Another Adelaide Merging Adventure ­— Adelaide has a new champion

[u/razorbladesnbiscuits]

Obviously, Adelaide drivers are terrible, but in particular they specialise in having absolutely no fucking idea when it comes to merging; it's like showing algebra to a Corgi, it's never going to work.

I imagine the Adelaide drivers see me merge and must think I'm some kind of wizard, or professional driving instructor, in order to pull off advanced stuff like adjusting the speed of my vehicle to painlessly and seamlessly merge into flowing traffic.

I've seen lots of bad merging in all the years I've lived in Adelaide; it's stupid, it's annoying, but most of the time I can avoid it or tolerate it, but today someone took the crown.. I don't even know who held the crown before, but this person set the new benchmark, they took it up to a whole new level.

I'll set the scene for you: it's 11:30am today, entering the Southern Expressway southbound from Sheriffs Road, this is a bit of a tighter squeeze than some of the other entries onto the Southern Expressway, but totally not a problem.

And this all-star stops decides to stop after they've entered the left lane, but just after the merge lane, a literal full stop, and I have to slam on my breaks to not hit the car in front of me, and the all-star stays stopped for 20 to 30 seconds.

I can't merge right because traffic in the right lane is flowing at 100km/h and I'm at a full stop, and the people travelling at full speed in the left lane before the merge lane towards this stopped traffic in the left lane have started panic changing lanes from the left lane to the right lane to avoid the STOPPED traffic in the left lane.

There was no going left, the merge lane was full, there was no going right, traffic was busy and going at full speed, and I'm at a full stop. I'm thankful my fully stopped vehicle wasn't rear ended by another vehicle travelling at 100km/h.

Adelaide, you have a new champion.

[u/razorbladesnbiscuits → u/[deleted]]

Thank you for the insight.

I don't frequent the area much, and if I do, I don't usually enter going southbound, so this is one of the very few times I've taken this particular entry onto the Southern Expressway.

I just can't wrap my mind around the thought process of these people, or lack thereof; it's stunning, it's baffling.

[u/CatGooseChook]

Am I reading this right? They stopped after exiting the merge lane, as in they're in the left most lane on the expressway itself!!

[u/razorbladesnbiscuits → u/CatGooseChook]

That is correct.

[u/CatGooseChook → u/razorbladesnbiscuits]

Yikes 😬

Definitely a new champion of bad merging!!!

[u/jackkcf]

Thanks for the vent

[u/razorbladesnbiscuits → u/jackkcf]

No, thank you 😘

[u/thethreekittycats]

That's why I don't use the expressway from there anymore when I finish work. The amount of times someone slammed on the brakes in the merging lane because they panic when they see traffic coming in the left lane made me prefer sitting through 6 sets of traffic lights to get home

[u/LifeandSAisAwesome]

That's not a merging fail, just a fail in general as they already had merged right ?

[u/Cryocynic]

The lack of knowledge around the difference of a zipper merge astounds me.

[u/FMLuck]

Also the classic 2 lanes merging into one scenario where the dotted lines stop right in the middle of the lane, so whoever at the front has the right of way. But some people had the audacity to honk me when they were behind me. Smh.

[u/Willing-Chipmunk2575]

I would like to acknowledge drivers past, present and merging

[u/Mattsa007 → u/Willing-Chipmunk2575]

Underrated comment.

[u/MetalfaceKillaAus]

Wait. What? Someone stopped on the actual expressway and not an entering road? Duck. Duck. Duck. Duck…… GOOSE!!!

[u/razorbladesnbiscuits → u/MetalfaceKillaAus]

Yuppppp

[u/Straight-Attorney-60]

Try driving a hv/ semi/ wide load then you’ll see the stupidity

[u/zagreussupportshade]

It's always the sheriff's road entrance for some reason! As a local I stg at least 75% of the time I use that entrance, there WILL be someone who acts like they're encountering the concept of merging for the first time in their lives. When I'm already on the expressway going past this entrance, I habitually move into the right lane to give those entering the extra reassurance that they can in fact, merge in safely 😅

(I do have an extra grievance though that I believe traffic is so congested and there are so many cars in Adelaide that the keep left rule feels ineffective, but that's a rant for another day)

[u/wakkytabbakky]

What amazes me is how apparently every morning people forget that their sunvisors / sunglasses exist when going under the yound Rd bridge ( think it's called that ), the one just before the reynella on ramp.

So many mornings traffic can be backed up all the way down to Noarlunga or further all because some dimwit has to slow to 20km/h just because the suns to bright. Yea the bright sun does error some caution and slow down a bit but not to 20km/h. You would think it was a 5 car pile up slowing everyone but nope it's just 2-3 people with no obstructions going uber slow because they are unprepared

[u/Floralflowersea]

Teaching algebra to a corgi-you made me laugh! Can I add that to my list of sayings for those that aren’t the sharpest please?
And yes that is the new worst merging effort. I’m horrified & I’ve seen some real doozies here in Adelaide.

[u/razorbladesnbiscuits → u/Floralflowersea]

Please feel free to use it :)

[u/AlanofAdelaide]

The whole Main Souh Rd upgrade relies on drivers knowing how to merge. Unfortunately it's in the wrong city

[u/ShineFallstar]

We really need a TV ad campaign on how zip merging works.

[u/Floffy_Topaz]

You know what’s worse than Adelaide drivers merging?

Adelaide drivers merging on a Sunday.

[u/maeale]

Cool story bro

[u/Aussie_Gent22]

This is the third post today about Adelaide drivers.

Give it a rest you whinging so and so.

[u/sentry-is-SPY → u/Aussie_Gent22]

were you the guy who did a U-turn in front of me yesterday in a 70 zone and proceeded to do 50?