Next is the BIG YELLOW " LANE ENDS 1000' " sign and they wait until they run out of pavement to then get over.
That's actually the
correct way to merge. (When your lane actually ends, not where the pavement ends). It's called a "Zipper Merge", and is the most efficient way to merge. The signs usually say "Merge
Ahead", not merge
right now.
I hate people that slow down in the lane that will eventually end, a mile or two back, and randomly change lanes willy nilly and hold up traffic. I also hate how people merge over 2 miles early, and render a 3 lane freeway into a 2 lane freeway. If the engineers intended for the freeway to be 2 lanes, they would've made it 2 lanes. It is perfectly legal to use ALL LANES until the lane actually ends. In fact I've even seen signs that say as such. I've seen signs telling you that a lane is going to end, followed with a sign that says, "Use ALL Lanes until lane actually ends".
My biggest pet peeve are people that purposely drive ON THE LINE occupying two lanes so that people cannot use the lane that will end in about a mile or more.
I also don't understand the point of brake checking. Speeding (unless you're going crazy fast) is a one point offense around here. Brake checking is a felony around here as it's classified as "Road Rage". One time I was going about 77 in a 70, and a guy in the right lane decided he wanted to be in the left lane, so he nearly took off my fender as he changed lanes. After slamming on the brakes to avoid hitting the guy, I just coasted to scrub off speed. Guy must've thought I was tailgating him, as he then brake checked me several times. I would've gone around but I couldn't.
There were several times where I've been behind people going 25 in a 35 or 35 in a 45, and they would be causing all sorts of traffic behind them, and I'd get brake checked even if I was leaving plenty of space in front of me....
One time I was on the freeway doing about 65 in a 55 in the left lane. This lady in the next lane over again almost took out my bumper to jump in front of me. No reason to have to rush into the left lane, as there are no left-exits in this area. Anyways, the lady was going about 50 or so when she got in front of me, and as I coasted to slow down, she brake checked me down to 35-40. Traffic started to seriously back up behind her, and because of the traffic in the other lanes zipping by, I couldn't go around... So I just honked at her a few times (as did the people behind me).... She proceeded to slam on her brakes, and come to a COMPLETE STOP in the left lane of an 8 lane freeway, and then flipped me the bird through her sunroof :th_angry2: