Over at Shooting Suburbia we have part 2 of Yello's Bear hostile blog takeover. A must read if you have to have a must read.
Over here, we have G on his soapbox venting about the shoe size IQ of an ungodly section of the general public.
Ahem!
Reading and comprehension are not mutually exclusive goals. They are two necessary components that keep you out of harm's way in your day-to-day activities.
For example, here in Newington, we have a wickedly busy and extremely bloated secondary highway informally called the Berlin Turnpike. It is the major connector for people who live in Newington/Wethersfield and all points directly west and east of those two towns, and it's a major dumping ground for those who need to avoid I-91, either by choice or not. Half of the exit and entrance ramps are configured so that you cannot safely make a left turn to use them, thus there are large signs saying "No Left Turn" plastered all over the place.
As soon as you come of the exit ramp in Wethersfield for route 175 Newington/New Britain, the first sign you see after the stop sign is a "No Left Turn". That is because the overall road in front of you is four lanes, while the the part closest to you is both a non-stopping thru lane on the left and a non-stopping right turn only lane (when you're approaching from Wethersfield and need to go southbound on the turnpike). Thus, you cannot make a left turn to go to Wethersfield.
If you need to go towards Wethersfield, the first thing that you should've done was read the signs on the highway that CLEARLY STATED that route 175 Wethersfield was the next exit. That my friends, is the only way to SAFELY MAKE A LEFT TURN ON ROUTE 175. By the same token, if you're coming from Wethersfield and you need to head southbound on the turnpike, you cannot make a left turn on the entrance ramp that is on the opposite side of the road.
Why?
Because the entrance ramp that you have to take should you want to go southbound on the turnpike from Newington is designed in such a way that you should you be stupid or foolhardy enough to make that left turn, you literally have to make a u-turn in order to take that entrance ramp. Thus, there is a sign that says "NO LEFT TURN" posted directly opposite the entrance.
Failure to head that warning cause an unnecessary traffic jam on both sides and traffic accidents because that particular entrance ramp is located just over the crest of the hill that the opposing traffic has to climb every day. Because of that crest, one does not see traffic on the opposite side until they're at the top of the hill driving down.
So as you can see, reading and comprehension are not mutually exclusive. Unlike a "no right turn on red" sign, which is usually thrown up with the explicit intent of causing unnecessary traffic jams and bad traffic flow, a "no left turn" sign is thrown up with the explicit intent of keeping you undamaged and unharmed.
Reading and comprehension.
Not to do so brands you as a dolt whose has an attention span shorter than a toddler, and lets face it, do you really want to be known as someone who isn't smarter than a toddler?
Sunday, August 21, 2011
8 comments:
Go on, give me your best shot. I can take it. If I couldn't, I wouldn't have created this wonderful little blog that you decided to grace with your presence today.
About that comment moderation thingy: While yes, it does say up above I can take it, I only use it to prevent the occasional miscreant from leaving thoughtless and/or clueless comments.
So remember, all of your comments are greatly appreciated and all answers will be given that personal touch that you come to expect and enjoy.
G. B. Miller
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As you can imagine I find myself getting pretty upset these days when people don't follow traffic laws.
ReplyDeleteR: I can well imagine the aggravation in dealing with the yahoos that grace the roadway today.
ReplyDeleteAnd we have a few more of those "No Left Turns" in the center. There's a side street located about 200 feet from the traffic light in the center, and you can't make a left into it or out of it due to the exact same issues that I'd mentioned in the post.
Such things make my commute so much easier if people obey the rules. But alas. Always there is someone who doesn't.
ReplyDeleteCharles: It seems to get worse in the summer time and on the weekends, when people who normally don't even come to our town, decide to either visit or drive through to other parts of the area.
ReplyDeletePlus you always have the people who when they're forced to leave the highway, become hopelessly confused when they want to get back on or try to find a shortcut around the highway.
Well no. I think I would rather be known as
ReplyDeletea dreamer of dreams and an undiscovered
comprehender and known reader who revels in the hope that one day I will be as as smart as a toddler who hasn't seen the nature of humans and the nature of Nature yet. My best
Count: Sounds like a very admirable and realistic goal to have.
ReplyDeleteI think deep down, we all want to have that toddler mentality in which we are totally uncorrupted by the adults in this world.
While it may be an admirable goal, once you have seen the world there is no return to such a mindset. One can only hope that the attitude of a child,(remember, they can be as cruel and brutal as adults) may be absorbed as wonder, curiosity, and energy...and once in a while allow us freedom from the adult world for a mad hatter's tea party... a respite from "The Tea Party" and their madness. My best
ReplyDeleteCount: Good point.
ReplyDeletePersonally, I still like having conversations with children, because for better or worse, they still make more sense than most adults.