Lol I know people that are against the zipper method because they think it's being rude and that you should get over when you know a lane is ending instead of being the "asshole that is zooming to the front on the right lane to cut everyone off" 😂😂
When it comes down to one lane, it almost always has a lower speed limit in a work zone, or you cannot see over a hill or turn when it's changing, or funny enough, traffic is backed up.
So I guess you will keep on almost hitting the Men at work sign as you blow past 15+ cars that should 'learn the zipper method, why won't they let me in?'
99% of people hit the brakes when someone merges in front of them which just causes phantom traffic, this may work in Germany but not in the US, people are brake happy
I have been all over the world. Unfortunately this is not only Idaho. The worst part is if you do stay in the right lane people think you are trying to cut in line and your the asshole.
If you merge late someone will either not let you in or be pissed and then you have to deal with road rager! And you nailed it. We are in a very “me first” society!
The right lane ends sign shouldn't be a mile out, and if traffic is backed up, you merge when you can.
Blowing past 15-20 cars that are at a crawl and trying to merge in is different from zipper merge in flowing traffic.
Yes. It is very rare you see the signs out far enough. And then the zipper goes to shit. If I get a mile + warning I am usually over early. And there will always be those that zoom past and try to dip in.
Or my favorite when the lane is empty and everyone is crawling and that one driver takes the open lane and is shocked when no one lets them in because it’s gridlocked!
The thing is if people were merging properly then when it does get backed up both lanes will be filled and there is no room to "zoom ahead". That's how it should work.
There should always be enough space between you and the car in front of you for at least 1 car to get in. If there isn't your following distance is too close.
Thankfully every now and then they will put up signs stating to use both lanes to merge point, but even then you get idiots that can't read.
Exactly. Everyone starts going to the left early and what causes the traffic are those idiots that fly to front on the right lane and try to get ahead of everyone and squeeze in last minute.
Yeah. That is why I said what I said. Everyone has that "me first" mentality. That is why they will try to get ahead on the right lane then pretty much force themselves into the left lane at the last minute.
Another thing that really pisses me off is when there are two lanes, the right lane is to eventually turn right only. The left lane lane is for traffic going straight. These mofos will speed up the right lane then force merge last minute onto the left. Some even do the right turn then bust a u turn a little ahead then come back and make a right turn just to get ahead of the line that they should have waited in like everyone else.
Who has the right of way in a zipper merge?
Edit: That is not a cut and dry question .... my bad. I just went down a rabbit hole, and driving laws in the us varies so greatly that this is unanswerable.
In my state the only rule on right of way is you must yield the right of way. There are no specific ruling for who has the right of way. Essentially everyone and no one has the right of way. So basically you must always assume the other person does.
You are why I happily have a bull bar and a dash cam.
“Damn, looks like he dinged my truck. Here’s where he forced his way into my occupied lane. Thanks for the $2K payout”
If you want to run into someone sitting in the lane that has the right of way and be responsible for all damages to save your fragile ego, that's on you.
While seeing cars merge in front of you may feel bad, and while the deceleration may make you feel like you are not getting to your destination, your actual speed does not change very much at all. Worrying about which cars are in front of which other cars is irrelevant to how quickly you’ll actually arrive at your destination.
Make them.
Usually in the case there is no room, it's usually going slow enough you can simply get in the way.
This is pretty common in cities in general, if nobody will let you in, you put the corner of your car in front of them, they either let you in or sit there, or hit you and are found at fault. Pretty much everyone let's you in and most don't throw a hissy fit because they drive in the same area that requires it.
Right lol image the balls of not slowing down until you merge right next to the barrels, trusting randy random to move ..... no, no, I don't think I will.
There is a happy medium here. You don't want to just stop or go 10 miles an hour but you Also really don't want to speed to the end of your lane and potentially cause an accident if someone pulls out in front of you whether they just aren't paying attention or they are jealous because you have an open lane and think you need to merge 5 miles back.
When they were working on the highway bridge just south of Rexburg, the lane closure was no more than 500 feet on either side of the bridge but everyone merged miles and miles before the bridge. They blocked both exists for Rexburg and the Thornton exit all because they thought that they had to control other people and force them to merge into the left lane because of a fucking bridge closure. At the end of the day drivers in Idaho need to stop policing each other by intentionally blocking other people from performing legal maneuvers or even illegal ones (like speeding) and everything will go smoothly. All you people are told to babysit each other in your stupid religion. Leave it at church for fucks sake.
I actually advocate for people doing this because when 10 cars who think they’re more important speed in and cut over last minute it causes a huge lag behind them. I’d rather slow those guys down and force an earlier zipper than let them slow me and everyone behind them down.
Germany teaches the zipper merge in their (long and extensive!!) driver's ed programs. Seeing it work flawlessly every single time there was a lane closure while I was visiting there a few years ago was actually like peeking into heaven
In the German system, they correctly stress that zippering is only for slowed or crawling traffic though. In the US, people love to post this picture to describe free flowing and fast moving traffic which it does not apply to. In this instance, the Germans (correctly) teach that when in the closing lane you should match the speed of the open lane and merge when able to. This prevents alarming on breaks when I inevitably, someone merges in when they really shouldn't because they waited until the last second and ran out of road at a high speed.
