Parking and Driving the Cheeses me off!

[wai]

The best solution is to move into a different lane.

I recently returned from Victoria. There the motorists have had the fear of God put in them. As a result, there was a car in front that had their CC set at 1 km/h under what I had mine set. It was absurd. I could not go past (or it would take ages) without resetting things. In the end, I set my CC to 2 km/h higher (still within the allowed tolerance of 3 km/h) to get past them and then I dropped it back once in front and moved away.

In NSW, it was absurd. I had my CC on, and so was maintaining a steady speed. I passed a Hilix towing an empty boat trailer. Well, he did not like being passed so he tried to go past in the left lane preventing me from getting back there. Then a while later, he slowed down again and I went past. Well he did not like that and s went past in the left lane again.

I could not care less if he was in front or behind, just that he could not maintain a steady speed.

Unfortunately we are fixated on speed and the road toll. What we forget is that by having such a tight tolerance on speed, motorists spend more time watching their speedometers than the road ahead, and on the road toll, we forget that we are getting much better at saving the lives of those injured. Just a few years ago, many we save now would have died of their injuries. We have more and more accidents, just fewer die. That is not simething we should be aspiring to.

It is frustrating. We need to think of different ways of doing things.

[ParaBul]

"Undertaking"

Almost 20 years ago I was taking some UK tourists to the Sunshine Coast. Cruising up the Highway on a weekday, very few other cars on the road, cruise control set around 120km/h (in a 110 zone), in the left lane - keeping left unless overtaking.

Came up behind a slow vehicle (not just slower, but slow - probably less than 100km/h) that was sitting in the right lane. I cruised past in the left lane, and the tourists were completely dumbfounded that I had "undertaken" a vehicle. They seemed to think I should've moved into the right lane, slowed down, waited for the slow vehicle to move left and then overtake.

In NSW, it was absurd. I had my CC on, and so was maintaining a steady speed. I passed a Hilix towing an empty boat trailer. Well, he did not like being passed so he tried to go past in the left lane preventing me from getting back there. Then a while later, he slowed down again and I went past. Well he did not like that and s went past in the left lane again.

I could not care less if he was in front or behind, just that he could not maintain a steady speed.

I think some drivers suffer from a form of tunnel vision. They fixate on the car in front, and slowly reel it in - unconsciously, they set their speed by the car in front. Once they've overtaken the car in front, they no longer have a speed guide, so their speed drifts up and down.

It's the same as the slower car that you overtake, only to have them sit on your bumper. All of a sudden they have something else to set their speed by.

Slightly different: years ago, I was driving from Brisbane to Coffs. Somewhere along the line, I caught up to three cars all travelling around 95km/h, plus or minus a bit - not holding a constant speed. I eventually made it past all three, resumed cruising at my (then) customary (speedlimit +10%) 110 km/h, then had all three overtake me in one fell swoop about 10 minutes later. Fortunately for my state of mind they continued at their higher speed, and I never saw them again. But I still have NFI what was going through their minds.

[wai]

"Undertaking"

Almost 20 years ago I was taking some UK tourists to the Sunshine Coast. Cruising up the Highway on a weekday, very few other cars on the road, cruise control set around 120km/h (in a 110 zone), in the left lane - keeping left unless overtaking.

Came up behind a slow vehicle (not just slower, but slow - probably less than 100km/h) that was sitting in the right lane. I cruised past in the left lane, and the tourists were completely dumbfounded that I had "undertaken" a vehicle. They seemed to think I should've moved into the right lane, slowed down, waited for the slow vehicle to move left and then overtake.

The same thing with a cousin from the Netherlands. He used to live in the UK and so had this drummed into him. He was surprised and what amazed him was how much better the traffic moved, and this was on Sydney motorways which are always crowded.

[getjet]

Driving from the airport over the Bolte in Melb... the arseholes that try to merge from either the right of left lanes bypassing the 'queue' in the middle lane.

Gets me everytime...

The only thing worse is when people actually let them in. Makes me

[wai]

A route bus did this to me yesterday. There was good advance warning that the left lane was closed for work, and all the cars merged to the right lane and took up their place in the queue. Of course, the route bus went right up to the merge point and then use its little merge sign to force its way ahead. All up it saved the bus around 5 seconds, but ticked off a lot of drivers.

