Using Service Lane to Cut Traffic

epkh on 01/08/2019 - 21:52

Hello friends,

So today I decided to take a different route home from work and this route happened to be a lot worse and was very congested.

I was using Google maps for the lols (even though I knew the way) and it suggested I used the service road for around 1km as there seemed to be some traffic.

Fair enough it's just a machine and it ain't got morals etc. so I just ignored it and decided to just continue straight and endure the traffic.

While sitting in traffic I realised that a never ending stream of cars passed through the service lane and it was obviously a lot faster.

The thing that got me was when they wanted to re-enter the road from the service lane, most of them were aggressive and appeared as if they were entitled for us to give way.

Legally I understand that there's probably nothing wrong with using the service lane like that (I think??) But morally speaking, I feel like it's similar to cutting in line.

As I said before, a LOT were doing this so just wanted to kinda understand whether it's morally acceptable??

Tldr: a lot of people were using service lane to cut traffic. I think it's not right and akin to cutting in line. What do you think?

Poll Options

  • 8
    Ok to use service lane like that
  • 183
    Not ok to use service lane like that
Automotive

Comments

  • Ryanek on 01/08/2019 - 21:57
    +7

    It's for people with no shame.

    • epkh on 01/08/2019 - 21:57
      +13

      Google maps got not shame

      • Clear on 01/08/2019 - 22:06
        +6

        Google Maps tried to get me to drive onto the Essendon Fields runway once.

        • CC123 on 01/08/2019 - 22:12
          +1

          Google Maps once took me onto a 4WD track when heading to a local town… there was a main paved road approx 1km East of the way Google Maps took us on the 4WD track…

          • pegaxs on 02/08/2019 - 10:02
            +2

            @CC123: In Sydney, I got detoured onto a ferry at one stage. Had to go to Concord and it suggested to cut across and take a car ferry across the river.

            • [Deactivated] on 02/08/2019 - 22:23

              @pegaxs: At least you got the car ferry option, once it told me to park up and take the passenger ferry.

      • plmko on 01/08/2019 - 22:07
        +12

        Google Maps is just following the data generated by these people LOL

  • [Deactivated] on 01/08/2019 - 22:03
    +3

    Surely this doesn't need to be asked.

  • brokenglish on 01/08/2019 - 22:09
    +26

    When I see cars like that I always make sure I don't give them any gap to go in. If they force it, I give them a good 5-second honk and quickly grab my sunglasses and stare at them because my eyes don't translate to intimidation.
    These people are problematic but the real problem is the cause of congestion.
    More humans > more cars > roads not gonna fit. I don't see any real action from the government to tackle this issue.
    If we have better public transport (VIC) we can save the environment at the same time.
    Regardless of their current problems, I am excited for Uber Air

    • SlavOz on 02/08/2019 - 13:29

      Wrong. Australia is well behind the curve of other cities when it comes to handling a large population of cars. Our roads are set up to profit and nothing more. Particularly in Sydney, the problem is the way the roads are designed (and continue to be designed by incompetent people).

      Though tbf traffic is a major issue for every city and a huge change is needed in the future. Less cars, tighter regulations around licenses, smarter traffic lights, better road design, and even trying to change 99% of the population working the same hours.

  • Godric on 01/08/2019 - 22:35
    +1

    You asking implies you know the answer

    • spaceflight on 03/08/2019 - 22:06

      So everytime someone asks a question they already know the answer?

  • [Deactivated] on 01/08/2019 - 22:41
    -7

    Is it legal? Or illegal?

    There lies your answer.

    • outlander on 01/08/2019 - 22:46
      +1

      whats the question

    • [Deactivated] on 03/08/2019 - 18:46

      is it illegal to cut in line?

  • outlander on 01/08/2019 - 22:45

    I was using Google maps for the lols

    Woah, there, crazy man! You need to calm down! Stop being so reckless chasing those thrills..

  • try2bhelpful on 01/08/2019 - 23:11
    +12

    You just don’t let them back in. Simple.

    • mskeggs on 02/08/2019 - 06:10
      +6

      Agreed, and it helps that I drive an old beat up car and the line cutters all drive nice shiny expensive vehicles.

