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Please use your right of way

Use your right of way There aren’t many in life things that really fire me up, which actually makes writing a column sometimes a little tricky. But, everyone has their pet peeves, and I’m no different.

Use your right of way

There aren’t many in life things that really fire me up, which actually makes writing a column sometimes a little tricky. But, everyone has their pet peeves, and I’m no different.

One thing that can get me fired up is people who try to avoid following the proper (and obvious) rules of the road, for no clear reason. I’m nowhere near perfect in my driving – and I think we all have bad habits we need to work on as motorists. But sometimes, you just can help but shake your head at others.

There’s nothing that bothers me more than someone trying to wave me through a four-way stop on a Monday morning, near two busy schools (during school hours), when I have yet to actually stop.

If you get to a four-way intersection first, please, just proceed when it’s your turn. There’s no use in waving other drivers through, and causing unnecessary confusion – or waving someone through only to proceed before you are even done waving.

There’s simply no reason.

Maybe it’s because most of the people on roads in St. Paul are used to driving in small towns, and rural roads, and some of us are just too polite and nice. Or maybe we are just as guilty as being as busy and caught up in our lives as the city dwellers to the south.

I’ve personally come across pedestrians who very adamantly try to wave motorists through intersections, even though the pedestrians are being seen and it’s safe for them to cross.

Pedestrians – you have the right of way also, so please use it. I get it - as a pedestrian, there are many other things to take into consideration, and I’m still working on drilling the dangers and precautions into my own young sons’ heads. But attempting to wave someone through a busy intersection, or causing miscommunication through wild hand gestures, isn’t the way to go.

When we head to the city, it’s clear that my kids are used to the luxury of a small town, where there is just less traffic, and more room to run around. Thankfully, they seem to be well educated in other areas, things that will hopefully help them later in life when they become motorists themselves.

My oldest son is very strict with me if I even take a glance toward my cell phone while driving – and although he can be a bit of a back seat driver at just nine years old, I’ll take it as a parenting win. Soon, he too will be able to understand my frustrations of people not using their right of way properly.


Janice Huser

About the Author: Janice Huser

Janice Huser has been with the St. Paul Journal since 2006. She is a graduate of the SAIT print media journalism program, is originally from St. Paul and has a passion for photography.
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