Non - Merge in turn at roadworks

AFCBfan

AFCBfan

Star Player
So, Christchurch is once more bedevilled by roadworks. And in this instance it leads to a classic illustration of the British people and their love of queueing.

Barrack Road Westbound. The nearside lane is coned off just past Magdalen Lane. But people are queueing up in the offside lane from the Fountain Roundabout. That's not what you're supposed to do, or how it's supposed to work.

A lot of people think it means you should move out of the closing lane as soon as possible. What should happen here, or any place like it, is to use both lanes - all available road space - up to the lane closure, then merge, in turn - one from the left, one from the right - at that point. A zipper merge, it's also called.

Some people see it as queue jumping, but it's not. The only reason there's an empty lane to 'jump', is that everyone has moved into the other lane and created it! One longer lane rather than two shorter ones just causes more congestion at junctions back down the road.

So if you're in this situation and someone passes you towards the merge point, just let them in. Or if you're worried about being seen as a queue jumper and stranded at the front of the queue, well, there'll always be someone kind enough or who knows the rules that'll accommodate you.

Whatever you do, don't be like the guy in the picture below. Yeah, I mean you, Mr Rendell Construction man!

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There is a long and signposted merge in turn section going into Bristol just before the park and Ride. Me and a mate used to drive it every day when working there. There was always some asshole that tried to stop you legally going up the outside by doing what the van in the pic is doing. Anyway one day my mate had enough of it and just drove straight through and took both the road hoggers wing mirror off as well as his own. He didn't stop just drove straight on to work. He said "well I am driving my company car so it won't cost me anything" Of course I couldn't possibly condone such reckless behaviour but we did have a bloody good laugh about it all day.
 
AFCBfan said:
So, Christchurch is once more bedevilled by roadworks. And in this instance it leads to a classic illustration of the British people and their love of queueing.

Barrack Road Westbound. The nearside lane is coned off just past Magdalen Lane. But people are queueing up in the offside lane from the Fountain Roundabout. That's not what you're supposed to do, or how it's supposed to work.

A lot of people think it means you should move out of the closing lane as soon as possible. What should happen here, or any place like it, is to use both lanes - all available road space - up to the lane closure, then merge, in turn - one from the left, one from the right - at that point. A zipper merge, it's also called.

Some people see it as queue jumping, but it's not. The only reason there's an empty lane to 'jump', is that everyone has moved into the other lane and created it! One longer lane rather than two shorter ones just causes more congestion at junctions back down the road.

So if you're in this situation and someone passes you towards the merge point, just let them in. Or if you're worried about being seen as a queue jumper and stranded at the front of the queue, well, there'll always be someone kind enough or who knows the rules that'll accommodate you.

Whatever you do, don't be like the guy in the picture below. Yeah, I mean you, Mr Rendell Construction man!

View attachment 11840
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That’s what they call ‘hedging your bets’. :grinning:
 
Not directly (or possibly remotely) related but for some reason people in this country have taken to forming single file queues in pubs. I think it's something that youngsters started doing post Covid. This is not acceptable and whenever I'm faced with a queue in a pub I will happily walk right past everyone directly up to the bar and order my pint. I regard this as doing my bit towards the cultural integrity of this country.
 
SlowDownDerek said:
Not directly (or possibly remotely) related but for some reason people in this country have taken to forming single file queues in pubs. I think it's something that youngsters started doing post Covid. This is not acceptable and whenever I'm faced with a queue in a pub I will happily walk right past everyone directly up to the bar and order my pint. I regard this as doing my bit towards the cultural integrity of this country.
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Absolutely right.
 
SlowDownDerek said:
Not directly (or possibly remotely) related but for some reason people in this country have taken to forming single file queues in pubs. I think it's something that youngsters started doing post Covid. This is not acceptable and whenever I'm faced with a queue in a pub I will happily walk right past everyone directly up to the bar and order my pint. I regard this as doing my bit towards the cultural integrity of this country.
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A barperson good at their job would be capable of remembering the order customers came in, and serve them in that order. Unfortunately, there aren't many good barpersons about, so they tend to serve the nearest/loudest first. If I was at a bar and he/she came to serve me quicker than someone I knew was already waiting before I'd arrived, I'd do the decent thing and re-direct them. After all, the best things come to those who wait!
 
So many drivers don’t know the Highway Code and think that they own the road…this will never change here in the UK as we probably have the worst drivers in Europe!…lane hogging is a speciality of UK drivers and it infuriates me but you can’t change it!

Not bovvered about bar service funny enough as an old guy who probably gets ignored anyway!
 
Bourne Mouthy said:
A barperson good at their job would be capable of remembering the order customers came in, and serve them in that order. Unfortunately, there aren't many good barpersons about, so they tend to serve the nearest/loudest first. If I was at a bar and he/she came to serve me quicker than someone I knew was already waiting before I'd arrived, I'd do the decent thing and re-direct them. After all, the best things come to those who wait!
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Correct. Unless the person who was there before you has formed a single-file queue in a pub in which case they have forfeited their right to prompt service.
 
Barrack Road on a normal day without roadworks with its two lanes you have to merge into one just by the Retail Park and it works fine.

But sometimes you get the odd one who is determined to not play the game and let people merge in turn.

Same coming from football, drivers at the roundabout by Harewood Avenue let others merge in from the side roads and out of the school car park used on matchdays.
 
Braithwell said:
Unfortunately most of the cars who steam up the outside lane just expect to be let in at the front, with no thought of merging one at a time.
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I think the point is that motorists should use both lanes to queue and merge in turn rather than sheeplike just use one lane. I don't blame people for driving up the outside lane - that is what it is there for. You are not being polite by using the inside lane - you are causing a long queue at the junction behind you.
 
Works perfectly in Orlando when I was over there recently. People know who's turn it is, and didn't see anyone trying to force in or be petty and blocking. Driving experience generally more relaxed imo.

Felt like less hostility/pettiness compared to driving around here.

Was chatting to someone the other day about it actually after discussing holiday, how US driving 'easier'. He's a copper in hants force, lives around here. He said he finds driving in London less stressful than bmouth, He reckons as people know its busier, congestion and other things, people don't act like d1cks so much towards other road users and like theyre in a competition/battle or take offense to stuff on road in his opinion. Which I found interesting as never driven in London, but always assumed it was awful.
 
MB1980 said:
Works perfectly in Orlando when I was over there recently. People know who's turn it is, and didn't see anyone trying to force in or be petty and blocking. Driving experience generally more relaxed imo.

Felt like less hostility/pettiness compared to driving around here.

Was chatting to someone the other day about it actually after discussing holiday, how US driving 'easier'. He's a copper in hants force, lives around here. He said he finds driving in London less stressful than bmouth, He reckons as people know its busier, congestion and other things, people don't act like d1cks so much towards other road users and like theyre in a competition/battle or take offense to stuff on road in his opinion. Which I found interesting as never driven in London, but always assumed it was awful.
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Not my experience of driving in London.
 
Bourne Mouthy said:
A barperson good at their job would be capable of remembering the order customers came in, and serve them in that order. Unfortunately, there aren't many good barpersons about, so they tend to serve the nearest/loudest first. If I was at a bar and he/she came to serve me quicker than someone I knew was already waiting before I'd arrived, I'd do the decent thing and re-direct them. After all, the best things come to those who wait!
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Hard to find competent people willing to work for £20k a year with unsociable hours, so it's not surprising there aren't many.
 
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