OK,
I've had it! I don't claim to be the greatest driver on the planet, but I am far better than a vast majority of the drivers of Stamford, CT. I live there, so I know what I am talking about!!! Specifically, my favorite intersection.... Washington Blvd at Broad Street.
Today I am walking with my family, little dude in his stroller, husband pushing, and we get to our favorite intersection... it's my favorite because it seems all of the bad drivers of the state converge there. We are patiently waiting for the walk signal, and sure enough, it comes. We look both ways then step into the crosswalk and begin our trek. Apparently we weren't moving fast enough for the driver trying to make a right, as they inched closer and closer to us. Well, we've dealt with this enough, so finally we rebelled, slowed our roll and took our time. Once the women and her passenger were able to go through the light, she politely called me an Asshole, because I kept her from turning.
Well here's the rub, there is a sign posted as big as day: State Law, Must yield to pedestrians in crosswalk. Hmmm, seems pretty straight forward to me, especially considering I had the little walking man telling us, we are clear to walk! I don't like to make scenes. I don't like to be that person yelling in the street, but calling me an asshole for crossing the street?! I screamed back at her, read the street sign, yield to pedestrians!!!
So, if I am calling out Stamford drivers, obviously this isn't the first incident. One day, I am trying to cross the street at yes, my favorite intersection, and wouldn't you know it... another driver versus pedestrian moment. This time the driver again is mad, because I am not allowing her to make her right, but she's screaming at me because, I am not directly in the crosswalk, so I am holding her up. Now here's the problem with this one... this particular crosswalk, on the south side of the intersection is an angled crosswalk. So... I'm not sure why, but by the time you get to the other side, you are standing somewhat in oncoming traffic, so I usually keep a straight line which takes me about 2 feet out of the crosswalk once I reach the corner, and keeps me out of the oncoming traffic line. But here's the rub.... she's turing on a red light.... which would be fine except for the other big bold sign just below the "Yield to pedestrian" sign that reads: NO RIGHT ON RED. So why exactly are you cussing at me when you are making an illegal right on a red light? I didn't say anything that day... said plenty in my head, but left it there.
Come to think of it, while I was driving through my favorite intersection once, I had someone honking at me at a ridiculous rate, because I wouldn't make the "ILLEGAL" right on red. I wanted to stick my finger out the window, but that's not an example I need to be making for my kid. Yelling at the driver today, I immediately felt foolish. Here I am crossing the street and yelling at some driver half way down the road. I've got people staring and I look at the drivers and realize how dumb I look, no matter how justified my outburst. I apologized while crossing.
Alex says he figures he could write tickets all day long if he just stood at that intersection, the city would make a killing. The thing is, it's not just the, yielding to pedestrians, or illegal rights on red.... there's also the, flat out driving through the red lights all together. We figure, on average at least 2 to 3 cars usually go through that particular signal after it's turned red. I'm stunned there aren't more accidents. I'm stunned there's not more road rage.... It seems the lawlessness that IS Stamford driving is the norm. Not a whole lot of honking except for those trying to actually follow the law. Not much anger except for drivers not actually yielding to pedestrians. Guess I should just partake in the lawlessness... but you know what happens then, I will be the one that gets the ticket. Guess I will simply continue to hold in my frustration and secretly want to beat down the majority of the Stamford drivers I come across.
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