Wanted: Right on Red Bumper Sticker Slogan

I already addressed and confirmed that assertion in the prior post. As far as I can tell, nobody is arguing that point.

I recall one instance of sitting through 3 red lights waiting a few cars back from somebody who was afraid to pull out into the intersection, wait for the yellow and traffic to subside so they could turn left. Traffic was continuously heavy and no left turn signal so everyone sat and waited through 3 entire cycles without budging an inch before getting frustrated and going around that car one at a time. This woman was b!tching at everyone that went around her as if everyone else was the problem. She had no obligation to turn eitherā€¦how long would you have waited?

Iā€™d have done the same thing. This is a bit different, waiting 20 seconds for a green light is different that blocking a turn lane for several cycles, to me.

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And to address the OP question:

I donā€™t think there is anything that can be put in a bumper sticker - no words, no symbols - that would prevent people from honking if it takes too long (in their opinion) to make the turn.

People gonna honk!!

What I see way too oftenā€¦are people TEXTING while at a stop light or stop sign. I was behind this girl once heading up rt 28 in Salem NH. Traffic light every quarter mile. First red lightā€¦it then turns greenā€¦and sheā€™s not movingā€¦honk my horn and she takes offā€¦Next lightā€¦same thingā€¦then the nextā€¦again the same thing. Finally I had to turn and she continued straightā€¦and when I drove by herā€¦I look in and sheā€™s texting. At each light she just sat there texting until the car(s) behind her honked for her to move. This is happening way too often.

If you want to sit at a light and NOT turn right on redā€¦if Iā€™m behind youā€¦you can bet Iā€™m going to honk my horn. And if you donā€™t move Iā€™ll just lay my hand on the horn until you do. Iā€™ve been behind way too many over the years who think that their texting is far more important.

Absolutely @Mike. Texting is becoming a huge problem. It has been a habit for me to have a little patience and I rarely tap my horn at someoneā€™s harmless lack of attention while stopped at an intersection but more and more I find myself waiting for drivers who are totally oblivious to anyone or anything other than their messaging. The last time I was in Harbor Freight I was tempted to buy the freight train horn.

Iā€™m sorry, but it is a reasonable expectation from all drivers who share the road with you that you not impede traffic flow, including the utilization of all available methods, rules, and devices employable in achieving and maximizing said flow. A bumper sticker will not excuse your (lack of) actions or the disruption of normal driving patterns.

If anyone insists on not following convention in driving and ensuring maximization of traffic flow and speed, move to virginia. Itā€™s commonly accepted peactice here to drive poorly and slowly. Youā€™ll feel at home! The ā€œstateā€ motto: Imā€™ma do whut Ah wanna do!

@texases

ā€œIā€™d have done the same thing. This is a bit different, waiting 20 seconds for a green light is different that blocking a turn lane for several cycles, to meā€

Yep, I understand they are different but the question was posed to determine at what level you would go around someone. Everyone has their threshold for waiting. Now that I know you would go around someone under the right circumstances for you, itā€™s now a matter of establishing the minimum threshold under which you might be inclined to do that again.

Iā€™ll give you an example- I routinely have to negotiate an intersection that used to be a rotary and has since been altered to be a controlled intersection. The right turn is guided by a red light, not a red arrow. There is room for two cars side by side but not demarcated to do that.

If youā€™re used to the intersection, you know that there is a limited window of opportunity to take the right on red. If you wait, the oncoming cars will flood the intersection and be blocked ahead by numerous pedestrian crosswalks that serve a regional courthouse. Once jammed up, you will be sitting for awhile. I will wait for a short period to determine if the person will turn on red. Some do not. Then I go around and so do numerous cars that are behind or ahead of me. I am not going to sit through the entire red, which is quite lengthy and then have to deal with the jam ahead.

I didnā€™t blast my horn or attempt to force the car to go. If you feel it is unsafe or simply do not know the rules of the road you can sit there til the cows come home but I will go around you. Iā€™m not going to wait for green even one cycle. Most of the people familiar with the rules and the intersection wonā€™t either. That does not make them unsafe or crazy.

George Carlin had a good line for this- in essence those that are going slower than you are idiots and those going faster are maniacs :wink:

@Bruce, If you ever visit Pittsburgh, PA most of the lights DO say ā€œNO TURN ON REDā€ so you have to wait for the green light regardless. I lived there for 2 years and it drove me bonkers. :smiley:
Just sayinā€™

, If you ever visit Pittsburgh, PA most of the lights DO say "NO TURN ON RED" so you have to wait for the green light regardless. I lived there for 2 years and it drove me bonkers.

A lot of cities in NY are that way. Itā€™s very annoying to sit at a red light waiting to turnā€¦and youā€™re the only vehicle within a mile.

