This depends entirely on how dense the traffic is. If it's bumper-to-bumper, go ahead and wait until your lane ends, but if there are openings that allow you to merge earlier without slowing down, you should take them. However, some people would rather die than imagine the idea of being two cars further back, and merge into a smaller space at the last second, making other cars slam on their brakes and ****ing up the traffic flow that way instead.

Pretty much this. There is a massive derail about it in the Life Tricks thread.

Edit: On topic, plastic sleeves on hardback books.

If I see one more of those parody videos from that Hitler movie...

They used to be funny when they first started popping up. Now it seems like you can find one on every single thing that happened in the history of the universe.

it's exactly this. unfortunately people are too stupid and selfish so it gets ****ed up every time.

People who think all Asians are Chinese.

That makes no difference at all. If one or more lanes are closed it's going to get backed up. Doesn't matter who merges when.

Please, please don't start this tarding. Comb through the Life Tricks thread if you really feel the need to expand on this topic

He lives in China...

Edit: nm mixed him up with someone else.

this is incorrect. if merging can be done without braking/causing other cars to brake, there is no reason for a backup. obviously sometimes there is going to be such heavy traffic that that becomes impossible. but even with moderate traffic, if people would merge when they have an opening, that will reduce/eliminate the backups.

Seriously, stop it with the merging talk. We've done this before...it's a half step behind tipping as topics that suck.

I'll merge when I ****ing want to and talk about it when I ****ing want to.

I love the topic of merging and wish that we would discuss it even more.

Please continue, thread.

I prefer the ones where I don't have a clue about subject they're talking about.

Thread should be renamed "Bitterness Containment Thread."

People who want to rename this thread.

The people who use the other lane are actually the ones doing the right thing. Traffic will flow more quickly for everyone if both lanes are in use until right before the bottleneck. People that won't let others in at the front of the line are the real problem on the road. Their behaviour belongs in the "things that should piss you off and do" thread.

Science and the DOT are on my side.
http://www.dot.state.mn.us/zippermerge/.

Hopefully now you are educated instead of angry.

Wrong.

from that link:

When traffic is moving 65mph no one cares when you merge. It's when there is a backup and people get that attitude that since they have moved over everyone else needs to stay behind them despite a half mile of open lane.

Where's the right place to merge? Behind me!
Bastards.

What is Minnesota nice? Is that a scientific term?

I was watching the video of that Oklahoma lady finding her dog crawl out of rubble yesterday & reading some of the comments, I realized I have done a 180 on this over the years:
The guy who needs to point out as smugly as possible, that she is selfish or whatever for thinking God cares more about her dog than some kid. Do you really think she believes that? Or maybe she is just happy to see her f***ing dog? Do you take everything else in life that literally or just when the word 'God' is used? Find a different angle to say how much smarter you are than everyone else and stop with the moral highground Bill Maher wannabe spiel that's been regurgitated eight gazillion times. Seriously. And I'm not religious at all.

Actually I am pretty sure she believes that god gave a **** about her and her dog.

100% agree and yes it tilts the **** out of me when people post something like God is good!!! when they or their house escapes the disaster when, in the Moore tornado, seven schoolkids drowned like terrified rats in the rubble. Sorry, kids, God was occupied with Fido.

And it's much more stupid than selfish. I'm sure she would happily have her dog have died to save the kids. But I would bet a lot she thinks God helped save the dog, literally, rather than, say, random chance/happenstance.

This is correct. It pisses me off that some people don't understand this.