Turn Signals

Sorry to disappoint anyone who sees the title of this post and expects some lame metaphor for a significant life moment. In this case, I'm simply wishing to discuss those not-often-enough-used features on a car. More specifically, I wish to discuss one particular instance in which a turn signal might have been more than appropriate. This is an open letter to the man who nearly took off the front of my car yesterday. The saddest thing about the incident is that even if the guy were to read this letter, I'm not sure he would recognize that it was about him. He probably thinks the incident was my fault. He probably doesn't realize that by simply using a turn signal, he could have prevented the near-miss from even nearly missing -- despite making a right turn from the left lane. Let me back up a couple steps and start from the beginning:

I was driving to the fitness center to work out over my lunch break. I was driving down a road that is usually empty, but on this occasion I got stuck behind a slow moving vehicle. Approaching a stop sign, I turned my right-turn signal on, hoping the car in front of me was not going my way. I was relieved to see that he did not use his turn signal, but then watched him make the right turn after stopping at the sign. It was slightly annoying, but not atypical, so I didn't think much about it. After muttering under my breath about his lack of a signal, I made a right turn behind him, and proceeded to follow him at a much-too-slow 8 mph under the 30 mph speed limit. I knew the road I was on, and knew that in another 100 yards, the lane split into two lanes. There was an entrance to a popular place just ahead on the left, and the purpose of the road splitting into two lanes was to allow cars to go around anyone waiting to turn left. I wasn't surprised to see him immediately go into the left lane, and had to assume that the only reason such a slow driver would immediately go into the left lane was that he was turning at that upcoming entrance. He had already failed to use his turn signal once, so I wasn't at all surprised that he wasn't signaling again. As soon as I saw him starting to go into the left lane, I moved to the right to get around him. Suddenly, just as my front bumper was drawing even with his rear bumper, he swung the wheel around to the right, and turned in front of me! Of course, there was no turn signal, but maybe I should have expected the moron to turn right from the left lane. I slammed on the breaks, and was able to stop just in time.

My eyes followed him in disbelief, as I vocalized my displeasure. After seeing him complete his turn, and after making a gesture or two in his direction, I refocused down the road I was on. I suddenly noticed a police car passing me going the other way. Knowing that I would've had a police officer as a witness to his stupidity, I almost wish I hadn't managed to stop in time. Perhaps if I had only seen the police car sooner, I wouldn't have pressed quite as hard on my break pedal...

So, this message is to him, and to any other drivers out there who think turn signals are optional. It isn't enough to know where you're going. Turn signals are to let others know where you are going, so they don't smash you, whether accidental or not!