As we being today's driving lesson, good people of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, I am reminded of the words of Alfred, Lord Tennyson.
Let's focus on the poem "Ulysses," specifically the last sentence which ends in: "...and not to yield." Take these words to heart, dear students, for they are truly words to drive by.
Let's discuss the concept of the Interstate (or Turnpike, whatever the case may be) on-ramp, keeping Tennyson's poem in mind. The on-ramp is used to enter the flow of traffic on a highway. As highway speeds are, by and large, faster than most road speeds, the on-ramp allows a driver the space necessary to accelerate his/her vehicle so that it is traveling at the same rate of speed as the traffic on the highway. This makes it much easier to merge with the flow of traffic, since drivers on the highway do not have to slow down to allow you to enter the traffic stream.
SO FOR PITY'S SAKE QUIT STOPPING YOUR CARS AT THE END OF THE GODDAMN ON-RAMPS!
Forgive me, students, for my momentary lapse in decorum. Let's go back to the Tennyson poem, shall we? " ...and not to yield." It is my fervent hope that I can send you out into the Commonwealth's driving environment having learned this one little lesson: just as the good Lord Tennyson stated, on-ramps are for accelerating, not for stopping or yielding. Stopping at the end of an on-ramp is not only dangerous for you and those behind you, but it's just plain wrong. Wrong, wrong, wrong. And should I find you doing this again, you will be punished severely.
Our next lesson will focus on emergency pull-off locations. They are for emergencies only. Not for stretching your legs, walking the dog, or throwing out a soda can.
Class dismissed.
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7 comments:
Truer words have never been spoken.
There was a bad car wreck at lunch yesterday where I believe that very thing happened. It involved a semi, and suv and another car I believe. I couldn't figure out exactly how it went down, but it was at the spot the on-ramp hits the road.
They even have their own lane for a while, to get the merge just right. Some people like to stop, and some people like to go from the ramp to the far left lane in one motion. And other people like to smash and crash.
I know, it's insane. I was testing driving a car and the sales guy was coaching me on how to get onto the interstate with. How I needed to speed up because "if you're going 70 miles an hour they'll let you in."
Well, DUH. That's how you're supposed to do it. He was nice, so I didn't want to say anything. I guess PA drivers need coaching on proper use of the on-ramp.
I like to think of the metaphor of putting 2 fast spinning gears together.
If one of the gears is going slow (or stopped), it meshes less well.
If one is going the opposite direction, it meshes really poorly.
While we're bitching about on-ramps, could you teach a lesson on getting over to the left lane to let other cars enter the highway? Some people pass an exit and blithely drive along in the right lane (with an empty left lane next to them) while people are trying to merge. Wake up and make room!
Maybe that's where I should start. If we can properly educate the PA drivers to move to the passing lane to allow cars to merge from the on-ramps, then maybe the idiots on the on-ramps won't be so timid to actually merge and therefore won't stop....
I'll start mimeographing the pamphlets!
Ooooohhh. This sounds like something I'd like to bite on.
I say that the primary responsibility for merging rests on the merger, not on the already road-drivers. Although it is certainly polite for the road-driver to slow down, speed up, or switch lanes; the merger must accelerate to match speeds, and find a hole.
If the speeds are correct, he will only need slightly over 1 car length. At no time must the merger simply merge into already existing traffic with only a hope that someone moves, even if he believes that the other car should move over.
Life here would be so much easier if we just started being more German about our driving rules. The merging issue would be an issue if we were in Germany!!!
Although I do agree that the onus is on the merging car. But if we could get the people on the road to move over when possible, then maybe the merging people wouldn't be so timid.
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