I Go, You Go, We All Go

It took until I had been driving for a few years before it finally dawned on me that not all traffic laws are created equally. There are some which should never be broken and those that can be worked around in regards to the situation at the time. That is not to say people should pick and choose which ones they want to follow, just that a couple come with some built-in leeway. The one with the most wiggle room is of course the speed limit, which everyone agrees has a few miles an hour built in as a buffer. The only cops who are going to pull you over for going 31 in a 30 are either bored, have a quota to meet, are looking for an excuse to check in your vehicle or are jerks. The rest of them respect that you probably are going a little fast because you have things to do that day. Don't be obvious about it and you'll be fine. The remaining traffic laws do not possess nearly as much gray area to them. I mean, you can still fudge them depending on the elements around you but, much like back in high school when the class clown felt like messing with the substitute teacher, you are only going to get away with breaking them if everyone around you agrees to play along.

The traffic law which probably gets ignored the second-most is the "No Turn On Red" signs at intersections. I feel like a lot of people who want to take the right will pause for a moment or two, but if no one is coming the other way they move along. I'm starting to feel as though most lawmakers see how unnecessary this law has become, because I'm beginning to notice more conditional "No Turn On Red" signs. Some have time restrictions, but others are even less strict. For example, I have seen several "Turn on Red After Stop" meaning you can go as long as you have taken the required moment to make sure no cars are coming from the opposite direction. (I actually get really mad at the people who can't even pause, instead rolling through without a complete stop. Seriously, that is the kind of attitude which is going to get this leeway taken away from the rest of us.) The other one you see out in the suburbs is the "No Turn On Red When Pedestrians At Crosswalk". While I appreciate the attempt at increased specificity, because I never understood why we feel like all traffic signs can only be three words, this does bring in the dilemma of whether people standing within a few feet of the crosswalk at technically 'at' them. However, it appears most people think "at crosswalk" really means "in front of your bumper", because they go as soon as they have enough room to squeeze their car through without clipping anyone.

Either way, all it takes is one car going to open the floodgates for every car behind them at that light to take the turn as well. (Of course, this is a temporary measure, as the next time the light goes red all the pressure goes back on that first car to once again decide for the group if they will be ignoring that law.) Still, the whole group has to be involved. The other night I was heading home fairly late when I came to a four-way intersection and a "No Turn On Red" sign. Now, I'm at this intersection all the time and I know that most people just take the turn with no problems. Hell, the first time I was at this intersection I took the turn despite the red light because I never saw the sign. There was a Brookline police officer behind me and nothing happened - it wasn't until I was there the next time and the person in the first car at the light didn't turn that I finally spotted the "No Turn" sign on the other side of the intersection. (In my defense, it is in a weird location.) In other words, I think most people ignore this one. So once I made sure no one was coming, I took the right and headed up the street, same as I usually do. However, the second car in line didn't follow after me, content to wait for the light to turn green to make a legal turn. I don't know how the third car in line felt about this, but suddenly I felt very hung out to dry.

Whenever you bend any rule, no matter how minor, it helps to do it in a group setting. That way you can always claim group ignorance and if you get caught the trouble doesn't seem as personal. Not to mention, one person breaking a rule is a crime. Five or six people willfully ignoring that rule at the same time might make people wonder if there is something wrong with the rule. (I guess it goes back to the whole, "safety in numbers" thing.) But if you can't do your rule ignoring in a group, the last thing you want is for someone else to call attention to it. So by watching me going and then patiently waiting for the light to turn this driver was bringing attention onto the fact that I should have still been sitting there. Not cool. Now, the good news is that there were no cops around at the time. I'm not sure how motivated they would have been to pull me over at that hour, but I would rather not have risked it. But, despite this close call I'll have to admit that if on another occasion I find myself at this intersection late at night (which I 100% will) I'll do things pretty much the same. The only change is that next time I'll make sure the car behind me is going to follow my lead.