Turn! Turn! Turn! And Other Subtle Signals

Here’s another thought that popped into my head while driving from Alabama to Naperville.

This last one was a fairly effortless drive, especially compared to some others I’ve experienced.

The highway thought: What is the correlation between changing lanes and turn signals?

Not as high as I thought.

It reminded me of a quip I read not long ago… I can’t remember the source.

“The only thing a turn signal indicates is that the turn signal bulb is working.”

Perhaps the better indicator that someone is changing lanes is when they are changing lanes… even though you are still in the location that they want to be.

Hit the horn!

The turn signal can indeed indicate that a lane is to be changed or a turn is to be made.

That signal can also be a false positive, as in me often needing to be reminded that my “signal’s still on.” Oops, you’re right.

And it can be a false negative, where the car zips in front of you with no room to spare and with no warning other than the wisdom my father once shared with me… the greatest driving lesson of all time… “drive like every other driver is crazy.”

There is a point to this, and that is to be clear in your signaling. If you are going in a certain direction, let those around you know so they can join you or help you.

Don’t expect anyone to read your mind, whether you’re driving or needing a helping hand.

What do you think?

See you tomorrow.