Heck, isnā€™t it the LAW in Manhattan that ā€œall lights ā€˜no turn on redā€™ unless specifically posted otherwise?ā€

It certainly was in the late '80s.

Turning right on red is an OPTION, not a demand. Sometimes it is so much fun just observe the horn blowing ā€”hole and just see how upset it gets.

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Sometimes it is so much fun just observe the horn blowing ā€”hole and just see how upset it gets.

What I find amusing is what people will do in their cars that they would never consider doing outside of them. Itā€™s like an exoskeleton for people with no real backboneā€¦

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And right THERE is your bumper sticker !
ā€™ā€™ Turning right on red is an OPTION, not a must.ā€œ
or
ā€™'Right on red is an OPTION ! The longer you honk, the longer I stay stopped.ā€

Isnā€™t there some one-at-a-time sticker places like at malls or carnivals ?


My wife is blind in her right eye.
Depth perception is a real and possibly dangerous driving issue, so the safe method is to use distance clues . But in the case of a right on red itā€™s often more safe to just wait because the distance clues are squashed way over to the left and difficult to readā€¦by then the light will change anyway.

NO ONEā€¦
NO ONE impatiently waiting behind can tell she has sight problems causing her to wait out the light !
Hence a lesson for all of us. We canā€™t really tell why the person wantsā€¦or needsā€¦to wait out the light.

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Depth perception is a real and possibly dangerous driving issue, so the safe method is to use distance clues . But in the case of a right on red it's often more safe to just wait because the distance clues ar sqaushed way over to the left and difficult to read...by then the light will change anyway.

Isnā€™t it dangerous to be driving at ALL? How can she tell if a car is running the red-light?? Or a kid on a bike is running the red-light??

Mike,
Those scenarios are possible for everyone. For her itā€™s turn the whole head to lookā€¦not just glancing over there with your eyes as most two-eyed people do.
Over the past two years sheā€™s learned a lot of widely accepted adaptation methods and commited them to habbit. Plus, in this small town she knows her way aroundā€¦out of town , I drive.

One of the best methods even the best drivers should use and Iā€™ve stressed it to my 14 year old new driverā€¦
ā€™ā€˜when in doubtā€¦DONā€™T.ā€™ā€™

( read " A Singular View, The art of seeing with one eye." by Frank B.Brady. A must read for anyone who is recently changed to monocular vision, even temporarily. )

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Iā€™ve been honked at a few times:

  1. Folks that didnā€™t see the TWO ā€˜no right turn on redā€™ signs at certain intersection
  2. Folks that couldnā€™t/didnā€™t see the pedestrian in the road
  3. Folks that wanted me to take risks they would take, but I wouldnā€™t

Let 'em honkā€¦

At the same time, Iā€™m not going to put a sticker on my car. Iā€™ll do what I want, no reason to declare my driving plans ā€˜importantā€™. Kind of like those ā€˜baby on boardā€™ signs: most should have them mounted to the steering wheel hub, not the back window.

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Just an observation but being able to turn right on a red light wasnā€™t always the law in NY state. Whenever I see a Yankee plate here standing at a red light itā€™s almost always a NY state vehicle. As to the OP, such a sticker would be akin to a punch me Iā€™m stupid bumper sticker. Itā€™s only courteous to proceed when safe to do so. And to the poster with the wife with bad depth perception how does the state allow her to drive? Depth perception is fairly important when operating a motor vehicle

Mike

As with MANY other ā€˜ā€˜handicapsā€™ā€™ or ability differences, There are in fact , accepted methods that those people learn, adapt to, and commit to habit, hence allowing the state to test accordingly and therefore license.

I hope youall nay-sayers never have to adapt to life changing new circumstances . It sounds like youā€™ll have no open mind at all to a new way of doing things ā€¦and not just driving.

Losing a limb or two .
Having spine fusing surgery so as to not be able to turn your head.
Being extremely shorter, taller, or fatter than the averages used to build vehicles.
Being Deaf. or going deaf ! so as to need to re-learn.
Having, or getting joint mobility restrictions.
And many others I might miss in this short time of typing.
All of which, if theyā€™re NEW circumstances, require RE-learning the things you took for granted.
ā€” And the one big one thats sneaks up on us allā€¦old age !

Ahead of being forced to re-learn , take it upon yourself to practice some of the functions you could need to change. Then youā€™ll be readily able and maybe even multi-able in the mean time
( I taught myself to write with my left hand prior to carpel tunnel surgery ā€¦just in case. Now Iā€™m ambidexterous and keep in practice with both.)

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Just an observation but being able to turn right on a red light wasn't always the law in NY state.

Trueā€¦but itā€™s been the law there since the early 80ā€™s. 30+ years is long enough to get use to it.