Inspiration for this comes from an article in the Argus two weeks ago (9/19) on the construction on High Street— that is, the narrowing of the road. The given reason for this is apparently to reduce traffic speed on the street. Yeah, because cars friggin’ zoom all over the place around here. When I read that article, the first thing that came to my mind was “Whoa. Someone is going to hell for this.”
Normally, I’d let this one slide, were it not for the already insanely illogical and frustrating traffic policies that exist in Middletown, especially around Wesleyan. It takes forever to drive anywhere even in the vicinity of Wes, much less directly in the middle of it. Even leaving aside the hundreds of students who walk into oncoming traffic like Moses into the Red Sea—and cars, like the sea, having to stop awkwardly and unnaturally in their path to allow for such a crossing—the seemingly infinite number of stop signs (most of which shouldn’t even be there) and traffic lights (many of which should be stop signs) keep cars at damn near a standing halt anywhere on Church, Cross, High or Washington Streets. It is insufferable trying to cross this campus in a car, if a car is indeed the necessary method of transportation.
I don’t know about the alleged 32 car accidents that occurred on High Street where this construction is going to take place, but I can assure every reader that speed was hardly the only (if even the predominant) factor involved, and furthermore that reducing traffic speed will not solve a single problem. For example, turning Route 95 into a narrow one-lane highway may effectively reduce the traffic speed, but it will not make the road safer, and it will make the interstate so congested that the current four-lane Route 95 would look like a Formula One race track in comparison (and if you’ve ever driven on 95, you know how bad it already is).
It is silly to blame fast-moving cars for all of the problems of the road. Politicians set speed limits so unfathomably low; to actually drive consistent with the posted limit is laughable and (I would argue) worthy of ridicule in most cases. There is minimal correlation between fast driving and dangerous driving, and it is unfair to demonize fast drivers. I don’t know if it is “social constructs” that make us despise fast drivers, but we need to stop. After all, were it not for aggressive drivers, traffic would NEVER move. Every time we went out on any major road in the country we’d be helpless victims of inconsiderate pedestrians who think they own the road, rubber-neckers and paranoid neurotics who drive 50 in a 60 MPH zone “just to be safe.”
It is important to curb unsafe driving— after all, recklessness and wrecklessness are inversely correlated. But turning the road into a veritable obstacle course is just not a good idea. Perhaps some drivers hit the pedal at inappropriate times because at all the appropriate times, there are all sorts of crazy stuff in the middle of the road hindering traffic flow. I would have thought even Leftists out there would have learned that MORE control, MORE hindrance, MORE impediments to the natural flow of things is bad, m’kay. Perhaps that’s just my laissez-faire attitude talking, but I happen to dig that attitude.
So, don’t victimize aggressive drivers. I know, I know, this is just another one of my crazy opinions— but for those nay-sayers out there, those who hate cars that go beyond third gear, those who ask “Why the rush?”, please help yourself: get in a car (if you have access to one), turn the stereo volume as high as it can go, and play “Going Mobile” by The Who. It will all come to you as an epiphany. I’ll see you out there.
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