Oh, Stop!
Since when is it merely a suggestion that folks actually stop at a stop sign?
Actually, it's not so much a suggestion anymore as a punch line.
STOP
Ha-ha! You're killing me!
I walk our Jack Russell Terrier several times a day thanks to his tiny little colon and his refusal to soil our backyard. So I pass a whole lot of stop signs in our neighborhood, many of which are routinely ignored or barely noticed.
It's something I notice while behind the wheel, as well.
The stop sign is becoming more and more disrespected as a rule of the road, and I'm dying to find out why.
There are some, no doubt, who are dying, period---due to the ignoring of this driving rule staple.
Now, do I come to a complete stop every time I encounter one of those red octagonal signs? I must tell the truth and say no. But nor do I cruise through them, barely tapping my brakes. I come to a virtual stop---meaning that, looking at my car from the outside, you'd likely see my tires rolling forward ever so slightly---almost without perception. Sometimes I creep forward, if there's a vehicle next to me and I need to see around it for any oncoming traffic.
But I'm pretty good with the stop signs. I respect them, even if I feel they're superfluous or it's late at night with nary a soul around.
It amazes me how often I see drivers approach a stop signed intersection and are shocked, almost, that there are other drivers (or pedestrians walking their dogs) in their midst. The brakes then get slammed, a clear indication that had there not been anyone there, the stop sign would have been totally dismissed.
Stop signs within subdivisions generally do not take the drivers within that neighborhood by surprise. Most people driving through any given residential area are mostly people who live there. They know where the stop signs are. So the excuse of noticing them at the last second is pretty much null and void.
Besides, if you're driving in an unfamiliar neighborhood, all the more reason to be on extra lookout for stop signs, as they're often placed in no discernible pattern.
The bottom line: a stop sign means stop. No matter what, no matter where, no matter how seemingly odd of a placement.
Why is that so difficult to understand? And when did drivers get so dumb, brazen, rude, etc.?
There's a mentality purveying the roads now that says, basically, "I'll do whatever the BLEEP I want and that's all there is to it." It's very unnerving and maddening, but I'll be darned if I know what to do to stem it.
Treating stop signs as nuisances is part of this mentality of the rogue driver. So is not using a turn signal, which I've railed about before.
How long does stopping at a stop sign take from your day? Five, six seconds, tops? I know that must seem like 30 seconds in jerk time, but deal with it.
Some of the worst offenders---of ANY traffic rule---are pizza delivery guys. They fall somewhere in the area of EMS drivers and cops in pursuit when it comes to being in a hurry on the road. Those pizza people are downright scary.
Oh, and one more thing to those who ignore those red signs.
Stop it!
Actually, it's not so much a suggestion anymore as a punch line.
STOP
Ha-ha! You're killing me!
I walk our Jack Russell Terrier several times a day thanks to his tiny little colon and his refusal to soil our backyard. So I pass a whole lot of stop signs in our neighborhood, many of which are routinely ignored or barely noticed.
It's something I notice while behind the wheel, as well.
The stop sign is becoming more and more disrespected as a rule of the road, and I'm dying to find out why.
There are some, no doubt, who are dying, period---due to the ignoring of this driving rule staple.
Now, do I come to a complete stop every time I encounter one of those red octagonal signs? I must tell the truth and say no. But nor do I cruise through them, barely tapping my brakes. I come to a virtual stop---meaning that, looking at my car from the outside, you'd likely see my tires rolling forward ever so slightly---almost without perception. Sometimes I creep forward, if there's a vehicle next to me and I need to see around it for any oncoming traffic.
But I'm pretty good with the stop signs. I respect them, even if I feel they're superfluous or it's late at night with nary a soul around.
It amazes me how often I see drivers approach a stop signed intersection and are shocked, almost, that there are other drivers (or pedestrians walking their dogs) in their midst. The brakes then get slammed, a clear indication that had there not been anyone there, the stop sign would have been totally dismissed.
Stop signs within subdivisions generally do not take the drivers within that neighborhood by surprise. Most people driving through any given residential area are mostly people who live there. They know where the stop signs are. So the excuse of noticing them at the last second is pretty much null and void.
Besides, if you're driving in an unfamiliar neighborhood, all the more reason to be on extra lookout for stop signs, as they're often placed in no discernible pattern.
The bottom line: a stop sign means stop. No matter what, no matter where, no matter how seemingly odd of a placement.
Why is that so difficult to understand? And when did drivers get so dumb, brazen, rude, etc.?
There's a mentality purveying the roads now that says, basically, "I'll do whatever the BLEEP I want and that's all there is to it." It's very unnerving and maddening, but I'll be darned if I know what to do to stem it.
Treating stop signs as nuisances is part of this mentality of the rogue driver. So is not using a turn signal, which I've railed about before.
How long does stopping at a stop sign take from your day? Five, six seconds, tops? I know that must seem like 30 seconds in jerk time, but deal with it.
Some of the worst offenders---of ANY traffic rule---are pizza delivery guys. They fall somewhere in the area of EMS drivers and cops in pursuit when it comes to being in a hurry on the road. Those pizza people are downright scary.
Oh, and one more thing to those who ignore those red signs.
Stop it!
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