Legally skipping traffic queues

Our man in Havana

why?

su_dios

Ok slightly related but I would like to find peoples opinions on this..especially the legality of it.

Bus lane on your left and you're coming to the end of a traffic queue in the other lane but you are to take the next left.

1. Does that mean you can then move into the bus lane because your lane has stopped? If so what distance can you get away with this from the dedicated spot marked on the road for entering the lane?
   
2. Also the main one would be similar situation but where the lights are red, so by moving into the bus lane you are queuing to turn left. I heard this was legal but always wondered. Theres plenty of times where by not moving into the lane in the first place that you end up holding up the traffic behind you trying to get into the lane because its now full up of people who did it anyway or taxis.

papu

GAH at people who take the spin around the roundabout to get to the 1st exit on the left,

Do I do it , Sometimes , I don't feel good about it tho..
and if a guard caught you doing it ...:rolleyes:

Wibbler

quirke_folder wrote: »

RE: The M50. Just after the toll its a joke with the traffic build up but hell yeah I will drive in the second lane from the left and indicate in further up. Why not? Its a broken white line.

That's *why* there's a traffic build up! :rolleyes:

LOL. I Should have read the next post, before replying. MYOB said exactly the same thing. Glad I'm not the only one who finds it out of order.

Wibbler

quirke_folder wrote: »

There is nothing illegal about what I do or have done. Its not illegal and its not skipping anything. Its finding a way around the delay.

Yes, but at the expense of everyone else. Whether it's nudging in forcing other traffic to slow or stop, or merging from after the Blanch roundabout, you are contributing to the delay for other drivers in the mainline. Now each individual action doesn't add much delay (though it's more than one would expect), but with the amount of it going on at that stetch of road, it's not long adding up to something pretty significant.

Wibbler

c-note wrote: »

well heres my take:
its only about a kilometer later that i see a sign saying the TWO leftmost lanes are exit lanes, not the normal ONE exit lane, and so i had to cut in! sorry!! it should be signed further back

I have to agree. The road markings, with the fat dotted line between lanes 1 and 2 are are at odds with the overhead signage which say both lanes 1 and 2 are exit lanes. I'm sure that it's contributing to the chaos every evening at that junction.

Traumadoc

If it is legal why not? Bus lanes are to help busses legally skip queues.

Honey-ec

What Quirke Folder and The Tax Man are describing is called Sliproad Surfing and while it's perfectly legal, it's not exactly behaviour that's going to endear you to other motorists.

The Firhouse junction on the M50 south is the absolute worst spot for this, and because of the number of people doing it, Scholarstown Rd. outbound tends to grind to a complete halt because they have to give way to traffic coming up the slip-road as well as to that coming off Colmcilles way. Another side effect is that it's become almost impossible to merge from the Firhouse southbound on-ramp because the vast majority of the drivers already on the M50 have adopted the attitude that you're more than likely a sliproad surfer and they won't leave room to merge.

The end-result? The entire junction from Colmcilles Way & Scholarstown Road snarls up, the on-ramp backs up, and there's a huge slow-down at the bottom of the merge which sometimes kicks back almost to Tallaght. And all because an increasing number of people want to steal a march of a few minutes on everyone else.

But hey, it's perfectly legal, so who cares???

GreeBo

Honey-ec wrote: »

The end-result? The entire junction from Colmcilles Way & Scholarstown Road snarls up, the on-ramp backs up, and there's a huge slow-down at the bottom of the merge which sometimes kicks back almost to Tallaght. And all because an increasing number of people want to steal a march of a few minutes on everyone else.

Add that to the school runs (all of 2 milies for most of the lazy feckers) and both sides of that junction are jammed. Then it tails back to Knocklyon Road, Ballyroan etc etc. Gimps.
The sooner we get more of those cloverleaf junctions the better.

Anan1

Bond-007 wrote: »

why?

Because the Garda had no right to interfere with people going about their lawful business?

Our man in Havana

The Garda has the right to direct traffic wherever he wishes. Also the RTA 1961 makes it an offence to fail to comply with his directions.

GreeBo

su_dios wrote: »

Bus lane on your left and you're coming to the end of a traffic queue in the other lane but you are to take the next left.

1. Does that mean you can then move into the bus lane because your lane has stopped? If so what distance can you get away with this from the dedicated spot marked on the road for entering the lane?
   
2. Also the main one would be similar situation but where the lights are red, so by moving into the bus lane you are queuing to turn left. I heard this was legal but always wondered. Theres plenty of times where by not moving into the lane in the first place that you end up holding up the traffic behind you trying to get into the lane because its now full up of people who did it anyway or taxis.

