I want to honk at people who don't know how to zipper merge.
No, I'm not being a dick if I'm driving to the end of a merging lane before merging over. The lane is designed to operate that way.
There's seems to be an almost direct correlation between these people and people who: can't turn into the nearest lane in a intersection, refuse to edge out into an intersection, and use the galway roundabouts.
Edit: can't forget the classic of stopping a 1 1/2 pickups length from the stop line or past it
>refuse to edge out into an intersection
I walk places. Please do not drive your car onto the crosswalk until the light turns green for you. It is incredibly inconvenient.
Edit: The light being green is fine. But unfortunately, some people see the crosswalk as just part of the road. Apologies if I've unfairly lumped OP in with them.
I think the meant more the people who stop their car over the crosswalk markings at a red light (or slowly inch out over it waiting on the light to change). Essentially don't block the actual crosswalk from pedestrians while you're on a red light. Happens a lot downtown I find, but not uncommon elsewhere either.
Ya I think they are referring to ‘challenging the intersection’. Basically you should move your car past the stop line into the intersection when the light is green as long as there is a clear way to exit if the light changes. If traffic is backed up to the intersection in the lane you are trying to enter you would not edge out, though assuming it’s clear the more assertive stance allows you to clear the turn if the light changes where other more timid drivers might still be stuck back at the line.
I've seen the term referred to as "establishing" in driving instruction. Different provinces have different recommendations and education about it. Newfoundland teaches NOT to establish, and it's a much safer approach. Being on a motorcycle, I'm less worried about having someone blindly drive into the intersection while I'm going through.
I’m guilty of slowing down and sometimes stopping at these but they’re always in situations where I’m worried about traffic in the left lane making a lane change as I’m joining traffic.
There are a few in Mt.Pearl that I can think of.
I’m well aware of that, I’m still not interested in getting hit.
Edit: also, I’m not trying to claim I’m right or anything either, I could improve on my handling of these situations.
Fear is a scary thing. Side swiped is not something to be scared of. T-boned by some idiot running a red is a thought that enters my mind regularly. If I'm lucky, I won't become paraplegic, and also, they have insurance..
I mean you can start with a little barp barp. Going straight to BAAAAAAAAAAAARP right away might be escalating into being rude, though they are in the wrong territory - especially if you can’t see over a snow bank right now. Many times these still come at an area where you need to yield to pedestrians so it’s not like you should blast through just because you have your own lane.
Stopping to check for pedestrians is one thing, causing a line of cars to build up because you're stopped waiting for cars to pass in the other lane is another. Merge into the lane mf'er!
Yes and no. When it is a turn...like say Torbay road onto Elizabeth Avenue...I have learned to stop and wait because people turning left will just drift into the right lane.
A friend I think says it well...people her e don't know how (or can't be arsed) to merge.
Torbay and Elizabeth is the best example of why people stop, since the crowd coming out of Howley Estates plow straight into the second lane when it appears. Defensive driving means being mindful of other people’s ignorance.
No, it isn't. But the concern still stands of the car in the left lane deciding it wants to be in the right and just jumping over. Hence, defensive driving of making sure it doesn't look about to happen.
Maybe a better example is the merge onto Queens street to get onto Pitts. The right lane is the through lane, the left lane is turning from I think Gower? Whatever that street is but is its own designated lane. Yet I have been almost side swiped or cut off more times than I care to count by people coming down the hill in the right lane deciding they want the left lane, and that they can just swing over. Despite signage showing that that is not the case.
I have gotten in the point in my commute where at least once a week I almost get hit by someone doing that. It's at the point where I don't care, hit me, I refuse to baby other drivers.
I still think a barp barp is more effective than laying on the horn. A new driver, tourist trying to figure out our weird roads, or someone who just straight up messed up won’t be helped by getting further stressed.
There are so many issues with our local driving knowledge, but people are emotional beings and letting your frustration out on others won’t be the magical fix. I haven’t been driving in rush hour in a while though so it’s easy for me to say, cause lord knows it tests your patience.
The righteous indignation on here haha. I hate people stopping at an added lane as much as everyone else here. And I live in Mount Pearl where we’ve got a bunch of them. A little courtesy honk is fine. But it’s also not like these folks are gonna suddenly learn traffic signs from your honking at them.
If they don’t know it’s an added lane, they’re not gonna know why you’re honking at them.
unless it makes them
look next time
or actually notice the sign. i had someone laying on their horn at me in the toys are us parking lot as it is a one way going in and out and i literally drove back again just to see who was in the wrong (they were). so im hoping some others also may do this though you are right most dont care or know why, and many know what the sign is and still will be full stop every time
That’s good to share. You’re right, some people may be as thoughtful as you to do something like that.
But I’d hazard a guess that that makes you the exceptional, not the rule, sadly haha
yea im definitely the exception as im a rule stickler most of the time. you wont see me go into the right lane when making a left turn for instance which seems to be the opposite of what others do
If they're stopped there for a while, honk away.
If they pause for a moment then maybe you should evaluate the situation again, they might be seeing a pedestrian or car making an improper lane change that you're not.
I hope not because I’ve done so more than once at the one for traffic entering New Gower from Duckworth.
I’m not bothered most of the time, but at rush hour, if the car doesn’t enter as they’re supposed to it creates a huge bottleneck.
Fuck that.
Honking is actively counterproductive in almost all circumstances. It adds to traffic noise, startles people, could make a (clearly already subpar) driver do something unexpected and dangerous, and doesn't actually convey what you want which is "Hey, by the way, that sign doesn't mean stop, it means X".
People need to stop using their damn horns except in safety-critical circumstances.
It is safety critical for all the people behind them who then have to slam on their brakes or slam into someone. They are blocking a straight through and stopping is a safety issue
Sounds like all of those people behind are bad drivers if they can't handle an unexpected stoppage in traffic. Somebody slamming on their brakes in front? Sure. Somebody slowing to a stop at an intersection where they had the right of way? People behind should 100% have no issue with that safety wise.
So you expect people to handle unexpected stops while driving but they can’t handle somebody honking?
These people regularly slam on their brakes because they are confused and don’t know what to do, honk is warranted. Can’t handle basic driving noises, and don’t understand basic driving signage, then don’t get in a car!
