Re: On Topic? Cars, anyway: 55 MPH speed limit...

Jeff Strickland wrote:
> 
> "Hachiroku" <Trueno@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote in message 
> news:pan.2008.07.28.19.21.38.80117@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> 
>> On Mon, 28 Jul 2008 10:29:15 -0700, Jeff Strickland wrote:
>>
>>>> Highway traffic NEVER EVER YIELDS to ramp traffic!!!
>>>>
>>>> If people where you are drive like that, please remind me to bypass 
>>>> your
>>>> state!
>>>>
>>>>
>>>
>>> When the option is to move over a lane, or lift off the gas to let 
>>> somebody
>>> in that has arrived at the end of the ramp, or force another driver 
>>> to stop,
>>> I'll argue that pulling over is always the better choice.
>>>
>>> You should NEVER force a car to stop on the onramp.
>>
>>
>>
>> Jeff!!! In Vermont, the ramps have YIELD signs! There's an implied
yield
>> at the end of an on ramp. Are you saying traffic on the highway is
>> supposed to stop?!?!?!
>>
>>
> 
> 
> Of cousre not. That's absurd.
> 
> I'm saying that you should pace yourself so that persons attempting to 
> enter can do so. If you have to slow from 55 to 53, big deal. If you 
> have to move over a lane, big deal.

Often moving over a lane isn't an option, as there's a wall o' traffic 
(tm) in there, going fast enough that I'm not comfortable increasing my 
speed to join.  (typically, around here, by the time you get into the 
second lane, the speed is already in "reckless driving" territory.)
>
> My salient point is that the guy on the ramp is obliged to be going at 
> the prevailing speed of the traffic.

YES.

> This means you should get up to 
> speed on the ramp, and slow if needed to merge. DO NOT go slow on the 
> ramp in the hope that you can gain speed in the last 50 ft.
> 
> If you are in the righthand lane and notice that some slowpoke is going 
> to need to merge at the same moment you get there, then you should plan 
> accordingly so he can merge without you forcing him to stop. You can 
> easily see this situation developing, and you should take steps -- get 
> out of the lane, or reduce your speed -- so the poor bastard can get 
> onto the freeway.
> 

If he's trying to merge into 70 MPH traffic at 40 MPH - I'd rather he 
stopped.  If a driver is that incompetent, to be blunt, **** 'em.  He 
SHOULD stop at the end of the onramp, then back up, carefully turn 
around, drive home, park his car, and put a "for sale" sign in the window.

nate

(very little sympathy for the grossly incompetent drivers that I see far 
too many of every day.)


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