Posted on 04/06/2017 5:35:02 AM PDT by Tolerance Sucks Rocks
As I retire, I want to devote my last column to travelers who wrote in to discuss their tips and travails. Some wanted to get something fixed. Some just wanted to vent. All were welcome.
Dear Dr. Gridlock:
I’m not a commuter, but I have a real gridlock problem. When people in a left lane don’t pull up to the vehicle in front of them, they block the ability of people trying to turn left from accessing the left-turn lane.
I can’t even count how many times I’ve missed the left green arrow because of this.
It seems that if cars are moving, people tailgate, or switch lanes to pull in front if you’ve left any space between you and the car ahead. Yet at a stoplight, they leave multiple car lengths, blocking the left-turn lane.
All it takes to solve the problem is a little thought and consideration of others.
Linda Thomas, Vienna
P.S. I’ve been reading your column for 30 years. Can that be true?
DG: It’s been wonderful to have such readers. The Dr. Gridlock column was founded a little over three decades ago by Ron Shaffer. When Ron retired in 2006, I got to be the second Dr. Gridlock.
In the 1980s, the word “gridlock” was buzzy. Its popularity goes back only to 1980, when a New York transportation official, Sam Schwartz, used it to warn commuters what would happen if they all drove into the middle of the city during a transit strike.
It’s hard to imagine a time when the word itself wasn’t part of our everyday discussions. Harder still to imagine a time when it won’t be.
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...
Dr Gridlock was one of the only parts of the Compost that was with anything... So far as I can tell, he managed to keep in today apolitical...A true rarity for that rag. I wish him well in retirement.
I hate autocorrect on my phone lol. Try again... He managed to keep it totally apolitical
There are some neighborhoods where I will pull right up to the car in front of me, and there are some neighborhoods where I will always leave some room to maneuver.
Mostly it has to do with security and panhandlers.
If I feel threatened, I want the ability to hit the gas and get out of there. If I am on the bumper of the car in front of me, I am boxed in. Depending on the neighborhood, this may or not be acceptable.
And if I am likely to be solicited by a panhandler or squeegy guy, or a firefighter collecting money in his boot, I want the ability to move up and avoid the interaction. I am there to drive, and I simply will not have anything to do with anybody standing outside my window, unless he is carrying a badge.
So, if the neighborhood is hinky, or there are people knocking on windows, sorry guy behind me, but you are not going to make the light.
Maryland “Freak State” PING!
Drive ahead...like a chess game thinking 2-3 moves ahead. Get in the left lane well before your need to do so- don't wait 'til the last minute.
That doesn't make sense. He's ALREADY in the left lane; he's talking about trying to make it into the left TURN lane, and the cars ahead of him are blocking his access into the turn lane.
I have yet to see a left turn lane that did not slowly diverge from the left travel lane. Now if you’re staying in the travel lane to pass a few more cars on their right before you pull into the left turn lane ahead of them, then you deserve the inconvenience. I won’t let you cut in, unless you look like you are helpless and just made a mistake. Judgement call.
“”Now if you’re staying in the travel lane to pass a few more cars on their right before you pull into the left turn lane ahead of them, then you deserve the inconvenience. I won’t let you cut in,””
Sorry - that says a lot more about your driving than anything else - it says “rude” as well as projection. You don’t have any idea what prevents another driver from getting into the left turn lane. My experience says it’s because the lane to move over in isn’t available until you are at the rear bumper on the car that won’t pull ahead...
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.