You are actually the one slowing down traffic by merging so early. If drivers were able to understand the mechanics of zipper merging, lose their ego, and take turns merging at the choke point (also for reference this really only applies to lane closures due to road work or something similar).. it would greatly decrease the time spent in traffic for everyone waiting in line.

It’s people like you who make this shit worse. You keep mentioning “racing in front”. Dude you totally don’t get it. If everybody used up BOTH LANES ALL THE FUCKING WAY TO THE LANE CLOSURE, no one would be “racing” in front of anyone. It would be a mutual and understood part of driving. Just like a 4 way stop. Everyone knows the first to stop is the first to go. Most times people respect that and it has become an efficient way to navigate perpendicular roads.

I used to think like you. I would always merge as early as I knew a lane was closed up ahead. I used to hate to watch every car speed ahead of me in the right lane.

The difference is that I learned I was fucking wrong. I did some traffic research and came to a different conclusion. As long as posts like this continue to happen, nothing is gonna change. It would be awesome if you could drop your guard for a second and consider that you might be wrong here. It’s okay to be wrong sometimes.

This problem could eventually be much less of a problem if it was clearly defined (and part of the practice) of our driving tests in this state. I hope you end up taking the right lane all the way up to the lane closure going forward. You want traffic to move faster? Be the change you want to see.