The Mycenaean

On Thursday morning, I was waiting in the ridiculously long line of cars at the intersection of Leesville and O’Neal, just as I have done every weekday morning since I received my license. The traffic was terrible as always, due to five hundred students leaving their houses at the exact same time to go to the same place. Get to the intersection at 6:57, and you’re fine; get there at 6:58, and you have enough time to finish eating breakfast, put on makeup or even read a novel before you enter the student parking lot.

The traffic is the result of hundreds of cars coming from three different directions, making those who have to turn right have to sit through multiple light changes and eventually just go for it, hoping they don’t get hit by an aggressive left-turner.

However on this particular Thursday, after I had patiently waited my turn, I was only second in line to turn right when, lo and behold, a jerk in a pick-up truck comes flying down the “straight” lane and cuts off the guy in front of me, waving merrily with a mischievous grin on his face.

Now I don’t want to name names, but this [troublemaker] put my already tired, cranky self into a bad mood that lasted throughout my morning. C’mon guys! We’re all going to the same place, and I don’t want to be “swept” any more than you do. Obviously you have some sort of superiority complex, but cutting people off in the mornings isn’t going to make you any friends.

Not only was this maneuver annoying (and extremely common in the mornings by countless others), it is extremely illegal. Turning right from the wrong lane is a moving violation, and had he been caught, aforementioned aggressive driver could have been hit with a $100-$300 fine and at least two points on his license, according to trafficviolationlawfirms.com, which could also lead to an increase in insurance rates.

Even if you were going to be late, isn’t one afternoon of lunch detention preferable to the time and cost of a ticket? So, drivers of Leesville, I think we’ve learned our lesson here. Refraining from driving aggressively in the mornings could save you from an accident, a traffic citation or just me snapping at you in first period. And go ahead and take that extra time spent sitting in the intersection to finish last night’s homework.