Stop?

I am back living in Iowa after being away for 30+ years. Things change in 30 years. I know that I have. And most of those changes have not been for the good.  I do know a bit more about “doing church” than I did 30 years ago and I am much more comfortable in my own skin now. But there are several parts of my body that have not weathered the years all that well.

Many things have certainly changed in Iowa since I have been away. But much is the same. The people are still some of the best people in the world. They are (generally) real and down to earth; possessing a great sense of humor and are fun to be with; smart and hard working; plain spoken and honest. I really like these people.

I have noticed that there are not nearly as many gravel country roads. And I don’t miss those. No doubt this winter is not typical, but it is February and none of the rivers are frozen. On my drive today I crossed the Iowa River twice and there was almost no ice. There is no snow on the ground. It is supposed to get up to 50° tomorrow. I am NOT complaining. It is just different than I remember it.

The most interesting thing I have noticed so far has to do with driving here in town. I am used to intersections with two-way stops. And I am accustomed to four-way stops. Though I will admit that four-way stops are often a source of irritation for me. Not the stopping – it is when I meet other drivers in the intersection who act as if they have never read the driving manual. The manual clearly states that the first car to enter the intersection at a four-way stop has the right of way and should be the first car out. If two cars enter the intersection simultaneously, the car to the right has the right of way. Invariably, when I enter an intersection and there is a car already there, or if another driver enters when I do, the other driver insists on waving me through. I am sure they think they are being nice. But they are not. They are driving me nuts.

Why do they do this? Are they so shy and insecure they can’t assert their rights and just drive the danged car through the intersection?  Perhaps they think they are doing me a favor by allowing me to go first. I don’t have a driving need to go first – it is not a favor. Are they trying to sucker me into the intersection so they can then drive into me and rightfully claim they had the right-of-way and sue me for every penny me and my insurance company can scrape together? My best guess is that they have never read the driver’s manual and don’t have a clue as to what they should do in that situation. I have an almost overwhelming desire to jump out of my car, run over to them with a copy of The Rules of the Road, opened to the page that covers driving through intersections, and reading it to them. Is this road rage or just a teachable moment? Perhaps it is some of both.

All of that rant aside, something new I have noticed upon my return to Iowa is several no-way-stop intersections. Not two-way. Not four-way. No-way. Just on the street I live on there are at least two intersections where nobody – coming either way – has a stop sign. Is this something new in Iowa or is this just a Burlington thing? Is this a result of slick roads and stop signs being mowed down by errant drivers that the road crews have failed to replace? Has the habit of stopping and waving each other through the intersection become so common that stop signs are no longer needed? Perhaps. 

If you know me, you know I am not all that interested in rules. But somebody here needs a stop sign.

Copyright © 2012, All Rights Reserved, William T. McConnell