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At year's end, a look back at our favorite road rants

By LORRIE LYKINS
Published December 31, 2006

In keeping with tradition, the final Ask Dr. Delay column of the year revisits the issues and concerns that drove readers crazy during the previous 12 months. The list is determined by the volume and vehemence of the letters, e-mails and phone calls received this year, with extra weight assigned to correspondence that used words like nut job, maniac, lunatic and cretin.

Not surprisingly, some of the things that most irritated readers in 2006 were also on the list in 2005. I suppose it goes without saying that some things have failed to improve, and more often than not, those "things" are the bad behavior of a few surly motorists.

As the Doc often says, this column aims to educate, inform and advocate for civility on the road. Unfortunately, the advocating-for- civility-on-the-road part is more like a never-ending plea for sanity that fails to reach the folks who obviously, judging from their abysmal driving acumen, don't read this column. And they are, of course, the ones who really should read this column. Oh well, we can dream. Here's what filled the Doc's inbox the most this past year:

Rush hour lead-foots: A reader wrote: "It would be interesting to see if you can dig up a federal highway study done a number of years ago that showed that if you are a chronic speeder who has to navigate traffic lights on your commute, on an average day your speeding will save you about 6 seconds!" In addition to speeders, readers complained about tail-gaters and chronic weavers who careen through traffic as if their gas pedal is glued to the floor or they have no brakes.

Simultaneous bridge construction projects: The closing of the Treasure Island Causeway in addition to work on the Tom Stuart Causeway leading to and from Madeira Beach and the mammoth project to replace the John's Pass Bridge drove commuters to the brink. Some letters that came in questioned the sanity and intelligence of every employee of every agency in any way associated with the ill-timed threesome of road work that necessitated lane closings, detours and endless delays. Now that work on the Tom Stuart Causeway has wrapped up and the Treasure Island access has reopened, motorists have calmed.

Contrary to some readers' insistence, the scheduling of the projects was not the work of sadistic fiends; such major road work must commence once funding is in place.

Turning right on a red light: Is it still the law to make a full stop before turning right on red? Yes. But, as one reader wrote: "It's a huge joke. I watch people coming west on 54th Avenue S to U.S. 19 - they don't even slow down before turning right, never mind stopping." Related to this: motorists who do not turn right on red because they don't seem to realize they may do so. And there is also the issue of some intersections that do not permit right turns on red lights. In spite of overhead signage clearly declaring this, impatient motorists who obviously cannot read these signs insist on blaring their horns at motorists in front of them who lawfully observe the signs.

Bad pedestrians: Sheriff's Sgt. Jim Bordner said recently that one of the biggest challenges in improving pedestrian safety is getting pedestrians to use crosswalks, especially along the beaches on Gulf Boulevard. "If folks would use the designated crosswalks, we'd have fewer problems with motorists failing to yield than we do right now," he said.

Stop sign rollers: Stop means stop. As in you must be without motion. Any questions?

The roller coaster ride of the northbound Bayside Bridge: One reader calls it the "mogul slalom."

"There's a long section of hills and valleys where all the cars look like they're being shaken by an earthquake. Did the taxpayers pay for that peculiar bit of engineering?"

I suppose we did.

If you plan to be on the road this evening, please be extra careful. If you plan on imbibing, do us all a favor and designate a nonimbiber to chauffeur or call a cab.

Until next week, happy and safe motoring!

Please share your traffic concerns, comments and questions with Dr. Delay via e-mail at docdelay@yahoo.com.

[Last modified December 30, 2006, 21:55:53]