Zipper-merging, traffic circles and safe driving

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 16/09/2019 (2392 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

After my introductory article last month, I had two articles begging to be written.

The first concerns a tremendous end-of-life service called Passages.Life, operated in part by a former student of mine from Morris, Man. The other involves trying to educate drivers in our lovely area of the city (in fact, drivers in all areas of the city). Inform, embarrass — call it whatever you wish, but I like educate. It is a much more user-friendly term.  

I decided to write the driving article first because if we all just follow some simple rules and laws of the road then we won’t require the end-of-life services offered by Passages.Life until a natural cause removes us from this mortal coil called Earth. Dying in an automobile sounds just so, well, messy…

So, as I roll around southeast Winnipeg, and other areas of the city there are a couple of habits of drivers that drive me, and many others, bat-crap crazy.

Really, these are just simple little things we can all do to ensure safer motoring for all drivers, pedestrians, and cyclists on our streets. I didn’t mention rollerblades, skateboards, or unicycles because there are certain things I can’t quite get my head around and rolling around on any of those three on streets teeming with two-ton and heavier automobiles speaks to a much… bolder?… personality than I can fathom.

Zipper-merging — indeed, any merging — is one of my personal peeves about driving in Winnipeg.

Instructions on how to zipper-merge are easily found online and it is really simple — you’re supposed to take turns, allowing vehicles to merge in front of you, then move ahead and let everyone else follow suit. Using your signal lights all the while, of course. Just like a zipper works — it’s simple, eh? But not so much, it would seem.

Then there are traffic circles… oh, man… these bad boys require the implementation of just a few common sense rules. Always enter to the right, yielding to traffic approaching from your left. When you are approaching your exit, signal your right turn, then exit the circle.

These simple tasks are easily performed and with proper indications of intent… think signal lights here…w e can all enjoy happy, carefree and, most importantly safe motoring when rambling around southeast Winnipeg and, in fact, all of our city.

Later, fellow ramblers!

Weldon Rinn lives, writes, and enjoys living in St. Vital. He can be reached at weldonrinn2@gmail.com