The thing about merging is that if there is no distinction between the lanes as to which continues and which ends (i.e. just a sign that says "Form one lane"), you have to perform the "zipper" merge and are obliged to let the "offending" cars in.

[99_FGT]

Driving from the airport over the Bolte in Melb... the arseholes that try to merge from either the right of left lanes bypassing the 'queue' in the middle lane.

Gets me everytime...

The only thing worse is when people actually let them in. Makes me

Yeah - that was what I was getting at - not the country road ones...

[elephino]

A route bus did this to me yesterday. There was good advance warning that the left lane was closed for work, and all the cars merged to the right lane and took up their place in the queue. Of course, the route bus went right up to the merge point and then use its little merge sign to force its way ahead. All up it saved the bus around 5 seconds, but ticked off a lot of drivers.

The thing about merging is that if there is no distinction between the lanes as to which continues and which ends (i.e. just a sign that says "Form one lane"), you have to perform the "zipper" merge and are obliged to let the "offending" cars in.

If one lane ends and there are lines between lanes (whether road work or just the way it is), the car in the ending lane has to give way to traffic. There's no requirement for a zipper. Of course, it's polite and the traffic moves better if you do.

[elephino]

OK, so I'm driving along the Freeway with C/C engaged set to 100km/h. Car overtakes me, no problem with that. Car pulls in front of me, then SLOWS DOWN!!! I have to disengage C/C or run up his exhaust. WHY WHY WHY did you pull in front of me if you're going to slow down??? Why not just pull in behind me? <splutter gnash mumble>

There seem to be people that automatically slow down when moving a lane to the left and speed up when moving a lane to the right.

It's odd the number of people who cruise up behind slowly then zoom past as soon as they change lanes.

[wai]

If one lane ends and there are lines between lanes (whether road work or just the way it is), the car in the ending lane has to give way to traffic. There's no requirement for a zipper. Of course, it's polite and the traffic moves better if you do.

Exactly, and the bus was in the lane that was ending, but used the little sign on the back which requires motorists to give way to a bus with its indicator on. It's not all bus drivers who do this, just a few who give the rest a bad name.

[brimway]

If one lane ends and there are lines between lanes (whether road work or just the way it is), the car in the ending lane has to give way to traffic. There's no requirement for a zipper. Of course, it's polite and the traffic moves better if you do.

There is a rule re "zippers"
Merging
"Merging when the number of lanes is reduced
When a driver is travelling on a road without lane markings and the
number of lanes or lines of traffic is reduced, they must merge by
giving way to any vehicle that is ahead of them. This is often called a zipper"

[elephino]

There is a rule re "zippers"
Merging
"Merging when the number of lanes is reduced
When a driver is travelling on a road without lane markings and the
number of lanes or lines of traffic is reduced, they must merge by
giving way to any vehicle that is ahead of them. This is often called a zipper"

No lines=zipper
Lines=ending lane gives way

[elephino]

Exactly, and the bus was in the lane that was ending, but used the little sign on the back which requires motorists to give way to a bus with its indicator on. It's not all bus drivers who do this, just a few who give the rest a bad name.

I always thought the rule was for buses leaving the kerb, not changing lanes generally. Bus drivers disagree with me

The fun times are when the bus moves off after stopping, tries to move into the traffic lane (which is blocked due to traffic), and blasts the horn at the stationary line of cars for not moving out the way.

[Ideo]

Drivers who trundle up slip roads, then stop at the end, despite it being clear traffic, when entering freeways.

Apart from that, not much.

[wai]

I always thought the rule was for buses leaving the kerb, not changing lanes generally. Bus drivers disagree with me

That's what it was supposed to be for. It was to allow a bus to move away from a bus stop and not get boxed in because of traffic. Even so, putting the indicator on does not give them right of way, however that is how they behave. As soon as they put their indicator on, they assume that every other vehicle will stop and let them in.

Not much point arguing with a bus, you will never win.

[ParaBul]

That's what it was supposed to be for. It was to allow a bus to move away from a bus stop and not get boxed in because of traffic. Even so, putting the indicator on does not give them right of way, however that is how they behave. As soon as they put their indicator on, they assume that every other vehicle will stop and let them in.

Not much point arguing with a bus, you will never win.

A bloke I worked with told of a bus driver who would stop at the bus stop, put on his indicator and stomp on the accelerator. As soon as the doors closed again the brakes would be released and he would go - traffic be damned!

Hopefully he didn't have a long career.