My daily trip to town is quite hazardous. You'd think town would be the safest part of my drive. In civilization, with smooth pavement wide enough for two vehicles to pass, lanes clearly marked, and traffic signals to control the vehicular flow. But you'd be wrong! I'm actually safer on the narrow gravel road with deep ditches washed out along the sides, and big rocks poking out, and trees preventing any escape.
There's a four-way intersection where the Gas Station Chicken Store sits on one corner, the Liquor Store across from it, Dairy Queen across from the Liquor Store, and a car dealer lot across from Dairy Queen. It's a BIG intersection. Wide. Takes a while to get through it.
PEOPLE RUN THE RED LIGHT DAILY!
Yes. I'm sure it must be hard to believe that the yahoos of Backroads do not obey basic traffic laws. But it's true! Every day, coming and going, I observe drivers running through the red light. Not just a yellow. The RED light. That means STOP, you know! Because other directions are getting a green light, which means go.
Here's an old picture of the intersection:
You can see that this intersection is about 4 car-lengths wide. That's the Gas Station Chicken Store on the upper right, and the car lot on the upper left. The turn-in to the Liquor Store is on the right, and that's Dairy Queens grassy area on the left.
Anyhoo... I was in this lane this week, first car at the red light, in front of where that truck and trailer are in this old picture. I was waiting to make a left turn to head towards home. I can see the other traffic signals from there. So I can see when they turn yellow, then red. Believe me, I watch those signals. I also watch the cars passing through, because I can't just rely on my own green arrow to tell me when I can go. I have to make sure I won't get bashed by a red-light-runner. It shouldn't have to be this way. I'm sure the drivers understand what a red light means, and it's NOT "Gas it and speed through!"
Anyhoo... I was idling in T-Hoe, waiting my rightful opportunity to proceed through the intersection with a green arrow, watching the signal lights for cross traffic. They turned yellow, then red. A white minivan sped through where that red truck is in this picture, but going the opposite direction. THEN a small white SUV coming from in front of the Gas Station Chicken Store made a left turn directly in front of me. His yellow arrow had already turned to a red circle. Yet still, he drove through.
My light was already a green arrow as this guy was turning his small white SUV in front of T-Hoe. He was at my left front bumper when I honked. It was not the long "Take your head out of your rumpus and brace yourself because I'm about to slam into you" honk. No. It was three short honks. The "I know you're breaking the law, Rumpushole" honk.
This guy had the audacity to look me right in the eye, with an "How dare you have the audacity to honk at me!" look on his face. He kind of looked like Richard Dreyfuss in his Down and Out in Beverly Hills phase. I've never really liked Richard Dreyfuss.
Anyhoo... since he was going the opposite direction, and there are those lights to deal with, I felt pretty sure that he wouldn't have time to catch me and engage in road rage. Where are the cops when you need them? Not out giving handicap parking tickets, that's for sure! They could sit at this intersection throught the day, and bring it a boatload of traffic ticket money for Backroads.
Meanwhile, as self-appointed Lieutenant of the Karens Causing Chaos Street Patrol, Val will continue to draw attention to those people she deems worthy of a good scolding by car horn.
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