Right is Wrong...

No this is not a moral story.. well, maybe it is in a way. With a couple of long foodie columns under our belts we can take a little diversion into another of my favorite subjects: Southern Maryland driving practices. We have a pretty full volume of them, and this is a re-visit, but there seems to be a new twist on one of them.

It is the infamous “Right Lane”. When they “improved” our Route 235 that mostly handles the base traffic in mornings and evenings, they added a right hand lane that is separated from the three traffic lanes by those short dashed lines. It is dubbed a “right turn” lane, and at a few, but not all, intersections there is a little island that temporarily terminates the lane. It also could be called a “merge lane”, because you can use it to get up to traffic speed (normally at least ten over the 45 mph limit), and get into a smaller space than if you start from a stop. So at first it was common practice to come up on somebody at the intersection behind the island, completely stopped, window rolled down, head craning backwards, waiting for a space large enough that they could cut right across the merge lane (which stretches at least a quarter of a mile before the next light) into the right traffic lane. Or, wait (minutes) until the light afforded them three clear lanes of traffic allowing a leisurely turn into any of the traffic lanes.

Well, times change. I have not had to use the horn nearly so much lately for these timid souls, so I think maybe after a couple of years the concept of “merge” is starting to sink in. But, now there is arising yet another use for the merge/right turn lane. At peak rush hour (3:45 – 5:15) it is now not uncommon for all three traffic lanes to be filled with autos, crawling along from light to light. As a result, there are a growing number of people whose time is so valuable that they can’t possibly add 10 to 15 minutes to their commute by driving civilly, and so they use the Right hand lane as their personal traffic lane. The procedure is something like this: start from the light, as soon as you are across the intersection, dart into that Right hand lane, and accelerate. When approaching the next intersection: a) if there is an island, cut back into traffic, hey, all those cars have brakes; b) if there is no island, those white marks and signs about “Right lane must turn Right” are merely suggestions, blow through the intersection and keep going. In the case where there is the island, and you observe the light turning red (closing off your dart back in possibilities), abandon option “a”, take the right turn, and: a1) if no cross traffic, merely cut straight across the side street, go around the other island and keep going; a2) if there is cross traffic, continue right, turn left into the bank/shopping center/convenience store parking lot, navigate and re-emerge a little further up the road using their driveways.

One has to wonder if “normal” drivers will notice this phenomenon and these jerks “getting away” with it, get jealous and decide “why not me?” and join in the practice. Will we then have not three but four lanes of crawling traffic?

Other

Since we’re sort of rambling here, another observation on another subject. I can’t help but notice (as I crawl along in my proper lane) that starting at almost any time they are open, the Olive Garden’s parking lot is jammed to overflowing, and there’s a crowd milling around the front door, presumably waiting for their table. I just can’t fathom what the attraction is. One might think the “newness” has worn off by now, and I can’t imagine that the food is so different/good that people are intentionally NOT going to Ruby Tuesday’s/Bob Evans/Applebee’s. Right up the road there are several locally owned and operated restaurants, why not eat there?

And, undeterred, right next door to the OG, Red Robin is growing, and on the other side Buffalo Wings and Beer is slated to arise (so we can send games into overtime). I don’t frequent 5 Guys, but I can only imagine they will be hurt by the RR, and if rumors are true the McDonalds near San Souci might move up there. Burgers by the ton, but maybe burgers are like pizza, you can’t have enough joints…sigh..

And lastly on this “tax day” here's a cute little quote (no political statement, it’s just a nice little play on words): “America is a land of taxation that was founded to avoid taxation”.

Today only, you must

DF(Taxes) – this year in my case a burlap bag might be appropriate, since I gave the shirt off my back..