From Ninetyninth Squad Leader at The Bullpen:
Tantalizing concept with the promise to make one wonder exactly what is a “zipper merge” study.
Alas dear readers, it’s not what you may think it is. Local progressive transportation departments are experimenting with a new merge sign. You guessed it – motorists are totally confused. Another example of a idiotic Common Core inspired policy.
This may cause more congestion with all the distracted drivers checking if their fly is open.
We have ‘Zipper Merge’ around here, Most drivers think it means get out of one lane and race up in the other lane, forcing rest of drivers in the original lane to wait for the racer.
Ah, this is from the DOTs’ Blue Period.
How’d you get the beans above the frank?
@Burner: so you live in New York?
We’ve had “zipper” merge (“Zip ‘er in”) for ever in the Seattle area (lots of backups caused by bridge openings). It’s just common sense and common courtesy. We never had to have a sign for it, though. But I’m not surprised the progtards need a sign, since they have neither. The what will happen is that they will insist on a sign so that OTHER drivers will be forced to look at another sign, but they’ll ignore it. We got along fine, for example, for decades, not cluttering up our residential intersections with Stop signs. Californians moved here in droves, stop signs went up EVERYWHERE and now people run them, where before, again, it was common sense and common courtesy (as well as the rules of the road) to slow down, look for traffic from the right and stop, as needed. Argghhh!
The sign should just say “MERGE, AND DON’T BE AN ASSHOLE!”
I remember a time way back when my wife and I were dating. We went camping and zipped our sleeping bags together. Now that was a “zipper merge”.
They must’ve come up with that idea on the fly.
😇
VietVet: BaDum, TSSSsss
Silly sign. The merge is inevitable so why an unnecessary common core sign drivers have to spend time figuring out, potentially causing more delay?
My guess drivers will think it’s a joke, avant-garde, or a clothing store sign and ignore it.
Figured this tidbit would interest IOTWRers – Thx MJA.
@Meerkat – Wisconsin.
And around here they need a sign for “OK to use right turn only lane for personal passing lane when speeding and running red light only”.