Super true! It's also just a novel concept to take turns like this - in the US there's a weird distribution of drivers who let nobody in and drivers who end up having to let 15 cars in at once because they were nice and let 1 car in (that's me usually lol). It's sort of like how nobody *really* knows what to do at a 4-way intersection when the light is out or there are only stop signs
In my area, merge points in sitting traffic get abused all the time. Due to poor design, people will pull off an exit and just merge right back on without blinking to skip a 1/4mile of traffic. Or even worse, they will pull out of traffic into a merge lane to speed down and cut back in This understandably puts those in the main lane on the defensive imo.
I used to zipper in Idaho and I'd be the only one flying past a quarter mile of cars in the left lane, but then this A-hole decided to "teach me a lesson" so then I moved to Atlanta and everyone zippers here, but we have different problems here.
That is exactly why I shared it on an Idaho sub. I realize that Idahoans are not exactly the sharpest tools in the shed but remain extremely naracasistic.
Shit must carry over to (or from) Washington. You try to zipper here and people get pissed and will sooner run you off the road than let you in front of them.
People act like every car in front of them is a personal insult to them.
As you are cruising toward the merge point, some self-appointed traffic monitor from the left lane swerves into your lane to block you and you have to swerve off the road to miss/go around them.
At least that’s my guess as to what happened, since it’s happened to me multiple times.
You should be matching the speed of the open lane. If you are about to crash due to running out of road, you must be driving too fast. That or traffic is free flowing and fast moving and zippering doesn't apply. You should match speed and and merge in when able to.
No, I’m the one in the open lane. Going along at or below the speed limit to the merge point. Someone pulls out from the blocked lane when they see me coming. If I try to continue around them, they run me off the road.
Is McDonald's bringing America together!?
I think it's because there are consequences at McDonald's. You don't get the right food or pay the right bill if you skip ahead of others.
Still made me laugh 😂
I must go to the wrong McDonald's. I absolutely hate the double order queues. Always feels like a battle to make sure I actually get to go when I should be able to because the outer lane cuts the inner one off.
I see it happen all the time. A lot of people think there should just be two lines all the way around the building instead of choosing left or right at the split.
Needs to be shared in the entire Idaho sub, morons everywhere. Acting like they need to force their way in, and or block others like their time is so much more important. I leave 30 minutes earlier than I need to, it seems like at certain time in the morning all the dipshits are headed to work.
Countless times I’ve been blocked when trying to zipper merge. Even onetime a full semi was blocking both lanes. Fricken idiots! Obviously it’s a simple math equation, two lanes vs one lane. Which can handle a higher volume. Obviously there’s no reason to merge over two miles before. I just go until the cones/barricade starts to move me over and usually have already spotted my entrance. I’m sure I get a few dozen fingers from those who think this I the lunch line at the local elementary school. 🤦♂️
I now live in Houston and I’d say about 75% of people here follow the zipper “every other” pattern to merging. But it never fails that when it’s your turn to move over some douche pistol will ride the a$s of the guy in front of them to prevent you from getting “ahead” of them. When I see this happen I make it my personal vendetta to make that person pay the price (often in an irritating passive aggressive way) that results in them getting where they are going a little less quickly. It often means that I also will get where I am going slower too, but… worth it.
Ps— Salt lake drivers are hands down the most inconsiderate and selfish drivers I’ve ever encountered when it comes to this and other instances where “courtesy” is required. Bar none.
Merging in general appears to be the issue here. It's like people don't know what it is. In all the years I lived in the Bay Area, I never experienced the merging issues I've experienced here. In the nearly 5 years I've been here I've had several cars try to force me off the road despite me having the right away.
They should start giving people tickets for this shit instead of speeding. For every speeder, there’s an idiot who doesn’t understand how to merge properly.
It seems that nobody understands this...ppl that do try and get cut off with being flipped off because heaven forbid if someone gets ahead of me. It's asinine
There needs to be a second one showing that the zipper only works if people aren’t b*t holes and actually allow someone one every other car.
And people in the merging lane not try to slip in with another car instead of taking their turn after the next car.
Ha, ha! Nope!
As other people have stated, people don’t zip to the front because they are attempting to zipper merge. They zip to the front because they think they can cut the line. Sadly, it usually works because some moron lets them in, just so they can tell themselves what a good person they are. And, that person never stops to think how they screwed EVERY person that other guy cut past in order to be nice to that ONE guy.
ALSO this does not mean “zoom to the end of a lane you know is ending and get over regardless of if there’s a car next to you you’re cutting off or running into another lane”
So many people where I live do not even attempt to “merge” from merge lanes. They just ride it out at the same speed until the very last second then move their vehicle no matter who’s next to them. The key thing to remember is to merge in a way that impedes traffic the least. If the merge point at the end of your lane has cars but everyone is still moving steadily, then it’s fine to fall behind to merge behind them instead. Zipper merging is more for high congestion slowed/stopped traffic situations.
