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I must be. It's the only explanation.
Maybe it's something with Edmonton drivers, but where I learned to drive, you merge at the speed of traffic in the lane you're merging into. 10 km/h over the limit, 20 km/h below, it doesn't matter, you match that speed, then adjust once you're safely in.
So that's what I do. As I'm coming down the on ramp, I eyeball for a good-sized gap in traffic, then match to the speed of the vehicle ahead of it. This was how I was taught by the professional driving course I took way back when I was 16, and theoretically it should be the safest way to go.
So why is it whenever I try and merge, the car BEHIND me in the lane I want to merge into always steps on the gas and cuts me off?
I'm not talking a little behind, like a car length or two, either.
Today I was driving home from work (Graveyard shift, blegch). It's Sunday morning traffic... three lanes of highway, and maybe four cars including me on that section of the highway at that time. Middle lane is completely empty as far as the eye can see.
I match to a minivan in the lane I'm merging into (Keeping a car length of two, of course) and he's doing the limit of 90.
About 10 car lengths back of us is an old Dodge Stealth, also doing the speed limit. As soon as I hit the point where the divider drops away, and the dotted lines start, the driver of the Stealth immediately hits the gas... as much as his worn out old beast can manage, anyway, and I watch incredulously as he methodically closes the gap in such a way that I'm forced to brake and drive the shoulder a bit, because he's determinedly moved into the spot I was going to take.
If I had just merged over as planned, I'm quite certain he either would have tailgated, or crammed his beat up sportscar right into my trunk. The middle lane was clear, up until I appeared, he seemed to be content ten carlengths back of the minivan, and it seemed the whole reason for him speeding up was my car's imminent invasion of his lane.
Now, I'd write this off as someone just being a douche, but... this happens ALL THE TIME. At least three times a week, in all traffic conditions. Enough that I know to watch out for it.
Why do people do this?! You were perfectly happy where you were, going the speed you were going. The car ahead of you isn't going to go any faster, and I'm going the speed they are, so I'm not going to slow you down... where does this sudden need to possess the space I need to occupy to avoid slamming into the guardrail come from?
Maybe it's something with Edmonton drivers, but where I learned to drive, you merge at the speed of traffic in the lane you're merging into. 10 km/h over the limit, 20 km/h below, it doesn't matter, you match that speed, then adjust once you're safely in.
So that's what I do. As I'm coming down the on ramp, I eyeball for a good-sized gap in traffic, then match to the speed of the vehicle ahead of it. This was how I was taught by the professional driving course I took way back when I was 16, and theoretically it should be the safest way to go.
So why is it whenever I try and merge, the car BEHIND me in the lane I want to merge into always steps on the gas and cuts me off?
I'm not talking a little behind, like a car length or two, either.
Today I was driving home from work (Graveyard shift, blegch). It's Sunday morning traffic... three lanes of highway, and maybe four cars including me on that section of the highway at that time. Middle lane is completely empty as far as the eye can see.
I match to a minivan in the lane I'm merging into (Keeping a car length of two, of course) and he's doing the limit of 90.
About 10 car lengths back of us is an old Dodge Stealth, also doing the speed limit. As soon as I hit the point where the divider drops away, and the dotted lines start, the driver of the Stealth immediately hits the gas... as much as his worn out old beast can manage, anyway, and I watch incredulously as he methodically closes the gap in such a way that I'm forced to brake and drive the shoulder a bit, because he's determinedly moved into the spot I was going to take.
If I had just merged over as planned, I'm quite certain he either would have tailgated, or crammed his beat up sportscar right into my trunk. The middle lane was clear, up until I appeared, he seemed to be content ten carlengths back of the minivan, and it seemed the whole reason for him speeding up was my car's imminent invasion of his lane.
Now, I'd write this off as someone just being a douche, but... this happens ALL THE TIME. At least three times a week, in all traffic conditions. Enough that I know to watch out for it.
Why do people do this?! You were perfectly happy where you were, going the speed you were going. The car ahead of you isn't going to go any faster, and I'm going the speed they are, so I'm not going to slow you down... where does this sudden need to possess the space I need to occupy to avoid slamming into the guardrail come from?
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