Hey! People! That's NOT a turn lane!

There seams to be quite the enemademic as of late. As I write this, a couple of days ago I'm driving up to an intersection. This particular road is four lanes one way, I'm in the far right lane about half a block away and I can see a guy in the left lane next to mine stopped at the red light. I can see that the cross traffic lights are changing, I travel this road almost everyday so I know that by the time I get to the intersection my light will have turned green. So I keep doing the speed limit which is thirty-five MPH. My light turned green about a couple of seconds before I got there. The guy in the left lane decides to make a right turn right at that moment. Just before I pass by him.

Granted, none of these lanes are marked as turn or straight through, but stupid me, I rely on common sense. Common sense tells me you can't turn from an unmarked lane that far away from the corner. Common sense tells me I should just go down to the next intersection to make my turn. Common sense tells me to be in the correct lane long before. Common sense tells me to check this nifty new invention called a rear view mirror.

That was the inbound downtown lanes, a couple of hours later I'm a block over on the outbound downtown lanes. It happened again. This guy, I 'll grant him maybe he's new and not familiar with how the traffic pattern goes, must have figured he was in the wrong lane and tried to get into the correct lane at the last moment. However in doing so he left his ass hanging out in my lane. So I have to stop two car lengths away from the light AND have to wait for him to move all the way into the his lane BEFORE I can go when the light turns green. The light turns green, I watch him move all the way into his lane, then make a left turn at the intersection cutting across a lane of traffic and almost getting t-boned.

There were two more intersections that could have been utilized to make that turn.

A few months ago I'm coming up to a red light. I'm in the straight across only lane and a guy is in the left turn only lane. I'm thinking that my light should turn green right about...NOW! And, it did as I was right behind and to the right of the guy in the left lane who changed his mind and pulled into my lane.

About a month earlier I need to make a left turn. These lanes are clearly marked as left turn only, straight across only, and straight across or right turn. The light change pattern almost always goes like this: first the turn lanes go green, and then straight lanes. It can mix up depending on if there is any traffic sitting at the lights. Say for instance there is no traffic across the street, all three lights will turn green on one side. If there is no turn lane traffic, then just the straight lanes. This day, as usual, all the lanes on each side of the intersection are fully loaded.

My turn left only light goes green and I take off, the guy next to me takes off too and cuts in front of me. I'm on the horn warning the guy I'm about to t-bone him. He's on the horn too, apparently warning me that it was his turn to turn. That I was the one in the wrong. You see, that's the thing that bugs me most: these people really must think that it is the job of everybody else to move aside for them. Their attitude is such that if they get hit, it would have been my fault. They make no move what-so-ever to avoid an accident.

In each instance my overwhelming desire to NOT wreck my vehicle took over and I avoided having to spend hours on end filling out police reports and insurance paperwork. I like my vehicle, it's almost paid off, and I'm not interested in getting another to replace it. Also, I have more than one ready to go, and I have family that can loan me an extra car or truck.

My driving philosophy is that I don't just drive for me, I drive for everybody else. I try to anticipate what is the stupidest possible thing someone can do at that moment. I have to admit I am constantly caught off guard because there are those whose mission it must be to out-stoopid even my predictions.

Because of this I have full coverage, accident forgiveness, and new vehicle replacement.