Cars Cutting in Line?

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   A friend of mine was trying to exit the South Parking area at the Pentagon yesterday, Monday afternoon.  Apparently, there was a line of cars waiting to pick up slugs at the �island� but he was not aware of this situation.  He was behind five or six cars in the parking lot lane trying to turn left onto the main lanes, but could not see that most of these cars were waiting to turn left into the slug lane.  So, he waited for 15 minutes until he got to the front of the line.  He motioned to the driver in line that all he wanted to do was cross the �waiting for slugs� line and onto the clear main lanes.  He had no problems crossing over but was mad at himself into thinking that there must have been an accident or problem up front, but it turned out to be a line of cars waiting to pick up slugs.  He should have tried to turn his car around and exit the parking lot the other way.  However, I didn�t realize that drivers could cut into the �waiting for slugs� line from the side of the parking lot and do not have to get in back of the line?

	Goober

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goober Members Profile Find Members Posts New Slug Joined: 28 Oct 2004 Location: VA Status: Offline Points: 2	Post Options Post Reply Quote goober Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Topic: Cars Cutting in Line? Posted: 21 Dec 2004 at 4:03pm
	A friend of mine was trying to exit the South Parking area at the Pentagon yesterday, Monday afternoon. Apparently, there was a line of cars waiting to pick up slugs at the �island� but he was not aware of this situation. He was behind five or six cars in the parking lot lane trying to turn left onto the main lanes, but could not see that most of these cars were waiting to turn left into the slug lane. So, he waited for 15 minutes until he got to the front of the line. He motioned to the driver in line that all he wanted to do was cross the �waiting for slugs� line and onto the clear main lanes. He had no problems crossing over but was mad at himself into thinking that there must have been an accident or problem up front, but it turned out to be a line of cars waiting to pick up slugs. He should have tried to turn his car around and exit the parking lot the other way. However, I didn�t realize that drivers could cut into the �waiting for slugs� line from the side of the parking lot and do not have to get in back of the line? Goober

sluDgE Members Profile Find Members Posts Master Slug Joined: 27 Oct 2003 Status: Offline Points: 501	Post Options Post Reply Quote sluDgE Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 21 Dec 2004 at 6:51pm
	goober, what is the "island" are you talking about? I'm having a hard time picturing what the problem is you've written about. Do you mean the large parking area inside the circle where the afternoon slug lines are for Horner Rd, Tackett's Mill, Burke-Springfield, etc.? Or the area where slug lines for wherever (Fred'burg) that are located in the main South Parking lot closer to the Metro Station and Corridor 2? Seems like there are plenty of lanes there for a car to exit south parking onto South Rotary Rd without getting into a line of cars waiting for slugs. [:)]

goober Members Profile Find Members Posts New Slug Joined: 28 Oct 2004 Location: VA Status: Offline Points: 2	Post Options Post Reply Quote goober Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 22 Dec 2004 at 11:48am
	Sorry about my poor description of the slug lines location. The �island� I'm referring to is the area that is located in the main South Parking lot closer to the Metro Station and Corridor 2, near the motorcycle parking area. I don�t go to that area, but walk pass it. Drivers turn left from the �main road� to get next to the �island�. Let�s call it the main road, because I don�t know the actual street name; it could be part of North Rotary Rd. the main road is about 3 lanes, closest to the Pentagon and parallels it. When that line gets backed up I think it backs up into Eads. I sometimes see a line of cars that seem to go back to the Eads St. where cars turn left to get in line. Because there is a traffic cop there, I think he might hold up cars trying to get in line, so drivers from the parking lot can then cut in line? My friend said that he saw cars get in line, not from the back, but cut in line. I could not believe this because what driver for slugs would let someone cut in line; just to be courteous? Goober

sluggie Members Profile Find Members Posts New Slug Joined: 08 Oct 2002 Location: VA Status: Offline Points: 0	Post Options Post Reply Quote sluggie Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 07 Jan 2005 at 3:03pm
	I had a similar problem yesterday at the Pentagon. There were cars backed up waiting for slugs to pick up with no slugs in line. I stood by the Mine Road sign waiting for the cars to get around the bottleneck at the Rt 17 sign. From the parking lot, a driver started trying to call me over. They didn't wait in the long line of cars waiting to pick up slugs, and they sat right there in the parking lot near the slug signs. They kept on yelling for me to come over there...and finally I told them I was waiting here for the next car. They started yelling louder and I felt kind of stupid actually. The next car pulled up in front of the Mine Road sign to pick me up pretty quickly, thank goodness. Needless to say, the lady in the car who was cutting the line shouted some not nice words at me that all the people who were in the slug lines yesterday have to had heard that can't be repeated here. Did I do the right thing by not running into the parking lot and instead staying put and waiting a couple of minutes for the cars that were lined up to pick me up?

NoNo Members Profile Find Members Posts New Slug Joined: 23 Jul 2003 Location: VA Status: Offline Points: 0	Post Options Post Reply Quote NoNo Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 07 Jan 2005 at 3:17pm
	I was stuck in the line of cars yesterday. Yuck. I find that it is usually cars waiting for 610 riders that block the flow, or its drivers that can't understand that they need to pull over in order to: a - pick up slugs and b- allow cars to pass them. If you didn't feel like going into the parking lot, that is your prerogative. When I ride, cutting into the parking lot is usually the only option Route 17 riders have when the 610 backup occurs. Its a bad situation all around.

ronin718 Members Profile Find Members Posts New Slug Joined: 30 Dec 2003 Location: VA Status: Offline Points: 0	Post Options Post Reply Quote ronin718 Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 10 Jan 2005 at 1:43pm
	IMO, sluggie, you did the right thing. Yes, the traffic might be slow, and the line long, but that's no excuse to be trying to cheat the system, which is what this person appeared to be doing. Don't be afraid to stick to your standards and the rules.