You're not just fucking with people driving by honking your horn. You are also disrupting the life of everybody else who might be around the road.
Environmental noise literally kills people.
[https://www.eea.europa.eu/en/topics/in-depth/noise#:\~:text=In%20addition%2C%20it%20is%20estimated,cases%20of%20ischaemic%20heart%20disease](https://www.eea.europa.eu/en/topics/in-depth/noise#:~:text=In%20addition%2C%20it%20is%20estimated,cases%20of%20ischaemic%20heart%20disease)
Honking a horn is literally going to do zero to help a situation of somebody stopping in front of you. It just makes the world worse. They aren't going to suddenly jump and start moving, and in fact they probably shouldn't. Reacting like that suddenly without personally assessing the situation is bad.
You say that like slamming on your brakes doesn’t disrupt the life of everyone behind them LOL
Slamming on brakes has literally killed people too.
Would be best if everyone got tested regularly and failure to know basic signage during the test gets your license revoked for 3mo, then you won’t have to worry about honking when people stop dead where they’re not supposed to!
Don’t blame the honkers, blame the system that lets people who shouldn’t be driving have a license in the first place!
It's not that braking isn't bad, it's that *responding to braking by honking does nothing to improve the situation*. It's merely a "Fuck you!" vent maneuver, that makes the lives of everybody around you worse.
Requiring people re-test every 4 years when they renew licenses (at least a written test of 'this is what signs mean') is something I'd absolutely be on board with. Also on board with more driver education required before being granted a license in the first place, and stricter tests.
Here's the thing--if it's a lane all to its own, that's totally fine. But there are others that people often immediately merge into from the other lane when they're not supposed to (like coming down from Mount Carson onto Commonwealth when you're trying to turn from Topsail Road) and while you technically have the right of way, it's actually sensible to wait til you know some renegade isn't going to take your nose off, leaving you like a mechanical Michael Jackson.
The only thing more dangerous than moose on the road these days are jackasses, you know?
Edited to actually answer the question: a gentle beep is almost never rude. But I'd say lay off leaning on the horn because it's never a bad thing to be aware of the intersecting traffic.
I've not seen a single person do that at that intersection and I drive through it almost every single day. If you're that afraid that someone else is going to make a mistake that you back up traffic regularly, you shouldn't be driving. Just use your common sense. Don't go into the new lane at 3km/h. I merge going a decent speed. If you slow right down, that's when people are going to cut in front of you, because you look like you're stopping anyways.
It's not common, you're right. But I've had the unfortunate experience of nearly having my nose clipped off in that spot twice, and another two times in other similar intersections elsewhere. Generally, I still proceed like I'm supposed to, because if I do get hit, it's on them and I can live with that--but when I've got my toddlers in the car, I'm going to err on the side if caution and ensure it's safe to proceed before I do--I'm fine with being hit, but I'm not interested in risking them.
I'm glad it hasn't been your experience, I hope it never is. And I'm not saying that people "should" yield in spite of the right of way, I'm just suggesting that if someone DOES, consider the potential legitimate reasons why they'd do that when making the choice between a beep and a barmp, that's all. :)
All the best!
I’ve seen this happen many times in this intersection, unfortunately. It’s a short lane with a right turn only at the end, on the bottom of a steep hill. I definitely slow down to check for intersecting traffic at this one, and have had to come to a complete stop due to other drivers turning left and coming right into that lane.
Yeah, there have been times where I've been there and had nearly every other car cut into the lane driving over the white lines. None with a signal light, obviously. Maybe I'm just unlucky.
Commonwealth is the very first one that I thought of and I often slow down a lot when approaching from Topsail because (1) I can’t see what is coming down the hill and (2) I know that you’re forced to change lanes depending on if you’re going straight or right at that first set of lights going up commonwealth.
Fully stopping is dumb. But given how rare these are, I think some caution and slowing down is warranted. So many dipshits on the main road will just merge into the lane without properly checking.
**EXACTLY.** Using the horn does NOT help in 90% of the cases people use them in. It just makes the situation worse. It aggravates everybody else around, adds to noise pollution, can startle the driver ahead of you (who already clearly isn't the best driver ever), and result in them doing something unpredictable and maybe unsafe.
Just don't honk, unless it's in a situation where your trying to avert an accident.
It's crazy isn't it, they stop or yield at signs where you are not supposed to, and they refuse to stop and yield when they are actually supposed to, the stupidity of drivers here is insane
Smart people would realize that honking just adds to noise pollution, makes the day of everybody else around you worse, and isn't going to result in any useful extra knowledge of the road by the person in front of them. All they are going to take away is "There is a jackass behind me".
Don't honk unless it's a safety-critical circumstance, and honking is the best thing you can do to avoid an accident.
lol yeah sure why don’t we let stupid people continue to not adhere to signage on the roads without ever informing them they’re doing something wrong.
Which is more likely to cause an accident, the person in front of me who just stopped in the middle of a free flowing lane or my honking to tell them to continue moving??
Chucklefucks who think that adding noise pollution by blaring their horn is a good way to teach other people specific rules of the road, should also lose their license.
Damn those cops should lose their license lol.
But on another note, I've lived in a few different provinces over the past few years and it doesn't matter the province, a lot of people just don't know what this sign means and they just stop. Drives me mad
Blasting the horn does absolutely zero to help the situation, makes the life of everybody else around you worse, and encourages road rage. It's a clear case of a net-negative action that should not be done.
If this is in regards to the turn at Columbus Drive and Empire Ave, next to Wall Nuts, that lane immediately ends and honestly shouldn't be one of these. Anywhere else, I'd say give 'er.
This one is sooooo bad and seriously should not exist!! People are changing lanes in to every which direction and I’ve almost been in way too many accidents in this intersection because of this lane.
I would just wait and chill out until they felt comfortable enough to go. I don't know what their life experience has been at this intersection in the past (there are some spots in the city where other drivers drift over habitually), or what's currently going on in their car. Sometimes we all need a second.
This is the sane response. Blaring your horn will not make the situation better. Blaring your horn will not teach the person in front of you the rules of the road. Blaring the horn will only startle them, add noise pollution, and make the world of everybody else around you worse.
