Highway construction/merging question

[Car Whore]

Have any of you been caught in the northbound traffic between Freeport and Brunswick where they are doing repaving? The lanes merge into one. Now, here's the question-

It is still TWO lanes until the barrels start moving it over, correct? For some reason, everyone got into one lane like 1/2 mile before, and a few of us who realize that if you keep going until the lane actually ends, it makes things move quicker. Well, I had not one, but two cars pull out and try to block me! Someone yelled "It's one lane,buddy!", so I said "Yeah, UP THERE!!!"

Am I wrong or are they just sheep following the herd?

 

[topdeeni]

little of column A and B IMHO...

I see the people who take the time to line up having a valid arguement but the other side of that is...

DO U stand in a long line at a store or perhaps search for a way to conserve some of UR time.

I probably would have taken full advantage of the second lane as it was a legit lane.

 

[4WRXter]

I see a lot of this while travelling. My personal opinion is, you can use the open lane, but who is required to yield is the big question. I think if you go out into the open lane knowing that it becomes one lane, you should have to yield to the traffic. If there is an opening, squeeze in, no big deal. If the traffic that lined up before the cones is close enough to each other that they would have to slow more or stop, then you should have to wait.

Quite frankly, I guess I'm not even sure who is required to yield in that situation.

 

[EvilAsPie]

yeah it is a tough call. I was in that the other day. People should merge closer to the barriers but when people go all the way to the front in the right lane the rest of the line has to stop to let them in, which is kinda frustrating. It would def be smoother if everyone merged closer and didn't cut in front even if given the opportunity.

 

[MAINIAC XV]

It`s a Maine thing up here to do that. Coming from N.Y. It took me awhile to get use to that way of thinking. Back in N.Y. it was dog eat dog on the road. If you left more than 2 feet of space in front of you some one will putt their nose in.

 

[Car Whore]

It`s a Maine thing up here to do that. Coming from N.Y. It took me awhile to get use to that way of thinking. Back in N.Y. it was dog eat dog on the road. If you left more than 2 feet of space in front of you some one will putt their nose in.

There's a lot of things I like about Maine, but this isn't one of them! It just doesn't make any sense, and people get all bothered if you don't feel like sitting in traffic for 10 minutes for no reason like they do.

It's not like I'm trying to blow anyone off or cut in, I'm actually trying to make the traffic flow better (the "zipper" method, I believe it's called). If these people realized that, it would make their lives a little easier.

 

[rsalomon13]

I believe that in terms of all merging, if you can get in front of someone without affecting them, i.e. they don't have to hit their breaks or slow down, then it is fair game. If they are going to have to slow down, stop, swerve or any of the above, then you need to stop and wait your turn with your blinker on.

Nothing irks me more then *******s who, try to cut around traffic and then they merge by basically shoving you off the road. This is the worst at the end of forest ave(By the dunkin donuts), where it turns to only one lane that goes straight. Everyone trys cutting around traffic and then forcing their way in. I do not let them in, you can hit my car before I let you push me out of the way. Put your blinker on and patiently wait and I would probably have let you in.

Sorry to go o/t, back to your question - I am all for a little weaving through traffic to make better time but if the other driver has to accommodate you in any way then you are in the wrong and need to wait your turn.

 

[topdeeni]

It`s a Maine thing up here to do that. Coming from N.Y. It took me awhile to get use to that way of thinking. Back in N.Y. it was dog eat dog on the road. If you left more than 2 feet of space in front of you some one will putt their nose in.

That is a Boston thing to do as well...the best way NOT to get passed is to stay tight to the guy in front of U...call it drafting at 2 mph.

Wait... pretty much everywhere I have ever driven has been like that...except here and maybe Greenwich Ct....but leave a spot in a line of traffic so folks on side roads can get on with it...

what can U do.. I live in a town where the Kindergarten teacher siad "um" close to 40 times in a ten minute welcoming speech... yeah I started counting early on when I realized "um" was her form of punctuation.

 

[08WRXME]

Yea its a tough call, but as long as you don't use that lane right to the barrels and expect to be let in, I don't see a problem. I am from CT and people love to stay in a lane that is merging right til the end to get one or two cars ahead. it actually slows the whole process because the main lane has to now break and let that person in, who should have moved over earlier. I am not familar with the area though.

 

[Car Whore]

This isn't like a short little road in town. In that case, I also try to merge in early as traffic is still moving. This is a line of traffic like a mile long, and randomly along the way, when someone decides to merge to the left, all of a sudden everyone else thinks that now this is where you are supposed to merge. The right lane isn't even CLOSE to ending! It's not like I'm trying to barge in at the last second. I'm trying to keep moving forward like I'm allowed! Traffic is at a standstill anyways, so it's not like a few cars merging further ahead rather than later are gonna change things any.

The main thing is, the people taking it upon themselves to pull out to block you, have no right to do that. Just because they choose to merge WAY back and sit there, and I choose to drive another 1000 ft in an open lane and merge up where the traffic is actually moving, doesn't give them the right to do something like that.

 

[Nigel Prodrive]

proper reaction depends on who's squeezing in, vs who's gettin squeezeded!

cars with phat tires loud exhaust and big wings tend to get hollered at when they are tossing their weight around, one of the laws o teh jungle...

 

[Chris]

That bit of construction pissed me off the other day because exit 28 was blocked and I had to go to exit 31 before I could get off... The same day going to portland I had to take the exit off rt1 after the 196 connector because they had rt1 going into brunswick blocked off...

I wasn't having a good traffic day that day

 

[Car Whore]

That bit of construction pissed me off the other day because exit 28 was blocked and I had to go to exit 31 before I could get off... The same day going to portland I had to take the exit off rt1 after the 196 connector because they had rt1 going into brunswick blocked off...I wasn't having a good traffic day that day

Something like that happened to me before in Freeport. I got onto the highway at Desert Rd. and wanted to go to the next exit and hit McDonalds for lunch. Well, they had blocked it off for construction, but forgot to put a sign up between those 2 exits! I had to go to the next exit, which made me backtrack and be late back to work!