Driving-Lane Merging Etiquette

Ah the perennial question about merging traffic!
The scenario:

We are in a line of traffic waiting to merge onto the motorway. The motorway itself is lined up and moving slowly. DH lines up a spot between cars and indicating, slots into it. All good. The person that was behind us however doesn't stay behind, but drives up on the inside of the merge lane to pass us, and forces us to give way to him so he can merge in front, rather than behind. DH of course takes exceptioin to this rather inconsiderate piece of driving and doesn't want to let him in. As he was originally behind his, that's where he should stay! (that's the thinking, anyway....).

1. He should have stayed in line behind?
2. He was taking advantage of the full merge lane which is fine, but refer back to point 1?
3. We should have let him because he was merging, even though he had shot up the inside to be in front? (And thus yield?)

This might be opening Pandora's Box, but comments?

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Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear, and thats not even in the Auckland traffic.
Do unto others I say.

I agree with your Hubby but at the end of the day short of ramming the other person's car, what do you do?

this was similar to what happened to us on the way to fielddays this year, a white car towing dirt bikes overtook us (there was a huge long queue of traffic and had been slow since Te Rapa way) and the car behind us obviously felt by going around us and pushing back in he was going to get to fielddays quicker by doing so. Hubby wasn't up the rear of the car in front and had to brake to avoid hitting mr motocross... he didn't try it with any cars further along funnily enough.

I know a couple of people that had they been sitting in our car would have got out and pulled the guy from his drivers seat (as was how slow the traffic was) so he was lucky no personal injury resulted from his actions, but personally in general i think kiwis are hopeless drivers and are bullies, and it all stems from how they are initially taught to drive. Where else can a learner drive around unaccompanied? WTF is that all about? [!]

3. I often just laugh when folks do stupid things like this .. as if it's going to make any significant difference to the time elapsed to get to the destination for either me or the idiot without manners.

I actually feel sorry for folks who are in such a hurry. They likely suffer from stomach ulcers.

Given these folks must be so on edge - it's just not worth me getting an ulcer because of them .. and I know people who have been chased down by road raged drivers (luckily they were big people and I'm not!).

I agree with your hubby. But common sense says let the guy with the smaller penis do what he wants because your better to let him bugger off ahead of you and not encounter him again.

I agree with your hubby and feel for him. Maybe basic good manners should be part of the driving test!!

We have a new roundabout in our small town. All approaches have two lanes in, two lanes exiting to merge to one. On any number of occassions I have been in the left hand lane, planning on going straight ahead. Approaching from my right have been cars in the rught hand lane, indicating a right turn. So I enter the roundabout. BUT then the cars go straight ahead rather than round the roundabout!!? If you're indicating right and in the right hand land, that means you are going right, not straight. One day I'll be in a truck with bull bars and I won't bother to brake sharply when they swerve in front of me.

Having just returned from the Sunshine Coast staying with our son (yes it was warm) merging in that area and Brisbane/Gold Coast was easy as. Every one let you in and saw none of what you describe.[8D]

Swapping 2 or 3 lanes was a piece of cake provided one indicated first.

And you only had to look interested in a pedestrian crossing and the traffic stopped for us.[8D][8D]

It is NZ problem all over the country.[!]

I struck that too Arnie.m, couldn't go near the curb for fear of a car stopping, I was amazed.

After driving in Australia for 26 yrs, (Sydney traffic 20 years of that), as well as doing many long-distance interstate trips, I must say that I have had more scares and seen more dumb moves here in NZ than I ever had in Aus!

Commizerations to your husband on silly drivers. Main thing to remember is not to become like them! Keep your cool 'coz then you think better!

My general attitude to merging traffic is: if you indicate, Im more than happy to let you in!

As a CAUTION:
There is too much happening these days with road rage and one never knows what their frame of mind is or what the crazy driver is under the influence of, or when you may have the misfortune of meeting such an idiot.
If you are "lucky" you might end up in the operating theatres with fractured face bones. If "unlucky", the morgue!!
I've met a Sydney road rage victim in theatre... he had to have his cheek and eye socket fractures plated. He was fortunate to have other drivers come to his aid while lying unconscious on the ground after his attacker pulled him from his vehicle and punched him. Those drivers also parked the attacker's vehicle in so he couldn't drive off and restrained the attacker till Police arrived. The victim had been minding his own business driving his young family home when attacked.

I have found that the bigger the city the more people know how to drive in heavy traffic. Dunedin and Christchurch are far worse than Auckland as the traffic densities are lower and the people haven't had to learn. The first time I took my wife through Auckland on a trip up to Northland she was amazed at how the jafas behaved in traffic and let us through. I don't believe that my rough looking old falcon had any bearing on this as I used to nip in and out in Auckland traffic just the same in a mini in the 80's.

I've definitely noticed that traffic manners vary a lot within NZ. Perhaps your theory explains it Igor. From my experience of living in 3 different places - Hamilton: not too bad, most people courteous, Tauranga: awful, people beeping at each other for taking off 2 seconds too late, and as for merging, people don't know what zips are there[!] Waihi: there aren't really any merging lanes, but as far as traffic politeness, we have the opposite problem; people just do what they feel like... pedestrians wander across the road without bothering to look for cars, which stop for them in the middle of the road; nobody seems to know the give way rules and wait for you to go at an intersection while you frantically signal to them to GO FORGOODNESSAKE! because it's you that's supposed to give way not them. Then they smile and wave gratefully at you for letting them go first.:rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes: Better than road rage, definitely, but SO ANNOYING!

i certainly found driving and being a pedestrian in england to be far less stressful than here! people seemed to actively look for other cars to give way to...

With the Increase of traffice coming into town from our direction, I have noticed on the whole that driving skills have improved in some ways, but I agree, NZers can be crappy inconsiderate so and so's! We've driven a lot in the UK as well and DH doesn't seem to get quite as het up about it as he does here. Even with me reading a map in the UK and having to go round a roundabout twice because we've er... missed a turn.... (again).

It always seems to us though that we are always the ones giving in!! I guess people like that aren't going to change and one day I hope karma gets them. Where's the traffic patrol when you need them eh?

It's a vicious cycle and typical of today's society- instant gratification !

Thinking about why I don't tend to flash my lights for oncoming traffic when I have seen a speed camera/radar . No-one does it for me so why should I bother! Same thing really.

I grew up with a do into others attitude but have become more cynical on the road.

Move out of Auckland, no traffic in christchurch

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