There are just too many idiots on the road. Whether it’s ignorance or a blatant disregard for road rules and safety, too many drivers just aren’t practicing defensive driving methods or follow traffic laws. Here’s a new series we’re starting on our pet peeves on the road. And our first take – using turn lane tapers to overtake.
Road tapers are points on the road where the road diverges or converges. These are commonly found approaching intersections and usually precede turn lanes. These are supposedly nice pieces of road engineering as they allow those intending to turn their own lane so that when they slow down when approaching the turn, they wouldn’t slow down those intending to go straight.
Too bad many Filipino drivers, bastards that they are, would use this lane to cut through the possible build-up or queue of those going straight since there are few vehicles using the turn lane.
One intersection where this is common is along Marcos Highway corner A. Bonifacio in Marikina going to Quezon City.
The road widens from two lanes into three, providing an “exclusive” lane for right turners. Too bad this taper is exploited by other drivers who simply want to be first at the corner. Jeepney drivers are the usual culprits but this doesn’t stop other driving private vehicles to do the same.
The problem then is when they force to merge back into the proper lane, causing a gridlock. Since these cretins who use the taper lanes to overtake carry their entitlement even when merging, they simply just force their way into the proper lane. And people don’t even practice zipper merging where cars in merging lanes ideally alternate. So the traffic just piles on.
A common excuse for these drivers are 1) there’s no solid line that isolates the road taper meaning they can use the lane and merge back into traffic and 2) there’s no sign saying “rightmost lane must turn right.”