While I was on my way to my computer to post this entry, I was driving behind a vehicle from out of state. They were keeping to the speed limit and taking their time, being unfamiliar with where they were. The route we were traveling was a four-lane divided by a median for most of its length, but in the area where they were planning to execute a left turn, the median is broken by a double lane into which drivers can swerve and wait for the chance to turn without interrupting the traffic flow. These folks were apparently not used to such configurations, because they didn’t use it and waited in the left traffic lane instead. This meant I had to stop behind them.
The first impulse for most drivers would be to honk the horn and jar some sense into them; my choice was to wait patiently for them to turn. We were, after all, in the left lane, which normally would be reserved for passing or making left turns (which in this case was either the buildings on the other side of that double-wide, or the main cross street a few yards away at the traffic light).
Engineers worked hard to work out the way the traffic in that area would function the best, and our job in driving on that road is to consider how we can best keep ourselves and the other cars safely moving along. By my not tooting at the out-of-state driver, nothing major went wrong; it wasn’t as if there was heavy traffic into which I could have caused them to panic and cause a disaster, but I also didn’t throw them off by distracting them from where they were looking to turn. They were turning left into an unfamiliar entrance, after all, and I had no idea if this was their first time going there or not.
It seems like a small thing, but life flows the best based on the small things we do every day. Stopping and waiting is a little thing that can mean a lot for somebody trying to drive in unfamiliar territory, or a person with mobility issues who should still be allowed to do some in-person shopping.
When we reach a traffic light, we get to pause and stretch, while the drivers in the other direction continue on their journey and remain alert. Sometimes we can drive for quite a distance before a light stops us, but that pause is just as good for us as completing the journey.
Right now we could use some more pauses and wait times. We all pause and move in turns, and it’s part of the flow of life as we stand still and watch the movement around us.
Susan's Scribblings the Blog 
Keep It Flowing
Posted at 4:31 pm by kayewer, on July 22, 2023
While I was on my way to my computer to post this entry, I was driving behind a vehicle from out of state. They were keeping to the speed limit and taking their time, being unfamiliar with where they were. The route we were traveling was a four-lane divided by a median for most of its length, but in the area where they were planning to execute a left turn, the median is broken by a double lane into which drivers can swerve and wait for the chance to turn without interrupting the traffic flow. These folks were apparently not used to such configurations, because they didn’t use it and waited in the left traffic lane instead. This meant I had to stop behind them.
The first impulse for most drivers would be to honk the horn and jar some sense into them; my choice was to wait patiently for them to turn. We were, after all, in the left lane, which normally would be reserved for passing or making left turns (which in this case was either the buildings on the other side of that double-wide, or the main cross street a few yards away at the traffic light).
Engineers worked hard to work out the way the traffic in that area would function the best, and our job in driving on that road is to consider how we can best keep ourselves and the other cars safely moving along. By my not tooting at the out-of-state driver, nothing major went wrong; it wasn’t as if there was heavy traffic into which I could have caused them to panic and cause a disaster, but I also didn’t throw them off by distracting them from where they were looking to turn. They were turning left into an unfamiliar entrance, after all, and I had no idea if this was their first time going there or not.
It seems like a small thing, but life flows the best based on the small things we do every day. Stopping and waiting is a little thing that can mean a lot for somebody trying to drive in unfamiliar territory, or a person with mobility issues who should still be allowed to do some in-person shopping.
When we reach a traffic light, we get to pause and stretch, while the drivers in the other direction continue on their journey and remain alert. Sometimes we can drive for quite a distance before a light stops us, but that pause is just as good for us as completing the journey.
Right now we could use some more pauses and wait times. We all pause and move in turns, and it’s part of the flow of life as we stand still and watch the movement around us.
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Author: kayewer