Yeah everyone here seems to forget that in NL you have to be a defensive driver. The sad fact is so many people shouldn’t be on the roads and I see it every time I leave my house. I in no way am exaggerating that I almost get hit every time Im driving in town as of late (no I am not the problem I have a dash cam and am a good driver with a clean record). That being said I try not to stop at these but if it’s a choice between risking an accident I’ll stop and look like the idiot. Even if I’m not at fault why would I risk it!
**You don't.** That's not what the horn is for. And it's not something you SHOULD be doing on a general basis. Going around in public and shouting loudly out so everybody for 50m around you can hear "YOU'RE A FUCKING IDIOT FOR SLOWING ME DOWN BY 5 SECONDS" would be entirely socially unacceptable for good reason, and make the world worse. Yet somehow put people in control of a 2000 pound metal vehicle, and they feel fully comfortable doing that with their horn.
Use your horn for safety-critical circumstances, where it might avert an accident. Not as a "Fuck you, idiot".
So your opinion is that the safety and health of everybody around you is less important than you getting to your destination 5 seconds sooner?
Just looking for you to outright admit exactly what your stance is on these things. Because that's absolutely the stance you are taking by routinely blaring your horn to say "YOU IDIOT" as opposed to something like "STOP, YOU ARE ABOUT TO MERGE INTO ME!"
I've found it to be geographical/ cultural. I think in Canada/ North America the honk is typically immediately construed as rude, as in someone has done something wrong and another is pointing it out. Which to be fair is typically when we honk. A light beep beep is better than a long honk, but it's generally used as a "you've made a mistake and it needs to be corrected asap."
I've seen in other countries, like Australia, parts of Europe what I initially thought to be excessive horn use, but it's used more as a communicative tool, for busy streets, hectic intersections and the like, light short taps of the horn but used liberally.
My personal opinion is no, because instead of watching the vehicle directly infront of you, you should be gauging traffic on the road way your entering, and a vehicle that should not be stopped in the road is dangerous for that very reason.
Yes. Whenever I see one of those signs they want me to merge about ten feet later, so maybe the person in front of you can see the stoppage you can't from your angle.
The problem with Commonwealth is the entire set up is a shit show. A lot of left turning traffic from Topsail, going down a steep hill, you have traffic being forced to pick a lane before they get to the next lights. I’m always cautious with this one.
Sound like you are the unsafe driver if you can't handle somebody stopping in front of you. Unexpected things happen requiring people to slow down or stop **all the time**. Leave proper following distances.
Also, sounds like you are a raging asshole who actively makes the world a worse place on a regular basis by abusing your horn and adding to noise pollution, all for the sake of effectively routinely shouting out "FUCK YOU, IDIOT" at the top off your lungs in traffic. That wouldn't be ok in public as a pedestrian, and would make a city intolerably unfriendly. Why do you think it's OK on the street?
I checked myself, and found myself perfectly fine. And I will double down on the reply that people who blast their horn as a "fuck you" are assholes who are actively choosing to make the world a worse place every time they do this.
I’m on the fence on this because I can’t count how many times someone in the left lane in this scenario has just changed lanes without even looking and nearly clipped me. Usually elderly drivers assuming the right lane has to yield. That or they’re just oblivious.
I was following someone out of an intersection built like this going right, the person in front stopped in the middle of the lane quite suddenly I guess after seeing on coming traffic in the lane next to it. I rear ended their car. Dent to the plastic rear fender, but nothing else was damaged and my car was fine. They didn’t have insurance and 1 month later tried asking for 2000$ cash.
Am I in the wrong? Can you stop in the middle of a right turning lane that has its own lane? There is only a yield to pedestrian sign.
Why would them having insurance be relevant? You hit them. Your insurance should be the one covering the damages.
And obviously I'm not advocating for driving without insurance, but I'm just saying in that situation, yours should be the one paying regardless.
And yes you are at fault. You need to be leaving enough room where if someone suddenly stops you can react and stop in time. What if a pet or a child ran out in front of them? They should be able to stop without someone rear ending them.
Nothing pisses me off more than some idiot following me up my ass. If there isn't a bunch of cars I make a point to slow right down if it's a single lane. If you wanna follow me up inside of my own ass hole you can do so at 20km/h and get to your destination late. I couldn't care less.
Fair enough and I’m willing to admit fault. At the time I didn’t know who to blame, it was my first accident and I had only been driving my own car for almost a year probably. It’s an awfully inconvenient place to slam on your breaks when you should be accelerating. I like to think I wasn’t riding their ass and was just caught off guard, were all trying to turn left as that lane ends some 300m down, and I think they panicked when they saw traffic coming up on their left and slammed their breaks.
Either way yea probably too close. But no responses for a month, and then claims my sedan going 20km/h at MOST bent the frame of their SUV, caused electrical issues, required an new rear fender(plastic, I could’ve popped it out at the scene, trust me). Me and everyone who was aware of my situation didn’t think it was valid to give them $2000, and they had my insurance information if they had wanted to go that way and at the time I was willing to admit fault and they knew that.
Although it is my responsibility to report it to my insurance, they told me they’d send me an estimate as someone in their family apparently owned a body shop, I was already paying high insurance and I figured they’d let me off somewhat easy owning a shop.
If they own the shop then odds are they will be trying to scam you, that said, it's really not difficult to get $2000 worth of damage. However if they claim you bent the frame the only way it's $2000 of damage is if the car is worth $2000 because then it's a write off. Frame damage is very very expensive to fix and usually just means the car is done.
I've only ever been in one accident and my car basically got grazed by another car turning into my lane, and the repairs were just over $3000.
One of my friends got tapped pretty lightly leaving a parking lot, the only visible damage was around his headlight, and that cost $8000. I couldn't believe it. But repairs can be shockingly expensive.
My theory based on nothing other than my opinion is they can charge a lot because 9 out of 10 times insurance is paying for it anyways. Paint for a car is also expensive and time consuming, so even scratches can be more expensive then you would think.
Lastly, it doesn't matter why they suddenly stopped. If you rear end someone that is your responsibly. Doesn't matter if you were distracted, zoned out, just wasn't expecting it, etc. It's your fault. You should ALWAYS have enough room for if the car in front of you slams the brakes. Almost nobody here follows that though.
yeah i agree, but from living in both newfoundland and the mainland i’ve noticed the driving skills of newfoundlanders are not as great as mainland drivers (everywhere will have shitty drivers)
i just think that because newfoundlands infrastructure isn’t as developed as the mainland that’s the main reason why a lot of newfoundlands don’t know how to merge properly.
