turn signals and seething, burning rage

turn signals.  they're simple devices.  a simple switch to close the circuit between battery and blinking light. a person has but to flick their wrist to activate a signal for their movement left or right.

BUT SOME PEOPLE SEEM TO HAVE TROUBLE RECOGNIZING THIS.

if you don't enjoy rants about human decency, or the lack thereof, you may want to stop reading this post.  now.

i have run into an excessive amount of people who seem to have no knowledge whatsoever of that thing sticking out of their steering consoles that clicks whenever they bump it (i know, some people have the fancy ones that they can just click with their thumbs on the front of the steering wheel:  which makes their non-use of turn signals even less excusable).  this sort of ignorance bothers me.

it's not that i have any particular love for flashing lights, or plastic sticks that can make clicking noises, but that i am a fan of smooth traffic patterns.  for instance, i love a four way stop where everyone knows how to drive.

figure 1.1
                 |              |
                 |              |
-----------------|              |--------------
                   car    ^    stopped car
- - - - - - - - -    |      |   - - - - - - - -
stopped car   V   car
-----------------|              |--------------
                 |              |
                 |              |

the two cars opposite of each other move at the same time, while the other two remain stopped.  it's an elegant ballet, complicated only slightly by left turns.

however, this breaks down when people don't use turn signals.  everything breaks down.  because driving is a very visual activity, and if other people on the road can't see what you're doing, you get t-boned.  which isn't a problem for you, you asshole, you simply toss it off to your insurance company to pay for your bmw's repair bill while my insurance goes through the roof and i have to start biking 20 miles to work until you turn right without signaling and total my bike too.  jerk.

this exact scenario hasn't happened to me personally, by the way.  but i see it happening to me every time some drain on society cuts in front of me without giving me any more notice than general sherman gave georgia.

figure 1.2

as you can see, the damage inflicted from not using turn

signals can be immense

in much shorter, simpler words that you can understand, jackass in the bmw...

use your turn signal or i will hunt you down and hurt you badly enough that you won't have to worry about driving anymore.

i also ate chipotle today.

p.s.  it took me like 5 tries to get that four way stop diagram to line up right.  you're welcome.