An Open Letter to the Motoring Public.

This is not directed to our little community But to the rest of the world.
I know everyone has seen these signs:
yield 1merge 1
But how many know what they mean, or what you as a driver your supposed to do?
Upon entering a freeway we all encounter these signs, On the right is a Merge sign, this lets the driver know that they will be merging into traffic that is already in the travel lane of the freeway, and that there is Not a separate lane for them to continue driving in after entering the freeway.
Now on the left is the complicated one, Yield. When I was 15 years old and studying for my driving test this sign was defined in the drivers manual as: This sign means that you must yield the right of way to motorists that are in the lane of travel that you wish to enter, Meaning that the vehicle that is already in the travel lane has the right of way and you must wait for that vehicle to clear the way before you can proceed.
Hang on here’s where it gets tricky.
When these signs are used together as in the case of most every freeway on ramp in the USA it is defined as this. Upon entering the freeway on ramp or as it is called in most cities the Acceleration Lane, you must look out of your left window and your side view mirror and be aware of the traffic on the freeway, you must judge if there is enough room to enter the freeway while bringing your vehicle up to the highway speed, or the speed of traffic upon the freeway. If you cannot enter the travel lane at the travel speed, or there is not sufficient room for your vehicle to enter you must slow and wait until you can safely enter the freeway. Here’s the part most people cannot seem to comprehend. This does not mean that you are supposed to floorboard your car up the on ramp and force your way in, making the vehicle already in the lane stop to let you in, It does not mean that you are supposed to keep driving even on the shoulder of the road until the vehicle in the lane slows to let you in. and here’s the tricky one. The vehicle that is in the travel lane Is NOT required to “Move Over” and let you on the freeway. This is a courtesy and done at the drivers own discretion not as a point of law. So to summarize: When you are getting on the Interstate you need to put down your phone, look to your side and if there is a Sufficient space come on out, push that thing under your right foot (It’s called an accelerator every car has one) and go no your way. and if you can’t don’t force your way in or pace the vehicle that is beside you and then cuss and flip off the driver because they would not move over (probably because there was a vehicle beside them) and let you out so then you can then speed up. In our next lesson we will cover what to do at one of those pesky Stop Signs, and the most confusing of all Stop Light. Happy Motoring.
P.S. Before you are thinking I’m just Picking on the Cars, This lesson is targeted toward the other Truck Drivers as well, In some cases More so. because this has happened to me with more frequency by other Trucks.

6 Responses to “An Open Letter to the Motoring Public.”

  1. Could you cut this down so it would fit on billboard next to all highways?

  2. That’s a good idea, Anon….. In addition, there should be a law passed requiring this same information to be placed on every new vehicle’s dash…. Make sure it is backlit and tied into a sensor that makes it flash on any Interstate On-Ramp…… Maybe, just maybe, after it flashes 50 or 100 times, the new owner will actually read it!….. We can only hope…..

  3. Sadly I think the only way most of the “Slow Driving, No Driving, Morons” (an MR copyrighted quote) would ever see it is to either 1. Put in on their Phone. 2. Have one of the current Hollywood/Musical Non Talents teach Drivers ED.

  4. Good advice.

    My latest traffic peeve was a couple weeks ago when wifie and I were out riding bicycles on a country road and this ass**** on a PoS HD Sportster blasts by each of us about a foot away. And then a couple miles down the road, I see he’s turned around and coming back. I hop off the bike, he honks and we exchange one-fingered salutes (not something I normally do), and I have fantasies of rolling my bike into his path. Stupid pile of excrement.

  5. Page 8, The New Yorker, Feb. 11 & 18

    “Ass-holes, A Theory”, Aaron James.

    Asshole Pie Chart
    Major Characteristics

    @OnAssholes

    Sorry about the language. Just typing what I read.

  6. HS: That Pisses me off also. That is why I don’t have a Bike anymore because Bozos like that have turned riding into a contact sport.
    anon: I am laughing and crying at the same time because how funny it is it is also very true.

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