> that gap open for you. The only thing that would change would be that the 
> following traffic on /your/ lane wouldn't be tempted to overtake you after 
> you have merged.

This is exactly the problem why you shouldn't merge too early, yet it seems 
it is the ones who merge early that then blame the other drivers for merging 
later.  In fact it's the ones merging early that are causing the problem.

> As a matter of fact, in Germany there is a rule that in comparatively slow 
> and dense traffic you /must not/ merge early, and instead drive on to the 
> end of the lane, where both lanes are to merge in an alternating fashion 
> (think of a zipper being closed).

Yes, it's a good rule as this also means people don't get annoyed if you 
wait until the end to merge.  In the UK when the sensible and efficient 
thing to do is merge at the end of the lane, you see all sorts of stuff with 
people getting annoyed (blocking other cars, staying 1cm from the car ahead, 
etc.)  Because of this a lot of people then merge way early (like several 
miles if there is a stationary queue) leaving a huge stretch of unused road, 
then obviously if someone uses this they are seen as "jumping the queue" and 
again people get annoyed.

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