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I was sitting patiently in my vehicle at the traffic light near the Warwood Shopping
Plaza the other day. There was a fair amount of traffic on W.Va. 2, and I find it's usually best to exit the plaza via the street with the traffic signal.
Now this particular intersection is a no-turn-on-red location. That's because a great many of the tenants from the Garden Park Apartments tend to cross the street there. In other words, there is a cross light for pedestrian safety.
However while waiting for my light to turn green, I noticed a vehicle across the intersection had pulled onto W.Va. 2, ignoring the no-turn-on-red directive.
Okay, I am impatient at times as well, but it's down right dangerous to ignore the signage, especially when pedestrians could be in the area. That was my first observance of someone not obeying the rules.
Then as my light turned green and I began to pull into the northbound lane of Route 2, two vehicles came speeding through the light - the red light! It was unnerving to say the least.
Thank goodness I wasn't in a great hurry and took my time entering Route 2 or there would have been quite a collision with one or both of those vehicles. This was the second traffic violation in a matter of minutes.
As I proceeded north, I had to pass through the school zone in front of Corpus Christi Grade School. This heavily-traveled area is clearly marked with blinking school zone signs, orange cones in the road and a crossing guard at the ready to cross students as needed.
Now I don't know about you, but school zones are pretty sacred to me. The last thing I ever want to see is a child or adult struck in a school crosswalk. I creep through school zones as if my own grandkids were in that school. It appears few motorists understand the concept of doing the same from one end of the school zone to the other.
It's not easy to keep a vehicle at 15 mph as school zone laws demand. But it is the best way to ensure the safety of everyone. Several vehicles traveling south through the school zone barely slowed down.
And with the distraction of cell phones and other devices in vehicles these days, the danger can be twofold for the walking and driving public.
Law enforcement can't be everywhere to curb such behavior. It's up to the driving public to obey the rules and keep our roads and people safe. Watching out for the other guy used to be just a slogan. Now it's my daily mantra.
I was always made to believe that driving is a privilege. With that privilege comes certain expectations and rules. Please put down your cellphones, stop texting, obey the speed limits and watch out for others.
That's a 2,000-pound weapon of destruction you are driving. Use it carefully.
Heather Ziegler can be reached via email at hziegler@theintelligencer.net.