      • try2bhelpful on 02/08/2019 - 17:53

        My brother has a theory on depreciation. If you hit my car then you car will depreciate more than mine.

      • Euphemistic on 02/08/2019 - 19:57
        -3

        And conversely if you are being a tool and not letting me in, my old ute WILL find a way in.

  • John Kimble on 01/08/2019 - 23:15
    +1

    Location/map link please

    • epkh on 02/08/2019 - 06:41
      +1

      This was princess highway near police road junction

    • teardrops21 on 02/08/2019 - 13:05
      +1

      MS Paint diagram please

      • spaceflight on 03/08/2019 - 22:09

        I drew it on a napkin for you

  • Alfred Best on 02/08/2019 - 02:14

    I am using google maps for this.

  • pegaxs on 02/08/2019 - 06:49
    +18

    I take much pleasure in not letting these people back into the line of traffic. I don’t know why anyone lets them back in. It makes my day when I get closer to the end of the service road and I can see that it is just as backed up and all their queue jumping was for nought. :D

    • Euphemistic on 02/08/2019 - 14:32
      +1

      And then when you genuinely have used the service road no one lets you in, frustrating.

      I occasionally use a service road near home, has heaps of businesses on it. Sometimes I have to force my way in, find a bit of a gap and just take it. But then, if someone is trying to get out of said service road and I’m on the main road, I let them in too.

      I see no benefit in making cars wait in a side street when I can slow for a few seconds and not arrive at my destination any later. Just keeps the traffic moving.

      • pegaxs on 02/08/2019 - 15:32
        +2

        And that is the unfortunate collateral damage caused be trying to out-arsehole the arseholes, that some innocent people get caught in the crossfire.

        I guess I am a lot more lenient to people I witness coming from their home/business. But the people that get absolutely no quarter are the shoulder/emergency lane queue jumping arseholes. Back of the line, Dipshit…

        • Euphemistic on 02/08/2019 - 17:39
          +1

          I’ll happily block the person who is trying to squeeze in front of me when there is a suitable space behind me and I’ll force entry when it looks like the clown is trying to shut a gap I picked out when merging but overall driving letting the flow flow is more important to the scheme than me being in front of just one more car.

          When there is a short section of two lanes at a set of traffic lights and no one is in the left I’ll happily use it and try to pick a gap. They built two lines to allow more cars through the lights, but when idiots get all upset about me ‘queue jumping’ it just upsets the flow even more. For the record when I do Use he left lane it is important to merge smoothly and identify a natural gap in the traffic, the sort that a truck or someone using a phone supplies.

  • Soluble on 02/08/2019 - 07:44
    +3

    Happened a lot where I lived. When the council redid the road they blocked the end of the service lane which was great. There was a sign when entering the service lane with local traffic only.

    Not to mention it was their fault the traffic was banked up in the first place, as soon as someone went through and around there was a traffic light that changed. Without that service lane it would have only had a car every couple of minutes tops.

  • emblurr on 02/08/2019 - 08:03
    +3

    Here's an article that talks of the benefits of late merging. Food for thought.

    https://www.nytimes.com/2016/10/13/us/why-last-second-lane-m…

    • ESEMCE on 02/08/2019 - 09:08
      +1

      Great link, but completely unrelated to OP's scenario.

      I 100% support driving the full length of the lane, and merging at the merge point for the reasons outlined in the article.
      I wish more people did it.

      • emblurr on 02/08/2019 - 09:19
        +1

        Epkh has written about using a service lane to cut in line and whether it is morally acceptable.

        The article I found is about cutting in line from a closing lane. It even mentions breach of etiquette.

        They are both about cutting in line. It's very much related to the Epkh's scenario.

        • ESEMCE on 02/08/2019 - 13:40

          Nope…
          If you have 2 lines of equal length merging at the zip point, I think you would agree that nobody is cutting in?

          If people did the correct thing and stayed in the lane to the merge point, they are merely maintaining their place in the queue at the merge point.
          It appears to be cutting in solely because many in the closing lane do the wrong thing (giving up their position in the queue) and merge 500m before the merge point, thereby pushing everyone else in that lane further back in the queue!
          If anything, it's the early mergerers who are cutting in!

