceptable to use the overtaking lane, and the proper use of the over taking lane, are irrelevant to people using the overtaking lane to skip to the front of a queue of traffic?

 

[sten_super]

We all frequently merge into traffic when joining a motorway and dual carriageway, and this is precisely the correct way of merging and is what should be done whenever attempting to merge, shirley?

You match the speed of the traffic that you are attempting to merge with, and move over into a suitable gap. It's pretty rare for anyone to be forced to stop at the end of a slip road having been unable to enter the main carriageway, so why is it that some drivers in the 'fast' lane trying to merge left insist on doing so?

 

[Arthritic Toe]

The highway code extracts that cover which lane you should be driving in, when it is acceptable to use the overtaking lane, and the proper use of the over taking lane, are irrelevant to people using the overtaking lane to skip to the front of a queue of traffic?

Yeah - because the situation under discussion here is not explicitly covered by the HC. There are bits you can quote out of context that seem to back up whatever point you want to make. For example, I could quote rule 134:

"In congested road conditions do not change lanes unnecessarily. Merging in turn is recommended but only if safe and appropriate when vehicles are travelling at a very low speed, e.g. when approaching road works or a road traffic incident. It is not recommended at high speed."

- which seems to back up the 'stay in lane and merge' camp.

 

[theonesmith]

Surely the word merge in itself requires the two lanes to be used?

 

[BLOCK F]

cant believe some ppl on here.

use both lanes - the REAL ROOT of the problem is that people dont want to let anyone else in - this is an english SOCIETY problem, as is road rage.

ever driven in canada or central america? everyone filters and lets eachother in nicely.

imagine the english mentality in varanassi with 4million tuc tucs - if everyone went mental if they let someone in....it is laughable - idiots, people with small minds.

whoever thinks it is right to be violent over this needs serious help.

Agree and it is a bit worrying how many Albion fans qualify for needing the 'serious help'!

 

[Little Piggy]

I am sure that logic dicates that a single file queue will be longer but will NOT bottleneck, so in theory nobody would even need to slow down excessively at the roadworks. You could argue that the queue would not even be a queue as it would pass quickly through the works without any incident.

Nice as this sounds however, we do not live in the perfect world where we are all going identical speeds and falling into line like something out of Minority Report. As long as one "Doris" (I prefer the term "slow norris" but I guess its down to personal preference) gets intimidated by a roadworks sign, stamps on the brakes and slows to around 30 on a dual carriageway, the whole ripple effect moves backwards through the traffic and you end up with, yes, a big long queue. So to keep this queue shorter, it is correct to use all lanes. Lets face it, roadworks f*** up the roads and no amount of fury over someone using the outside lane is going to sort it. Especially not moving out and blocking the lane.

 

[Arthritic Toe]

British people are born with a queing gene, which makes them behave strangely in these situations.

On recent trip on the Eurostar after the Brussels train crash, people were being bussed to Lille to join the train there. On arrival at Lille, there was one MASSIVE queue about 100 yards long and one tiny queue with about 6 people in it (they were definitely distinct queues much too far apart for them to be confused with a single queue). All the Brits getting off the bus walked past the tiny queue and joined the massive queue. All the French and Belgians joined the tiny queue and were completely bemused by the behavior of the Brits.

 

[portlock seagull]

I am sure that logic dicates that a single file queue will be longer but will NOT bottleneck, so in theory nobody would even need to slow down excessively at the roadworks. You could argue that the queue would not even be a queue as it would pass quickly through the works without any incident.

Nice as this sounds however, we do not live in the perfect world where we are all going identical speeds and falling into line like something out of Minority Report. As long as one "Doris" (I prefer the term "slow norris" but I guess its down to personal preference) gets intimidated by a roadworks sign, stamps on the brakes and slows to around 30 on a dual carriageway, the whole ripple effect moves backwards through the traffic and you end up with, yes, a big long queue. So to keep this queue shorter, it is correct to use all lanes. Lets face it, roadworks f*** up the roads and no amount of fury over someone using the outside lane is going to sort it. Especially not moving out and blocking the lane.

Precisely. Which is why the thread-starter is completely absolved of any blame. Whilst the nutter who got out of his car to remonstrate is one utter tool for losing his rag to such a degree in such circumstances. As is anyone who condones his behaviour on this thread

 

[Arthritic Toe]

And another example...

Our local schools have an annual music festival for all the areas schools. The concert starts when everyone is inside and everyone (2000 or so) has allocated seats. They open the doors about half an hour before it is due to start. You approach the venue from the carpark and arrive at the door where a massive queue has formed, stretching away from the venue in the opposite direction from that which you have approached from. You have 2 choices: (1) Walk half a mile to the end of the queue and then slowly back again as the queue starts to move. (2) hang around in the general area near the door and wait for the back of the queue to come to you (there's acres of space and plenty of comfy park benches etc).