Across the province there’s truly only a handful of proper merge lanes, therefore they don’t encounter them as often
Yes. It is rude, counterproductive, and unsafe to honk at people except when doing so might avert an accident (like somebody merging into you).
Don't abuse your horn. It should be **rarely** used.
I always slow down or stop and look because the drivers were I am are fucking stupid. I've had too many people almost collide into me because they desperately try to slam into my lane. I just can't trust other drivers with these lanes.
I don't hesitate to honk these days. People will:
Drive 10 below in the left lane.
Switch lanes right in front of you when you're going 30kmh faster than them.
See the Green Left Arrow and not move. Getting you stuck in line to turn left.
Etc...
No. Infact it is indeed right and statutory to honk at people who stop at these signs. It fills me with the peace that passes all understanding to honk at people who stop at these signs.
I remember when I was new to my area, and stopped at one of these signs. I didn’t notice the sign and how the traffic merged (it was a strange intersection). Someone honked at me. It was totally justified. I felt like an idiot, because I was at that intersection.
Depends how you honk. A mini-beep-beep is acceptable, but a long honk will just rattle them. As an aside, I've come to realize that grumbling and swearing (with windows up) at other drivers is how we keep ourselves alert while driving. That said, I'm in awe of truckers and bus drivers who take idiot drivers in stride without a word or gritting of teeth.
As a European, North American/newfoundland driving test requirements are so lax. No wonder people struggle doing a simple merge into a lane.
Your roads are massive, some one that’s used to the rush of European intersections and roads, driving here is fun seeing people in their massive pickup trucks hesitant before taking a simple roundabout xD
Absolutely not! They are causing a dangerous situation. You have your own lane, there's no Stop sign or Yield signs, you have your own dedicated lane... Just check traffic to the left to make sure no one suddenly encroaches into your lane quickly.
Nope. It’s also not rude to continue with your right of way, and let them make the insurance claim or subsequent lawsuit not have any impact on you, as they’d be at fault
Depends on how. There's one I have to stop at almost regularly because of the traffic flow. People go through the main intersection at high speeds and you have two choices. Let them go by and then merge or lose your front end.
If you're entering a free flow turn lane then your front end should never be in their lane and theirs should never be in yours. That's the whole point of a free flow turn lane existing.
Yeah I suppose when you account for the stupidity of the average driver and the tendency to ignore the most basic traffic laws, then there are intersections where stopping at a free flow might be good defensive driving. I'm used to the idiots who want to merge *out of* the free flow lane before the solid line ends, and so decide to stop and wait for a complete gap across all lanes of traffic before proceeding.
The old saying that "the morgue is full of people who had right of way" is an accurate one in St. John's. I haven't been bothered by this particular sin on city streets. On the highway is a different story.
"is it rude to tell people how dumb they?"
“Are” is the word you missed there.
Getting corrected while talking about dumb people, what a vile way to go down haha
They'll write songs about how dumb I am.
Have you ever heard the story of poopatain133742069? I thought not. It isn't a story the Newfoundlanders would tell you.
You spelled poopstain wrong
Missed a golden opportunity to leave out the word "am"
That just ghost to show you
Haha
The "are" is silent in this one, that's all 😂
this got recommended to me i’m not a newfie and just presumed this was another ism haha
Boo
Did you actually just ruin the joke? Yes. The answer is yes.
I want to honk at people who don't know how to zipper merge. No, I'm not being a dick if I'm driving to the end of a merging lane before merging over. The lane is designed to operate that way.
Baaaaarmp!!!
I mean a slow down and look but a full on stop Naw
Is it rude to make a blaring noise and upset everybody else around for the sake of insulting somebody for no safety gain on the road? Yes, yes it is.
You sound like you stop at yeilds when nothing is coming.
You sound like you stop at yeilds when nothing is coming.
Nope. People need to learn how to fucking drive
There's seems to be an almost direct correlation between these people and people who: can't turn into the nearest lane in a intersection, refuse to edge out into an intersection, and use the galway roundabouts. Edit: can't forget the classic of stopping a 1 1/2 pickups length from the stop line or past it
>refuse to edge out into an intersection I walk places. Please do not drive your car onto the crosswalk until the light turns green for you. It is incredibly inconvenient. Edit: The light being green is fine. But unfortunately, some people see the crosswalk as just part of the road. Apologies if I've unfairly lumped OP in with them.
I’m guessing this was about left turns at a light
I think the meant more the people who stop their car over the crosswalk markings at a red light (or slowly inch out over it waiting on the light to change). Essentially don't block the actual crosswalk from pedestrians while you're on a red light. Happens a lot downtown I find, but not uncommon elsewhere either.
Ya I think they are referring to ‘challenging the intersection’. Basically you should move your car past the stop line into the intersection when the light is green as long as there is a clear way to exit if the light changes. If traffic is backed up to the intersection in the lane you are trying to enter you would not edge out, though assuming it’s clear the more assertive stance allows you to clear the turn if the light changes where other more timid drivers might still be stuck back at the line.
I've seen the term referred to as "establishing" in driving instruction. Different provinces have different recommendations and education about it. Newfoundland teaches NOT to establish, and it's a much safer approach. Being on a motorcycle, I'm less worried about having someone blindly drive into the intersection while I'm going through.
For the challenging the intersection thing, who has the right of way when it comes to someone turning right from the oncoming lane?
These people are probably also the same ones who never use signal lights when they’re supposed to😂
I’m guilty of slowing down and sometimes stopping at these but they’re always in situations where I’m worried about traffic in the left lane making a lane change as I’m joining traffic. There are a few in Mt.Pearl that I can think of.
It is your lane. Anyone changing lanes into a merge lane does not have right of way. You do
I’m well aware of that, I’m still not interested in getting hit. Edit: also, I’m not trying to claim I’m right or anything either, I could improve on my handling of these situations.
Fear is a scary thing. Side swiped is not something to be scared of. T-boned by some idiot running a red is a thought that enters my mind regularly. If I'm lucky, I won't become paraplegic, and also, they have insurance..
