I am a self proclaimed Expert Merger! What is an “Expert Merger” you may ask? Well I’ll tell you!
I’m very skilled at merging my car into driving lanes on the road! 😀 Whether it’s on ramp, off ramp, traffic or not…well, I guess if there’s no traffic, then there’s no need to “merge”, I think merging lanes is a skill that not a lot of people have mastered.
How do I make such bold claims? Because I’m on the road driving behind these non-merging drivers and feeling the frustration of their hesitancy in merging lanes.
Merging Lanes is a Joy!
Today I was driving on an off ramp from a highway that merged onto another highway. In fact, this highway I was getting onto was at a split with yet another highway so it can be a bit confusing to some who’s never driven on it. But lucky for me, I navigate that road often enough to know what to do. Unfortunately, I ended up behind someone who I will categorize as a “non-merger”.
Not only was this non-merger going super slow but they were straddling both lanes trying to decide which one they are suppose to take while oncoming traffic was fast approaching. For me, I didn’t need to merge over to the other highway but I wanted to be on my way and not get stuck behind a non-merger.
This is where Expert Merger strikes again!
As soon as the non-merger moved over more than half way with their lane straddling, I saw the opportunity to speed up and go around them! With a glimmer of joy in my eye, I seized this opportunity and I was on my way to my destination which I believe was me going home from the gym. I saw in my rear view mirror all the people wanting to be in my lane but unfortunate for them, the non-merger had delayed their attempts at merging lanes too.
In that brief delightful moment, I felt a smile form on my face. I was on my way and avoided a potential accident situation with non-mergers.
The Art and Skill in Merging Lanes
Perhaps not just a skill, there is an art form in merging lanes. Not only do you have to be observant and aware of your surroundings, you usually have only a second or two to make a decision and then go go go with it! Timing is important and anticipating where your car at the current speed is able to merge into the speed and space of the oncoming traffic is an art form. It’s amazing how the brain can calculate through it’s senses all the information necessary to successfully perform such tasks as merging lanes.
See the opportunity and seize the moment, that, to me works in merging lanes and in other things in life 🙂 Smile the next time you’re merging lanes too!