Road Blockers

[Yurimaru]

Last week, there was an accident that shut down the 2-lane highway that I take to get home. Complete shut down of both lanes, for an hour. I had two friends also in the shut down, in their own cars. Both of us saw the same sort of Idiot.

This is the Entitled Road Blocking Jackass, who thinks, "Heaven forbid someone come up the shoulder and get around ME...". So, both of these Idiots pulled their huge SUVs halfway into the shoulder, halfway in the right lane.

I was trapped in the left lane, watching my Idiot, up ahead of me by about three cars, as she parked herself in her perfect little blocking position. My friend phoned and told me that she also had seen another Idiot doing the same thing. Both of us wondered what was going to happen when they tried to bring a tow truck!

And, 40 minutes or so later, here comes the flat bed tow truck, with a cop behind it, whooping her siren. Idiots one and two had to perform epic back-up, and go forward, and back-up again maneuvers, to try to squeeze back into the stopped traffic... Morons. There's no telling how many of these idiots delayed the tow truck and kept everyone there even longer. Luckily, the ambulance had used the nearest exit to go backwards and get to the accident itself, with the aid of the cops. So, the poor folks were taken care of. I'd hate to think the Road Blocking Jackasses might also have delayed the ambulance...

In addition, one other Jackass did try to run up the shoulder, but he somehow was too stupid to think that the tow truck with the cop had just gone by, for goshsakes. Who'd he think he was going to run into at the end of the curve? That cop. She got him. He was sitting there all ashamed of himself once the traffic began to move.

[sms001]

Who'd he think he was going to run into at the end of the curve? That cop. She got him.

Woot! Carma.

I've never seen this shoulder blocking behavior. I totally understand the motivation - no one likes being stuck, and likes seeing others take advantage of civilized behavior even less. But blocking off the access of e-vehicles? Nuts.

[Slayer]

Maybe there were other idiots that used the shoulder has a driving lane so those two decided they should be a traffic cop and block it.

[Kaylyn]

I know truckers will buddy up to keep idiots from zooming up to the merge when a lane is blocked and thus causing even more of a snarl when they have to force their way in when they have no other options, and also to ensure that the truck in the merging lane will be able to get into the main lane (because trust me, 90% of cars on the road will refuse to let a truck merge in front of them in such an instance). But to block the shoulder? Maybe they did mean well, but yeah...whether it's a construction zone or an accident, you've GOTTA allow at least the shoulder for official/emergency vehicles to get by.

[Difdi]

I know truckers will buddy up to keep idiots from zooming up to the merge when a lane is blocked and thus causing even more of a snarl when they have to force their way in when they have no other options

Actually, that's what you're supposed to do. Ask anyone at the department of transportation (or whatever it's called where you live) who has anything to do with regulating traffic flow.

You cause a bigger traffic snarl by leaving the closed lane early than you do by waiting until the lane actually ends then merging. When people don't let them merge, the snarl is complete and everyone suffers.

[retro]

I got caught up in a traffic jam last summer and it was a biggy too. No access road unfortunately because it was a UK dual-carriageway but in a very rural area. Two lanes of road completely blocked up. Suddenly blue flashing lights behind us. Cue, two lanes of cars moving aside to allow the police car to come through the middle. Everyone merges back onto their lanes.

Two minutes later. More blue lights. Fire car. Same process. Everyone moves back into lane. Eventually after a fire engine, more police cars and several ambulances have also had to squeeze through, no-one bothered moving back into lane and just left a pathway through. I always pity the emergency vehicles in those situations.

There's a great video on Youtube of a traffic jam on the M1 motorway and people parked up in the hard shoulder. This Youtuber gets out of his car and starts questioning the people parked on the shoulder and they all seem oblivious they were blocking the emergency lane. If I can find it, I'll post it.