Traffic Drama - Slow Down Tucson!!
I worked later than usual at my office today. Often I work from my home, but I had extensive paperwork to channel, so I did it there. About 5 p.m. or so, I took off down River Road, a main road in NW Tucson, towards my home in Marana, AZ.
At the very first lighted intersection, a lady and her dog, and two young children, hit the traffic control switch to change the light. I was stopped for perhaps 15 seconds at the red as she made her way across the street, the young ones scampering ahead. They were about to my driver side bumper when a car came up on my right, without slowing or stopping, ran the crosswalk, the light, and made a right turn up into the foothills.
Not ten feet separated those children from a horrible maiming or death. I don't think the mother even realized, as I watched her expression, but she was looking down at her dog.
So, at this point I have a couple of points I want to make to those who haven't gotten the point YET:
1. Pedestrians - even though you have the right of way, the light is with you, you're within your white lines - don't assume that everyone will follow the traffic laws. Keep your children close by. Although Mr. Speeder ran the light, there wasn't a clear line of sight to those young children who weren't tall enough to be seen over the cars waiting at the light. Being in the right when the other is wrong won't bring your babies back.
2. Tucson drivers - Need I say it? Please stop for red lights and stop signs. Please slow down in construction. Please obey the speed limit. Please realize that even if the life you save is only your own, do you really want to live with knowing you hurt or killed someone else? I can't imagine how awful the guilt must be.
So, back to my drive home.
I stop at the next intersection and a cute, sporty little number pulls up alongside in the right hand turn lane, level with me, but behind three cars. As he (teenager I'm pretty sure) is pulling up, his girlfriend progresses to literally crawl into his lap and attack (eat??) as much of his face, neck, head, ears, mouth, as she could. I mean, he was covered with bright red lipstick. They were busy the entire signal, and it was a long one. Even as he took off, she hadn't gotten herself back to the right side of the car.
Sigh.
Not 30 minutes later I'm pulling out of a grocery store on the main drag, with the proper right of way, progressing to the highway. I'm glad I recently got new brakes because a BMW pulled INTO me to get ahead of my progression to the street. My groceries were EVERYWHERE inside my trunk. My brakes DID work, thankfully. I don't think the driver even saw me...
So, not a real good traffic night. I think I'll be sure to leave work BEFORE the work rush from now on. That was just a little too much drama for my liking.
So, to summarize:
Red means Stop
Obey Your Traffic Laws
Save your "Parking" for a Parked Vehicle
Driving is dramatic enough - please, Slow Down Tucson!! (and Marana, Vail, Oro Valley and Sahuarita!)
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