| One Bad Turn Deserves Another [message #795365] |
Fri, 22 February 2008 01:21 |
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So there I am at a typical boulevard traffic signal; the roads have 2
lanes in each direction, plus a Left-Turn-Only Lane.
I am heading north, and I am 2nd in line in the Left-Turn-Only Lane
when the light turns green for north/south traffic (I'm northbound on
La Brea Avenue at Centinela Avenue in Inglewood, for those who want to
follow along). The lead car pulls ahead into the intersection, and I
follow; together we must wait for a break in southbound traffic. Then
I notice that there is a car that has stopped in the Leftmost Through
Lane (despite the green light for north/south traffic); she wants to
turn left, but she is blocking northbound through traffic. The light
turns yellow, and then red; finally the lead car turns left, I turn
left (I entered the intersection legally on a green light), and then
She turns left from the Leftmost Through Lane.
OK, chalk that up to poor planning (I thought) and a MFFY attitude to
those who were stuck in the Through Lane behind her.
A mile later She and I each arrive at the back of two long lines of
cars waiting to cross the next major boulevard (La Cienega Blvd); I'm
in the Left Through Lane and She's in the Right Through Lane.
Suddenly, she decides it's time for another left turn. She wangles
her way in front of the JLEDI ahead of me and into the Left Turn Only
Lane for the boulevard. That should be the last I see of her.
But no, She doesn't want to turn left there, so she wangles her way
back into the Left Through Lane (She's now a few cars ahead of me).
One short block later she wants to turn left (La Tijera Blvd). This
traffic light is configured with a trailing green arrow, so traffic
wishing to turn left there must wait until the end of the cycle for a
green Left-Turn Arrow.
Does She pull into the Left Turn Only Lane? You must be kidding! Of
course not! She blocks the Leftmost Through Lane and waits for the
Left-Turn Arrow, causiing an entire line of cars (mine included) to
miss the green light for east/west through traffic. Yes, I leaned on
the horn for the entire time that She was blocking my path, but I knew
it was pointless.
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