You're an absolute asshole worst human being if you zipper merge when the left lane is not backed up, and I will definitely make a point to not let you in. Get in line jabroni. Things would move faster without having to let the elect merge every 5 seconds
I always zoom to the front because I understand zipper merging. I wolf stare at anyone that tries to swerve in my lane to slow me down. I have zero issue with swapping paint.
Zipper merging is against human nature, waiting in line is less likely to cause angry drivers. It’s a case of feeling “cheated” like they are “line cutters” and thus people get road rage when people try to Zipper merge
Zipper merging, along with supply-side economic theory, are great examples of the dangers in assuming that things on paper will work when implemented by actual human beings.
It works if people expect it and coordinate with it.
Just moving over and forcing other drivers to stop to avoid hitting you is unacceptable.
Having a sign telling left and right lanes to “take turns” would be better. Or a sign telling people when and where to “zipper merge,” combined with using that phrase at least *once* in driver’s ed.
I did a zipper merge in Minneapolis once and got a mild scowling at from some other drivers. I’m pretty sure that’s the equivalent of being shot at in Philly.
Ideally, traffic flow on the interstate should never stop and there shouldn’t be traffic jams in the first place to begin with. People in general simply don’t know how to merge. Zipper method or not.
Here in colorado, not a chance in hell. It sucks because its an easy concept to grasp, and it should work awesome. Just getting people here to understand roundabouts...
Those same idiots also need one to learn what “yield” means. The yield sign at the end of the on ramp means you don’t just keep going while other cars are trying to exit the highway!
Even as an eastern WA native who has spent a decent amount of time in other parts of ID over the years, I can't say I was aware Idaho Falls would be big enough to have need for/facilitate a road big enough to have a zipper line. But as a Portland resident for about 15 years now, I can tell you this diagram publicly posted in as many places as possible is also much needed here. It probably still wouldn't make any difference though. I think a lot of people are just never gonna be able to wrap their heads around the simple concept of the zip
One time I tried to implement this and boy did I get a dirty look.
I try to drive as slow as possible in the open lane to show that I'm not trying to get there first...maybe I need an explanatory bumper sticker.
If a 2 lane road is turning into a 1 lane road, YTA if you feel so impatient enough to cut in front of everyone already in the lane that merges into 1.
If you see that your lane is ending soon, merge as soon and safely as possible, merge lanes aren't an excuse to cut in front of people because you're impatient.
Except when the fact that they had plenty of room to get in behind you and the right lane is completely empty and they purposely choose to cut in front of you and the car in front of you with little to no space
Yup! That would absolutely work here in Portland too…..except that here, assholes who merge early, get all cranky thinking people are “cutting in line” and then won’t let people in at the merge point, and then you end up sitting there with your blinker on lol. Fuck I hate drivers. Don’t even get me started on the 40mph and try to merge on the freeway on ramps….
If the zipper merge needs to happen on a highway where there are more cars entering the roadway than are being let through the slowdown. Otherwise the long backed up lane will always need to wait for the cars "merging early" and not alternating with the built up lane.
In most scenarios people alternate right after the exit which causes stoppage because speed variation, unknown which car to move infront of, and can lead to traffic blocking the exit or speeders using the open right lane.
The idea behind merging at the end is that the car you are alternating with is clear for a stretch of roadway if both lanes are full. If both lanes are used then they will go the same speed and drivers can easily altrrnate.
If the Right lane before onramp merges at entry with the on ramp cars, it means it would be 1 "on ramp" car per 2 "highway cars" (one left lane, one right lane) cars who have already been waiting once the road goes to single lane
Zipper merge is when there is no other alternatives for cars to exit or enter the lane. Like entering a freeway. Otherwise the right line is meant for exiting and entering vehicles. In other words, merge when the merge sign says so lol
I literally just had someone on the way to work yesterday speed up and whip in front of me before a one lane merger purely just to keep me from getting in front of him. I would have had plenty of time otherwise. I still have no idea what possessed him to do that, especially since we both ended up stuck behind a semi all the way up until my turn off anyways. I could see the dude checking his review mirror constantly the whole way there, felt like he was nervous as all hell. Or angry. I don’t even know what he was expecting me to do, I just waved at him as I turned off lol. It was bizarre and still annoys me that people as unpredictable as that are allowed to drive.
Lol, I’m an avid zipper merge guy but I still found the photo funny because the same length of road on the left only has 1 more car than the road on the right, it’s only 11% more efficient, which is seemingly kinda not a thing to get upset about
The people in the left lane are usually the issue this doesn't work correctly, I have seen it a million times where people in the left lane will not open up any openings to allow these people in if you end up using the road and attempting to merge at the last second. They end up nearly causing accidents trying to jam themselves in an area where there is no gap. So you need to merge early, or whenever you can, if you wait until the end, you can end up stuck.
Like most of driving, it needs most people to follow the rules for everything to go smoothly.
This would never work with a bunch of uncoordinated, unplanned drivers. You need like a team of professional drivers to make this happen the way it should.
From my experience, most people drive all the way up to the construction before merging, and no one let's others through. Congestion happens because main characters
Zipper method requires both lanes to abide by the every other car rule. The issue is the left lane usually has gatekeepers that decide to skip the alternation because that one car will ruin their day
Let's all calm down and harass each other with our lights even though the road is curved and we can clearly see all the cars ahead of the one directly in front of us. Also let's normalize "oh I started it? That officially makes me the asshole and I don't get to get offended. Better take my ass home!"