If the bus lane is marked as a bus lane and its during its operating times then you cant get into it until the solid line breaks and you will see a divergent arrow pointing left on the road surface (or maybe even a sign if you are lucky)
Other than that you cant go in there and will (hopefully) get caught and penalised if you do. The fact that other morons jump in early and thus block you is not your fault and you just need to sit there and indicate left and wait for one of them with a brain to let you in. (Maybe the guy who is actually going straight on but queue jumping will use you as his means to go straight, we can only hope he crashes into a tree)

Anan1

Bond-007 wrote: »

The Garda has the right to direct traffic wherever he wishes. Also the RTA 1961 makes it an offence to fail to comply with his directions.

So a Garda can quite legally bring, say, one side of the M50 to a comlete standstill for no good reason? Wouldn't that contravene our fundamental right to free movement? I just found this:

In order for a Garda to behave in ways that he thinks is using, upholding or enforcing the law, there must be 'provision' in the law for him to behave that way. 'Provision' must come from a relevant section of a relevant 'Act of Law' which will either 'provide' him with legal excuse to behave that way or it will not. (Google 'criminal justice public order act' for example). If that or any 'relevant' act does not have provision for his behaviour then he is breaking the law and abusing your personal and fundamental constitutional rights and you can remind yourself and the Garda that he is liable to be held accountable for such illegal actions at civil and criminal law himself.

Biro

papu wrote: »

GAH at people who take the spin around the roundabout to get to the 1st exit on the left,

Do I do it , Sometimes , I don't feel good about it tho..
and if a guard caught you doing it ...:rolleyes:

This happens in Limerick a lot. All it does is actually cause the tailback in the left lane to be far worse, cause they also have to wait to let the right lane skippers to make their move too. If 100 cars did that, then that's 100 more cars the left lane has to give way to on the roundabout, therefore causing a far worse tailback.

samih

I think some of examples in thread are a perfect example of ME ME, I'm the centre of the universe thinking. Then actually to come here tell us how great and smart drivers they are is just unbelievable.

I guess it is an indication that we have only quite recently got acquainted with the motor cars here :-)

Jaysoose

samih wrote: »

I think some of examples in thread are a perfect example of ME ME, I'm the centre of the universe thinking. Then actually to come here tell us how great and smart drivers they are is just unbelievable.

I guess it is an indication that we have only quite recently got acquainted with the motor cars here :-)

Exactly true, sliproad surfers, bus lane bandits and the flyover Fu**ers need to realise that they are making the problem worse by doing this. But then they obvioulsy think they are friggin class and their journey is so much more important than everybody elses.

Why people let them merge is beyond me!!

Mr. Larson

Unbelievable...

I often wondered what the mind-set was of people who engage in this type of driving [Sliproad surfing etc]... and this thread has given me a good insight into it now. You think you are smarter than everyone else and that other people don't realise you can do it. People aren't stupid and it's incredibly arrogant of you to assume they are. I would wager most people don't do it because it's morally reprehensible behaviour. Not because they aren't aware of these 'short cuts'. People who do this aren't smarter than everyone else and use idiot terms like 'irregardless'... but they just selfish
pricks in my opinion.

I see this every day on the N11 southbound where people are in the 'Bray North' lane right up until the very point where the N11 and the exit break off and then cut back into the queue, skipping approximately ½ a mile of solid 2 lane traffic queue. While this obviously gets them to their destination quicker all it does to other people is...

1. Push them farther back in the queue
2. Slow down the people who are genuinely taking the exit
3. Set a bad example to all other drivers who will be quicker to try this having seen you do it
4. Run the risk of accidents while you drive down a relatively free flowing lane at speed and jam on the brakes without warning (it's no use indicating 0.5 seconds before you manoeuvre) while you slip yourself into a gap

The analogy used about the old lady in the supermarket is a great one and I haven't heard anyone who does this actually address that yet. I have to say of all the abhorrent driving personalities on the road I find this one the worst.

livvy

samih wrote: »

I think some of examples in thread are a perfect example of ME ME, I'm the centre of the universe thinking. Then actually to come here tell us how great and smart drivers they are is just unbelievable.


i couldn't agree more.

Zube

Jabberwocky wrote: »

I see this every day on the N11 southbound where people are in the 'Bray North' lane right up until the very point where the N11 and the exit break off and then cut back into the queue, skipping approximately ½ a mile of solid 2 lane traffic queue.

To make this even clearer: this behaviour is not illegal. several posters have made a lot of noise about how their short-cuts are legal, but so is skipping a queue in this way and diving into a gap near the front.

