Monday* Manners: Rules of the Road

*Why yes—it is, in fact, Wednesday. And Monday Manners has been on hiatus for several months. But this seemed like an appropriate occasion to revive the post anyway.

Image Credit: Flickr user Matthew & Jenny

SEPTA's on strike. I'm pretty sure we mentioned it before. With no busses, trolleys, or subways, people are turning to their cars to get them to work—and generally acting like assholes while driving them. I thought it might be an opportune moment to remind you of a few traffic laws—not just because they're laws, but because following them will help make this strike a little less unpleasant for all of us.

Don't Block the Box.
You're in the front of a row of cars at a green light, but the traffic ahead of you isn't moving. What do you do? If you answered "go through the light and wait in the middle of the intersection for the cars in front of me to pull forward," you're wrong. Blocking the intersection is against the law, and it's also discourteous to opposing traffic if you're still there when the light changes. Plus, don't you think it's just a little dangerous to be hanging out in the middle of the intersection if one of those cars tries to maneuver around you and fails? Replacing that bumper won't be cheap.

They're Called Crosswalks for a Reason.
The light you're waiting at isn't going to change any faster if you're stopped in the middle of the crosswalk. SEPTA's strike has put a lot more pedestrians on the road in addition to the extra motorists, and they need to get across the road safely. That's why the crosswalks are there. Be sure to stop behind them and let the walkers pass, so they don't have to dodge between cars to get to the other side of the street.

One-Way Is Not a Suggestion.
While sitting in traffic yesterday, I saw a guy turn east on a westbound street. He was only going a few feet to the parking lot there, but it didn't matter. He put himself and everyone else on that street in danger because he didn't have the patience to drive around the block.

Stick to Your Lane.
Things that are not traffic lanes include: bicycle lanes (especially the new, used-to-be-traffic-lanes on Pine and Spruce); unoccupied street parking spaces (just because it's asphalt doesn't mean it's for driving on); and sidewalks. We have seen angry motorists veer sharply into all of these areas in the last couple of days, putting themselves and others at risk, and also generally annoying the other motorists who are waiting their turns. We're all frustrated that we have to wait—but patience pays.

Use Your Blinkers.
Turning? Changing lanes? Avoid getting rear-ended by letting the cars beside and behind you know your intentions. And hey, if somebody lets you in, don't forget to give the wave.

Stop Parking Where There Is No Parking.
Philly's parking laws seem to be a little liberal. Sure, the PPA can't wait to give you a ticket thirty seconds after your meter's expired, but they look the other way for "church parking" and most delivery trucks. When traffic's light, it's usually easy to navigate around the double-parked, the parked-in-the-turn-lane, and the waiting-for-a-friend-in-the-bike-lane. But when traffic's this heavy, it's harder to move over and avoid stopped vehicles, and doing so is really dangerous. If you must stop for any reason, make sure to put your hazards on so that traffic behind you sees you're not moving from a long way off—but I stress the word "must," as in "my water just broke all over my gas pedal." If you're picking up a friend, getting a cup of coffee, or delivering packages, find a real parking space or loading zone.

Hang Up Your Phone.
As of November 1, driving while using a handheld mobile phone is illegal in Philadelphia. It's illegal because it's distracting. And when in heavy traffic that can stop on a dime, you need to dedicate your full attention to the road, not be distracted by your BFF's bad date story.