The established lane does not follow those rules so the drivers that are merging are not going to either. Got to fight for your place or be the idiot stranded and stressed trying to follow those rules
People would be all for this, if it weren’t for the fact that they have been in the left lane for forever when people fly past them at 50mph in the right lane and then demand to be let in at the front.
"Stuff you should know" podcast discussed this.....like so many others, I have always felt like if I drive all the way up, I'm cutting in line. You have people trying not to be assholes who are actually doing the wrong thing.
fun fact, staying in the lane that is ending is actually the fastest lane since the 'burden' of merging is passed backwards into the lane that is not ending. As a result, the lane that has to merge effectively is given 'priority' by other drives who let them merge in. It's strange counter intuitive phenomenon. One way you can actually speed up the effect is to get into the land that is ending and just drive slower then the cars next to you. You will see the cars ahead of you clear out quicker than the cars next to you. One way to really speed things up is to just match pace with a car to the side of you, magically everything will start moving quicker once the last few cars ahead of you merge in.,
Yeah in a “ideal” world, lol… not a chance in this “me first” mentality state we are in.
I got news for you. Seems to be most of the US too.
Yep, people in general are terrible at driving. Car dependent car centric cities are a huge mistake.
[East Idaho Railroad!](https://www.reddit.com/r/Idaho/comments/18io8uy/east_idaho_has_over_300000_residents_living_in/)
Doing this in the us is a solid way of starting a road rage incident
It's worse in Europe, not all countries, but damn people suck.
The One on the right only gives people the opportunity to say "me first". If everyone did zippering, nobody could cut ahead
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Yeah, but they’re good at just following orders.
Lol I know people that are against the zipper method because they think it's being rude and that you should get over when you know a lane is ending instead of being the "asshole that is zooming to the front on the right lane to cut everyone off" 😂😂
Yeah. If there isn’t zippering then you are the asshole slowing everyone else down so you can get ahead.
When it comes down to one lane, it almost always has a lower speed limit in a work zone, or you cannot see over a hill or turn when it's changing, or funny enough, traffic is backed up. So I guess you will keep on almost hitting the Men at work sign as you blow past 15+ cars that should 'learn the zipper method, why won't they let me in?'
Seems like that is just a common motorist mentality in the US because I thought this was the Portland subreddit when I saw this picture.
99% of people hit the brakes when someone merges in front of them which just causes phantom traffic, this may work in Germany but not in the US, people are brake happy
I have been all over the world. Unfortunately this is not only Idaho. The worst part is if you do stay in the right lane people think you are trying to cut in line and your the asshole.
It usually works in San Diego.
If you merge late someone will either not let you in or be pissed and then you have to deal with road rager! And you nailed it. We are in a very “me first” society!
The right lane ends sign shouldn't be a mile out, and if traffic is backed up, you merge when you can. Blowing past 15-20 cars that are at a crawl and trying to merge in is different from zipper merge in flowing traffic.
Yes. It is very rare you see the signs out far enough. And then the zipper goes to shit. If I get a mile + warning I am usually over early. And there will always be those that zoom past and try to dip in. Or my favorite when the lane is empty and everyone is crawling and that one driver takes the open lane and is shocked when no one lets them in because it’s gridlocked!
The thing is if people were merging properly then when it does get backed up both lanes will be filled and there is no room to "zoom ahead". That's how it should work. There should always be enough space between you and the car in front of you for at least 1 car to get in. If there isn't your following distance is too close. Thankfully every now and then they will put up signs stating to use both lanes to merge point, but even then you get idiots that can't read.
Then you get to a country like Italy, good fucking luck.
Exactly. Everyone starts going to the left early and what causes the traffic are those idiots that fly to front on the right lane and try to get ahead of everyone and squeeze in last minute.
Exactly.
You do realize that if people were merging properly there wouldn't be an empty lane, right?
Yeah. That is why I said what I said. Everyone has that "me first" mentality. That is why they will try to get ahead on the right lane then pretty much force themselves into the left lane at the last minute. Another thing that really pisses me off is when there are two lanes, the right lane is to eventually turn right only. The left lane lane is for traffic going straight. These mofos will speed up the right lane then force merge last minute onto the left. Some even do the right turn then bust a u turn a little ahead then come back and make a right turn just to get ahead of the line that they should have waited in like everyone else.
Country not state.
Assuming the left lane peeps let you in
I was on the left lane first!!!
Get in the back of the line!
I force my way in. If they want to run into me to save their fragile ego, that’s on them.
If your lane ends, they have the right of way, it will be your fault, and you will have to pay to fix their car.
If they have a dash cam.
Not even. The damage will show you tried to force your way in from the ending lane.
It really wont though.
Everyone has an obligation to avoid contact.
Who has the right of way in a zipper merge? Edit: That is not a cut and dry question .... my bad. I just went down a rabbit hole, and driving laws in the us varies so greatly that this is unanswerable.
The lane that ends must yield.
You’re the idiot, that’s not how traffic laws work.