Guess what everyone does...

As a nation we need councelling for this behavior.

 

[portlock seagull]

And another example...

Our local schools have an annual music festival for all the areas schools. The concert starts when everyone is inside and everyone (2000 or so) has allocated seats. They open the doors about half an hour before it is due to start. You approach the venue from the carpark and arrive at the door where a massive queue has formed, stretching away from the venue in the opposite direction from that which you have approached from. You have 2 choices: (1) Walk half a mile to the end of the queue and then slowly back again as the queue starts to move. (2) hang around in the general area near the door and wait for the back of the queue to come to you (there's acres of space and plenty of comfy park benches etc).

Guess what everyone does...

As a nation we need councelling for this behavior.

Yes, but I do love it when you walk past all the sheep and go to the blindingly obvious "other" gate, checkout, toilet etc that no one's queuing for. As a nation we do seem happy to spend our lives waiting in line rather than using our brains and finding out what the queues for / if any alternatives exist.

 

[Little Piggy]

All the French and Belgians joined the tiny queue and were completely bemused by the behavior of the Brits.

In my experience, the long queue is long for a reason... Its the correct queue. The short queue would be for something specific, like for those people with a certain status, disability or a particular request.

I bet the brits were looking at that smaller queue thinking "I bet would get us through quicker" but there are only two outcomes to joining the shorter queue.

1) Its the wrong queue. Now you look quite the FOOL and you have to go to the back of the long queue again. Time wasted.

2) Its the right queue and you have jumped past all your compatriots. You are now fearful that the man from the beginning of this thread breaks your legs when he gets through. And steals your bag.

So I think you'll find the SAFE option is to get in the long queue with everyone else.

 

[Aldridge Prior]

Who cares. If you want to get somewhere fast, get a helicopter. That's what I did, only last month.

I saved up for it with airmiles.

 

[portlock seagull]

I just want to be first poster on10th page of this outstanding thread

 

[Stat Brother]

Many moons ago there was an interesting tv programme about 4 national groups in a remote hotel. Us, the Yanks, the Germans, and Japanese, just to see how the national stereotype worked out.

The whole thing was secretly filmed as more and more bizarre thing happened, over the week, with a couple of stooges in each group.

One thing the stooges had to do was queue jump, at breakfast.
The English stooges couldn't even do it, and when finally 1 managed a half arsed attempt the atmosphere completely changed, without anyone actually doing anything about it.

Oh and for the record, we drunk the most alcohol by a seriously large margin.

 

[thealbionfan]

Well I never thought when I started this thread that it would go on so long...nothing really to add other than my season ticket arrived this morning!!

 

[GT49er]

Sorry chaps - this is a north / south issue. As a Brightonian by birth, I have lived most of my life considerably north of Brighton - but, there is a difference in driving standards. A hundred miles north of Brighton, when there is a two lanes merging into one situation, it is generally a case of one from one lane, then one from the other..................no hassle.
But the nearer you get to the south coast, the farther away this principle (doesn't) apply - evberybody has to fight to get in front of the car next to them because their masculinity depends upon it. Same as they never had roundabouts in the USA until about 15-20 years ago because American drivers were psychologically unable to grasp the concept of 'give way' (they seem to be learning now).
Forty odd years of experience behind this judgement, but the further south in England you get, the worse the manners of drivers. Sorry if you don't like it - but the truth hurts sometimes....................

 

[Acker79]

Yeah - because the situation under discussion here is not explicitly covered by the HC. There are bits you can quote out of context that seem to back up whatever point you want to make. For example, I could quote rule 134:

"In congested road conditions do not change lanes unnecessarily. Merging in turn is recommended but only if safe and appropriate when vehicles are travelling at a very low speed, e.g. when approaching road works or a road traffic incident. It is not recommended at high speed."

- which seems to back up the 'stay in lane and merge' camp.

You must have missed this, several pages back:

So what happens if he was already overtaking slower cars when he reached the point where the traffic had started queueing?

Funny how you omitted 134.

You should follow the signs and road markings and get into the lane as directed. In congested road conditions do not change lanes unnecessarily. Merging in turn is recommended but only if safe and appropriate when vehicles are travelling at a very low speed, e.g. when approaching road works or a road traffic incident. It is not recommended at high speed.

As highlighted in the excerpts above drivers should be in the left hand lane. If they are over taking they should pull in as safe to do so. If the driver doesn't complete the manoeuvre they aren't using the road in accordance with the highway code, so completing the already started overtaking procedure wouldn't be "unnecessarily changing lanes".