It's rude, and obnoxious, and selfish, and very aggravating for all the decent drivers who queue in an orderly fashion, but it's not illegal.

The only advantage in slip-road surfing is that the people at the head of the queue don't see you skipping it, and hence are more likely to let you in. In turn, as the practice spreads and people expect it, drivers will become less likely to let anyone in, in case they are a queue jumper, and driving will get less pleasant for everyone.

Mr. Larson

I know it's not illegal. There is a broken white line all the way to the bottom. I don't understand why but it's there. Cutting up the O.A.P. in the supermarket queue isn't illegal either but people seem less likely to do that because no-one can really confront them about it as they sit cowardly in their car. Slip road surfing in my view is even more cowardly for the reasons you have pointed out.

Jaysoose

Whats rather more frustrating is the people that let them back in, but then the ones i see doing it seem to enjoy intimidating someone by inching over and over and forcing their way in thus forcing somebody to stop or hit each others car. Twats the lot of them.

Junior #8

I'm not one of those people that does any of these things, but the high-horses parading around this thread is getting on everyones nerves here.


Everyone is trying to get somewhere, and so long as no-one dies on their journey, everything will be just ok.

I think some of you may need to just get over it and find a way to deal with the problem.
Done.

Mr. Larson

Junior #8 wrote: »

I'm not one of those people that does any of these things, but the high-horses parading around this thread is getting on everyones nerves here.

Getting on everyones nerves where? How many people do you represent?

Junior #8 wrote: »

Everyone is trying to get somewhere, and so long as no-one dies on their journey, everything will be just ok. I think some of you may need to just get over it and find a way to deal with the problem.
Done.

This is an internet forum. People come on here to discuss things. Maybe you haven't grasped that concept yet.

razorblunt

AugustusMaximus wrote: »

Does anyone here have time for these people.

Two examples, both from Cork I'm afraid.

Example 1: Travelling west on the South Ring Road. Often enough the traffic is backed up to Rochestown. However, you can easily go up the left hand lane, easily all the way to the next exist at Mahon point. Turn right on the bridge, go into Jacobs Island, around the roundabout, back out and left down the sliproad. Massive time saving in heavy traffic.

Example 2: Travelling south on the N8 approaching the Dunkettle Interchange. Take the left hand lane for Carrigtowhill, Tunnel Maintenance and Little Island. Go into little island and take a left at the next roundabout. This takes you back onto the roundabout and easily into the tunnel, skipping the traffic backing up onto the N8.

Just wondering does anyone actually do this. I've been thinking over in my mind other places where this sort of stuff is possible Don't do it myself btw.

I do something similar to Example 1. When I'm heading to Mahon Point during traffic, take the the exit for B&Q and turn around and come back out again or else, turn in the industrial estate behind PM and go in from that side (Green light is way longer than green arrow)

Berty

Like razorblunt, I do not cut people up, I do not drive right up to the limit and then push my way into the lane.

I find an alternative to sitting in a long queue.

Just for you pedantic pats in here.

I took note of your qualms and stayed in the right lane on the M50 just after the Toll Plaza. The traffic began just before the Galway exit and did not let up until around Ballymun. I sat in this traffic for 45 minutes whereas skipping over the Blanch exit would have taken at least 10-15 off it.

However I heard there was a crash on the Blanch roundabout long after I hit Ballymun so Im quite glad I did not go that way.

I wont sit in that traffic again. I may just drive from North Tipperary to Dundalk across country from now in. M50 traffic seems to be getting worse.

L1011

You're still adding to the delays by entering at the split rather than at a suitable location further back, even if you're not cutting people up / breaking the law / whatever - its still discourteous driving.

If the third lane was properly removed with a zip merge setup and southerners *knew how to use this*, that would be the ideal solution. However, having been refused entry to the single lane continuing off the A1 at Newry by four white-plated cars in a row despite the massive "MERGE IN TURN" signs for miles back, its quite clear most of us don't know how to.

Berty

MYOB wrote: »

its still discourteous driving.

Nope. Im not going to agree and your not going to change your mind.

Best leave it at that. You think your correct and I dont see any issue so lets go our separate ways. :cool:

Mr. Larson

quirke_folder wrote: »

Nope. Im not going to agree and your not going to change your mind.

I have one final question for you. Honestly now, what do you think of those of us who are aware of these time saving "routes" but don't take them. Foolish? Naïve?

Berty

Jabberwocky wrote: »

I have one final question for you. Honestly now, what do you think of those of us who are aware of these time saving "routes" but don't take them. Foolish? Naïve?

Patient

Anan1

quirke_folder wrote: »

Patient