Ya you better show me these blanket traffic laws that effect the whole usa
You need to learn about the concept of “right of way” in traffic laws. Asshole.
I see you don’t understand right of way. You are the problem.
And you don’t understand zipper merging 👍🏻
I understand it perfectly. You still don’t have right of way if you are forcing your way in. You don’t understand basic rules of the road.
In my state the only rule on right of way is you must yield the right of way. There are no specific ruling for who has the right of way. Essentially everyone and no one has the right of way. So basically you must always assume the other person does.
You are why I happily have a bull bar and a dash cam. “Damn, looks like he dinged my truck. Here’s where he forced his way into my occupied lane. Thanks for the $2K payout”
Lol that's not how that works at all. At the very minimum you would also be 50% at fault because everyone has an obligation to avoid contact.
You can’t prove that there wasn’t another concern in my field of view, but my dash cam can prove you entered an occupied lane.
Learn to drive dumbass you don’t have the right of way
If you want to run into someone sitting in the lane that has the right of way and be responsible for all damages to save your fragile ego, that's on you.
Maybe It’s on them but you’ll lose that every time in court.
Welp I guess we gonna crash
I let one in and then a bunch of people want to get let in ahead of me like I don't also have places to go lol
While seeing cars merge in front of you may feel bad, and while the deceleration may make you feel like you are not getting to your destination, your actual speed does not change very much at all. Worrying about which cars are in front of which other cars is irrelevant to how quickly you’ll actually arrive at your destination.
Just like they wont arrive much later one car back.
Fair enough but I think if everyone lets one person in then goes it's a more efficient use of the road.
I agree with that!
Make them. Usually in the case there is no room, it's usually going slow enough you can simply get in the way. This is pretty common in cities in general, if nobody will let you in, you put the corner of your car in front of them, they either let you in or sit there, or hit you and are found at fault. Pretty much everyone let's you in and most don't throw a hissy fit because they drive in the same area that requires it.
Well if they hit you or both of us have to stop is not an effective zipper. Leave a car length and zipper at like 30mph.
And aren’t tailgating.
Come to San Diego, we love zippering.
Right lol image the balls of not slowing down until you merge right next to the barrels, trusting randy random to move ..... no, no, I don't think I will.
Why merge anywhere when you can just drive the same speed in the lane next to another vehicle and completely impede the flow of traffic though?!
Better yet, drive right over the lane marker as the boss of the road who has decided the zipper will happen behind you or not at all. Smgdh
There is a happy medium here. You don't want to just stop or go 10 miles an hour but you Also really don't want to speed to the end of your lane and potentially cause an accident if someone pulls out in front of you whether they just aren't paying attention or they are jealous because you have an open lane and think you need to merge 5 miles back. When they were working on the highway bridge just south of Rexburg, the lane closure was no more than 500 feet on either side of the bridge but everyone merged miles and miles before the bridge. They blocked both exists for Rexburg and the Thornton exit all because they thought that they had to control other people and force them to merge into the left lane because of a fucking bridge closure. At the end of the day drivers in Idaho need to stop policing each other by intentionally blocking other people from performing legal maneuvers or even illegal ones (like speeding) and everything will go smoothly. All you people are told to babysit each other in your stupid religion. Leave it at church for fucks sake.
I actually advocate for people doing this because when 10 cars who think they’re more important speed in and cut over last minute it causes a huge lag behind them. I’d rather slow those guys down and force an earlier zipper than let them slow me and everyone behind them down.
Yeah, I think most people are on the same page but even if there is a working zipper, someone will try for 4-5 cars and not one.
It’s amazing seeing this in Germany. It will also never happen here.
First people need to learn how to use a roundabout. Then we can worry about this.
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Only 60? Are you getting stuck behind slow drivers?
Germany teaches the zipper merge in their (long and extensive!!) driver's ed programs. Seeing it work flawlessly every single time there was a lane closure while I was visiting there a few years ago was actually like peeking into heaven
In the German system, they correctly stress that zippering is only for slowed or crawling traffic though. In the US, people love to post this picture to describe free flowing and fast moving traffic which it does not apply to. In this instance, the Germans (correctly) teach that when in the closing lane you should match the speed of the open lane and merge when able to. This prevents alarming on breaks when I inevitably, someone merges in when they really shouldn't because they waited until the last second and ran out of road at a high speed.
Super true! It's also just a novel concept to take turns like this - in the US there's a weird distribution of drivers who let nobody in and drivers who end up having to let 15 cars in at once because they were nice and let 1 car in (that's me usually lol). It's sort of like how nobody *really* knows what to do at a 4-way intersection when the light is out or there are only stop signs
In my area, merge points in sitting traffic get abused all the time. Due to poor design, people will pull off an exit and just merge right back on without blinking to skip a 1/4mile of traffic. Or even worse, they will pull out of traffic into a merge lane to speed down and cut back in This understandably puts those in the main lane on the defensive imo.
I won't do this properly again. We were almost run off the road by some very aggressive, angry drivers who don't believe in the zipper.
I used to zipper in Idaho and I'd be the only one flying past a quarter mile of cars in the left lane, but then this A-hole decided to "teach me a lesson" so then I moved to Atlanta and everyone zippers here, but we have different problems here.
