Mad Man Traffic

I’ve got a few pet peeves when it comes to traffic. One of em’s handed down by my father, a traffic cop. Merging. Maybe I’m missing something but where is it taught or demonstrated that you get on an interstate by comin’ off the on-ramp at 10-15 miles per hour LESS than the flow of traffic?!? The ramp is there to essentially allow you to match your speed with the flow for an almost seamless entry onto the highway. Unfortunately we’re bustin’ at the seams in Atlanta with drivers that think you just cruise down the ramp then just come on over regardless of traffic. Nothing could be more wrong! And, if there is a steady flow of traffic then drivers already on the interstate need to make sure the driver’s have room to get in, either in front of them or behind them. There is no disgrace in slowing down a little. Just don’t hit the brakes for a nimrod trying to merge doing 55 or less when everyone else is up around 75! They need to just continue onto the shoulder and wait for traffic to subside. Or park it and have someone come get em’.
One of my favorite stories about my dad happpened many, many years ago when he was doing his helicopter traffic reports in Cincinnati. A woman had slowed, then stopped at the bottom of an on ramp to I-75 (a co-incidence? I think not). He had his pilot put the helicopter down to just a few feet above and in front of the woman’s car. Everyone listened to him and she just looked up at him and he yelled, “MOVE!” into his headset microphone. She did. And the drivers in the cars behind her aplauded and honked their horns in approval. It’s called merging for a reason. And even though you’re all headed in the same direction it’s still a two-way street.