Signal

There is nothing more ubiquitous than the turn signal on a car. I mean even if there is no AC there will be a signal; even the engine is not required but the turn signal is. So, why don't people use them more often? I had a friend in New Jersey tell me that he didn't use his signals because he never wanted to let anyone know what his intentions were. 

Well, hell that is the entire reason for signals - to let the other drivers know what you plan to do; why you are slowing to a snail's crawl 2 miles before your turn. That way at least the person behind you could then decide if they want to pull over and have lunch while you proceeded with your turn. 

I hate it when I pull up to an intersection with a stop sign for my direction, but none for the other direction and have to wait as a car that is barreling up the road at light speed decides, at the last minute, to turn at the intersection rather than go through it, without at least letting me know they are turning. I could have been half way to Cleveland had they just let me know. 

The kicker, though is that here in New Mexico the turn signal has lost all its meaning. Most drivers don't use theirs and those that do more often than not, have no intention of turning. They just forgot turn off the signal the last time they used it in 2002. So, one really does have to wait to see the other driver's intention. 

I don't know how many times I have seen an Albuquerque driver turn his right turn signal and then go left. Sometimes, while cruising along the highway someone will signal that they want come over. So I slow done to let them in and in response they do one of two things either slow done or change their mind. With former about half the time I half to almost come to a complete stop, while moving in 70 mph traffic before they change lanes. In the second case they appear to change their mind, turn their signal off and just as I begin to speed up to get passed them they change lanes right in front of me, going 20 mph slower than I am causing me to have to slam on my brakes and hope that the car behind me, which is going warp speed doesn't lodge themselves in my tailpipe.

I make it a habit of using my turn signals when I drive. I even use them when I have no choice but to turn to the right, as in I am driving down the freeway and it makes a wide turn to the right; on go the signals! Some people use their signals to indicate that they are about to stop. Oh, the will eventually make the turn but when that will happen is something they haven’t yet decided.

It may be time for kids to learn the old fashioned was to indicate which direction they are turning; left arm out the window – hey wait, here in Albuquerque that is a good way to lose an arm. NEVER MIND!