| Re: drivers speeding away
In article <1170261361.851213.149990@p10g2000cwp.googlegroups .com>,
>> > (Personally, I dislike it when a motorist tries to be overly kind, for
>> > example by trying hard to wave me through a 4-way stop when it's
>> > clearly not my turn. My thoughts are "Forget the politeness contest;
>> > just go, and stop confusing everybody.")
>>
>> I used to think that way, too. Now if they give it
>> to me, I'll just receive it when it's safe to do so.
>
> Still, as I say, I dislike it. Excessive, rule-breaking politeness by
> one motorist can cause problems with other nearby motorists. When
> everyone just does what they're supposed to, traffic flows better, and
> I flow better within it.
Sure, that's ultimately what the rules of the road
are for -- to make traffic flow better.
I'm glad you brought this up, though, because
it invokes the social component of interacting
with fellow urban traffic. And I've found that
social component to be at least as significant
as awareness, or adherence to the "rules of the
road." Of course it takes more awareness than
adherence to the rules of the road to recognize
an operator of a vehicle as a /fellow/, than as
their vehicle, itself.
Two people at a lonely intersection, co-operating
instead of contending -- what's wrong with that?
Even if it's mutually decided that the guy on the
left may go first? That goes against the legal
grain, but sometimes it's sociably beautiful, and
it works, when performed in a way that nobody
involved is too terribly put-out, and everybody
gets to go. Everybody wins. Except the Rules
and the Rule-Followers.
Y'know? Torah/Mitzvah. Letter of the law/spirit
of the law. Give/take (and by taking, give [and
take]).
You can't win, but that's okay because you're
not competing. It's not a contest or a game.
You're just trying to get around, just like
everybody else around you. You're one
of them. You're one of Us. Mobile people.
Continue to keep your eyes on the street and
seeing & anticipating what's happening up ahead.
Keep being safe and watch out for U-turners who
look like just left-turners.
cheers,
Tom
--
Nothing is safe from me.
Above address is just a spam midden.
I'm really at: tkeats curlicue vcn dot bc dot ca
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