Comments on: Something Unpolitical

By: forty

forty — Mon, 03 Sep 2007 03:23:00 +0000

Trying to get on the interstate going 30 when the traffic is going 60 doesn’t work people, you are increasing your chances of getting into an accident, especially getting rear-ended by me. And for christ sake, if someone is trying to merge and no one is next to you move to the left lane.

By: champs

champs — Wed, 08 Nov 2006 00:05:34 +0000

Well, I'm happy to have started this MNspeak meme. You can see how passionate everyone is on the subject.

DouglasG: it's possible to make better junctions if you limit the number of possible connections or with at least one undivided highway, but that would be unacceptable at places like 35W & 494. The cloverleaf interchange, with some variations on the shape, is really what we're stuck with.

By: Josie

Josie — Tue, 07 Nov 2006 22:26:56 +0000

Whoops. That’s eight “lanes”, not eight “lines.” Cripes.

By: Josie

Josie — Tue, 07 Nov 2006 22:22:54 +0000

I believe it. Ever try to get on 394 West from that entrance behind the Basilica? (I’m blanking on where it is. I think it’s Hawthorne Ave.) People just come to a dead halt as soon as they get past the median to hop over into oncoming traffic. Before I found a less crazy entrance (Dunwoody, baby), sometimes the best part of my day would be zipping around all those fools, using the merge lane to its full extent, and ending up ahead of them, successfully merged.

Also, you haven’t seen traffic until you’ve seen the 405 in Los Angeles. Eight lines at a dead halt, any time of day or night. Ugh.

By: DouglasG

DouglasG — Tue, 07 Nov 2006 21:26:34 +0000

One of the problems with Minnesota drivers, are the roads. It is the roads that get people driving the way they do. With all of the clover-leafs in the metropolitan area, it makes it difficult to merge with any consistancy.

Clover-leaf = combined on and off ramp.

You have to try and speed up, watch for cars slowing down to exit, and merge into traffic. All of these should be eliminated.

After that, elliminate all of those on-ramps that come from the right. If you think people merging from the left is bad, think about merging from the wrong side.

Then get rid of the traffic lanes that mysteriously end. If you have ever wondered why people drive down the middle lane on 94, it is because lanes end all over the place. Snelling, Kellogg, etc. People get in a lane they know doesn't end in 4 miles.

Fix the roads, and it will show benefit in people's driving.

By: cary

cary — Tue, 07 Nov 2006 21:00:12 +0000

The big problem with the 94W double-white-line area is that people go SO DAMN SLOW on the onramp and in the merge lane that many get frustrated and want to get going so they ignore the line. I personally find merging at 40mph to be scary, so I move at the earliest opportunity.

"Zippering" only works if the merging traffic matches the freeway speed.

Minnesotans need education on the location of the gas pedal.

By: Emily M.

Emily M. — Tue, 07 Nov 2006 20:41:26 +0000

If anyone drives along 94W near the Hennepin/Lyndale exit, you’ll see they are trying to encourage people to learn how to merge. They’ve put down DOUBLE WHITE LINES to stop people from trying to merge onto 94 right away, but people don’t seem to look at the road lines or seem to care. A trooper could sit along that stretch of the freeway and give out tickets all day. That has to be one of the spots that gets backed up the most during rush hour.

By: cary

cary — Tue, 07 Nov 2006 19:57:50 +0000

Minnesotans don't know how to drive. Merging is just one of many problems.

The left lane is NOT for CRUISING, it is for PASSING. So if you're PACING the car beside you, you are driving ILLEGALLY.

And put down your goddamn phone, for cripes sake.

By: Raindog66

Raindog66 — Tue, 07 Nov 2006 19:32:50 +0000

Solution?

Flying Cars Damn It!

By: leigha

leigha — Tue, 07 Nov 2006 19:21:26 +0000

and making tidy 90-degree turns without first cranking your steering wheel in the opposite direction

HA! Ain't that the truth! eshaffer is my driving-comment hero for today. Long live drivers trained elsewhere!