merger

One of the guys at work grew up on the West Coast and often points out things that are different between there and the Midwest. A frequent topic and the basis for a recent discussion is regarding driving habits between the two places. We specifically discussed (meaning that we hotly debated) the ways traffic merges in both places when lanes are closed and what truly is the best way to handle this.

Apparently, the Kansas way is for everyone to merge as soon as they see the "Lane Closed" sign and to get real mad at people who drive all the way to the cones then try to merge. Apparently, the California way is to drive all the way to where the lane ends, then for the traffic in the lane that is going away to merge every other car. I have talked to people on both sides of this issue who get very frustrated at those who prefer to merge different than them because they are convinced everyone else is screwing everything up.

If this is indeed how things work in each locale, I have a theory about why this is. This should interest BB since it has to do with standing in line for a $35 shirt. There are several places where overpriced shirts are sold, but I would like to focus on two of them for the purpose of my example.

If I were to go to the t-shirt stand at most concerts right before the concert started, I would probably have to fight a crowd to purchase a shirt. There would be no lines because there would not be enough room for lines. There really wouldn't be such a thing as cutting because the entire system relies on people elbowing their way to the counter. You snooze you loose.

If I were to buy a shirt at a retail store I would probably have to stand in one of several lines and eventually purchase the shirt at a register. Getting in line at a register that is shut down then cutting in the line at the next register would generally be frowned upon. This system would work because the store has more room for people to line up than exists in front of the shirt stand.

I say this without having driven in California, but I think that driving in the more populated areas of California is like trying to get to the counter at the t-shirt stand at a concert. There is so much traffic in such a confined area that you can't as easily fault someone for cutting you off. This sort of system would encourage people to wait until the last possible moment to merge because why not speed past three or four or forty other cars before merging if you are going to have to force your way in no matter what anyway?

I think that driving in Kansas is like standing line at a retail store. There is less traffic for the amount of roadway we have. When drivers pass up opportunities to merge into gaps in the traffic and instead cut someone off at the last possible moment so they can get further ahead the other drivers think they are jerks. It is like someone just cut in line in front of them.

This is just a theory. I think it would be a cool psychological study to see if people from one area of the United States change their driving habits when they move. I would almost think a person would have to in order to survive. That is probably a good reason not to consider moving to Los Angeles. I know I would hate the traffic.