By Scott Tibbs, February 26, 2009
For several years now, I have been confounded by one of life's great mysteries. Why is it that when the light turns green, so many people are not prepared to move and thus obstruct traffic? I simply cannot figure it out. Why is this so hard? All one has to do is watch the other street's light, and when it turns yellow you know your light will be changing within seconds. You can then be prepared to move.
Also, if you are sitting at a red light, do not leave a large amount of space between you and the next vehicle. You do not need to be on someone's bumper, but when there is several feet of space and multiple cars waiting, that "dead space" can prevent someone from turning from a parking lot into the lane when there is no oncoming traffic.
I'm also amazed that some people feel compelled to get out of their vehicle while stopped at a red light. Thankfully, this is rare, but I observed a near-accident on the bypass when some fool opened up his driver's side door and the person passing him in the left turn lane had to swerve to avoid taking out the idiot's door. What could this person have possibly been thinking when he did that, in the middle of morning rush hour traffic?
The worst behavior I've seen, though, is from people who are so self-centered that they feel they are above deferring to an ambulance or other emergency vehicle. When an emergency vehicle is coming, you pull over as much as possible and stop. No debate, no exceptions, end of discussion. There are few things that infuriate me more than fools who honk at me or whip around me because I am doing the proper thing by giving the ambulance as much room as possible.
Think about it for a second. If you were seriously injured or suffering a heart attack, what would you think of someone who delayed the ambulance getting to you because they wanted to get to the grocery a few seconds faster? In an emergency where seconds matter, what if you caused a family member to die by selfishly refusing to yield to an emergency vehicle as required by law?
There is a Biblical principle here too. God's Word commands us to obey the authority God has placed over us. When someone breaks the law by refusing to yield to an emergency vehicle, he not only defies the civil authority. He is in rebellion against God Himself, and those who behave in such a manner "shall receive to themselves damnation." (Romans 13:1-2) Stop for that ambulance and yield as much room as possible. The few seconds you save are simply not worth it.
