May 29, 2006

• You know what the citizens of Fort Worth need?

  Remedial driving lessons, particularly in the area of intersections
  with traffic lights.  It's simply astounding how everyone's
  falling to pieces there. 
  Case in point:  I just returned from a trip to the SuperTarget off
  7th Street.  To reach it I head north on Owasso, then turn right
  onto Harley, usually having to stop at the stop light there, where it
  meets Montgomery St.  This time there was a small black car ahead
  of me, waiting for the green.  Across Montgomery, on Harley coming
  west, was a white SUV with its left turn blinker on.  The light
  changes and the car ahead of me proceeds to enter the intersection,
  whereupon the SUV put on the gas, determined to make his left turn
  first by cutting in front of him.  Horns sounded, the black car
  swerved to avoid being hit, while the SUV driver glared at him as if
  the near-collision was his fault.

  Is the SUV driver an ignoramus, unaware those turning left at a light with no protected left turn are always to yield to those proceeding straight ahead?  Or does he know but not give a good gosh darn?

  Okay, it's probably the latter.  Still, it wouldn't hurt the price
  of eggs any to remind people of this traffic rule via billboards or TV
  spots.

  Another law that could clearly use some explaining is "right turn on
  red."  Now understand, I'm a huge fan of that law, having spent a
  lot of time sitting at a light with no one coming from the left. 
  It makes sense that in the event there's no one coming, one should be
  able to turn right, as it frees up the intersection and keeps traffic
  moving smartly along.  As time has passed, however, people seem to
  have taken the idea they can turn right so long as they can do so
  without actually getting hit by the oncoming traffic. 

  If anyone needs to yield to a car making a right turn on red, that was an illegal turn.

  It'd also be helpful if drivers would pay more attention to look for
  the "NO right turn on red" signs posted at various intersections,
  generally those where three or more streets meet. 

  BTW, so long's I'm on the subject of discourteous, stupid driving
  tricks, there's the matter of when someone (say, me in my Venture in
  the SuperTarget parking lot) is in the process of backing out of my
  parking spot, someone turning into that aisle should STOP and yield
  to me, seeing as how I was already halfway into the drive path. When I
  began my reverse, the lanes were clear.  Once I get going, barring
  having moved maybe two feet, I get to keep going. 

  Someone needs to clue the woman in the biege SUV into this, apparently.

  • 3:57 pm
  • 3 Comments