The Big Picture by Lennie Peterson for January 19, 2023

Back in the ‘good old days’, before blinkers, people actually used hand signals to turn, And, no they were not today’s hand signals.

From the drawing, Lennie, it doesn’t look like the problem isn’t that he didn’t use a signal, he’s heading straight into a head-on collision.

I know people who brag that they never use their blinkers. Lost all respect for people like that. It’s like saying I try to cause accidents.

I always want to stop someone like that and say “may I ask how much you paid for that car? And how much more it have been with turn signals?”

If you drive with the idea that everyone else is a stoopid idiot you will be better prepared and won’t be so upset when they prove it

Asleep at the wheel!

All these years later and it still rings true!

Reminds me of the time I was sitting in the intersection of a thru-street, waiting to turn left when the oncoming traffic cleared (with my left turn signal on). There was a woman in a car sitting at the stop sign of the street I was wanting to turn onto. When there was an opportunity to turn, I started. So did she. Luckily, we didn’t crash, but I saw her yelling at me! Sheesh…

When my grandfather taught my mother to drive, the first thing he told her was, “Everyone out there is crazy.” She taught me the same thing and I passed it on to my children and grandson. The only problem is that sometimes it’s me…

A lot of people in my area turn on their emergency blinkers in the rain. It really confuses me why they think of “rain” as an emergency situation. It ALSO means their turn signals don’t work so it definitely ISN’T any safer.

MA drivers are among the Worcester!

here kitty kitty kitty, cant find the Ginger addon

What puzzles me about drivers in the Northwest (I’m technically a native of the place but I didn’t grow up here) is that they often—usually—don’t turn on their blinkers until they’re actually turning. Even when sitting at a stoplight and thinking about turning. (To be fair, people here are pretty good about using them to herald pulling away from a curb.)

My Mum tried to convince me once that blinkers were to use while in the process of turning, and not before. Her reasoning was “it’s to let people know what you are doing”?! As if no one could otherwise see the crazy lady (said affectionately) crossing 3 lanes of traffic…

I once made a bumper sticker that said—in big bold print:

YOU HAVE A TURN SIGNAL. USE IT !!

Unfortunately, it did no good.