May I take a moment to share a pet peeve? (Of course can, what else is a blog for???)
Bad, no make that INCONSIDERATE driving must be at the top of most folks list of things that annoy. At the very top of my inconsiderate driving list is a failure to use turn signals. In close second is the apparent inability to understand the use of a reverse-lane of traffic.
The reverse-lane that I'm familiar with is North Decatur Street in Montgomery, which after a name change becomes Norman Bridge Road. During morning rush-hour, the center lane becomes a one-way lane into town...during afternoon rush-hour it carries traffic one-way out of town. And in between it is a traditional turn/pass lane. The lane is marked with flashing red, green or yellow lights, depending on the time of day. Yet some drivers insist on using the center lane in the middle of the day as their personal high speed autobahn...going for blocks in order to get in front of the traffic in front of them. And during rush hour...about once a week I'll be tooling in towards work when there in front of me is a driver who has decided the big red "X" above him or her doesn't count. Fortunately there are no hills on the portion of road involved, so if you pay attention you can usually see the offenders well in advance. I can't tell you the number of times the other driver has looked at me like I'm the crazy one. One even recently pointed upward at the signals. Color blind, I guess. A few years back the state experimented with reversing the Southbound lanes of I-65 to allow a faster evacuation form the coast a Hurricane. It worked, kinda, so why does the concept seem so foreign to Montgomery drivers during rush-hour? Let's review: red means NO, green means YES, and yellow means be careful!
Bad, no make that INCONSIDERATE driving must be at the top of most folks list of things that annoy. At the very top of my inconsiderate driving list is a failure to use turn signals. In close second is the apparent inability to understand the use of a reverse-lane of traffic.
The reverse-lane that I'm familiar with is North Decatur Street in Montgomery, which after a name change becomes Norman Bridge Road. During morning rush-hour, the center lane becomes a one-way lane into town...during afternoon rush-hour it carries traffic one-way out of town. And in between it is a traditional turn/pass lane. The lane is marked with flashing red, green or yellow lights, depending on the time of day. Yet some drivers insist on using the center lane in the middle of the day as their personal high speed autobahn...going for blocks in order to get in front of the traffic in front of them. And during rush hour...about once a week I'll be tooling in towards work when there in front of me is a driver who has decided the big red "X" above him or her doesn't count. Fortunately there are no hills on the portion of road involved, so if you pay attention you can usually see the offenders well in advance. I can't tell you the number of times the other driver has looked at me like I'm the crazy one. One even recently pointed upward at the signals. Color blind, I guess. A few years back the state experimented with reversing the Southbound lanes of I-65 to allow a faster evacuation form the coast a Hurricane. It worked, kinda, so why does the concept seem so foreign to Montgomery drivers during rush-hour? Let's review: red means NO, green means YES, and yellow means be careful!
Amen! I wish this issue would pick up some steam. It drives me crazy that people drive in that lane when they shouldn't. Have a good one.
ReplyDeleteI always watch for the Citgo through there, when I'm headed downtown in the morning -- someone's always rushing up that lane just to make that left turn for smokes or whatever...
ReplyDeleteI think there's an epidemic of dyslexic drivers in AL -- how many times have you seen someone make a right out of a left-turn lane...?!?
1. Tailgaters. I've often wanted to invent a trunk mounted launcher that would hurl manure filled balloons at the offender.
ReplyDelete2. Not using a turn signal.
3. Someone pulling out in front of me when I am doing 90 and they only go ten feet and turn again.
4. Slow drivers who think the passing lane was made for their driving pleasure.