Things people do that baffle you 2

[jenzzi]

Following this thread https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/am_i_being_unreasonable/5520735-things-people-do-that-just-baffle-you?page=40

Things included
talking on loudspeaker in public
very elderly people who shop on Saturday morning
people that stop at shop entrances
people park next to you in a car park that is about 20% full

A bell is much better. As a pedestrian, I know that bell=cyclist so it's just way more effective as communication. I might not hear the specific words if they spoke.

Because people will be a bit suspicious of a first time poster Vs an established one. But I understand the desire for privacy for certain topics.

Whilst those two reasons can often be the case - and I don't see any issues with the first one in any case - they're far from the only ones.

It's frequently just to take the wind out of the sails of the boorish/stalky self-superior people who see a username they don't recall, then they AS the name, and say "Interesting first post, OP........" in a clear way to suggest that they're a troll or a WUM.

Of course, the people could indeed be trolls - but on the other hand, posters do frequently genuinely use MN for the very first time, and may well want to discuss an embarrassing or awkward problem that they don't feel able to raise with family or friends as their catalyst to becoming a regular.

Also, it's not necessarily something bad/outrageous that the OP has said or done. You do get bullies on here who fixate on and set about somebody for no good reason; so name-changing is like the online equivalent of walking a different way home from school where you won't get beaten up.

The point is that identifying an unfamiliar username without any history is no proof whatsoever of a time-waster, fantasist or troll and isn't the automatic gotcha that some people assume.

Sorry to re-ignite the 'merge in turn' debate, but what I don't get is, if ultimately there is only one useful lane and everyone's going to have to squeeze into it, how can it be better for there to be two lanes full at the point where it becomes one lane and you have to merge? I tend to obey signs once I've seen them - is that wrong? Genuine question. I think of myself as a good, savvy driver, but this discussion has worried me!

I've been thinking about this (due to comments upthread) and I asked a petrolhead friend. He was actually critical of drivers who leave it till the last minute, swoop down the left lane and then expect to be let in by those patiently queueing. He's by no means a dim, dozy driver.

I just don't see how it makes any difference to the overall congestion whether everyone gets into lane more or less as soon as the sign instructs them to, or waits until the last minute - we're all going to have to squeeze into one lane in the end???

Oh, and I think 'Merge in turn' is not easy to interpret. It would be clearer if it said 'Take turns to merge'.

Yes, a bell is a neutral sound that carries well. Using normal volume to say "Excuse me, please" won't be heard until it's too late; and shouting sounds unnecessarily aggressive.

It also doesn't work very well to communicate a message - unless it's maybe one clear, familiar syllable such as "Fire!!!" - as you see time and again with the idiots who shout insults from fast-moving cars, and don't possess the basic knowledge of physics to realise that their victim will only hear a sharp burst of random unintelligible noise whilst they are giggling away like the pathetic cowards they are inside the vehicle.

Merge-in-turn is easier than lane-emptying when done properly, in my experience. The theory is that it uses all the available road space and shortens the queue. This is of course obvious, but the longer the stretch of road the bigger the difference. A shorter queue might avoid blocking a junction upstream, if one is close enough.

Say you have a 1/2 mile warning of lane closure on a congested two-lane carriageway. Bumper-to-bumper that's about 150 cars per lane. Keeping one lane empty fills up an extra 1/4 mile of road before the warning, adding 150 cars to the congestion there.

The UK Highway Code, as usual, is a bit vague on it. It says [my square brackets]:
"You should follow the signs and road markings and get into the lane as directed [OK if the sign says 'merge in turn' but what, as you've hinted, is 'lane closing in 400yds' directing you to do?]. In congested road conditions do not change lanes unnecessarily. Merging in turn is recommended but only if safe and appropriate [and] when vehicles are travelling at a very low speed [fair enough], e.g. when approaching road works [but you can safely approach roadworks at speed in the right conditions] or a road traffic incident. It is not recommended at high speed [what about medium speed?]"

So normal lane changing should work in flowing traffic. You still don't need a lane empty for this. Zipper-merging is for slow, queuing traffic and you don't need an empty lane at all.

@BrickBiscuit Thanks - that's a helpful explanation.

I think it's analogous to the situation with tube escalators. You're asked to stand on the right, and energetic people in a hurry can then race up on the left. I always comply.

But apparently the fastest way to get a large number of people up an tube escalator is if everyone stood on both sides, two to a step. It's obvious, really - you'd get nearly double the number up at a time.

But that would only work if everyone agreed to do it, and I think it's a similar situation with the merge in turn issue. People who get in lane early naturally resent the whizzers down the left-hand lane and don't always let them in...

I think I'll see if there's a YouTube driving instructor video!

Quite agree with your theories too (although I wasn't suggesting that this OP had behaved badly previously), particularly regarding bullying.

... is like the online equivalent of walking a different way home from school where you won't get beaten up.

Fantastic analogy! I like it!

I’m on holiday abroad at the moment. During breakfast, there is always a queue for getting the cornflakes out of those cereal dispensers, you see in hotels.

Why go on holiday and just eat bloody cornflakes, the most boring of breakfasts?

Re cornflakes…
I love eating the food of the country when I’m on holiday, but often one arrives tired after the stress of the airport, it’s a different time zone so one’s body clock thinks it’s 7 am, one’s in a hot, crowded restaurant and the concept of olives and interesting cheese for breakfast is a bit anathema. 🤣

I can eat cheese at any time of the day.

Broke people who have lots of pets then can’t look after them properly and have to give them up.

Anyone who buys one of those poor flat faced disabled dogs or inbred struggling animals in general.

They have not done their research properly.

Surely most people don't only eat cornflakes, though? They're just a little starter before you plough headlong into the good stuff like there's no tomorrow?!

Then a couple of slices of white toast through the toasting machine which the 1st time it barely cooks it. Put it through the second time, smoke alarms go off!

I think it's fastest overall but not for the individuals who don't want to wait behind everyone else. Like me. I'd hate having to stand, I always walk unless I have luggage - even up the really steep ones!

People who believe that con trails are ‘the man’ controlling the weather

Whinging about bottle cap tethers.

Claiming because bicyles can’t do 30+ miles a day carrying a fridge, no one should ever use one.

Priortising spending £500+ a month on a car, yet neglect spending any money on their health.

Defending mobile phone use whilst driving and selfish pavement parking.

Constantly chasing “growth” (never ending chase), rather than prioritising happiness. I learnt the Swedes have a saying, Lagom, which means “just enough”.

Cyclists both cycling too fast and too slow. Don’t think I’ve seen that contradiction quite so obviously before 😂

And the sanctimonious twits who post on a thread about something on TV to declare that they don’t own a television. Okay, great, thanks for that.

People who make excuses for the fact Micheal Jackson shared his bed with little boys.

So ageist. Older people can shop whenever suits them best - JUST LIKE EVERYONE ELSE!

It’s also the fact that these people can sometimes also get quite irritated with people who happen to be walking/stood on the patch of pavement that they want to mount! I’ve had people ask me to move before so they can park on the pavement! Seems to be issue around schools a lot.

I honestly don't understand why anyone smokes when vapes and nicotine replacement therapy are so easy to buy and use instead these days. No fag butts, no 2nd hand smoke, less lung cancer and COPD,no stink on clothes and breath. Result.

I use a bell, normally to warn people I am about to overtake them on a shared path. I'm not expecting them to move but you'd be amazed at the number of indignant looks I get as I pass. To be honest you can't win.