In article >, Daniel W. Rouse Jr. wrote:

> Driver behavior isn't always acceleration. Driver behavior isn't always high
> speed. Driver behavior IS, however, at least using a large enough following
> distance so that others can merge or change lanes.

And driver behavior isn't always dumping the bodies of dead hookers on
the side of the interstate.

The merging and lane changing problems go away when sloth and MFFY are
eliminated. What is the major reason for making it difficult for someone
to get in front of you?

1) That driver is sloth and will drive 5,10,15,20mph or more under the
flow speed or your present speed. We can thank absurdly low speed limits
in great part for this.

2) That driver has been passing on the shoulder or conducting any number
of other assholish behaviors.

3) the driver is just plain incompetent, using a cell phone, watching TV,
reading a book, whatever.

When people are almost entirely competent drivers the need to block out
vanishes. There's nobody racing up on the shoulder, there isn't someone
reading a book not paying attention to the road and most of all there
isn't someone trying to merge into 70mph traffic at 40mph.

> And yes, there are occasions where--even though certain group members may
> disagree--it is completely necessary to let someone into a lane. When that
> breaks down, using technology to govern that behavior does become a viable
> secondary solution.

Competent drivers don't require anyone to 'let' them in under normal
flowing circumstances. Even in bumper to bumper traffic needing someone
to 'let' me in is very rare. I learned early on that driving in such a
way that it is dependent on the kindness of others is foolish at best.