Merging Traffic with the Zipper
“The zipper” is a traffic concept I came up with in high school, shortly after I started to drive. It’s basically a way to alleviate gridlock and constant stop & go traffic by creating a more fluid flow to the traffic pattern when there’s any merging involved. It’s a pretty easy process and I’m sure I’m not the first to think of it. Although, sometimes it seems that way.
How it works
- One car from the main road goes
- One car from the merging lane goes
- repeat.
This creates a pattern, I call, “The Zipper”. It will slow you down a little; but in the long run, if everyone did this, it would create a steady traffic flow.
Why it doesn’t work
Most people are selfish jerks. They only care about themselves and how fast they can get to where they’re going. They would rather travel an extra 20 feet, stop, and complain about the traffic than let 1 car in front of them. It’s the concept of doing something for the greater good that people rarely buy in to in a situation like traffic.
Many folks will open their wallets and give $10 to a billion dollar charity and subscribe to the “one person can make a difference” mentality. But ask someone to think of other people on the road when they’re trying to get home from work? HA! I love it when these hypocrites get angry at me for not recycling my plastic bottle.
Yes, I actually do this
Very rarely do I think 1 person can actually make a difference. 1 person by them self, is a tough sale in most cases. But it all has to start somewhere. I use the zipper concept whenever there is a merging situation. I let only 1 car merge in front me. It’s a give and take system, but if we’re ever going to try and help the traffic problem (and want to justifiably complain) I think “The Zipper” is something we should all consider. Or stop bitching about traffic.
At the very least, read the guide.
Leave one
This reminds me of (admittedly informal) studies of “the moving wave of jam” (see Traffic Waves) … if everybody would just leave a little more space between themselves and the car ahead, there would be fewer traffic jams.
also, a “preview comment” feature would be helpful here, so I can tell if I screwed up the tags and such. :) okay tim?
Once I got over that awesome animated gif at the top, it was actually a pretty good read.
I read this and thought it was interesting. Then i thought about the times when 1 lane is closed and people have to merge into the open lane and the jackasses that will drive all the way to the front and try to merge in there. Makes me so angry. Urge to kill rising…
yea, that’s a whole ‘nother issue of where the merge should happen.
I believe the merge should happen where the merge lane ends. This is the only logical, defined location for merging to happen. People that stop halfway down the merge lane are eager imbiciles.
When the merge does take place, the “zipper” technique is again the only logical and fair mechanism.
By here again, if you’re a Johnny Do-Gooder, and you think you’re being a swell guy by letting in more than one car and thereby screwing up my zipper, you should get punched.
If the highway is fundamentally flawed from conception, then people are forced to become uncivilized.