Nate Nagel > wrote in
:

> Anthony Giorgianni wrote:
>
>> I think Dave is right on, though a bit vitriolic. This "enabler" idea
>> is the problem, Alexander. As a driver - and not a police officer or
>> driving instructor - you're not there to teach lessons or dole out
>> punishments. (And in all likelihood you neither taught him a lesson
>> or succeeded in punishing anyone but yourself. And you really would
>> have been punished if he side-swiped you.) You need to concentrate
>> on getting to where you are going as safely as possible. As Dave
>> pointed out perhaps a bit too eloquently, you should have been able
>> to anticipate the potential danger you caused when you came out and
>> tried to pass the other driver in the very lane that he was merging
>> onto.
>>
>> That being said, I agree with you that it is VERY frustrating trying
>> to enter behind someone who refuses to get up to highway speed. Going
>> onto a 65 mph highway at 45 mph is really dangerous. This happens to
>> me a lot. Here's what I do: I try to slow down much as possible to
>> widen the gap between me and the slow poke ahead. Then, after he's on
>> the highway, gun and merge at full speed if I can. Of course, being
>> aware of your surroundings is critical. You have to look at the
>> traffic on the on-ramp behind you as well as take measure of the
>> traffic in the right and center lanes of the highway on which you're
>> merging. If you come on at full speed and the slow guy is still not
>> up to speed, then you need to know if you can pull in the center lane
>> at that point - of course leaving yourself enough time to make sure
>> he is not going to do the same thing. This is the art of defensive,
>> creative, controlled and safe driving. And you'd be much better
>> practicing that than worrying about how to punish or teach someone
>> who doesn't understand how to drive safety. It also will make you
>> safer.
>>
>> That's my view anyway.
>>
>
> I've found that often these slow mergers also merge early, which
> offers an easy solution to the whole problem - just stick your foot in
> it and use the acceleration lane to pass the slowpoke. Sure, they'll
> think you're a jerk but there's no safer place to be than in *front*
> of them, and it's less frustrating for you as well.
>
> nate
>
>

Well,in my experience,most sloth mergers go all the way to the end before
merging(and THEN accellerating,ever so slowly),so I'd hate to gamble and
then have them do just that,making both of you merge hazardously.

--
Jim Yanik
jyanik
at
kua.net