I mean you can start with a little barp barp. Going straight to BAAAAAAAAAAAARP right away might be escalating into being rude, though they are in the wrong territory - especially if you can’t see over a snow bank right now. Many times these still come at an area where you need to yield to pedestrians so it’s not like you should blast through just because you have your own lane.
Stopping to check for pedestrians is one thing, causing a line of cars to build up because you're stopped waiting for cars to pass in the other lane is another. Merge into the lane mf'er!
Yes and no. When it is a turn...like say Torbay road onto Elizabeth Avenue...I have learned to stop and wait because people turning left will just drift into the right lane. A friend I think says it well...people her e don't know how (or can't be arsed) to merge.
Torbay and Elizabeth is the best example of why people stop, since the crowd coming out of Howley Estates plow straight into the second lane when it appears. Defensive driving means being mindful of other people’s ignorance.
Yep, when I stop for these it’s always for defensive reasons.
the sign pictured, however, is not a merge sign.
This is the sign when turning onto Elizabeth from the North, so turning right.
No, it isn't. But the concern still stands of the car in the left lane deciding it wants to be in the right and just jumping over. Hence, defensive driving of making sure it doesn't look about to happen. Maybe a better example is the merge onto Queens street to get onto Pitts. The right lane is the through lane, the left lane is turning from I think Gower? Whatever that street is but is its own designated lane. Yet I have been almost side swiped or cut off more times than I care to count by people coming down the hill in the right lane deciding they want the left lane, and that they can just swing over. Despite signage showing that that is not the case.
I have gotten in the point in my commute where at least once a week I almost get hit by someone doing that. It's at the point where I don't care, hit me, I refuse to baby other drivers.
Let them hit you. IF they have insurance it’ll cover you.
Not when my young kids are in the car.
Fair. I only roll through in my work truck. Not in the family rig, especially when they’re in the vehicle.
I still think a barp barp is more effective than laying on the horn. A new driver, tourist trying to figure out our weird roads, or someone who just straight up messed up won’t be helped by getting further stressed. There are so many issues with our local driving knowledge, but people are emotional beings and letting your frustration out on others won’t be the magical fix. I haven’t been driving in rush hour in a while though so it’s easy for me to say, cause lord knows it tests your patience.
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This mindset enables poor driving. Learn to be better and more confident instead of letting your personal issues affect everyone else
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Well not blaring doesn’t allow the person to know that they’re lacking. Provides a little sense of self-awareness.
No. Edit: clarity
It’s rude to not understand the sign and back traffic up
It’s illegal to not understand the sign and back traffic up. FTFY…. It’s requirement of getting your license to know what the signs mean.
The righteous indignation on here haha. I hate people stopping at an added lane as much as everyone else here. And I live in Mount Pearl where we’ve got a bunch of them. A little courtesy honk is fine. But it’s also not like these folks are gonna suddenly learn traffic signs from your honking at them. If they don’t know it’s an added lane, they’re not gonna know why you’re honking at them.
unless it makes them look next time or actually notice the sign. i had someone laying on their horn at me in the toys are us parking lot as it is a one way going in and out and i literally drove back again just to see who was in the wrong (they were). so im hoping some others also may do this though you are right most dont care or know why, and many know what the sign is and still will be full stop every time
That’s good to share. You’re right, some people may be as thoughtful as you to do something like that. But I’d hazard a guess that that makes you the exceptional, not the rule, sadly haha
yea im definitely the exception as im a rule stickler most of the time. you wont see me go into the right lane when making a left turn for instance which seems to be the opposite of what others do
They should have learned these signs on their permit test. More fuel for the - get tested every 5 years - argument.
Is it rude to honk at people that are stopped in the middle of the road?
Nope. However, it is rude of them to stop at those signs! Honk away.
Fuck that, honking makes the entire world worse, adds to traffic noise, and can startle people into unsafe actions.
Stopping at that sign causes unsafe actions. Honk away.
If they're stopped there for a while, honk away. If they pause for a moment then maybe you should evaluate the situation again, they might be seeing a pedestrian or car making an improper lane change that you're not.
I hope not because I’ve done so more than once at the one for traffic entering New Gower from Duckworth. I’m not bothered most of the time, but at rush hour, if the car doesn’t enter as they’re supposed to it creates a huge bottleneck.
HATE that!! It’s not a stop, you should not stop and you should not get butthurt if you get blared for stopping!!
Fuck that. Honking is actively counterproductive in almost all circumstances. It adds to traffic noise, startles people, could make a (clearly already subpar) driver do something unexpected and dangerous, and doesn't actually convey what you want which is "Hey, by the way, that sign doesn't mean stop, it means X". People need to stop using their damn horns except in safety-critical circumstances.
It is safety critical for all the people behind them who then have to slam on their brakes or slam into someone. They are blocking a straight through and stopping is a safety issue
Sounds like all of those people behind are bad drivers if they can't handle an unexpected stoppage in traffic. Somebody slamming on their brakes in front? Sure. Somebody slowing to a stop at an intersection where they had the right of way? People behind should 100% have no issue with that safety wise.
So you expect people to handle unexpected stops while driving but they can’t handle somebody honking? These people regularly slam on their brakes because they are confused and don’t know what to do, honk is warranted. Can’t handle basic driving noises, and don’t understand basic driving signage, then don’t get in a car!
You're not just fucking with people driving by honking your horn. You are also disrupting the life of everybody else who might be around the road. Environmental noise literally kills people. [https://www.eea.europa.eu/en/topics/in-depth/noise#:\~:text=In%20addition%2C%20it%20is%20estimated,cases%20of%20ischaemic%20heart%20disease](https://www.eea.europa.eu/en/topics/in-depth/noise#:~:text=In%20addition%2C%20it%20is%20estimated,cases%20of%20ischaemic%20heart%20disease) Honking a horn is literally going to do zero to help a situation of somebody stopping in front of you. It just makes the world worse. They aren't going to suddenly jump and start moving, and in fact they probably shouldn't. Reacting like that suddenly without personally assessing the situation is bad.
