I Used To Merge Wrong

“Merge like a zipper” means “don’t cut in early”

Imagine you’re speeding down a 4-lane highway and you spot a merge sign. In a mile or so, 4 lanes are going to turn into 3. So what do you do if you’re in the soon-to-be removed lane?

1. Move over as soon as you can so you don’t cut in line.
2. Wait until the last possible moment to merge and cut in like a jerk.

I used to think #1 was the polite thing to do, and I got irrationally upset about people who were driving down the soon-to-be-closed lane in order to jump the line. It turns out the line cutters were right all along. The right thing to do is wait until the last possible moment. Even if it feels strange.

How to merge like an awesome person

1. Maintain your speed
2. Wait to merge until the merge point at the very end (like a zipper)
3. When you do merge, match the speed of the new lane
4. Leave space, use your turn signal, thank the person behind you, etc

And that’s it! When people say “merge like a zipper” they don’t just mean alternating which car gets to go. They’re saying “do not cut in too early. Wait until the lanes are actually merging together. Merging early messes up traffic flow, so while it might seem polite it’s actually the worst thing you can do.”

For many years, I had no idea!

Learn more here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=35byJxDIX88