I asked for it, and I got it. After taking it on the chin last month for saying that interstate drivers should ease up on the gas if necessary to allow safe merging in front of them, I held my ground but asked more readers to weigh in.

I got many responses -- most supporting my contention that merging is, or ought to be, a two-way street (pardon the pun).

"I agree with you 100% about merging onto and leaving freeways," wrote David Willard of Vinton. "In a way VDOT is responsible for the confusion by installing yield signs at all on ramps. The signs should read, 'Merge' and warning signs on the freeway should read, 'Merging traffic ahead.' "

Reader John Sabean said he drives on Interstate 81 and U.S. 58, and "if someone is coming out with blinkers flashing, nine or so times out of 10, I'll just move over, after making sure the lane is clear. If the lane isn't clear, and I have the room, I'll just flash my lights and slow down. ... What drives me really nuts is to be barreling down the entrance ramp and find someone stopped at the end of the merge lane, waiting, I assume, for someone to stop and issue an invitation to merge."

Laurie Bowen of Blacksburg has seen it from the other side:

"We drive a 36 ft. R.V. towing a Chevy Malibu for a total of about 55 ft. rolling down the road. When people see us coming, their first thought must be, 'Here comes an old geezer creeping along in his fancy motor home. Gotta get ahead of him.' So they pull out and we slam on brakes. People have no idea that we are going the speed limit, and it takes us much longer to slow down than it does a regular car. We have had countless near-death experiences as we have driven cross-country three times in the past 16 years."

Readers even told me a little about how other countries handle merging:

"In Canada the signs read 'Weave' and that is exactly what drivers should do, leave enough space from the car ahead to weave into and out of traffic," wrote David Willard.

Elizabeth Bohr, who lived in Germany for five years, said drivers there are required to "zipper-up" when two lanes narrow into one, and do just that, at the last possible moment. "Road rage is illegal, and to 'flash the bird' could land you in jail," she wrote. "Everyone gets their turn, and everyone gives a turn. When merging from an on-ramp to the autobahn, the incoming car must yield if there is not an opening, and to do otherwise is cause for a traffic citation. And certainly a dirty look or two!"

It's possible to be too nice to incoming drivers, as Gordon Boyle of Salem pointed out. Boyle uses the entrance ramp from Virginia 419 onto I-81 daily, heading north:

"One morning a few years ago I was coming down the ramp and a lady in the right-hand lane of I-81 came to a complete stop to allow me to enter. I saw cars/trucks coming in both lanes behind her and I did my best to get way out of the way in case she did not get going in time. I hope to never encounter someone with quite that much road sharing again."

Several readers also responded to food writer Lindsey Nair's guest rant about carrots -- but I'll let Lindsey handle those. Thanks for all the comments, and merge safely. Our next rant will be on a different topic.

So many Grrs, so little time ...

Can you think of something that really ought to work better? Let us know: kevin.kittredge@roanoke.com or 981-3323.