Except in school zones where

the speed limit is 25 mph, it is sheer lunacy to stop on a main thoroughfare

and let a pedestrian, biker, or golf cart cross. No matter how much traffic

is there, they can wait until it is clear. If you stop, say on Peachtree

Parkway or at Braelinn Road off the Parkway, you could cause a nasty accident.

You are not being generous, but you are being a traffic hazard.

If you are placing your garage

sale sign near an intersection, please move your automobile to an area

off the road, not halfway on or at the curb. Most intersections don't

have enough road space for turning traffic and your parked vehicle.

When you are at a stop sign,

why pull out in front of oncoming traffic? If you pull out in front of

someone who is within the speed limit and they cannot stop, besides being

at fault, you will likely be the one who is severely hurt. If the oncoming

car is speeding, you are really in trouble. Is that extra second or two

that you saved worth it?

Red lights even worse. You

may turn right on red after a full stop. It doesn't mean that you

have the right to scoot in front of the oncoming traffic without fully

stopping. You can be at fault or killed, or both. Again, what have you

saved?

Fire lanes in shopping centers

are for emergency traffic only. They are not your convenience when it's

raining or if you're in a hurry to pick up just one item. You are not

privileged in our society.

Bicycles:

Follow the same rules as automobiles.

Stay to the extreme right side and in a single file. Automobiles may pass

you close, but concentrate on keeping your direction. Use hand signals

the motorist behind you is not a mind reader. Young or inexperienced bicyclists

should not be on thoroughfares, even with parents as escorts. Family biking

is great, but plan your trip so that you stay off main roads.

These are a few things I have

observed. The problem is that you don't just see it once in a great while,

but every day on every trip. With a little thought for safety, we can

all do better.

L.F. Bell, Jr.

Peachtree City