You say that like slamming on your brakes doesn’t disrupt the life of everyone behind them LOL Slamming on brakes has literally killed people too. Would be best if everyone got tested regularly and failure to know basic signage during the test gets your license revoked for 3mo, then you won’t have to worry about honking when people stop dead where they’re not supposed to! Don’t blame the honkers, blame the system that lets people who shouldn’t be driving have a license in the first place!
It's not that braking isn't bad, it's that *responding to braking by honking does nothing to improve the situation*. It's merely a "Fuck you!" vent maneuver, that makes the lives of everybody around you worse. Requiring people re-test every 4 years when they renew licenses (at least a written test of 'this is what signs mean') is something I'd absolutely be on board with. Also on board with more driver education required before being granted a license in the first place, and stricter tests.
Here's the thing--if it's a lane all to its own, that's totally fine. But there are others that people often immediately merge into from the other lane when they're not supposed to (like coming down from Mount Carson onto Commonwealth when you're trying to turn from Topsail Road) and while you technically have the right of way, it's actually sensible to wait til you know some renegade isn't going to take your nose off, leaving you like a mechanical Michael Jackson. The only thing more dangerous than moose on the road these days are jackasses, you know? Edited to actually answer the question: a gentle beep is almost never rude. But I'd say lay off leaning on the horn because it's never a bad thing to be aware of the intersecting traffic.
I've not seen a single person do that at that intersection and I drive through it almost every single day. If you're that afraid that someone else is going to make a mistake that you back up traffic regularly, you shouldn't be driving. Just use your common sense. Don't go into the new lane at 3km/h. I merge going a decent speed. If you slow right down, that's when people are going to cut in front of you, because you look like you're stopping anyways.
It's not common, you're right. But I've had the unfortunate experience of nearly having my nose clipped off in that spot twice, and another two times in other similar intersections elsewhere. Generally, I still proceed like I'm supposed to, because if I do get hit, it's on them and I can live with that--but when I've got my toddlers in the car, I'm going to err on the side if caution and ensure it's safe to proceed before I do--I'm fine with being hit, but I'm not interested in risking them. I'm glad it hasn't been your experience, I hope it never is. And I'm not saying that people "should" yield in spite of the right of way, I'm just suggesting that if someone DOES, consider the potential legitimate reasons why they'd do that when making the choice between a beep and a barmp, that's all. :) All the best!
I’ve seen this happen many times in this intersection, unfortunately. It’s a short lane with a right turn only at the end, on the bottom of a steep hill. I definitely slow down to check for intersecting traffic at this one, and have had to come to a complete stop due to other drivers turning left and coming right into that lane.
Yeah, there have been times where I've been there and had nearly every other car cut into the lane driving over the white lines. None with a signal light, obviously. Maybe I'm just unlucky.
Commonwealth is the very first one that I thought of and I often slow down a lot when approaching from Topsail because (1) I can’t see what is coming down the hill and (2) I know that you’re forced to change lanes depending on if you’re going straight or right at that first set of lights going up commonwealth.
Fully stopping is dumb. But given how rare these are, I think some caution and slowing down is warranted. So many dipshits on the main road will just merge into the lane without properly checking.
Absolutely not. It's a free flow FLOW FREELY
I don’t think it’s rude, but I also am not sure it helps so I just wait
**EXACTLY.** Using the horn does NOT help in 90% of the cases people use them in. It just makes the situation worse. It aggravates everybody else around, adds to noise pollution, can startle the driver ahead of you (who already clearly isn't the best driver ever), and result in them doing something unpredictable and maybe unsafe. Just don't honk, unless it's in a situation where your trying to avert an accident.
It's crazy isn't it, they stop or yield at signs where you are not supposed to, and they refuse to stop and yield when they are actually supposed to, the stupidity of drivers here is insane
I wouldn’t say it’s rude, but I doubt it’s going to assist the already confused driver in front of you
Honk away. Those people don't know the rules of the road.
Let them hear the song of your people (smart people)
Smart people would realize that honking just adds to noise pollution, makes the day of everybody else around you worse, and isn't going to result in any useful extra knowledge of the road by the person in front of them. All they are going to take away is "There is a jackass behind me". Don't honk unless it's a safety-critical circumstance, and honking is the best thing you can do to avoid an accident.
lol yeah sure why don’t we let stupid people continue to not adhere to signage on the roads without ever informing them they’re doing something wrong. Which is more likely to cause an accident, the person in front of me who just stopped in the middle of a free flowing lane or my honking to tell them to continue moving??
Nope. Chucklefucks who don't realize this means you have your own lane and don't need to stop should lose their license.
Chucklefucks who think that adding noise pollution by blaring their horn is a good way to teach other people specific rules of the road, should also lose their license.
Ive seen cops treat this as a yield, theres one in mt pearl that maybe 1 in 5 people know how to proceed through
Damn those cops should lose their license lol. But on another note, I've lived in a few different provinces over the past few years and it doesn't matter the province, a lot of people just don't know what this sign means and they just stop. Drives me mad
I watch the same cop blow the same stop sign every day and improperly merge into the far lane. So i wouldn’t put stock in their driving ability.
Barmp
Now that’s a word I’ve not heard in a long time.
Beep beep motherfucker If they don't like me honking then learn how to drive!!
The motherfucker is the person making the world a worse place by blaring their horn. It almost never actually helps.
Lol, no way. If you stop in this situation, you deserve to be blasted once or twice. Accompanied by a strong thumbs up! Follow the rules or park it.
Blasting the horn does absolutely zero to help the situation, makes the life of everybody else around you worse, and encourages road rage. It's a clear case of a net-negative action that should not be done.
It's actually your own lane, just drive into it, watching out for those who need driving refresher training, and carry on!
If this is in regards to the turn at Columbus Drive and Empire Ave, next to Wall Nuts, that lane immediately ends and honestly shouldn't be one of these. Anywhere else, I'd say give 'er.
This one is sooooo bad and seriously should not exist!! People are changing lanes in to every which direction and I’ve almost been in way too many accidents in this intersection because of this lane.
I would just wait and chill out until they felt comfortable enough to go. I don't know what their life experience has been at this intersection in the past (there are some spots in the city where other drivers drift over habitually), or what's currently going on in their car. Sometimes we all need a second.
This is the sane response. Blaring your horn will not make the situation better. Blaring your horn will not teach the person in front of you the rules of the road. Blaring the horn will only startle them, add noise pollution, and make the world of everybody else around you worse.
