Ad Hudler - Ad Libbing

Ad's Rules of the Road: #521P
Tuesday, March 10, 2009

When two lanes are merging into one because of road construction ("Right Lane closed, 500 feet ahead") we GOOD citizens stay in the lane into which traffic should be merging...but then there are the boogerheads who zoom as far ahead as they can in the empty lane, and then push their way into the front of the line.

Do NOT let these people in! You are rewarding bad behavior.

Then again ... what's wrong with some aggression when the rest of us are acting like ants? Why not take advantage of a situation and get further ahead?

And why don't I do the same thing? What keeps me from zipping past the crowd in the other lane? Am I afraid that my fellow drivers won't let me in? Do I fear exclusion?

No. The answer is: If we all did this, there would be pandemonium on the roadways. Civilization would begin to collapse.

So DON'T let those dudes in!

5 Comments:

Scott said...: The only thing more infuriating than the "line cutting" itself is when the driver rolls down the window, extends his/her arm and starts waving it as if it were a canoe oar - as if to magically push the other cars back to clear a space.

Ooh, I'm getting mad just thinking about it. Serenity now!; March 10, 2009 11:03 AM
Ad Hudler said...: From a reader via facebook:

"Go all the way as far as you can in the closed/closing lane until you are at the end, where that nice Mr. Hudler always lets you in, if he sees you waiting there.

If he doesn't see you waiting there, you lightly tap your horn, and mouth the words, "Would you let me in?" and tilt your head to the left, slightly, a sad little grimace-smile upon your face, and he always does let you in, and you always wave, "Thank you, thank you," and quickly, very smoothly, so as not to detain Mr. Hudler and the others, fold in to the lane you need for making your turn.
It's very civilized, so far."

Ad again: NO! I will NOT let you in! Though I can probably be coaxed with a gin and tonic.; March 10, 2009 3:11 PM
Stephanie said...: Okay, this doesn't have anything to do with merging lanes, but I must vent about mean nasty drivers...

Call me crazy, but when I'm in the front of a line at a red light and said light turns green, I do not stomp on the gas pedal willy-nilly and zoom straight forward like a racehorse out of the gate. No. I take a HALF A SECOND to look both ways, just to make sure that some idiot going in the opposite direction didn't decide to run a red a red light, thus slamming into the side of my little Ford Escort and making my only child an orphan.

For some reason, the HALF A SECOND I take for safety always infuriates the a**hole behind me so that he has to immiediately LEAN on the horn of his SUV (It's almost always an SUV) so long and so hard that it makes me yelp with fright.

If my fragile ears could stand the deafening noise, I would sit right there for a full minute, just to pi** him off.

Whew! Thanks. I feel better now.; March 10, 2009 5:23 PM
Papa Zook said...: I saw someone else do this and stole the idea ... I have only had the nerve to do it once so far.

Get in the empty lane ... and stop. Take one for the team and let the lane in front of you empty out and FORCE all the jerks behind you to merge early.

It's a little scary, but very satisfying ;-); March 11, 2009 10:16 AM
Ad Hudler said...: I'm not sure I could handle the tension....but good for you!

And Stephanie: Sorry for honking at you that one time! (wink); March 11, 2009 10:26 AM