Like marriage, turning left onto a major road is a privilege, not a right. After the influx of additional traffic lights in our town, it became apparent to me that the problem can broadly be defined by residents of smaller roads not wanting to wait at intersections longer than they feel is right. But when looking at the situation a bit more precisely, the problem is better defined by people thinking they should be allowed to make lefts onto major roads at all times.
I live on a road that intersects with the main street of our town, aptly named Main Street. I know that if I want to make a left onto Main Street between the hours of 8AM and 8PM, rather than turning from my block directly onto Main Street, that I need to take a few additional side roads to get to a light that will allow me to make a left easier. It adds about thirty seconds of travel time, but that time is made up by not having to wait at the intersection for the opportunity to make a left.
In addition, the main shopping center in our town has a single-laned exit with no traffic light. If a person wishes to make a left out of the parking lot, they can hold up an entire line of traffic to make a left onto Main Street. Meanwhile, there is a parking lot across the street from that intersection with two entrances. If you make a right onto Main Street, you can easily turn into the parking lot across the street, then make another right onto Main Street, which will send you in the original left direction and on your merry way.
Basically the point I’m trying to make is that if we required it to be easy to make a left onto all main roads at all times, nearly every intersection would have a light at it. Yes, I understand that lights are most certainly necessary at some intersections, but there are ways of getting places without having to make a left onto a main intersection. In the situation I described above, it’s even faster to make the right and use the parking lot across the street to turn around than waiting for an opportunity to make a left. So really what I’m trying to say is, drivers suck and everyone should be as wonderful as me. THE END.