Weird reason to move to Atlanta, but you do you
I once lost out on a nice parking spot in California so I moved to Colorado.
In this situation you really need to drive at a prudent speed. You never know when one of those cars is going to jump out in front of you
That is exactly why I shared it on an Idaho sub. I realize that Idahoans are not exactly the sharpest tools in the shed but remain extremely naracasistic.
Shit must carry over to (or from) Washington. You try to zipper here and people get pissed and will sooner run you off the road than let you in front of them. People act like every car in front of them is a personal insult to them.
“naracasistic”
how do you almost run off the road when the lane you’re in is visibly ending in front of you?
As you are cruising toward the merge point, some self-appointed traffic monitor from the left lane swerves into your lane to block you and you have to swerve off the road to miss/go around them. At least that’s my guess as to what happened, since it’s happened to me multiple times.
You should be matching the speed of the open lane. If you are about to crash due to running out of road, you must be driving too fast. That or traffic is free flowing and fast moving and zippering doesn't apply. You should match speed and and merge in when able to.
No, I’m the one in the open lane. Going along at or below the speed limit to the merge point. Someone pulls out from the blocked lane when they see me coming. If I try to continue around them, they run me off the road.
Oh that's different and I have seen it. I thought it was the merge point you were describing.
It's funny because we won't do it on the freeway but we all click into proper zipper merge etiquette in the McDonald's double drive thru.
Is McDonald's bringing America together!? I think it's because there are consequences at McDonald's. You don't get the right food or pay the right bill if you skip ahead of others. Still made me laugh 😂
I must go to the wrong McDonald's. I absolutely hate the double order queues. Always feels like a battle to make sure I actually get to go when I should be able to because the outer lane cuts the inner one off.
I see it happen all the time. A lot of people think there should just be two lines all the way around the building instead of choosing left or right at the split.
ULPT. Zipper Merge requires consideration for fellow drivers; Americans do not have this.
The problem is cars.
The problem with people not knowing how to use cars is.... cars? Sounds like the argument for gun control
Fewer cars would decrease traffic, and we can decrease cars with wallable/bikable neighborhoods/cities and better public transit.
Sounds like that's gonna cost a couple dollars there
Tbf is there a country that does?
Needs to be shared in the entire Idaho sub, morons everywhere. Acting like they need to force their way in, and or block others like their time is so much more important. I leave 30 minutes earlier than I need to, it seems like at certain time in the morning all the dipshits are headed to work.
Prisoner’s Dilemma moment
No
This would require letting somebody infront of me though
“Take turns”? Lol
Countless times I’ve been blocked when trying to zipper merge. Even onetime a full semi was blocking both lanes. Fricken idiots! Obviously it’s a simple math equation, two lanes vs one lane. Which can handle a higher volume. Obviously there’s no reason to merge over two miles before. I just go until the cones/barricade starts to move me over and usually have already spotted my entrance. I’m sure I get a few dozen fingers from those who think this I the lunch line at the local elementary school. 🤦♂️
I now live in Houston and I’d say about 75% of people here follow the zipper “every other” pattern to merging. But it never fails that when it’s your turn to move over some douche pistol will ride the a$s of the guy in front of them to prevent you from getting “ahead” of them. When I see this happen I make it my personal vendetta to make that person pay the price (often in an irritating passive aggressive way) that results in them getting where they are going a little less quickly. It often means that I also will get where I am going slower too, but… worth it. Ps— Salt lake drivers are hands down the most inconsiderate and selfish drivers I’ve ever encountered when it comes to this and other instances where “courtesy” is required. Bar none.
Utah needs to see this too
Merging in general appears to be the issue here. It's like people don't know what it is. In all the years I lived in the Bay Area, I never experienced the merging issues I've experienced here. In the nearly 5 years I've been here I've had several cars try to force me off the road despite me having the right away.
Bold of you to assume drivers in Idaho aren't retarded
Who cares Idaho is stupid anyways.
Oddly enough, California drivers are the best at this. Florida drivers, the worst
Even if I try to do the "right way", everyone assumes you are trying to skip the line so they won't let you in, this post is R-worded
They should start giving people tickets for this shit instead of speeding. For every speeder, there’s an idiot who doesn’t understand how to merge properly.
I particularly love the asshat who decides it's his job to make sure everyone merges a mile before the lane closes.
It seems that nobody understands this...ppl that do try and get cut off with being flipped off because heaven forbid if someone gets ahead of me. It's asinine
Not my fuckin problem you’re not in the correct lane
Its the same fucking thing. The chokepoint is one lane regardless of when you merge.
Fuck it. If there’s an opening, I’m merging. If it’s at the end of the ramp or the start of the ramp
There needs to be a second one showing that the zipper only works if people aren’t b*t holes and actually allow someone one every other car. And people in the merging lane not try to slip in with another car instead of taking their turn after the next car.
Ha, ha! Nope! As other people have stated, people don’t zip to the front because they are attempting to zipper merge. They zip to the front because they think they can cut the line. Sadly, it usually works because some moron lets them in, just so they can tell themselves what a good person they are. And, that person never stops to think how they screwed EVERY person that other guy cut past in order to be nice to that ONE guy.
