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Always curious how traffic is viewed as an antagonistic activity by many. I usually have the opposite impression. Someone wants to switch lanes in dense traffic

Always curious how traffic is viewed as an antagonistic activity by many. I usually have the opposite impression. Someone wants to switch lanes in dense traffic, so I slow down slightly and let them slip into my lane. Others do the same for me. That's working with each other not against each other for me.

rootusrootus 8y ago
That sounds so polite. And unlike anything I have ever experienced. Especially in the truly dense traffic, cooperation means giving up just enough space to let the other guy take it, as long as he's assertive. Definitely not a place for the timid, I've found that people who are accustomed to driving in extremely dense traffic tend not to have much patience for lollygagging. It screws up the rhythm.
TheSmiddy 8y ago
I leave massive gaps constantly now, it lets me see farther ahead so I can switch lanes when I see a problem coming and my average trip time is definitely shorter because of this. I really like this video for describing some of the advantages of "zen driving": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iGFqfTCL2fs https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iGFqfTCL2fs
HillaryBriss 8y ago
in LA, drivers on a side street who are waiting to make a right hand turn to get in your lane don't actually wait. they just start turning and enter your lane. you better slow down and give them an opening or you'll hit them. which you will definitely feel like doing sometimes. that's one reason i really look forward to the day when cautious, defensive, courteous self-driven cars replace all human drivers here.
estebank 8y ago
You have clearly never driven in LA. :) I had an accelerated course in aggressive driving over a couple of hours when going through it. In comparison driving in SF or NY is like visiting a spa.
- ryanwaggoner 8y ago
  Sorry, but no. LA is really that not that different from NYC, northern NJ, DC, Boston, Chicago, SF, etc. Traffic is bad in all those cities and drivers are all pretty aggressive. I’ve driven in all of them and never noticed any real difference in the difficulty. Now, driving in southeast Asia or southern Italy was very, very different from any US city.
Swizec 8y ago
Well thing is that if you put on the blinker, I’ll start leaving a gap. But if you don’t take it I’m gonna stop leaving one and assume your blinker was a mistake.

rootusrootus 8y ago

That sounds so polite. And unlike anything I have ever experienced. Especially in the truly dense traffic, cooperation means giving up just enough space to let the other guy take it, as long as he's assertive. Definitely not a place for the timid, I've found that people who are accustomed to driving in extremely dense traffic tend not to have much patience for lollygagging. It screws up the rhythm.

TheSmiddy 8y ago

I leave massive gaps constantly now, it lets me see farther ahead so I can switch lanes when I see a problem coming and my average trip time is definitely shorter because of this. I really like this video for describing some of the advantages of "zen driving": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iGFqfTCL2fs https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iGFqfTCL2fs

HillaryBriss 8y ago

in LA, drivers on a side street who are waiting to make a right hand turn to get in your lane don't actually wait. they just start turning and enter your lane. you better slow down and give them an opening or you'll hit them. which you will definitely feel like doing sometimes. that's one reason i really look forward to the day when cautious, defensive, courteous self-driven cars replace all human drivers here.

estebank 8y ago

You have clearly never driven in LA. :) I had an accelerated course in aggressive driving over a couple of hours when going through it. In comparison driving in SF or NY is like visiting a spa.

ryanwaggoner 8y ago
Sorry, but no. LA is really that not that different from NYC, northern NJ, DC, Boston, Chicago, SF, etc. Traffic is bad in all those cities and drivers are all pretty aggressive. I’ve driven in all of them and never noticed any real difference in the difficulty. Now, driving in southeast Asia or southern Italy was very, very different from any US city.

Swizec 8y ago

Well thing is that if you put on the blinker, I’ll start leaving a gap. But if you don’t take it I’m gonna stop leaving one and assume your blinker was a mistake.