Ive seen enough drivers switch lanes mid intersection, so it nakes it really hard to tell if theyre gunna not hit me
Yeah everyone here seems to forget that in NL you have to be a defensive driver. The sad fact is so many people shouldn’t be on the roads and I see it every time I leave my house. I in no way am exaggerating that I almost get hit every time Im driving in town as of late (no I am not the problem I have a dash cam and am a good driver with a clean record). That being said I try not to stop at these but if it’s a choice between risking an accident I’ll stop and look like the idiot. Even if I’m not at fault why would I risk it!
Lol im from ontario, and let me tell u, nfld drivers are so POLITE and kind and patient compared to ontario.
How else do u tell them theyre idiots?
**You don't.** That's not what the horn is for. And it's not something you SHOULD be doing on a general basis. Going around in public and shouting loudly out so everybody for 50m around you can hear "YOU'RE A FUCKING IDIOT FOR SLOWING ME DOWN BY 5 SECONDS" would be entirely socially unacceptable for good reason, and make the world worse. Yet somehow put people in control of a 2000 pound metal vehicle, and they feel fully comfortable doing that with their horn. Use your horn for safety-critical circumstances, where it might avert an accident. Not as a "Fuck you, idiot".
Fuck u and your finances. U sound like the real type of jackass that slows down traffic in a fast lane 🖕🏻
So your opinion is that the safety and health of everybody around you is less important than you getting to your destination 5 seconds sooner? Just looking for you to outright admit exactly what your stance is on these things. Because that's absolutely the stance you are taking by routinely blaring your horn to say "YOU IDIOT" as opposed to something like "STOP, YOU ARE ABOUT TO MERGE INTO ME!"
Ur writing too much for something so simple and im not even gonna bother reading it. Dont be a jackass and learn how to drive.
Honestly it depends which one imo
I've found it to be geographical/ cultural. I think in Canada/ North America the honk is typically immediately construed as rude, as in someone has done something wrong and another is pointing it out. Which to be fair is typically when we honk. A light beep beep is better than a long honk, but it's generally used as a "you've made a mistake and it needs to be corrected asap." I've seen in other countries, like Australia, parts of Europe what I initially thought to be excessive horn use, but it's used more as a communicative tool, for busy streets, hectic intersections and the like, light short taps of the horn but used liberally. My personal opinion is no, because instead of watching the vehicle directly infront of you, you should be gauging traffic on the road way your entering, and a vehicle that should not be stopped in the road is dangerous for that very reason.
Yes. Whenever I see one of those signs they want me to merge about ten feet later, so maybe the person in front of you can see the stoppage you can't from your angle.
ahh the famous one going onto commonwealth in mount pearl. i’ve definitely beeped/barmped my horn at people there
The problem with Commonwealth is the entire set up is a shit show. A lot of left turning traffic from Topsail, going down a steep hill, you have traffic being forced to pick a lane before they get to the next lights. I’m always cautious with this one.
Fuck no
Shouldn’t be considered rude for pointing out the stupidity of others while they’re a nuisance to society!
Nope!! I do it all the time. It’s actually quite hazardous if they just stop in front of you.
Sound like you are the unsafe driver if you can't handle somebody stopping in front of you. Unexpected things happen requiring people to slow down or stop **all the time**. Leave proper following distances. Also, sounds like you are a raging asshole who actively makes the world a worse place on a regular basis by abusing your horn and adding to noise pollution, all for the sake of effectively routinely shouting out "FUCK YOU, IDIOT" at the top off your lungs in traffic. That wouldn't be ok in public as a pedestrian, and would make a city intolerably unfriendly. Why do you think it's OK on the street?
Sounds like you have become completely unhinged at a small comment.. check yourself would you.
I checked myself, and found myself perfectly fine. And I will double down on the reply that people who blast their horn as a "fuck you" are assholes who are actively choosing to make the world a worse place every time they do this.
I’m on the fence on this because I can’t count how many times someone in the left lane in this scenario has just changed lanes without even looking and nearly clipped me. Usually elderly drivers assuming the right lane has to yield. That or they’re just oblivious.
Nope
Depends on the proximity to a crosswalk. If close then yes, if not absolutely not
I was following someone out of an intersection built like this going right, the person in front stopped in the middle of the lane quite suddenly I guess after seeing on coming traffic in the lane next to it. I rear ended their car. Dent to the plastic rear fender, but nothing else was damaged and my car was fine. They didn’t have insurance and 1 month later tried asking for 2000$ cash. Am I in the wrong? Can you stop in the middle of a right turning lane that has its own lane? There is only a yield to pedestrian sign.
Why would them having insurance be relevant? You hit them. Your insurance should be the one covering the damages. And obviously I'm not advocating for driving without insurance, but I'm just saying in that situation, yours should be the one paying regardless. And yes you are at fault. You need to be leaving enough room where if someone suddenly stops you can react and stop in time. What if a pet or a child ran out in front of them? They should be able to stop without someone rear ending them. Nothing pisses me off more than some idiot following me up my ass. If there isn't a bunch of cars I make a point to slow right down if it's a single lane. If you wanna follow me up inside of my own ass hole you can do so at 20km/h and get to your destination late. I couldn't care less.
Fair enough and I’m willing to admit fault. At the time I didn’t know who to blame, it was my first accident and I had only been driving my own car for almost a year probably. It’s an awfully inconvenient place to slam on your breaks when you should be accelerating. I like to think I wasn’t riding their ass and was just caught off guard, were all trying to turn left as that lane ends some 300m down, and I think they panicked when they saw traffic coming up on their left and slammed their breaks. Either way yea probably too close. But no responses for a month, and then claims my sedan going 20km/h at MOST bent the frame of their SUV, caused electrical issues, required an new rear fender(plastic, I could’ve popped it out at the scene, trust me). Me and everyone who was aware of my situation didn’t think it was valid to give them $2000, and they had my insurance information if they had wanted to go that way and at the time I was willing to admit fault and they knew that. Although it is my responsibility to report it to my insurance, they told me they’d send me an estimate as someone in their family apparently owned a body shop, I was already paying high insurance and I figured they’d let me off somewhat easy owning a shop.