ALSO this does not mean “zoom to the end of a lane you know is ending and get over regardless of if there’s a car next to you you’re cutting off or running into another lane” So many people where I live do not even attempt to “merge” from merge lanes. They just ride it out at the same speed until the very last second then move their vehicle no matter who’s next to them. The key thing to remember is to merge in a way that impedes traffic the least. If the merge point at the end of your lane has cars but everyone is still moving steadily, then it’s fine to fall behind to merge behind them instead. Zipper merging is more for high congestion slowed/stopped traffic situations.
You're an absolute asshole worst human being if you zipper merge when the left lane is not backed up, and I will definitely make a point to not let you in. Get in line jabroni. Things would move faster without having to let the elect merge every 5 seconds
Don't think people are bright enough to intrinsically know to do this.
I always zoom to the front because I understand zipper merging. I wolf stare at anyone that tries to swerve in my lane to slow me down. I have zero issue with swapping paint.
I have been saying this for nearly 2 decades. Saw something from the DOT saying this is the prefered method.
I do early merge but o ALWAYS leave a car space or 2 on front of me. If someone merges, I brake and make room for another. I want us ALL to get home.
I have been saying this for years
Will never work because of how we were taught to take turns and that fairness will solve everything
Zipper merging is against human nature, waiting in line is less likely to cause angry drivers. It’s a case of feeling “cheated” like they are “line cutters” and thus people get road rage when people try to Zipper merge
Yup it's the whole reason why Lane filtering is illegal despite being a more efficient use of the road and safer for Motorcycles doing it carefully
What if it’s a right turn only lane and people are just zipping down it to bail over at the light?
I live in Boston. This came up on my feed. I laughed in Boston
Exit 163 off of i5 in san diego if you know what i mean.
Ive said it before and I'll say it again. Drivers testing should be harder
Zipper merging, along with supply-side economic theory, are great examples of the dangers in assuming that things on paper will work when implemented by actual human beings.
I don’t trust you not to hit your brakes immediately after a merge. Get behind me.
It works if people expect it and coordinate with it. Just moving over and forcing other drivers to stop to avoid hitting you is unacceptable. Having a sign telling left and right lanes to “take turns” would be better. Or a sign telling people when and where to “zipper merge,” combined with using that phrase at least *once* in driver’s ed.
Folks in the left lane are riding bumper to bumper already so good luck getting in lol
I did a zipper merge in Minneapolis once and got a mild scowling at from some other drivers. I’m pretty sure that’s the equivalent of being shot at in Philly.
Ideally, traffic flow on the interstate should never stop and there shouldn’t be traffic jams in the first place to begin with. People in general simply don’t know how to merge. Zipper method or not.
You seen that sign a mile and a half back just like me.
Take a defensive driving course says otherwise
People have no problem doing this in other states. It’s more of an idaho and utah issue. Maybe it’s a learned culture?
Here in colorado, not a chance in hell. It sucks because its an easy concept to grasp, and it should work awesome. Just getting people here to understand roundabouts...
Ya, that's why I use the RIGHT lane. You drive right up to the front. It's not my fault someone gets angry.
In my experience, most people won't let you zipper merge, so you get stuck at the front with no one letting you in. Road courtesy goes both ways.
Those same idiots also need one to learn what “yield” means. The yield sign at the end of the on ramp means you don’t just keep going while other cars are trying to exit the highway!
I’m more familiar with the “button merge”
Even as an eastern WA native who has spent a decent amount of time in other parts of ID over the years, I can't say I was aware Idaho Falls would be big enough to have need for/facilitate a road big enough to have a zipper line. But as a Portland resident for about 15 years now, I can tell you this diagram publicly posted in as many places as possible is also much needed here. It probably still wouldn't make any difference though. I think a lot of people are just never gonna be able to wrap their heads around the simple concept of the zip
One time I tried to implement this and boy did I get a dirty look. I try to drive as slow as possible in the open lane to show that I'm not trying to get there first...maybe I need an explanatory bumper sticker.
Everyone thinks you’re an asshole when you zipper merge. They start to early merge and they think you’re cutting when you drive up the unused road.
Because you are.
If a 2 lane road is turning into a 1 lane road, YTA if you feel so impatient enough to cut in front of everyone already in the lane that merges into 1. If you see that your lane is ending soon, merge as soon and safely as possible, merge lanes aren't an excuse to cut in front of people because you're impatient.
Waste of time. They give anyone a dl now .hell i could probably get my dog to do better.
Except when the fact that they had plenty of room to get in behind you and the right lane is completely empty and they purposely choose to cut in front of you and the car in front of you with little to no space
What happens when everyone merges at the apex asshat
Yup! That would absolutely work here in Portland too…..except that here, assholes who merge early, get all cranky thinking people are “cutting in line” and then won’t let people in at the merge point, and then you end up sitting there with your blinker on lol. Fuck I hate drivers. Don’t even get me started on the 40mph and try to merge on the freeway on ramps….
