Wednesday, April 26, 2006

It's NOT a turn lane!

I live in a rural areal where the main 'street' is a highway... Route 99 we'll call it. There are roads that cross this highway leading to residential homes, churches and the like. In this area of the state, they didn't see fit to paint in 'right-turn lanes' to get the traffic off the main road while they are slowing down to approach their turn. Some people pull over into the painted 'shoulder area' on the right and use it for that purpose and others choose not to ...since it's not actually a 'turn lane'. I don't know the legality of using this area as a turn lane, but that isn't the issue I'm bringing here today.

The issue I have, are with the drivers BEHIND the car that is turning. It seems that those people (I don't mean to generalize, not all, but many of them fall into this category) presume or at least think the turning driver SHOULD move over into the shoulder area to turn. In fact some of them will not slow down at all, thinking perhaps they can coerce the driver into moving into that 'lane'.

HELLO!!!!... it ISN'T A TURN LANE.

Whether we CAN or not... it isn't put there for this purpose. Hence... it would really be nice if you would quit EXPECTING us to move into it and just come to terms with the fact that if You don't want to slow down while waiting for us to make our turn.... CHANGE LANES; move into the left lane & go around us!

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