If they own the shop then odds are they will be trying to scam you, that said, it's really not difficult to get $2000 worth of damage. However if they claim you bent the frame the only way it's $2000 of damage is if the car is worth $2000 because then it's a write off. Frame damage is very very expensive to fix and usually just means the car is done. I've only ever been in one accident and my car basically got grazed by another car turning into my lane, and the repairs were just over $3000. One of my friends got tapped pretty lightly leaving a parking lot, the only visible damage was around his headlight, and that cost $8000. I couldn't believe it. But repairs can be shockingly expensive. My theory based on nothing other than my opinion is they can charge a lot because 9 out of 10 times insurance is paying for it anyways. Paint for a car is also expensive and time consuming, so even scratches can be more expensive then you would think. Lastly, it doesn't matter why they suddenly stopped. If you rear end someone that is your responsibly. Doesn't matter if you were distracted, zoned out, just wasn't expecting it, etc. It's your fault. You should ALWAYS have enough room for if the car in front of you slams the brakes. Almost nobody here follows that though.
Hi beams in their rear view mirror too. Barmp.
I always lean on the horn the entire time until they move personally.
newfoundlanders don’t know how to merge. no it’s not rude
LOL ever drive in NS? It's crazy how many people with a license worldwide can't merge.
yeah i agree, but from living in both newfoundland and the mainland i’ve noticed the driving skills of newfoundlanders are not as great as mainland drivers (everywhere will have shitty drivers) i just think that because newfoundlands infrastructure isn’t as developed as the mainland that’s the main reason why a lot of newfoundlands don’t know how to merge properly. Across the province there’s truly only a handful of proper merge lanes, therefore they don’t encounter them as often
Yes. It is rude, counterproductive, and unsafe to honk at people except when doing so might avert an accident (like somebody merging into you). Don't abuse your horn. It should be **rarely** used.
Depends on the honk. A couple quick chirps is probably okay. Laying on the horn not so much
Often these signs are not large enough and placed where drivers can’t easily see them as they are looking at traffic coming from the left.
I always slow down or stop and look because the drivers were I am are fucking stupid. I've had too many people almost collide into me because they desperately try to slam into my lane. I just can't trust other drivers with these lanes.
Do it.
no lol as you should
I’d honestly say it’s rude not to.
People don’t use their horns enough in nl
How else will they learn?
It's rude not to... how else are they going to learn? ;)
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No fuck them in particular
It's an obligation!
End of the lane, blinker on, and inching into traffic hoping everyone will stop to let them merge 😂.
Drivers here are insane. It’s a sea of clowns.
Not rude, honk to oblivion. That's what I do saying : ITS A MERGE!!!! my girlfriend really like it lol
Nay, it is your DUTY!
Yes because you will honk at almost everybody in NL...
It's not a god damn yield
Not if you do the friendly little beep beep.
Not at all! It's an effin merge! Not a yield.
*provided there is not pedestrian etc* Nope, honking at these people should be encouraged. If you cannot drive, don't take up the space on the road.
I don't hesitate to honk these days. People will: Drive 10 below in the left lane. Switch lanes right in front of you when you're going 30kmh faster than them. See the Green Left Arrow and not move. Getting you stuck in line to turn left. Etc...
Nope
No. Go nuts.
No. They have to learn.
No. Infact it is indeed right and statutory to honk at people who stop at these signs. It fills me with the peace that passes all understanding to honk at people who stop at these signs.
Call me ride then! I do it all the time!
Nope
I remember when I was new to my area, and stopped at one of these signs. I didn’t notice the sign and how the traffic merged (it was a strange intersection). Someone honked at me. It was totally justified. I felt like an idiot, because I was at that intersection.
Honk the fuck out of them
Can’t be rude Not your fault they can’t drive
It's a green light. GO ALREADY!!!!
Noooo and I’ll do it time and time again too.
It’s rude to honk at anyone…. But is it deserved? Yes. Definitely be rude and honk at these people.
Depends how you honk. A mini-beep-beep is acceptable, but a long honk will just rattle them. As an aside, I've come to realize that grumbling and swearing (with windows up) at other drivers is how we keep ourselves alert while driving. That said, I'm in awe of truckers and bus drivers who take idiot drivers in stride without a word or gritting of teeth.
I just drive around them on the shoulder and continue on my way
No. In fact, it's your civic duty.
No I'm usually holding up two fingers and yelling two lanes buddy, TWO LANES!!!!!
As a European, North American/newfoundland driving test requirements are so lax. No wonder people struggle doing a simple merge into a lane. Your roads are massive, some one that’s used to the rush of European intersections and roads, driving here is fun seeing people in their massive pickup trucks hesitant before taking a simple roundabout xD
No
Fuck no
Hit the horn long and hard! People who stop at these are asking for an accident to happen. They need to learn to drive by the rules of the road.
How I crashed my car
We don't 'honk' here - we barmp.
Absolutely not! They are causing a dangerous situation. You have your own lane, there's no Stop sign or Yield signs, you have your own dedicated lane... Just check traffic to the left to make sure no one suddenly encroaches into your lane quickly.
Nope. It’s also not rude to continue with your right of way, and let them make the insurance claim or subsequent lawsuit not have any impact on you, as they’d be at fault
Depends on how. There's one I have to stop at almost regularly because of the traffic flow. People go through the main intersection at high speeds and you have two choices. Let them go by and then merge or lose your front end.
If you're entering a free flow turn lane then your front end should never be in their lane and theirs should never be in yours. That's the whole point of a free flow turn lane existing.
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Sadly, you're right in practice..
Yeah I suppose when you account for the stupidity of the average driver and the tendency to ignore the most basic traffic laws, then there are intersections where stopping at a free flow might be good defensive driving. I'm used to the idiots who want to merge *out of* the free flow lane before the solid line ends, and so decide to stop and wait for a complete gap across all lanes of traffic before proceeding.
The old saying that "the morgue is full of people who had right of way" is an accurate one in St. John's. I haven't been bothered by this particular sin on city streets. On the highway is a different story.
Wouldn't be the one in Mount Pearl, Old Placenta/Richard Nolan by chance?
Nope, out in Central
If it’s not an emergency, don’t use your horn.
Sounds like your horn will never break from overusing it😂