          • emblurr on 02/08/2019 - 15:44
            -2

            @ESEMCE: You've obviously missed the point. I've put in that article to show support as to how using the additional lane can be beneficial to traffic flow even though many people think it's not 'morally acceptable'.

            • SlickMick on 02/08/2019 - 22:10
              +2

              @emblurr: i haven't read the article, but it seems clear who's missing the point here. Ending lanes should be used to the end. Service lanes should be used for getting serviced only. Totally different scenarios.

  • Euphemistic on 02/08/2019 - 19:59
    -6

    Where’s the ‘who cares’ option on the poll? Sometimes I do it, sometimes I let people in who have done it.

    The name of the game is not ‘get there first’ it is ‘keep the traffic flowing’.

    • Windows98 on 03/08/2019 - 18:47
      +3

      Except you're not keeping the traffic flowing. You cutting in ahead slows down that road to a dead stop because the whole lane has to stop to let you in.

      Everyone who didn't cut in line is paying the price for your selfishness.

      • Euphemistic on 04/08/2019 - 08:57

        I knew that’d get plenty of downvotes. Being able to pick a gap and merge, and not jump in and make everyone else stop is an art. Mostly it works well, sometimes you screw up. At the end of the day using an illegal avenue to ‘queue jump’ Isn’t cool, but blocking traffic entering a road just becuase they might be ‘cheating’ isn’t cool either.

        Reducing you speed a fraction in crawling traffic for a few sections to allow another car to enter keeps traffic flowing. The time a selfish person gains by not letting in other traffic is minuscule and disrupts flow.

  • Architectonic on 03/08/2019 - 11:09

    As Soluble mentioned, get the council involved. If these other drivers are driving dangerously (speeding down a service lane and forcing their way into traffic at the end), then petition the local council to apply some kind of treatment that will prevent the road from being a through-route.

    Note, by service lane I'm assuming you mean a https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frontage_road

  • Windows98 on 03/08/2019 - 18:45

    People who do this are like children who cut in line at the tuckshop. Self centred twats

    One of the best days of my life was when I saw highway patrol catching the ones driving over the speed limit on the service road trying to get ahead.

  • [Deactivated] on 03/08/2019 - 18:49

    I don't see how it keeps traffic flowing, you going down the service road means you have to merge back in at some point, therefore someone has to brake for you slowing the lane down. It really is the same as cutting in line.

  • tik tok on 03/08/2019 - 20:44
    -3

    Was it a particular race of people doing this ?

  • neyo on 03/08/2019 - 21:01
    +1

    What's a service road/lane?

    • lysp on 03/08/2019 - 21:23

      https://i.imgur.com/Q1XrsXS.png

      • neyo on 03/08/2019 - 21:28
        +1

        Thanks! Looks like a normal road to me. Why not use it like that. Love how ozbargainers get on their high horse in these type of forums/polls. Probably complete opposite in reality

        • lysp on 03/08/2019 - 22:25

          You have a major road which is meant to have the through-traffic.

          Then you have a service road which is there for houses/businesses to have a quiet street to access their properties.

          The road is there to be a quiet road to "service" the properties - not to use as a shortcut.

          It's similar to people driving through corner service station carparks to skip a red light. It's technically legal - just against the purpose of that space.

          • neyo on 04/08/2019 - 09:32

            @lysp: Agreed that it's not the intention of it, but if it's a shorter route then why not.

            On a larger scale, it's no different to taking 'back roads' or 'side streets' because there is traffic on the main road/highway.

            To me it's a cost benefit analysis - in your example of the service station to cut a corner, the time you will save is a matter of seconds - but when we are talking service roads or say cutting through a residential suburb to cut a corner of two perpendicular major roads, you could be saving 10-15 mins

            Well worth it!

  • Bad Company on 07/08/2019 - 09:19

    Sounds like the service lane isn't designed well. Time for the council to add some traffic calming devices, cul-de-sacs, enforcements, or reducing the number of entrances and exits.

    Or a combination of the above.

    Relying on people to do the right thing is only going to leave us disappointed.

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