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Try the middle east...it's worse than a bad Friday in Rome.Quote:
Originally posted by Sea Tyger
Well, USA born Italians are technically Americans. ;) I'm talking about Italians in Italy. Driving there is a different experience all together..you have to expect people to pull crazy stunts out there, or else you'll be hitting cars left and right.
I Great Britain (where we drive on the other side of the road) this tactic isn't optional. It's required.
You frequently find three (occasionally four but we don't have many four lane motorways/highways in this country) lanes of traffic getting to the merge point and then it's every car. bike, truck, bus etc for themselves. All traffic laws are disregarded as is any thoughts of politeness.
Although our roadwork planners have mastered the ancient art of contraflows. Mind you in Britain would you find a Highways Agency. A secret shadowy society who go out in the middle of the night and litter our roads with traffic cones.
But I agree it is annoying. Whats worse (and I'll translate this to US road layout) is when you have two lanes approaching a junction. The right lane is for straight on and left turns and the left lane is for straight on, you approach in the left lane intending to go straight on and the car infront of you is not indicating left so you assume the same. The lights change and then the car in front starts indicating!!! Annoying.
In Ireland the closed lane would probably be busier than the one that remains open, as every w****r in a piece of smart German metal and every white Toyota van attempts to get in at the top of the queue... driving here makes me nostalgic for the M25 motorway in the UK, which I thought was impossible :rolleyes:.
I would hate to do it with a Hummer behind you...ROAD RAGE THUMP....it is rude and ill-mannered. One reason I am going to stay off the highway when I get my liscence ;) Unless someone buys me a hummer. :P
I think the fourth option in the poll sums up my feelings nicely. :)
It is impossible... surely. I hit the M3/M25 junction on my daily commute, and it is the sole cause of me taking up smoking again...Quote:
Originally posted by Cdr Scot II
In Ireland the closed lane would probably be busier than the one that remains open, as every w****r in a piece of smart German metal and every white Toyota van attempts to get in at the top of the queue... driving here makes me nostalgic for the M25 motorway in the UK, which I thought was impossible :rolleyes:.
Just talking about it, I can feel the blood pounding in my brain... time to lie down in a darkened room!
Hey Doug, I live in Birmingham and have the architectual wonder that is of M5/M6 Gravelly Hill interchange (Spaghetti Junction to the uninitiated) to navigate. Twice. Daily!!Quote:
Originally posted by Dan Gurden
It is impossible... surely. I hit the M3/M25 junction on my daily commute, and it is the sole cause of me taking up smoking again...
It rivals the M25 most days although the M25/M4 Heathrow interchange torture (again twice daily) was of the main reason I moved away from London.
God created Heaven and Earth in 7 days. And just to keep his oppo happy He let old Satan loose on Birmingham.
Still it could be worse - I still have nightmares about the first time I drove around Le Arc de Triomphe in Paris!!
Yeah, I know...I almost got killed in Alexandria, Egypt. Even the horse-drawn carriage drivers are nuts there...Quote:
Originally posted by qerlin
Try the middle east...it's worse than a bad Friday in Rome.
Hey, what are you complaining about ? Paris offers you a perfect, lifesize, testing facility of your driving skills! :DQuote:
Originally posted by JonA
Still it could be worse - I still have nightmares about the first time I drove around Le Arc de Triomphe in Paris!!
If you manage to leave this area without accident, then you know you're a top driver (unless you did that in August or around 3 AM... :p)
I have to commend you BTW : driving around the Place de l'Etoile when you're used to clockwise roundabouts must make things really, really tougher.
I think I know that guy! :p Similar encounter in Saudi!Quote:
Originally posted by Sea Tyger
Yeah, I know...I almost got killed in Alexandria, Egypt. Even the horse-drawn carriage drivers are nuts there...
Here's a good one: pull in for gas at a station in Kuwait...where the f****r is hosing off the concrete pad with...gasoline! And smoking!
Matt...buying a hummer for driving is illegal... ;) Those things are worthless, dude; too expensive, too bloody big, and too fuel intensive, and according to the enviro-activitists -- they're evil (yet, conveniently, what do you see them driving [if not an old pollution monster like the VW bus]?) But if you've got the dough...
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Actually, I think it really depends on the drivers' habits in the area. I mean, if everyone is merging miles before the actual funnel, I'd say this driver is an asshole because he shows absolutely no respect for his fellow drivers. Now if everyone is driving on both lanes until they actually reach the funnel, well, fine, if he happened to chose the fastest lane he even actually is a brillant watever strategist ;).
The funny thing is: the end result in terms of traffic is exactly the same. Whether the drivers all merge miles ahead (in effect materializing the funnel before it actually becomes reality) or just before the funnel, the flow depends on the number of available lanes in the funnel, not really on the length of the funnel. Simple fluid mechanics.
I too thought driving in Paris without affecting your car's SIF was a true test of ones driving skills ... errr make that a true test of one's reflexes.Quote:
Originally posted by JonA
Still it could be worse - I still have nightmares about the first time I drove around Le Arc de Triomphe in Paris!!
Then I saw Roma. And I thought: "Ouch!".
Then again, I saw Napoli. And I thought: "Oh my eff-ing God!". In Napoli, it's like ... "Traffic lights? What traffic lights? Oh, that, I thought it was some leftover from Chrismas decorations ... oh well, va bene". Then ... "One Way? Of course it is one way, and it's also another!" Or: "Pedestrians? Who needs pedestrians anyway?" ... Later on the subject of traffic lights: "In Napoli there are two kinds of traffic lights: those that you have to respect, and those that you don't need to. Oh no, it's not written anywhere, but we can tell". And of course they do not seem to grasp fancy concepts like safety belts, no cell phones while driving, or helmets for scooters. Even when the whole family is on the same scooter. Errr, did I already say that most streets or roads are really narrow, nothing like what can be found in most american cities.
Well, anyhow ... as some obscure scientist used to say, everything is relative I guess ;).
Their prerogative, C; far as I'm concerned, if you don't want to wear a seat belt, helmet or passed jacket on a cycle, etc. more power to ya. It's their life and right to be stupid, after all; legislating that sort of thing is just an infringement on people (save for kids -- you should have to buckle up the kids.)Quote:
Originally posted by Calcoran
I...And of course they do not seem to grasp fancy concepts like safety belts, no cell phones while driving, or helmets for scooters. Even when the whole family is on the same scooter.
Me: I'll keep wearing my helmet; kept me alive in that last motorcycle accident.
Maybe where you are from, but from my experience that is just not true.Quote:
Originally posted by Calcoran
The funny thing is: the end result in terms of traffic is exactly the same. Whether the drivers all merge miles ahead (in effect materializing the funnel before it actually becomes reality) or just before the funnel, the flow depends on the number of available lanes in the funnel, not really on the length of the funnel. Simple fluid mechanics.
If people drive on the left lane until they are forced to switch lanes they will either try to switch when their is no opening or someone will slow down considerably to allow them to merge with ongoing traffic. The end result is the same: A sort of chain reaction that slows down traffic considerably.
If, OTOH, some people would even consider switching lanes when they see that they will have to do it 2 or 3 miles ahead anyway, they could do so when an opportunity presents itself, which wouldn't lead to the same traffic jams, or at least make them less likely.