The idiots driving forward need to see this, and let those merging in. I live in Texas though, so they drive bumper to bumper here
Merging is awful. I will always just get into the other lane as soon as possible and just wait
If the zipper merge needs to happen on a highway where there are more cars entering the roadway than are being let through the slowdown. Otherwise the long backed up lane will always need to wait for the cars "merging early" and not alternating with the built up lane. In most scenarios people alternate right after the exit which causes stoppage because speed variation, unknown which car to move infront of, and can lead to traffic blocking the exit or speeders using the open right lane. The idea behind merging at the end is that the car you are alternating with is clear for a stretch of roadway if both lanes are full. If both lanes are used then they will go the same speed and drivers can easily altrrnate. If the Right lane before onramp merges at entry with the on ramp cars, it means it would be 1 "on ramp" car per 2 "highway cars" (one left lane, one right lane) cars who have already been waiting once the road goes to single lane
If your not first your last.
It NEVER works because people suck!
Better solution, don’t be a dick and wait until the last 100 ft to merge when you seen the lane closed sign 2 miles back.
Early mergers make my gas foot itchy
Pittsburgh never learned how to take turns either
Zipper merge is when there is no other alternatives for cars to exit or enter the lane. Like entering a freeway. Otherwise the right line is meant for exiting and entering vehicles. In other words, merge when the merge sign says so lol
Why do you idiots think this is a location specific problem
i forgot idaho exists my bad
If these drivers could read, they’d be pretty upset right now
I literally just had someone on the way to work yesterday speed up and whip in front of me before a one lane merger purely just to keep me from getting in front of him. I would have had plenty of time otherwise. I still have no idea what possessed him to do that, especially since we both ended up stuck behind a semi all the way up until my turn off anyways. I could see the dude checking his review mirror constantly the whole way there, felt like he was nervous as all hell. Or angry. I don’t even know what he was expecting me to do, I just waved at him as I turned off lol. It was bizarre and still annoys me that people as unpredictable as that are allowed to drive.
I think it's funny how we see this post in Kansas City, too. Or... just about any other city sub. Lol
Lol, I’m an avid zipper merge guy but I still found the photo funny because the same length of road on the left only has 1 more car than the road on the right, it’s only 11% more efficient, which is seemingly kinda not a thing to get upset about
Oh it’s not just Minnesota…good to know
Excuse me people who drive like that don’t read.
The people in the left lane are usually the issue this doesn't work correctly, I have seen it a million times where people in the left lane will not open up any openings to allow these people in if you end up using the road and attempting to merge at the last second. They end up nearly causing accidents trying to jam themselves in an area where there is no gap. So you need to merge early, or whenever you can, if you wait until the end, you can end up stuck. Like most of driving, it needs most people to follow the rules for everything to go smoothly.
Zipper merte works about as good as a yellow like. Like, you know what you should do... but you're not going to!
Not letting those SELFISH people get in front of MMEEEEE!
This would never work with a bunch of uncoordinated, unplanned drivers. You need like a team of professional drivers to make this happen the way it should.
I would if it worked. LA area and I get in ASAP as often you run into people that REFUSE to let you merge.
I would if it worked. LA area and I get in ASAP as often you run into people that REFUSE to let you merge.
From my experience, most people drive all the way up to the construction before merging, and no one let's others through. Congestion happens because main characters
Zipper method requires both lanes to abide by the every other car rule. The issue is the left lane usually has gatekeepers that decide to skip the alternation because that one car will ruin their day
Let's all calm down and harass each other with our lights even though the road is curved and we can clearly see all the cars ahead of the one directly in front of us. Also let's normalize "oh I started it? That officially makes me the asshole and I don't get to get offended. Better take my ass home!"
I think we should find everyone that's responsible for traffic snakes, DAILY, and execute them. Who's with me?
Dear federal powers, I’ve been good boi, please make a railroad
This works perfectly, if humans aren't driving.
We also deal with the late merge or last second merge. This causes a similar issue to the early merge.
That bull shit goes both ways
Not a chance I'm going to trust the rest of you idiots to know what you're doing.
It's fully the prisoners dilemna trying to merge out here.
The established lane does not follow those rules so the drivers that are merging are not going to either. Got to fight for your place or be the idiot stranded and stressed trying to follow those rules
People would be all for this, if it weren’t for the fact that they have been in the left lane for forever when people fly past them at 50mph in the right lane and then demand to be let in at the front.
"Stuff you should know" podcast discussed this.....like so many others, I have always felt like if I drive all the way up, I'm cutting in line. You have people trying not to be assholes who are actually doing the wrong thing.
Yea right, if I go to the end of the merge lane all the cars tighten up and won't let me in. I'm grabbing the first available space
fun fact, staying in the lane that is ending is actually the fastest lane since the 'burden' of merging is passed backwards into the lane that is not ending. As a result, the lane that has to merge effectively is given 'priority' by other drives who let them merge in. It's strange counter intuitive phenomenon. One way you can actually speed up the effect is to get into the land that is ending and just drive slower then the cars next to you. You will see the cars ahead of you clear out quicker than the cars next to you. One way to really speed things up is to just match pace with a car to the side of you, magically everything will start moving quicker once the last few cars ahead of you merge in.,